Melissa Harris-Perry did a segment over the weekend about the death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida, a few weeks ago, and it's well worth watching, especially if you want to get up to speed on this story. The controversy surrounding this shooting is starting to garner national attention, and for good reason.
Though the incident is still under investigation, what we know at this point is gut-wrenching enough. Martin, a 17-year-old, African-American high school student with good grades, was visiting relatives in a gated community. A neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman, saw Martin walking, followed him, and called 911 to report the teenager acting "suspiciously," adding, "This guy looks like he's up to no good or he's on drugs or something."
The police asked Zimmerman, who apparently had a habit of calling 911 with alarming frequency, to back off. He did not. Though the details remain sketchy, there was apparently some kind of confrontation between the 28-year-old Zimmerman and Martin, leading Zimmerman to shoot and kill the teenager.
Martin was unarmed, carrying nothing more than a bag of candy and an iced tea. No charges have yet been filed against the shooter, though an investigation is still underway, and the matter has been brought to the attention of the FBI. For more details, I found Adam Weinstein's piece on the controversy really helpful, too.
I'd also note Melissa's conclusion: "Despite Zimmerman having injuries consistent with self-defense, he also had a gun," she said. "Trayvon had a bag of Skittles. His name is Trayvon Martin. When innocent children are killed, when their parents are left to wonder if their children's lives matter at all, at least we can remember their names."
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he was a boy who was MURDERED for walking while Black.
This boy was murdered! Murder is murder! His reasoning is of no concern to me. Zimmerman MUST be arrested and let the courts decide. Sign the petition and let's get this to court so we can see how the courts will handle it.
http://www.change.org/petitions/prosecute-the-killer-of-17-year-old-trayvon-martin
Trayvon Martin was killed. If the Racists, continue making it about race, we are going to make it about race. Hundreds of white men, white women and white chidlren, have been murdered, raped and brutally assaulted, by black men, just in the past 2 years. No Hate Crime charges, ever. Don't think the black community, wants the truth to come to light. Blacks kill whites, far more than white on blacks and blacks, make up only 13% of the population. The number one killer of black young men, are other black young men. You want a race war? Keep fanning the flames. Should have kept Trayvon's tragic death, about his tragic death. Racists, just cannot help themselves. White people, are fed up.
Not all white people are as ignorant as you. Thou do protests too much.
Annie- being killed by a black person when you are white does NOT equal a hate crime. A hate crime is when you kill someone SPECIFICALLY because of their race. If a black person is a robber and he kills a white person who happens to try to stop him this is NOT a hate crime. It is a crime- yes- but it's not done because of racial tension. This is what people need to understand. A white person killing a black person doesn't automatically equate to a hate crime, either. It very may well be that Zimmerman isn't guilty of a hate crime, but that he is still guilty of murder from vigilantism (which yes is a crime). By obfuscating what is and isn't racism and what is and isn't hate crimes, Anne, you end up accomplishing the very objective you claim to be fighting against.
if the tables were turned and it was zimmerman shot you can be sure martin would be in jail now.
I definately agree with this comment so true
This story was so horrible. Imagine how his relatives must feel. The seed of hate and rascism although planted a long time ago, is still being watered by the ignorant population of this world.
No. Racist hate is fueled by the Media.
No, only a rascists thinks like that.
Annie Josie, you talk like a damn fool, really. You'd probably ride along with Zimmerman, put the bullets in his gun, cock it, and then claim the victim is racist. And BTW...you're stats are off in your other post. Racism blinding you from the truth.
@Annie, is this something you would probably do?
Annie Josie
You have your facts completely backwards. More whites murder whites than blacks do. It is you trying to fan the flames of a race war. Certainly more blacks are imprisoned for doing what whites do who are not imprisoned. The only thing you got right is more blacks murder blacks than whites do, but then again more whites get off for the crime than blacks do.
This was an individual story about one black kid who got murdered and look how you broad brushed it into a justifiable action. Shame on you
I don't doubt that Zimmerman had injuries consistent with self-defense: Martin probably was trying to defend himself at some point, such as when Zimmerman pulled out his gun.
As someone else here noted, Martin was murdered for the crime of walking while black.
Just speculation here, but I wouldn't be surprised if the defensive wounds were from resisting arrest. If Zimmerman was afraid of the kid, would he have gotten close enough to be clubbed by a bag of skittles?
Good point; I hadn't thought of it. But if Zimmerman was resisting arrest, why wasn't he arrested?
Zimmerman's Injuries - why are we calling them injuries especially since we have not seen proof of this. The police said, Zimmerman had blood on his nose and back of his head. Zimmerman was questioned and then released to go home.
An eyewitness (Cuther) reports: I went outside and looked at the victim, there was a man kneeling over him, I wondered what he was doing it didn't look CPR. I asked he what's wrong he looked at me oddly and said go call the police." I left called police and watched from the window, where the man I saw the man stand, and put his hand over face and back of his head."
The point here: How do we know the blood on Zimmerman's was not the victim's? Did the police take photos? Not just picture of a bloody face but actual cuts, or open wounds. Was Zimmerman seen in an emergency room where his injuries were documented, like most battered women especially since he is claiming self-defense against a 140lb teen teen, claiming he feared grave bodily harm and the police believe they could not dispute this, based on evidence. Where is the evidence of this?
Another point the police had the 911 tapes in their possession for some time, was there a voice analysis done by an expert. To let this man just go free with his gun is completely ludacris.
Shame, shame on a Bill Lee for ranting to the media about how he support the Neighborhood Watch Program while this mother is morning her son and another officer statement that they can not arrest Zimmerman because they may be faced with a lawsuit. Anyway this is not good for the police department. I would think instead of constantly defending themselves, hiding and distorting evidence and witness statements, they would come forth and do what is ethical. However, their media tirade continues enraging a public who loses faith in their ability to protect and serve.
How is it even possible for anyone to believe Zimmerman can claim self defense when police ordered him to stay inside the house after he called 911?
This is the legal criteria of assault and battery.
Zimmerman cannot satisfy this criteria because Zimmerman sought contact with Trayvon (i.e.: Zimmerman cannot legally claim he was assaulted of battered).
Trayvon is no longer with us to describe his side of the story, but the evidence shows Trayvon did not illegally trespass on property of Zimmerman, so Zimmerman cannot legally claim he felt a threat upon his person from Trayvon to "deny his life, liberty, or property".
In fact, Zimmerman "invaded the space" of Trayvon after police told him not to do that.
The Florida police and district attorney are profoundly ignorant for failing to realize that the public will start talking about this.
The police are at least partly responsible because they appointed Zimmerman to a position of authority, so the Martins need to sue both the Zimmermans and the city.
In case anyone missed it - Zimmerman's contact with Trayvon is legally defined as "consentual" since he approached Trayvon, not the other way round.
History of violence and aggression and he has the gun...what defensive wounds could possibly justify his actions. Police just took his word for it??? The cops should be investigated for sure.
Zimmerman was probably injured when Trayvon threw the soda can at him while he was trying to get away after Zimmerman started chasing him down the street and waiving around the gun like a mugger.
https://www.facebook.com/DemandJusticeForTrayvonMartin
....Please make your voice heard for Trayvon Martin on the following website:
http://www.change.org/petitions/prosecute-the-killer-of-our-son-17-year-old-trayvon-martin
Didn't Florida relax the self-defense laws a few years back, making it legal to shoot and kill someone if you had a "reasonable suspicion" that the person was a danger to yourself?
Something tells me Zimmerman isn't going to go to jail for this. If he had "injuries consistent with self-defense" that's all that should be required to satisfy the Florida law.
Zimmerman's Injuries - why are we calling them injuries especially since we have not seen proof of this. The police said, Zimmerman had blood on his nose and back of his head. Zimmerman was questioned and then released to go home.
An eyewitness (Cuther) reports: I went outside and looked at the victim, there was a man kneeling over him, I wondered what he was doing it didn't look CPR. I asked he what's wrong he looked at me oddly and said go call the police." I left called police and watched from the window, where the man I saw the man stand, and put his hand over face and back of his head."
The point here: How do we know the blood on Zimmerman's was not the victim's? Did the police take photos? Not just picture of a bloody face but actual cuts, or open wounds. Was Zimmerman seen in an emergency room where his injuries were documented, like most battered women especially since he is claiming self-defense against a 140lb teen teen, claiming he feared grave bodily harm and the police believe they could not dispute this, based on evidence. Where is the evidence of this?
You know, the guy running the cash register at the local gas station is starting to look awfully suspicious to me.
I think he needs to be shot.
Because he has a gun behind the counter.
He needs to be killed so I can feel safer.
That sounds like the right thing to do.
In Florida.
There are laws about whether you feel threatened, but "suspicion", well that's pretty vague. That kind of law won't stand up under a serious challenge.
Well, they've had plenty of time to challenge it, this law is around 10 years old, and it hasn't been overturned, and considering how vague "feeling threatened" is, it's not much better than a suspicion. Obviously, Zimmerman "felt threatened" by the black teenager marauding in his neighborhood with that candy. Institutionalized racism has ensured that lots of people Feel Threatened by young black men. But the law, as far as I know, is still on the books. Florida obviously has no problem with keeping this law around, which is one of the reasons I am happy to never visit that state again.
Why did Zimmerman think Martin was acting "suspiciously"? Martin was just WALKING DOWN THE STREET. It is NOT OK to shoot down Black men and boys for no good reason. The person acting "suspiciously" in this case is the man who had the gun!!!!!
Agreed. Since when do neighborhood watch people have guns?
Zimmerman is starting to look awfully suspicious to me.
I feel threatened by Zimmerman.
Someone please protect me.
Other articles, say Trayvon was inside the gated community. Not on the street. The community had been burglarized several times. If, Mr. Zimmerman, had been appointed by the gated community, to watch the neighborhood, because of the burglaries, well then, he had the right to check Trayvon out. Race of Trayvon, was not even mentioned, on the 911 tapes, until the police officer, asked if the "suspicious" person, was black, hispanic or white. Mr. Zimmerman, did not know, for sure the race, until Trayvon got closer to him and then, and only then, Mr. Zimmerman said, for sure that Trayvon was black.
We do know one thing for sure, is that the Media, is the one that identified Mr. Zimmerman as "white", when he clearly is hispanic. If the Media, would have reported the facts, as a hispanic Mr. Zimmerman, instead of falsely identifying him, as white, would this case be making national attention? No. It would not have. The only reason, this story has gotten national attention, is because the Media purposely made it about, white vs. blacks. Pretty Anti-white of the Media.
What difference does that make? Rascism crosses along many lines.
Actually Anne, Zimmerman's race wasn't ever identified in Melissa's podcast. You are the only person asserting that he was called white and that he is hispanic. So already you're showing your skewing of the facts and racial intolerance. Additionally even if he was inside of the gated community what does this have to do w/ anything? So if you're a resident of a gated community you don't have the right to go out and purchase products? Or if you have a friend over they don't have the right to do this? I'm sorry was he caught trespassing in the gated community or was he just walking about on the street w/in the gated community. Cause if it's the latter then Anne, once again, you show your desperate desire to obfuscate reality.
By your own logic Anne (from your first post) this would also have been anti-black. So why would you emphasize white versus black here?
The media did not identify Zimmerman as white or hispanic so your point here is completely wrong. But even if it did how are you asserting it wouldn't have made national attention? Maybe people get pissed off whenever someone is arrested simply because they are walking down the street w/ a bag of skittles.
Annie may come across as eager to wave the racial flag more than any other here. But everything I've read so far attempted to identify Zimmerman's race, whether as Latino, white/hispanic, or white.
I do not know if there are other questionable killings under these laws, or whether races of any other possible victims or aggressor opportunists have been identified. But Trayvon's stolen life has brought the dangers of these laws to attention, through the means of what appears to be racial profiling and prejudicial lack of investigation, in this singular case.
His family deserves answers and justice, and we citizens deserve answers and some guarantee of safety from these reckless pro-vigilante/aggressor laws.
Latino is not a race.
Tell the editor of the article that.
Annie Josie
It is stupid to say there is any defense for killing a kid carrying soda and candy.
If someone committed a burglary, then you call the police.
That is the beginning and end of the list.
Most natives fled south and west to Mexico/Spain after president Jackson legalized their murder (lasted until the 1960s). Illegal immigrants fall in this category.
People of mixed european/native descent are considered "hispanic" or "latino" south of the US.
Native people that survived the genocide inside the US "became civilized" and intermarried with europeans - identified as "native american" and not "latino" or "hispanic" despite being the same.
Hispanics and latinos often refer to themselves as "la raza" (the race).
Latinos and hispanics are legally defined as first or second generation immigrants coming from spanish speaking regions or born to parents coming from spanish speaking regions (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, ...).
The race designation is "white".
Latino and hispanic designations loose their legal meaning after 3 generations.
I live about 20 miles from Sanford . The murderer is a wanabe cop punk who fancied himself as a tough guy . If the roles were reversed and the black man had claimed "self defense" , how long do you think it would have taken them to charge and arrest him?
I thought so
Word.
Assuming the 'black man with a gun' would have survived long enough to be arrested.
@sick-n-effin-tired, this case does resemble at least partially racially motivated.
But the real problem is with these new Stand Your Ground laws. In six years, FL has never prosecuted the gunning down of an unarmed citizen by anyone claiming his legal rights under this state law. We already have the right to self-defense, but these laws are often ambiguous and put the burden of proof on the prosecution that a person did not feel threatened. I don't know how you prove that, especially when law enforcement decides these cases are not worth investigating.
This is only going to get worse as antagonists realize how easy it is to get away with murder under these laws.
You said "The murderer is a wanabe cop punk who fancied himself as a tough guy", and this is obvious now. Why couldn't the police department see this while it was in the making. There were 50 calls made to the police in the past year. The police are trained to see this. The police department has failed in it's obligation to keep the community safe.
@Wearelossingfreedoms;
The police did see it. They planned on hiring the guy, obviously, if he ever passed his GED.
The police asked Zimmerman if HE was following Martin. He said yes. They told him not to.
How is it self defense if you have to FOLLOW SOMEONE TO SHOOT THEM????
We had a case recently, here in MN, where a man stopped a mugging but then chased after the mugger. The man killed the criminal and no charges were filed.
Granted the criminal did have a gun and pulled it on his chaser. But do we want untrained, ordinary citizens doing the job of the police?
I am not equating these two cases. Because Trayvon was doing nothing wrong. I'm just commenting on the absurdity of self defense when you put yourself in the situation.
Well that does bring up a good point smb on two levels. A. the concern about at what point should it be OK for people to step in and at what point do we want civilians to stand back to allow police to handle the incident? And B. at what point can a person claim 'self defense' when they're engaging in Samaritan acts or such acts? Was it self defense until the crook ran or did it stay that way when he chased the crook down the street? And would it still have been self defense if the cop had explicitly ordered him not to follow the suspect?
From experience, vigilantism leads to trouble, like mistaking a neighborhood teenager sneaking back into their own bedroom for an intruder.
I agree lock. This got me to thinking: what if Treyvon was trying to be the hero in this situation? I mean since he is dead we will never know what really happened (that's the whole tragedy in this: that his life was lost and we'll never truly 100% know what happened). What if Treyvon was walking back to his home when he heard an older male following him. Was Zimmerman appropriately labeled or was he in street gear? How do we know that Treyvon didn't hear footsteps behind him, turned around, and saw Zimmerman watching him? Maybe this creeped Treyvon out so he began hurrying back home. Then he noticed that Zimmerman was coming closer. So Treyvon 'stood his ground' and told Zimmerman you back off away from me or I'll fight you. So Zimmerman 'stood his ground' and fought Treyvon. And then at some point Zimmerman decided shooting Treyvon was good and he killed him for it. For all we know Treyvon was acting as justly as Zimmerman. The point here not meaning to call Treyvon a vigilante looking to pick a fight, but rather to say that had the tables been reversed we might've heard a story about a black man who was attacked by some stalker and saved himself by shooting the stalker w/ the stalker's own gun. In which case all the pro-gun nuts would be hollering about this is why we need everyone to own guns! How do we know that this 'stand your ground' law wasn't the reason why Treyvon died in either instance? For all we know Treyvon was standing his ground. In which case we (meaning society) created this problem and we killed Treyvon. Will we take the blame? Additionally do you think Anne would be listing Zimmerman's life as one of those tragically lost due to 'hate crimes'?
Mouzer, it has crossed my mind of the limited options Trayvon faced, none of them good when a strange man is after you, as you head home where your loved ones are.
We'll never know all of what Trayvon experienced or thought. I feel for his family.
As far as Annie, I can't say, or not, that she shares the general concerns for equal justice, public safety, or adequate routine law enforcement procedures.
I live in the Tampa Bay area and this story is awful! the police department handling this case is notorious for turning a blind eye on certain things, not investigating thoroughly enough or not at all. all of this is going to come out in the wash. i really feel that. and prayers to this young man's family and friends.
It's pretty obvious that the Tampa police are dominated by white supremacists because the justice you would expect to receive in a third-world country like Mexico is superior to that you would expect in Florida.
Are you "racially profiling" all whites, as Racist? That is being Racist.
No, just you.
Anne his statement was that the Tampa police is obviously dominated by white supremacists. How in the hell were you able to construe this as stating that all white people are racists? Do you not see the difference between the two?
I am sick. I have a 17 year old boy who is full of nervous energy as he prepares to fly the coop and start his life. My heart grieves for this family.
I'm not sure, but I think the title may be a Fight Club reference...
Please read!!! Please read!!! Please read!!! Please read!!! Please read!!! Please read!!!
""""Black man shoot white teen in self defense and get and goes to jail for life.""""
http://problack.net/sentenced-to-life-after-officers-determine-self-defense-in-shooting/
Pass along.....
Are we supposed to be surprised by this?
OMG..
Help us indeed! Help us all!
Colorado has a "Make My Day" law, and we have a right to protect our home and family against an outsider. NO warning necessary. Most trespassers ***Run like Crazy*** when discovered by the resident.
Isn't this conviction against the constitution?
uh. Georgia has a Stand Your Ground law, with no burden to establish self-defense. Are these new laws selectively enforced based upon judgement of law enforcement and prosecution?
Are we entering a new age when our US Constitutional right to life is applied to each of us as local officials see fit? I think I'm gonna be sick...
@locknpost;
If you look at these laws, they are nothing more than bigot laws giving the white man the right to kill people of color they don't like the looks of. All they have to say is they were afraid, even when they chase them down like this guy did.
@Snark, the Martin case seems indisputably racially motivated. (I haven't seen any details from the other numerous cases.) And there is no doubt personal safety and justice for minorities has been and continues to be less guaranteed.
But I think we should all fear these laws, as it leaves opportunity for anyone to attempt "legal murder" of someone they don't like and claim perception of threat to person under these laws.
Go to "whitegirlbleedalot.com". Google Kevin Kless, beaten to death in Philadelphia on MLK day of this year. Google Carter Strange. Google Wisconsin State Fair mob attacks, last July of 2011. Google Channon Christian and Christopher Newsome, the entire group of criminals, that sexually tortured, murdered, and set Christopher on fire, are going to get another second trial. The few cases I have listed above, are just a few of hundreds, just in the past year. While you are at it, google Shane McCllelan, who was tortured and beaten, for hours and suffered the humiliation, of the media and others, saying his serious wounds, were self-inflicted.
1) Kevin Kless's attackers were put in jail and have been sentenced to life in prison. Their crime was not racially motivated. They mistakenly believed Kless was challenging them to a fight and beat him up so severely, as a result of that mistaken identity and impulsive stupidity, that Kless later died on his way to the hospital. This crime has nothing to do w/ the issue at hand.
2) The state fair 'mob attacks' that happened in 2011 were not racially motivated. They were started by students of rival schools in which the majority of one group of students were whites and the majority of the other students were black. The two began fighting about school pride and then fists were thrown. This was not racially motivated in any way, shape, or form. In fact the police specifically investigated as much and publicly decried the media for claiming that these were racially motivated attacks. Instead this was a mob created by school pride which is no different than the riots created...oh, you know, pretty much after every goddamn football game. And in fact this crime was started because of none-other-than: a basketball game. Geeze
3) Channon Christian and Christopher Newsome were brutally assaulted and kidnapped and raped. 4 of the 5 suspects have either been sentenced to death, given multiple life sentences, and one of the suspects is awaiting re-trial to be put up for a life-sentence. This attack was assumed to be at random, although all of the kidnappers were of darker race.
I am seeing a pattern here. You automatically assume that because a black person attacks a white person it must be because that black person hates that white person. I do not think you understand how racist your statements are. This attitude- the one that you're perpetuating, Anne- is an attitude that resembles the arguments we used to hear back before slavery was legalized and then heard again before the civil rights movement. This idea that blacks inherently hate whites and will come after whites and kill them. I don't think you're even aware how racist your attitudes are. When a black person kills a white person, just like when a white person kills a black person, it is not automatically motivated by some deep seeded hatred that the black-man has for the white-man. Black people aren't murderous thugs looking to kill white people and rape their women and steal their babies. This is old school racism Anne.
well spoken.. all these crimes are not racist they are just crimes and wen will america get off this RACIST mess ... smh
Zimmerman should be wrapped in chains and thrown in a lake. When that's done to a black man in Florida the police say "He shouldn't have tried to swim with all that chain".
Please read!!! Please read!!! Please read!!! Please read!!! Please read!!! Please read!!!
""""Black man shoot white teen in self defense and get and goes to jail for life.""""
http://problack.net/sentenced-to-life-after-officers-determine-self-defense-in-shooting/
Pass aong
This story is very active on tumblr.
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/trayvon
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/trayvon+martin
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/george+zimmerman
http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/racism
There was an event like this here in Wisconsin recently. A friend of my brother was shot while hiding on someone's porch. He was unarmed, only 20, and the shooter has not been charged. Apparently because of our "Castle Doctrine."
Why does paranoia give people the right to end an innocent life?
What put the shooter totally in the wrong as far as I am concerned is that he was told to stop following the kid by the police and he followed anyway. Being nervous about any kid, black, white or green is ok. Following and shooting the kid after being told by the police to stop shows his disregard for the law in this country and he should be in jail for murder.
More like "stalking" the kid!
Zimmerman's obligation stopped when he alerted the police so why continue. To me, it appears that Murder was Zimmerman's goal. Or maybe just harassing that when wrong. Whatever!~ book Zimmerman! Let the courts decide!
So, the "Stand Your Ground" law in Florida doesn't distinguish between an aggressor/perpetrator and a victim?
Trayvon was allowed in the neighborhood in question, it was only about 7pm, and he only had tea and Skittles. This 17 year old child did nothing wrong, and nothing illegal. Zimmerman is a large adult male, he was stalking a child, he pursued after to detain a child, it is on the record that he had a preconceived notion that Trayvon was "up to no good" and that he felt "they always get away", and of course HE shot a child. Did he have a license to carry a weapon? Yes. Did he have a badge to pursue a suspect and enforce a law? NO! (He was allowed to carry a concealed weapon and as neighborhood watch captain it was understood he might be out there... watching. He, however, was NOT to act as a police officer.) So, he was a private citizen (to recap) that put it in his mind he needed to stop a "bad" person from committing a crime. It was his intent to engage Trayvon. Making him the aggressor, and Trayvon was the child in fear for his life trying to get away for safety. When Zimmerman caught up withhim, TRAYVON DEFENDED HIMSELF. (To myself I often wonder why people with guns seem so much to be cowards. Think about it, Zimmerman was so large and had a gun but we are to believe that even though he never saw any weapon he was in fear of HIS life from the child.)
So, of course my point is that I feel the "Stand Your Ground" law should be there to protect potential victims. Trayvon was the victim and Zimmerman was the aggressor.
Am I to believe that with this law (to pick a scenario at random) If a person A went out to rob someone (person B) at gunpoint and that person B fought back and was shot. Then, person A can pretend that they were just walking down the street and person B attacked them and person A was in fear of their life and therefore walk free of any charges?
If the law is so messed up that it permits Zimmerman to not even be charged, then it needs to go!
Yep, Zimmerman is in fear of his life RIGHT AFTER he committed MURDER.
lock him up and let justus do its job. I is murder plan and simple. Candy and icecream dont make a wepon.
Florida has become a land without laws, a real life Wild West where any person can shoot another human being on nothing more than a whim. The gun lobby and right-wing militia crowd have made this state a haven for racists and gun nuts ready to open fire on anything that moves. Someone is gunned down in similar circumstances almost every week. This is nothing but a modern-day lynching, a case of vigilante justice meted out under thew protection of a very bad law. http://www.sunstateactivist.org
Zimmerman's Injuries - why are we calling them injuries especially since we have not seen proof of this. The police said, Zimmerman had blood on his nose and back of his head. Zimmerman was questioned and then released to go home.
An eyewitness (Cuther) reports: I went outside and looked at the victim, there was a man kneeling over him, I wondered what he was doing it didn't look CPR. I asked he what's wrong he looked at me oddly and said go call the police." I left called police and watched from the window, where the man I saw the man stand, and put his hand over face and back of his head."
The point here: How do we know the blood on Zimmerman's was not the victim's? Did the police take photos? Not just picture of a bloody face but actual cuts, or open wounds. Was Zimmerman seen in an emergency room where his injuries were documented, like most battered women especially since he is claiming self-defense against a 140lb teen teen, claiming he feared grave bodily harm and the police believe they could not dispute this, based on evidence. Where is the evidence of this?
Another point the police had the 911 tapes in their possession for some time, was there a voice analysis done by an expert. To let this man just go free with his gun is completely ludacris.
Shame, shame on a Bill Lee for ranting to the media about how he support the Neighborhood Watch Program while this mother is morning her son and another officer statement that they can not arrest Zimmerman because they may be faced with a lawsuit. Anyway this is not good for the police department. I would think instead of constantly defending themselves, hiding and distorting evidence and witness statements, they would come forth and do what is ethical. However, their media tirade continues enraging a public who loses faith in their ability to protect and serve
Not even charged? Cells in a womb get more respect than that.
And of course Trayvon would defend himself. He probably viewed Zimmerman as a child molester or predator, and kids are taught nowadays to fight against being abducted. Imagine what Trayvon felt with Zimmerman coming after him on the street like that.
I agree!
After hearing the 911 tapes this is truly a tragedy at many levels. Which include, an overzealous neighborhood watch guard, the few who did not react when someone called for help, the death of a teenager, the profiling minorities endure, the heart break of a family and the psychological impact of those who witness the act. It makes me think of why we need stricter gun control laws to minimize these events.
Why didn't all those witnesses run out to help? Oh, right, they knew Zimmerman was armed and the witnesses were not. For that matter, neither was the victim (Martin). If everyone was armed, Zimmerman would not be so quick to follow! and/or approach and/or kill someone.
Maybe I have this all backwards but that's how it works here in Colorado. But then, Colorado violent crime rate is LESS than HALF that of Florida. (Census). I think it's because we as citizens are actively involved in protecting ourselves. Our neighborhood watch is just that! *** watch *** . And informing the residents so we have an opportunity to protect ourselves IF someone enters our property.
Zimmerman picked a helpless individual. Today it was a black youth NEXT time it will be a white youth, a woman out at night, an elderly person, or any other helpless individual. (for fat Zimmerman, walking home from the store is unusual behavior) Zimmerman needs to be held accountable for his behavior.
From the 911 tapes it appears that Zimmerman STALKED the young man!
We need the courts to decide this one. If Zimmerman was following me after dark, I'm afraid I would interpret that behavior as "up to no good" and Zimmerman just following me would frighten me.
I don't know how I would respond, but after being followed, I certainly would not stop and talk to Zimmerman when he approached. Especially being stopped with no one close by to call 911 for me, would scare me to death.
I have a right to walk home without being accosted by some stranger. It would be different if it was a uniformed police officer. The uniform would make me feel safe.
From what I can see, the young man was followed by and stopped by a possible predator. Then wresting for his life with no way to defend himself. It must have been horrifying for that young man in his last moments on earth.
The police department may find themselves in a lawsuit from the family. It appears Zimmerman had made over 50 calls to the police in the past year. Can't the police see that Zimmerman is looking for an opportunity to confront someone. Yet, the police did nothing to stop Zimmerman's behavior. I question what the crime statistics are in that area. If it turns out to be low or not at all a problem then why is Zimmerman approaching individuals? In our community, we watch and log anyone walking through to have a record IF anything is stolen or vandalized. Other than a friendly Hello, we don't interfere with someone's right to travel, or jog. Walking to the store is pretty common activity, here in Colorado. With 24 hour stores, this activity could happen at any time of day.
I just don't want to be the next victim.
~white woman without a gun.
I would feel unsafe in my own skin were I a black man in Florida. No human should have that fear, particularly in the 'freest nation in the world'. I am disgusted and sickened that this not only happened period, but that the man IS STILL OUT THERE WITH HIS GUN. The police department involved in this instance has lost any credibility for not doing their damned jobs and arresting a murderer. As much as I want to blame Zimmerman, I'm not surprised by people like him, and really if you don't know our nation is filled with dangerously unstable, heavily armed fools you havn't been paying attention the past 30 years.
When state laws encourage murder, instead of discourage it, none of us should feel safe.