General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMy take on the Martin-Zimmerman case:
Yeah, there haven't been near enough threads on this.
Whatever...
Here's one old guy's thoughts.
It's a sad and regrettable situation.
I feel sorry for Trayvon's family and friends, but I also feel sorry for George.
He must be scared shitless right now, and wondering how and why he ever got himself into this mess.
His life is over, no matter what the outcome.
Of course his family is devastatingly affected too.
I don't think he went out with the idea of actually shooting anyone.
What we've learned about him is that he appeared to be a cop wannabe who couldn't make the grade.
About all I've learned about Trayvon is that he was apparently innocently on his way to a home in the neighborhood.
At night.
Wearing a hoodie.
Maybe...MAYBE grounds for police to question him (shouldn't be, but given the times...)
But George took it upon himself to confront Trayvon.
Even though he'd been in contact with the Sanford police dispatcher, who told him to stand down.
Told him to cease pursuing Trayvon.
George then became frightened when he pressed on and did confront Trayvon and maybe got more than he bargained for.
And he had the gun and so it goes.
I don't think George went out that night with a plan to shoot a black teenager.
2nd degree murder sounds about right.
But George was certainly aided and abetted, even INSTIGATED by Florida laws that said he could carry a concealed weapon and that given some kind of confrontation he didn't have to take the prudent action of just leaving the scene.
It's very sad that two families' lives have been forever darkened and saddened by this.
Whisp
(24,096 posts)because my sympathies lay with the parents and friends and family of the dead kid.
I do feel sorry that zimmerman is a hateful bigot tho.
ellenfl
(8,660 posts)let the chips fall as they may. he didn't.
Solomon
(12,319 posts)I don't see it the way you do. If not Trayvon, it would be somebody else.
shimonitanegi
(114 posts)Zimmerman was a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment.
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)He was able to walk away. He was able to tell his story through his father and "lawyers". He has gotten support from Shit Hannity and the rest. He decided to chase the kid. He should have at least left his gun in his car. But Zimmerman is a coward who felt a bigger man with his gun. Zimmerman should have stayed in his car if he felt the need to protect the sidewalk from a black kid. I think it should be murder in the first degree. The 911 dispatcher should have deterred Zimmerman from continuing to chase Trayvon. He blew his chance.
orpupilofnature57
(15,472 posts)or lack of bad ones, is any excuse when a person leaves his home with a gun .Policing WITH A GUN ,should be left to the police ,and if a Volunteer neighborhood watch Citizen is told to " Stand Down " , like any other Citizen they should Obey the law.
tularetom
(23,664 posts)just look at his dumbass father, who pulled his chestnuts out of the fire every time he did something stupid and made him think he was invulnerable to prosecution for any action he took.
Well, he finally did something that daddy won't be able to help him with. And he is finally going to have to man up and pay the price for his actions. You're absolutely correct that, whatever happens in this case, Zimmerman's life is effectively over. He won't be safe in prison and even if he walks on these charges, he'll be looking over his shoulder every time he leaves his house.
Don't waste your sympathies on his family, they are responsible for the sick, sad SOB they raised.
Whisp
(24,096 posts)whine more about how close George was to vegetable death because of all powerful Trayvon and his bag of candy.
That pathetic whiney shit condescending voice just bugged my ass.
orpupilofnature57
(15,472 posts)guitar man
(15,996 posts)Hammer, meet nail.
I had a second cousin, he was the only child of my great uncle, and every time he got in trouble, my great uncle would go bail him out and do whatever it took to keep him out of the slammer. It got worse and worse until my uncle literally had to "hock the farm" to keep him from going to prison. If he had just let him take his medicine the first time or two it may have never gotten to that point.
The same thing has happened here. If GZs daddy hadn't flexed his influence and gotten him off every charge he ever faced, it might not have gotten to this point. One thing is for certain, GZ wouldn't have been able to get his CCW permit had his daddy let him fall. Whether or not he would have gone ahead and carried the gun illegally without the permit.... there's no way to know.
indepat
(20,899 posts)HockeyMom
(14,337 posts)So he decided to become a vigilante. I have no sympathy at all for him.
JI7
(89,264 posts)others . and a history of making all those 911 calls.
this wasn't some rare thing that just happened.
fucker claimed to be neighborhood watch so shouldn't he be held t ah igher standard.
fuck him and anyoen who defends his thug ass.
jenwilson
(47 posts)Zimmerman intentionally left home with a murder weapon. Why would he have had one of those things unless he intended on using it? They cost more than half a thousand dollars or more. You don't accidentally acquire one of them.
I just don't understand this quote, "I don't think George went out that night with a plan to shoot a black teenager." If he didn't then why was he so well prepared for the murder with all of the tools needed at his fingertips?
hack89
(39,171 posts)people don't carry with the intent to kill. It was not premeditated. Second degree murder is appropriate.
Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)Every baby starts out innocent. Stuff happens, people grow up
and go bad; and at first, at least, it's usually not their fault.
So yeah. There but for fortune. Everybody needs more
love.
orpupilofnature57
(15,472 posts)And he won't be growing up ," but for fotune " , is growing up without being shot dead.
emilyg
(22,742 posts)both families.
provis99
(13,062 posts)they sound like a family of sociopathic assholes.
WingDinger
(3,690 posts)Then Zimmy is guilty of murder two. He pulled the gun in revenge. And shot point blank at a boy begging for his life. His banged nose, and scraped head, are motive for the revenge. Now, proving he planned it, is tough, as there were no eyewitnesses. So, murder two.
Trayvon had already went by Z's truck, and asked what his problem was. Then, Z shows up on foot. I would kill his ass too, with one punch. Without any warning. If I saw him reaching for his pocket, he is a dead man. Trayvon DESERVED to defend himself, even unto z's death.
The fact that Z had already MADE T, makes T's doing any harm, even if he wanted to, moot. So, Z, was wasting his time, even chasing him. Z, enjoyed intimidating others. Thus, he was stupid in revealing himself.
The fact that he then flipped T after shooting him, also shows some culpability.
The fact that he profiled T, means that his entire stint in prison, will be in solitary. If he tries to enlist Aryan Nation to protect him, he will wind up in supermax.
If he is convicted, all his paypaling, and dog whistle fundraising will be confiscated, so he doesnt profit from his crime.
abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)Trayvon would still be alive and Zimmermen would still be thinking he was better than kids who wear hoodies. Which btw, I don't get why anyone thinks a hoodie is anything that makes one appear suspicious. My kids school sends a list of supplies every year. You know the usual stuff: pencils, paper, backpack and a hoodie. Why the hoodie? Because they are cheap, come with a hat built in and pockets for cold hands and can easily be stuffed into their backpack. A hoodie is just a coat. It's not a symbol of anything else. Everyone has one.
trof
(54,256 posts)And thanks for them.
I don't believe anyone is absolutely good or evil.
Not even Michelle Bachmann or Rick Santorum.
I still try to put myself in Zimmerman's shoes.
There ain't no winners in this one.
avebury
(10,952 posts)covered up - perhaps due to parental influence. If so, his father's influence did not end up doing him any good. Maybe if he had had to be held accountable for any on of his previous legal mishaps he might have learned his lesson and this tragedy averted.
flamingdem
(39,321 posts)so we can count on our justice system to prevail, that's all we have now ... he may have given his freedom for an end to Stand Your Ground Laws at least
Cleita
(75,480 posts)returned is a grave, grave misdeed. Sorry, but in all my seventy years I never even thought of killing another human being, no matter how threatened I felt. I would have found a way to disable that person, and have done so in the past, but I would never dream of killing him. (I was a bartender for a period of my life and got threatened about once a month.) George is a psychopath. That's all he is and should never have been allowed near any kinds of weapons, especially firearms.
notadmblnd
(23,720 posts)I also think he could have been looking for an opportunity to kill someone for a long time. He took advantage of the opportunity because he thought he could get away with it. He would have too, if it hadn't been for the persistance of his family in demanding justice.
If Trayvon's family had thrown their hands up in the air and told themselves that there was nothing they cold do but accept what the authorities told them, George Zimmermann wouldn't be losing a wink of sleep over it. I don't feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for his wife and kids. George Zimmermann let his hate become more important to him than his family and now.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)noticed him, and approached Zimmerman and asked why he was following him.
We know this from the 911 call.
Zimmerman was following, but did not confront Martin, as far as we know, so far. We do know that Martin approached Zimmerman and confronted him, though. Not a wise thing to do, and how I wish he would've just cont'd on his way. But Martin was very young and apparently didn't know what he was up against.
ZombieHorde
(29,047 posts)but your take-a-deep-breath approach is probably a good one for one's health.
Honeycombe8
(37,648 posts)He was a loose cannon, patrolling the area with a gun. Neighbors & homeowner's assn knew it, police knew it. His family seems to have known it. He had a violent history, seems like. It was only a matter of time before someome got hurt. It was foreseeable. And he did it to himself.
It wasn't like neighbor John, driving the neighborhood with a gun in his car for protection, calling 911 when he sees something suspicious. This was different.
Tragic. One life lost, another ruined.