Trayvon Martin

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  • JimmyVJimmyV Posts: 19,172
    The best reaction I saw on Twitter last night...

    Arizona: "At least we're not Texas!"

    Texas: "At least we're not Florida!"

    Florida: "You can't prove we're Florida!"
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  • unsungunsung Posts: 9,487
    You can't put race aside. If it wasn't for race he would have never been charged in the first place. Well, that and the DOJ supporting those protest rallies.
  • otterotter Posts: 760
    As you will see below, by hook and crook, the mainstream media did everything in its still-potent power to not only push for the prosecution of Mr. Zimmerman (the police originally chose not to charge him) but also to gin up racial tensions where none needed to exist.

    It all started with the anchor of a major television network (Al Sharpton) inserting himself in the story to spread division and hate; it continued straight through to the closing days of the trial when another major news network, desperate to keep a fabricated racial narrative alive, propagated the portrayal of Zimmerman as part of a racial group that doesn't exist -- the "white Hispanic."

    In-between, there has been an astonishing amount of malicious fraud and lies, all in an effort to serve a president, stir racial hatred, and influence the justice system.

    February 26, 2012 - George Zimmerman Shoots and Kills Trayvon Martin

    Zimmerman claims self-defense. After an investigation, the police agree and decide not to press charges.



    March 8, 2012 - The AP Falsely Describes Zimmerman as "White"

    The story of the grieving parents of Trayvon Martin demanding Zimmerman be arrested first achieves national attention on March 8 when

    CBS This Morning runs a report.

    Later that same day, the Associated Press throws the first log on the racial fire by inaccurately describing Zimmerman

    as white.



    March 13, 2012 - NBC's Al Sharpton Uses MSNBC Platform to Stoke Phony Racial Narrative

    Breitbart editor-in-chief Joel Pollak:

    Sharpton devoted a portion of his program on MSNBC, PoliticsNation, to the Trayvon Martin case. He interviewed Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump, who reiterated the accusation that Zimmerman was “white”: “We think Trayvon Martin didn’t know who the heck this white man was who approached him before he got killed.”

    Earlier that same day, Sharpton's National Action Network released a statement calling for

    ...

    ...a “complete and thorough investigation” into Martin’s death. He added: “[W]e are told that racial language was used when the young man reported his suspicions to police[.]”

    The story about Zimmerman's use of racial language was false.



    March 13, 2012 - ABC News Reporter Claims Trayvon Shot Because "He Was Black"

    About ten days before Al Sharpton and President Obama would launch the Zimmerman story into the stratosphere, Matt Gutman, an ABC News correspondent based in Miami, Florida, was already (and without a shred of evidence) laying the track for a racial narrative.

    Gutman covered the case for the network, and his Twitter feed at the time was full of falsehoods, innuendo, and irresponsible speculation.

    In one tweet, Gutman came right out and claimed Trayvon was shot "bc [because] he was black."

    Gutman would also recklessly accuse Zimmerman of "stalking" and shooting down Trayvon.

    March 19, 2012 - CBS News Falsely Claims Zimmerman Is White

    A small detail that the Obama administration and the media apparently missed was that the white versus black racial narrative they were preparing to invest so much into was missing just one thing: a white person.

    Proof of this is that CBS News falsely claimed Zimmerman was white about a week before the story exploded.

    In their venomous zeal, the media and Democrats likely assumed that someone with the last name Zimmerman had to be white. But they were wrong, as Zimmerman is Hispanic.

    Never ones to back off a good narrative, rather than use this revelation to tamp down tensions or correct their reporting, the media simply made up out of whole cloth a new racial category: the "white Hispanic."



    March 22, 2012 - Zimmerman Described as a "White Hispanic" by The New York Times

    Just in the nick of time, before the story was engineered to explode the very next day with the Sharpton rally,

    The New York Times put its stamp of approval on the term "white Hispanic."

    March 21, 2012 - CNN Falsely Accuses Zimmerman of Saying "F**king Coon"

    Knowing full well the phony racial storm brewing around the Zimmerman case was about to have gasoline thrown on it the next day, CNN went to extraordinary lengths to claim Zimmerman had uttered the racial slur "coon" when he had not.

    This has to be watched to be believed.

    CNN wouldn't officially retract their defamation until April 5th, long after it was too late.



    March 22, 2012 - NBC's Al Sharpton Goes to Florida

    Though the police had investigated the shooting and saw no reason to charge George Zimmerman, in March of 2012, President Obama's reelection chances looked dim. He would need the crucial swing state of Florida to win another four years, and nothing brings out the Democrat vote like a good old racial bonfire.

    With the help of thousands of dollars from Obama's Justice Department, it was then that Rev. Al Sharpton (anchor of MSNBC's

    Politics Nation) held his incendiary rally:

    At the protest, Sharpton was flanked by Martin's parents. "Trayvon could have been any one of our sons," he said. "Trayvon could have been any one of us."

    He continued:

    "We are tired of going to jail for nothing and others going home for something. Zimmerman should have been arrested that night ... you cannot defend yourself against a pack of Skittles and iced tea. Don't talk to us like we're stupid! Don't talk to us like we're ignorant! We love our children like you love yours. Lock him up!"

    Sharpton said that he would stay on the case.

    "We cannot allow a legal precedent to be established in this city that tells us it is legal for a man to kill us, tell any story he wants, and walks out with the murder weapon," he said.

    March 23, 2012 - President Obama Repeats Sharpton's Talking Point

    The day after Sharpton held his rally and said, "Trayvon could have been any one of our sons," President Obama made huge news when he stepped before the cameras, demanded action in the Zimmerman case, and famously said,

    "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon."

    In just two days, a network news anchor and an American president had blasted the Zimmerman case into the nation's top story and did so based on a racial narrative without a shred of evidence to support it. Almost every other major news outlet would now commit every journalistic sin imaginable to fabricate evidence.



    March 24, 2012 - Reuters Describes Zimmerman as a "White Hispanic"

    To keep the white versus black narrative alive, Reuters jumps on the ridiculous "white Hispanic" bandwagon.

    Many others would follow.

    March 27, 2012 - NBC News Edits 911 Audio to Make Zimmerman Look Racist

    On the storied Today Show, NBC News told America Zimmerman said this on the 911 call:

    Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good. He looks black.

    When the truth is that the unedited audio actually went like this:

    Zimmerman: This guy looks like he’s up to no good. Or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.

    Dispatcher: OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?

    Zimmerman: He looks black.

    After the fraudulent editing was discovered by the New Media (first by Breitbart News), former NBC News president Steve Capus would

    claim that the edit was "a mistake and not a deliberate act to misrepresent the phone call."

    Eventually, several NBC producers would be fired (without being named), and Zimmerman would file a lawsuit against NBC; it remains unresolved.



    March 28, 2012 - ABC News Falsely Claims Zimmerman Wasn't Injured Night of Shooting

    The day after NBC News released its falsified 911 bombshell, ABC News released a phony, hyped-up story of its own. Using grainy surveillance video of Zimmerman at the police station on the night of the shooting, ABC News

    claimed, "A police surveillance video taken the night that Trayvon Martin was shot dead shows no blood or bruises on George Zimmerman."

    Obviously, if true, this would go a long way towards proving Zimmerman was not in fear of his life the night of the shooting and had lied about being beaten up.

    The only problem is that the ABC News story was not true -- not even close. The network didn't bother to enhance the video before breaking the news. Had they, Zimmerman's

    bloody head would have been quite apparent.

    It would take four days for ABC to retract its falsehood.



    March 28, 2012 - Boston Globe Falsely Describes Zimmerman as White

    By late March it was widely known that George Zimmerman was Hispanic. This did not stop the

    Boston Globe from using its pages to describe him as "a white neighborhood watch captain."

    This error has never been corrected.

    March 29, 2012 - NBC's Chris Matthews Contradicts Guest to Claim Zimmerman Not Injured

    By the next day, ABC's false story about Zimmerman not being injured had already gone viral. However, some were already doing the job ABC apparently didn't want to do: enhancing the video. A guest on MSNBC's

    Hardball told the show's host, Chris Matthews, that his enhancement did show bruises on the back of Zimmerman's head. MSNBC even broadcast the enhancement, which clearly showed cuts and bruising.

    Regardless, during the same show, Matthews stridently claimed:

    George Zimmerman says he shot Trayvon Martin after Trayvon broke his nose and repeatedly slammed the back of his head into a concrete sidewalk, but newly released video tape of Zimmerman arriving at the police station--we're looking at it there--appears to show no evidence of a broken nose or obvious wounds to the back of Zimmerman's head.



    Late March, 2012 - Zimmerman's "Black Friend" Vilified by Media

    Even though Zimmerman is Hispanic and there was no evidence of any racial motivation behind his actions, the media's racial-hysteria was, at this point, in full bloom. To try and tamp things down, Joe Oliver, a black reporter who had worked with CNN and an Orlando television station, started doing the national media interview rounds to speak on behalf of his friend, George Zimmerman.

    The counterattack in the media (CNN, New York Times, and MSNBC, among others) was exceptionally

    vicious, personal, and effective.

    Oliver went away.



    April 1, 2012 - The New York Times Maliciously Edits Zimmerman's 911 Call

    Although the NBC News malicious edit of Zimmerman's 911 call broadcast on the Today Show

    had already been loudly and publicly debunked, days later the New York Times did the same thing on its front page.

    By rearranging the words of the call, the Times falsely made it look as though Zimmerman had profiled Trayvon as black:

    Here is the 911 call transcript:

    ZIMMERMAN: This guy looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about.

    911 DISPATCHER: Okay. And this guy, is he white, black, or Hispanic?

    ZIMMERMAN: He looks black.

    And here is what the Times reported:

    “Hey, we’ve had some break-ins in my neighborhood,” Mr. Zimmerman said to start the conversation with the dispatcher. “And there’s a real suspicious guy.”

    This guy seemed to be up to no good; like he was on drugs or something; in a gray hoodie. Asked to describe him further, he said, “He looks black.”

    The print edition of the story was even worse than the online edition.



    April 9, 2012 - PBS Anchor Gwen Ifill Describes Zimmerman as "White"

    Desperate to keep a non-existent racial narrative alive, during a broadcast of the PBS

    Newshour Gwen Ifill falsely stated:

    Martin, who was black, was on his way to a convenience store in a mostly white gated community when George Zimmerman, who is white, shot and killed him after a disputed altercation.

    Note Ifill's reporting of Zimmerman's gated community. The condos in Zimmerman's neighborhood sell for about $120,000.



    April 11, 2012 - George Zimmerman Is Arrested, Charged with Second Degree Murder

    After the arrest, and as the trial date neared the following year, NBC would allow Al Sharpton to

    turn his primetime MSNBC show into a platform dedicated to convicting Zimmerman

    .

    CNN would continue to refer to Zimmerman as a "white Hispanic" and broadcast all of Zimmerman's personal information

    , including his social security number, address, and telephone number.
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  • otterotter Posts: 760
    A guy saw a shady guy creeping in the dark while hiding his face.
    That guy saw a creepy guy watching him and talking on the phone.

    They come face to face. Words are exchanged. A punch is thrown. They end up on the ground. One guy gets the advantage and gets on top.

    It makes no difference why they came face to face. Trayvon should have diffused the situation by simply being a gentleman and explained why he was there. He knew he looked suspicious to adults in the neighborhood. Instead he wanted to have a fight, I understand that some 17 year old guys like to fight. But he should have known when the fight was over. The first shot to the nose should have been the end or when he got on top of him he should have stopped. But he continued to punch. If Zimmerman shot him after getting punched in the nose....guilty. But he was justified when Martin wouldn't stop and nobody came to break it up.

    Would have Martin killed Zimmerman? Maybe. Could have Martin killed Zimmerman? Definitely.

    Is it reasonable to believe that a person holding you down and punching you is going to kill you? I think so.

    Especially if there is a gun present. I think anyone being beaten while being held down would be very afraid that at some point they would lose conscienceness. Once unconscious that's it. It's over.

    By the way didn't Hernandez shoot a black guy? But he executed the guy after kidnaping him and taking him to a remote place. Where the fuck are Sharpton and Obama on this one?
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  • Ledbetterman10Ledbetterman10 Posts: 16,882
    otter wrote:
    Would have Martin killed Zimmerman? Maybe. Could have Martin killed Zimmerman? Definitely.

    Is it reasonable to believe that a person holding you down and punching you is going to kill you? I think so.

    Sure...if you're a fucking pussy that can't defend yourself against a 17 year old kid when you outweigh him by a hundred pounds
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  • otterotter Posts: 760
    otter wrote:
    Would have Martin killed Zimmerman? Maybe. Could have Martin killed Zimmerman? Definitely.

    Is it reasonable to believe that a person holding you down and punching you is going to kill you? I think so.

    Sure...if you're a fucking pussy that can't defend yourself against a 17 year old kid when you outweigh him by a hundred pounds

    There are 17 year olds who are much tougher than sensible and 27 year olds who are heavy and weak. Age and weight are irrelevant. If you think that you can defend yourself from all 17 year olds you are lying to yourself. Go to any high school many are strong, fast, fearless, and looking to prove it.
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  • mickeyratmickeyrat Posts: 38,605
    otter wrote:
    By the way didn't Hernandez shoot a black guy? But he executed the guy after kidnaping him and taking him to a remote place. Where the fuck are Sharpton and Obama on this one?
    yes, and he is currently in jail. It also didn't take 44 days to make the decision to charge.
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  • ComeToTXComeToTX Posts: 7,795
    This show, another show, a show here and a show there.
  • ComeToTXComeToTX Posts: 7,795
    otter wrote:
    A guy saw a shady guy creeping in the dark while hiding his face.
    That guy saw a creepy guy watching him and talking on the phone.

    They come face to face. Words are exchanged. A punch is thrown. They end up on the ground. One guy gets the advantage and gets on top.

    It makes no difference why they came face to face. Trayvon should have diffused the situation by simply being a gentleman and explained why he was there. He knew he looked suspicious to adults in the neighborhood. Instead he wanted to have a fight, I understand that some 17 year old guys like to fight. But he should have known when the fight was over. The first shot to the nose should have been the end or when he got on top of him he should have stopped. But he continued to punch. If Zimmerman shot him after getting punched in the nose....guilty. But he was justified when Martin wouldn't stop and nobody came to break it up.

    Would have Martin killed Zimmerman? Maybe. Could have Martin killed Zimmerman? Definitely.

    Is it reasonable to believe that a person holding you down and punching you is going to kill you? I think so.

    Especially if there is a gun present. I think anyone being beaten while being held down would be very afraid that at some point they would lose conscienceness. Once unconscious that's it. It's over.

    By the way didn't Hernandez shoot a black guy? But he executed the guy after kidnaping him and taking him to a remote place. Where the fuck are Sharpton and Obama on this one?

    He knew he looked suspicious? Why? He was walking through a neighborhood talking on the phone. He looks like every other kid he went to school with.
    This show, another show, a show here and a show there.
  • Last-12-ExitLast-12-Exit Posts: 8,661
    Obama also played a huge role in this going to trial. Once Obama said trayvon could be his son, it was going to trial. With or without the propped evidence. You can't bring politics into the judicial system.
  • jlaustinjlaustin Posts: 2,355
    otter wrote:
    A guy saw a shady guy creeping in the dark while hiding his face.
    That guy saw a creepy guy watching him and talking on the phone.

    They come face to face. Words are exchanged. A punch is thrown. They end up on the ground. One guy gets the advantage and gets on top.

    It makes no difference why they came face to face. Trayvon should have diffused the situation by simply being a gentleman and explained why he was there. So the 17 year old now dead victim is responsible to diffuse a situation with a 27 year old with a gun. He knew he looked suspicious to adults in the neighborhood. Instead he wanted to have a fight, I understand that some 17 year old guys like to fight. But he should have known when the fight was over. I'm sure he knew the fist fight was over when Zimmerman shot him the chest with his gun.The first shot to the nose should have been the end or when he got on top of him he should have stopped. But he continued to punch. According to Zimmerman.If Zimmerman shot him after getting punched in the nose....guilty. But he was justified when Martin wouldn't stop and nobody came to break it up.

    Would have Martin killed Zimmerman? Maybe. Could have Martin killed Zimmerman? Definitely. Would've, could've ...Zimmerman definitely killed Martin.

    Is it reasonable to believe that a person holding you down and punching you is going to kill you? I think so.
    Is it reasonable to think that a creepy dude following you in the rain and dark is up to no good - I guess Trayvon should have run and been shot in the back.

    Especially if there is a gun present. I think anyone being beaten while being held down would be very afraid that at some point they would lose conscienceness. Once unconscious that's it. It's over. Yep - for Trayvon it is over.

    By the way didn't Hernandez shoot a black guy?He is in jail charged with murder. But he executed the guy after kidnaping him and taking him to a remote place. Where the fuck are Sharpton and Obama on this one?

    It is so comforting to know that I can kill anyone who scares me.... I guess I just can't leave my house, because I might scare someone - oh that's right I'm white, so that's less likely. :cry:
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  • eeriepadaveeeriepadave Posts: 42,062
    Tom Crabtree (TB Bucs player and PJ fan) tweeted this:
    How cool would it be to live in a world where George Zimmerman offered Trayvon Martin a ride home to get him out of the rain that night.

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  • musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
    Obama also played a huge role in this going to trial. Once Obama said trayvon could be his son, it was going to trial. With or without the propped evidence. You can't bring politics into the judicial system.


    im not really sure what you mean by judicial system. people here seem to be discussing the "system" as if it actually has worked in the last 200 years. Racism, classism, prejudice, xenophobia, all come into the justice system, and regularly.

    the justice system is a misnomer, the justice part is just a placeholder for some other term, more suitable to what actually happens.

    Plus Obama's too busy spying on people and dropping drones on innocent women and children. he doesnt give a damn about a black kid being murdered.
  • Guitar92playerGuitar92player Posts: 664
    edited July 2013
    Why is everyone so upset? He was acqitted of the charges (forcibly) brought to him by the prosecution. There was no evidence that supports anything but self defense.

    A tragedy did happen. A young man was shot dead. Many things could've happened to prevent this.
    1) Zimmerman could have not left his truck
    2) Martin didn't have to confront Zimmerman.
    Just to name 2.
    Please stop naming this a race case. Its simply a self defense case.


    Regarding number 2, if some guy was following you and you felt threatened, wouldn't you confront him and ask why they are following? Trayvon could have just went to a nearby house (however, Zimmerman maybe would have assumed he was going to the house to commit a crime or something) but what happened happened.

    So what I am saying his that it was more reasonable for Trayvon to turn around and confront Zimmerman than it was for Zimmerman to get out of his truck. Zimmerman saw a kid walking and automatically assumed he was up to no good. If it was me, I would have thought it was some regular citizen walking late at night. I would have drove the truck up to him and tell him to hurry up and get to where he was going, its late at night.

    I am glad he was not convicted of murder, but a manslaughter charge sounds more reasonable. But in the end it doesn't matter, God will be the ultimate judge (sorry to get religious but that is my belief. ;) )
    Post edited by Guitar92player on
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  • Cliffy6745Cliffy6745 Posts: 33,840
    It is just sad that in this country it is legal to pick a fight with someone, get your ass kicked and then kill that person
  • jlaustinjlaustin Posts: 2,355
    Tom Crabtree (TB Bucs player and PJ fan) tweeted this:
    How cool would it be to live in a world where George Zimmerman offered Trayvon Martin a ride home to get him out of the rain that night.

    https://twitter.com/itscrab


    How cool indeed...
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  • cp3iversoncp3iverson Posts: 8,693
    Tom Crabtree (TB Bucs player and PJ fan) tweeted this:
    How cool would it be to live in a world where George Zimmerman offered Trayvon Martin a ride home to get him out of the rain that night.

    https://twitter.com/itscrab

    amid all of the pro-gun idiots and the race-card idiots it's amazing that it took this long for a great comment like this to come out. That guy is 100% right. Awesome.
  • musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
    Cliffy6745 wrote:
    It is just sad that in this country it is legal to pick a fight with someone, get your ass kicked and then kill that person


    the most famous quote out of the case is "only in america could a dead black boy go on trial for his own murder".

    im not really seeing the pat ourselves on our backs, wow america is so great, justice worked, aspect of all this.
  • mookeywrenchmookeywrench Posts: 5,903
    Why is everyone so upset? He was acqitted of the charges (forcibly) brought to him by the prosecution. There was no evidence that supports anything but self defense.

    A tragedy did happen. A young man was shot dead. Many things could've happened to prevent this.
    1) Zimmerman could have not left his truck
    2) Martin didn't have to confront Zimmerman.
    Just to name 2.
    Please stop naming this a race case. Its simply a self defense case.


    Regarding number 2, if some guy was following you and you felt threatened, wouldn't you confront him and ask why they are following?

    But that's all a reasonable person would have done. There wouldn't have been punches thrown or any sort of scuffles. Instead Trayvon acted like a teenager (shocking huh?) and escalated the situation with raw emotion against a neighborhood watchman whose zealousy also further escalated the situation.

    Once the scuffle broke out it was a battle of self-defense. Only two people know if it was a life threatening scuffle and the prosecution could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that it wasn't.

    Civil court does not have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that's where Zimmerman will meet his punishment.
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  • vant0037vant0037 Posts: 6,116
    vant0037 wrote:
    Why is everyone so upset? He was acqitted of the charges (forcibly) brought to him by the prosecution. There was no evidence that supports anything but self defense.

    A tragedy did happen. A young man was shot dead. Many things could've happened to prevent this.
    1) Zimmerman could have not left his truck
    2) Martin didn't have to confront Zimmerman.
    Just to name 2.
    Please stop naming this a race case. Its simply a self defense case.

    This. Race issues aside, this one case should not confirm or invalidate any previously held beliefs on guns or self-defense (this case has been a proxy war for those two issues).

    And while I think there are definitely questions about whether this was self-defense, the fact remains that the only other person who could tell us what happened...is dead. That was an insurmountable burden, one the State couldn't meet.

    Like it or not, this is our system. Charges were leveled, a verdict was reached. The system performed its function.

    I agree with the sentiment here. Criminality aside, the fact remains that George Zimmerman, while having a right to bear arms and not convicted of any crimes, may grapple with the question "was it worth it to carry a gun and follow this kid that night?" for the rest of his life. Was it worth to end someone's life and effectively his own?

    Do I believe that Zimmerman would be dead if he hadn't killed Martin? Not for a second. But as it stands, he was acquitted by a jury and we should respect the decision, if only because in doing so it reaffirms the process. For those disappointed in the outcome, that can be your silver lining.

    A very good and articulate post, but you both you and Last-12-Exit are asking everyone to do one seemingly simple thing - PUT RACE ASIDE.

    And therein lies the problem.

    People can't or won't - that very word is driving this whole story. If it's not, then Google "Joshua Heath Chellew" and tell me why THAT story hasn't made so much as a blip on the radar of the national news media.

    It's very unfortunate when anyone loses their life in this manner, particularly a young person with their whole life ahead of them, but there are young black men shooting each other on an almost daily basis in the inner cities of America over drugs and money, and overseas, young men in third world countries killing each other over land and religion - yet here's the media sensationalizing a tragedy of this particular nature and whipping everybody into a frenzy over racism and gun control yet again. I didn't follow the case that closely to begin with, so I really don't have an educated opinion of the verdict, but even if George Zimmerman did kill Trayvon Martin out of malicious intent, what scares me more than one guilty person walking free, is that a community of people may use this outcome to riot and defend hateful attitudes and behavior, while others will attempt to use it as a platform to give politicians unconstitutional authority over this country's citizens.

    Trust me I'm not asking you to put anything aside.
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  • Why is everyone so upset? He was acqitted of the charges (forcibly) brought to him by the prosecution. There was no evidence that supports anything but self defense.

    A tragedy did happen. A young man was shot dead. Many things could've happened to prevent this.
    1) Zimmerman could have not left his truck
    2) Martin didn't have to confront Zimmerman.
    Just to name 2.
    Please stop naming this a race case. Its simply a self defense case.


    Regarding number 2, if some guy was following you and you felt threatened, wouldn't you confront him and ask why they are following?

    But that's all a reasonable person would have done. There wouldn't have been punches thrown or any sort of scuffles. Instead Trayvon acted like a teenager (shocking huh?) and escalated the situation with raw emotion against a neighborhood watchman whose zealousy also further escalated the situation.

    Once the scuffle broke out it was a battle of self-defense. Only two people know if it was a life threatening scuffle and the prosecution could not prove beyond reasonable doubt that it wasn't.

    Civil court does not have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt, that's where Zimmerman will meet his punishment.

    True, I forgot to say that Trayvon was in the wrong once he fought.

    But think about, couldn't Trayvon have been fighting in self-defense as well? Maybe he did see his gun and tried to pin-down Zimmerman before he could take his gun out? I guess we'll never know.
    ~Carter~

    You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
    or you can come to terms and realize
    you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
    makes much more sense to live in the present tense
    - Present Tense
  • Last-12-ExitLast-12-Exit Posts: 8,661
    Why is everyone so upset? He was acqitted of the charges (forcibly) brought to him by the prosecution. There was no evidence that supports anything but self defense.

    A tragedy did happen. A young man was shot dead. Many things could've happened to prevent this.
    1) Zimmerman could have not left his truck
    2) Martin didn't have to confront Zimmerman.
    Just to name 2.
    Please stop naming this a race case. Its simply a self defense case.


    Regarding number 2, if some guy was following you and you felt threatened, wouldn't you confront him and ask why they are following? Trayvon could have just went to a nearby house (however, Zimmerman maybe would have assumed he was going to the house to commit a crime or something) but what happened happened.

    So what I am saying his that it was more reasonable for Trayvon to turn around and confront Zimmerman than it was for Zimmerman to get out of his truck. Zimmerman saw a kid walking and automatically assumed he was up to no good. If it was me, I would have thought it was some regular citizen walking late at night. I would have drove the truck up to him and tell him to hurry up and get to where he was going, its late at night.

    I am glad he was not convicted of murder, but a manslaughter charge sounds more reasonable. But in the end it doesn't matter, God will be the ultimate judge (sorry to get religious but that is my belief. ;) )

    If he really felt threatened by a guy following him, why on earth would he confront him?
  • jlaustinjlaustin Posts: 2,355
    Why is everyone so upset? He was acqitted of the charges (forcibly) brought to him by the prosecution. There was no evidence that supports anything but self defense.

    A tragedy did happen. A young man was shot dead. Many things could've happened to prevent this.
    1) Zimmerman could have not left his truck
    2) Martin didn't have to confront Zimmerman.
    Just to name 2.
    Please stop naming this a race case. Its simply a self defense case.


    Regarding number 2, if some guy was following you and you felt threatened, wouldn't you confront him and ask why they are following? Trayvon could have just went to a nearby house (however, Zimmerman maybe would have assumed he was going to the house to commit a crime or something) but what happened happened.

    So what I am saying his that it was more reasonable for Trayvon to turn around and confront Zimmerman than it was for Zimmerman to get out of his truck. Zimmerman saw a kid walking and automatically assumed he was up to no good. If it was me, I would have thought it was some regular citizen walking late at night. I would have drove the truck up to him and tell him to hurry up and get to where he was going, its late at night.

    I am glad he was not convicted of murder, but a manslaughter charge sounds more reasonable. But in the end it doesn't matter, God will be the ultimate judge (sorry to get religious but that is my belief. ;) )

    If he really felt threatened by a guy following him, why on earth would he confront him?

    Yeah, why would Zimmerman do that?
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  • Why is everyone so upset? He was acqitted of the charges (forcibly) brought to him by the prosecution. There was no evidence that supports anything but self defense.

    A tragedy did happen. A young man was shot dead. Many things could've happened to prevent this.
    1) Zimmerman could have not left his truck
    2) Martin didn't have to confront Zimmerman.
    Just to name 2.
    Please stop naming this a race case. Its simply a self defense case.


    Regarding number 2, if some guy was following you and you felt threatened, wouldn't you confront him and ask why they are following? Trayvon could have just went to a nearby house (however, Zimmerman maybe would have assumed he was going to the house to commit a crime or something) but what happened happened.

    So what I am saying his that it was more reasonable for Trayvon to turn around and confront Zimmerman than it was for Zimmerman to get out of his truck. Zimmerman saw a kid walking and automatically assumed he was up to no good. If it was me, I would have thought it was some regular citizen walking late at night. I would have drove the truck up to him and tell him to hurry up and get to where he was going, its late at night.

    I am glad he was not convicted of murder, but a manslaughter charge sounds more reasonable. But in the end it doesn't matter, God will be the ultimate judge (sorry to get religious but that is my belief. ;) )

    If he really felt threatened by a guy following him, why on earth would he confront him?

    1. If he didnt turn around, the guy behind him could have sneak attacked him (luckily that wasnt Zimmerman's goal)
    2. By turning around he had a fighting chance
    3. By turning around he could have asked why he was following. Sadly it turned into a fight
    ~Carter~

    You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
    or you can come to terms and realize
    you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
    makes much more sense to live in the present tense
    - Present Tense
  • vant0037vant0037 Posts: 6,116
    haha. respect the process. reaffirm the process. silver lining. Wow. What a joke. You followed the american justice system the last, oh 200 years? You are only fooling yourself. Louima, King, Tim Thomas, Diallo. Gee, I wonder what the process is. Id never serve on a jury in my life if called up. Because id tell them straight up when they interviewed me "I dont believe in the system, its corrupt, racist and classist, and Ive given money to Mumia, Peltier and the WM3".

    As someone who's done work for groups like the Innocence Project, I don't believe this case belongs in the same category of miscarriage as Mumia, Leonard Peltier or the WM3. As someone who's done work for all three causes, it's concerning to hear someone comparing a case where the State failed to meet its burden of proof and it resulted in an acquittal to 3 instances where the State arguably prevailed by nefarious means and obtained convictions when they shouldn't have. Either we want a process where the State can only exert its will and imprison people if it can meet its burden or we don't. It's doubly scary that someone who professes to care about social justice issues would blindly state they wouldn't sit on a jury if called. By what right can you criticize the conclusions of other people who did?

    Do I believe Zimmerman was guilty of a crime here? Yes. The circumstantial evidence just never added up to his claims and actions being reasonable and personally, I think much of it could be construed in just the opposite way that the jury apparently did: to show criminal liability on Zimmerman's part. But in a world where a "jury of my peers" is often the only protection we have against the power of the State, I refuse to throw away or ignore our Constitutional process for a racist prick like George Zimmerman. The fact that the pro-gun crowd and the social justice crowd continue to use this result and case as a means to further their own political agendas is not only short sighted but also cheapens immeasurably the life of a dead boy many are claiming to care about.
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  • blondieblue227blondieblue227 Posts: 4,509
    Godfather. wrote:
    very sad but I don't see the racism issue.


    Godfather.

    'they' always get away with it.

    quote from Zimmerman.
    *~Pearl Jam will be blasted from speakers until morale improves~*

  • Godfather. wrote:
    very sad but I don't see the racism issue.


    Godfather.

    'they' always get away with it.

    quote from Zimmerman.

    this
    ~Carter~

    You can spend your time alone, redigesting past regrets, oh
    or you can come to terms and realize
    you're the only one who can't forgive yourself, oh
    makes much more sense to live in the present tense
    - Present Tense
  • The Law in Fla made it hard for a conviction. In CA where we don't have stand your ground Zimmerman would have gotten Manslaugher for sure.

    The only fact I can take away from this case is BOTH humans should still be alive today.
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  • musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
    vant0037 wrote:
    haha. respect the process. reaffirm the process. silver lining. Wow. What a joke. You followed the american justice system the last, oh 200 years? You are only fooling yourself. Louima, King, Tim Thomas, Diallo. Gee, I wonder what the process is. Id never serve on a jury in my life if called up. Because id tell them straight up when they interviewed me "I dont believe in the system, its corrupt, racist and classist, and Ive given money to Mumia, Peltier and the WM3".

    As someone who's done work for groups like the Innocence Project, I don't believe this case belongs in the same category of miscarriage as Mumia, Leonard Peltier or the WM3. As someone who's done work for all three causes, it's concerning to hear someone comparing a case where the State failed to meet its burden of proof and it resulted in an acquittal to 3 instances where the State arguably prevailed by nefarious means and obtained convictions when they shouldn't have. Either we want a process where the State can only exert its will and imprison people if it can meet its burden or we don't. It's doubly scary that someone who professes to care about social justice issues would blindly state they wouldn't sit on a jury if called. By what right can you criticize the conclusions of other people who did?

    Do I believe Zimmerman was guilty of a crime here? Yes. The circumstantial evidence just never added up to his claims and actions being reasonable and personally, I think much of it could be construed in just the opposite way that the jury apparently did: to show criminal liability on Zimmerman's part. But in a world where a "jury of my peers" is often the only protection we have against the power of the State, I refuse to throw away or ignore our Constitutional process for a racist prick like George Zimmerman. The fact that the pro-gun crowd and the social justice crowd continue to use this result and case as a means to further their own political agendas is not only short sighted but also cheapens immeasurably the life of a dead boy many are claiming to care about.

    I speak for myself, not others. I think its hypocritical and poppycock to portray yourself as somehow speaking for others.

    My right is my right. I can support who I want. I can serve or not serve. No one has the right to judge me. A justice system that throws the wm3, mumia and peltier in prison is not one I want to be a part of. The justice system is beyond repair and I refuse to pat it on its back.

    the system doesnt magically work. MUmia, peltier and wm3 werent abnormalities and exceptions to an otherwise pretty good or decent justice system. Its all rotten. from the top down, from the front to the back.

    I find it disturbing otherwise socially aware individuals would turn a blind eye to a system that is broken. Acting like it works some of the time allows people like peltier and mumia to rot in prison. And it does a disservice to the millions of innocent black men in prison for no other reason than the color of their skin.

    A system that allows such injustice to exist is not one I want to even be a part of. Being part of a jury is condoning such actions. It reaffirms and tacitly accepts the justice system as is, as something that can be just and fair. Serving on a jury or applauding any judicial action reaffirms the idea that the justice system works and is a slap in the face not only to the black boy that was murdered but to the millions of people in prison, millions of people who will never be known to the public. Its a slap in the face to the thousands of black men lynched, the 401 treaties the U.S. failed to comply with-with the native americans.

    I have publicly called for an abolition to prisons, and to the building of new ones. they serve no purpose other than to make people wealthy.

    I find it disturbing someone who supposedly is aware of the nature of the justice system would blindly and knowingly say the process worked.

    American justice is a joke. Anyone who thinks otherwise has the wool pulled over there eyes. Yes, even you, my dear.
  • musicismylife78musicismylife78 Posts: 6,116
    the innocence project is a noble cause. But it comes at it from the perspective that the justice system usually gets it right and that if only we work within the system and get the few people out of prison who were wrongly convicted, we will have a fine justice system again.

    Im not interested in reformist politics or working within the system. its boring. And its tired and its proven to not do anything.

    Any observer can see the justice system is corrupt beyond repair. its not just a few innocent people. Or a few corrupt police or judges etc... Its the entire thing thats bad.

    Its like the Obama vs Romney debate. Democrat vs Republican. Both parties share the same values. Are Obamas drones and spying and allowing of Gitmo any different than Bush's? Its only the tactics that change. The mentality remains.

    Reform is pointless.
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