You know what, you're right, there is no way to prove Zimmerman's state of mind.
However, this does not mean that racial profiling doesn't happen on a regular basis. A regular enough basis that the President of the United States can call to mind instances where it happened to him. That is the broader context within which the Martin/Zimmerman incident happened.
Nage Waza's original comment was "I don't understand why this got so much attention," and it was to that which I was trying to respond. Mel, you're right, it's impossible to prove Zimmerman's specific state of mind at the time of the incident regarding the race of the person he was following.
However, being regarded as suspicious or dangerous is a commonplace event in the lives of black men in America, and here is an incident in which this very common public perception - of black men as dangerous - appears to have led to the death of a teenager.
The ultimate details of this specific case are largely irrelevant in the broader context: black men in America are unreasonably viewed as dangerous, and are largely unfairly treated by the justice system.
Those things are undeniable and don't have anything to do with Zimmerman's state of mind; but they are why the case is important and has garnered so much attention.
Zimmerman may or may not have responded to Martin as he did because of his race, but that obviously doesn't mean that every neighbourhood watch captain around America will discount race in their assessment of a situation, and I would be utterly shocked if you thought that anything but a tiny fragment of America wouldn't react with more suspicion to a black male than to a white male - even black Americans - it's the unfortunate nature of reality in America today.
Whether or not Zimmerman reacted differently to Martin because of his race will remain known only to Zimmerman - and even he may not know, or may be unable to metacognitate to the necessary degree - but in terms of focusing attention on the public perception of black males in America there is something important to be gained from analyzing whether and why people react to race the way they do.
That is why the case is important and why it's worth talking about.
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