( CNN ) -- Like so many others , I am distraught . It will take many days to sort through my feelings and reactions to the verdict of not guilty in the Trayvon Martin case . Still , some thoughts and lessons are obvious , immediate and , in a sense , imperative . First , those who delight in the verdict are wrong . There is no winner here . Trayvon Martin is still dead and George Zimmerman still must live with the fact that he killed without reason or cause . Here , the `` should have '' rules : He should have stayed in the truck . Those who react to the verdict with despair are wrong . We work hard for justice in this world , but we , being human , are flawed . We will make mistakes . The law is only our best approximation of justice , and the law needs constant revision . But doing what 's right is not limited to the law . Sometimes , we must go beyond it . Opinion : Zimmerman case echoes issues of race , guns . Those who expect -- perhaps desire -- a riot are wrong . We are better than that . We respect the law . While the law can not force a person to be moral or tolerant , through the law we can demand respect and expect equality . If we are to move forward as a country we must recognize that this case highlights three issues . We must confront these without excuse or rancor . We must be honest about our weaknesses . LZ : Trayvon could have been my son . First , we are not in a post-racial society . Racial profiling still exists and it is a cancer . Assumptions and fallacies and prejudice feed it . We are suspicious of those who look different ; we are uncomfortable with cultural differences . We distrust what we do n't understand , but surely we should not act with violence or bigotry . If you do n't know about the `` black male code , '' you should . It 's something black boys learn early , even before adolescence . It goes , in part , like this : Even though you 're not a criminal , some people assume you are , especially if you 're wearing certain clothes . Never argue with the police , but protect your dignity and take pride in humility . As a black male , you must go above and beyond to show strangers what type of person you really are . There 's more , but you get the point : If you 're black and male , know that many Americans -- not all , not even most , but many -- assume you are guilty of something , just because you 're you . Opinion : Trayvon could have been my son . Now try to live with that every day . We need to see ourselves through the eyes of others . Finally , there 's the cliché -- think before you act . Thou shalt not murder is a universal commandment , one necessary for a civilized nation , a civilized world . Let us focus on ways to improve the system -- the criminal system , the justice system , the moral system , the general welfare system . Let us focus on acts of goodness and kindness that bring us together , as a people and as creations of God . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Donna Brazile .
Donna says : There is no code here . We are not in a post - racial society , Brazile says . If you do n't care about ` ` black male code , '' you should , she says . Now is a time to focus on improving the system , she says .