Trayvon Martin

[packsaddle]

Trayvon Martin is dead because he chose to confront a neighborhood watch captain who was keeping an eye on him until police arrived to question his suspicious behavior.

Martin had 4 minutes to walk 80 yards to get to his father's girlfriend's home.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CDk6SYyZum8/T3JNkQ84MeI/AAAAAAAAAxg/Hg9HwbXJ4Mo/s1600/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-path.jpg

 

He chose to use those 4 minutes (the time between his phone being dropped, connection lost, and the time the shot was recorded on the 911 tape) to ambush the person following him.

A timid child in an unfamiliar neighborhood in the dark would choose to go home.

If confronted, a normal teenager would politely explain who he was and where he was going.

A belligerent teenager seeking to boost his 'street cred' (who had bragged about winning a fight the week before) would instigate a fight against a 4 inch shorter unsuspecting victim.

 

George Zimmerman didn't get away with anything.

His life is ruined. He will always be hunted by Black activists.

The two years it's taken to get to a just verdict have been hell on Zimmerman.

All because Zimmerman didn't want to die.

 

Anybody else on the board ever stitch up a scalp would? The scalp is tough. It's hard to push a needle through the human scalp. Trayvon was pounding George's head on the concrete to produce those wounds. When the police that George had called didn't arrive in time, and the neighbors who heard him yelling chose not to help, George chose to use his gun to keep himself alive.

 

Under the same circumstances, every one of us would have acted the same.

 

JoeBob, in the sense that GZ is not going to prison and can even have his gun returned to him so he can protect the neighborhood some more, he did get away with it. But if, somewhere deep in his mind, there is a conscience, then I agree with you. He will live with it. Trayvon Martin won't. GZ can get on with things, fall in love, have a family, continue his line. Trayvon Martin won't. So don't make GZ appear to be a victim in all this. He isn't. He killed a teenager who was going home from the store with a bag of Skittles. You can spin the events however you want but those are the facts. I hope GZ does have a conscience. I hope he lives for a very long time...and that what he did eats him alive every moment of it. Like others mentioned, he could have taken the advice of the police and waited in the car. He didn't. He chose a path that led to the death, a needless death, of another human being. GZ didn't HAVE to do anything. He could have done nothing and none of this would have happened.

 

If conscience is all that there is left in this for GZ, I hope that, at least, will provide a life-long torment. It will be a luxury he denied another person.

 

Edit to add: I almost missed this: "Under the same circumstances, every one of us would have acted the same." Aside from the preposterous idea that JoeBob 'knows' what "every one of us" would do, I can say with 100% certainty that IF I had been patrolling as part of my neighborhood watch, and IF I had spotted someone who 'looked' suspicious, and IF the police had advised me to remain in the vehicle....I would have remained in the vehicle and insisted that a deputy investigate immediately. So even if I am the ONLY person on the planet who wouldn't have disregarded the police advice, I am one. For some reason, I suspect I'm not alone.

[rdclements]

Zimmerman decided to follow and confront Martin - in his own words, "This guy looks like he's up to no good". This was based on observing what Martin looked like. Martin had not been involved in any criminal activity. He was walking along, minding his own business. Zimmerman decided that Martin looked suspicious.

How are black teenage men supposed to walk so that they won't get shot?

[moosetracker]

I agree with you on that account.. The question that was put in the jury's mind though was what did Martin do after he knew he was being followed, run to the safety of his home? No, this is confirmed.. Confront the guy and pick a fight with him and pummel him????????????? React in self defense and only fight back when he himself thought he had no other choice??????????????? When there is reasonable doubt then black or white, the ruling is for the defense.. The defense worked in enough reasonable doubt, as to what happened.. Was it Trayvon screaming for help or Zimmermon.. Myself, I think it was Trayvon, due to the screaming stopping when the gun was fired.. If Zimmermon was screaming for help, then even after shooting as far as I am concerned he would have continued to scream, "Help I need police", "Help, I need an ambulance", "Help, I need something".. At least one or two shots.. But, that is my opinion, with no proof, and others will equally argue that they think it was Zimmerman.. So who is right? Reasonable doubt for the Jury..

 

I do hope they sue the guy, I think that is something they will win. He is not 100% innocent.. I doubt the jury let him off feeling he was 100% innocent, they just agreed there was too much reasonable doubt. He was found not guilty, he was not found innocent.

[Brewmeister]

No justice no peace.

 

Interesting...

 

It is pretty divided along racial lines.....

 

Black Zimmerman should have been found guilty.

White Zimmerman was justified.

 

Both of them were wrong......and trayvon is dead.....

 

Stand your ground laws gives punks the reason to pull their guns and shoot folks because they feel threatened,.

Perfect comment Scouter99. The die was cast for this the minute the media and the Race Industry made it about a middle aged white guy shooting (someone who was constantly pictured and portrayed as) an 11 year old kid just because he was black. The facts had nothing to do with this case, never have. Just an excuse to advance an agenda.

[Brewmeister]

I would expect a response like that from joebob. again racial lines.

 

My scout son has been brought home twice by the police, both times for sitting on the wall during day light hours outside the quickie mart drinking a slushie once when he was ten and again a thirteen......Keep in mind I live 6 doors from it and can see him from my front door......The store owner knows him and both times has come down and intervened with LE.......The LEO roust the neighbor kids when they are bored....a week ago they issued citations to every kid with out a bicycle helmet......

 

Zimmerman will lose the civil trial......Yes his life is over.....

 

We have a block watch....I walk the neighborhood every evening for exercise, Never have I thought about going on patrol in my car or armed for that matter.

 

Bottom line for me had he not exited the vehicle Trayvon would still be alive.

 

 

I don't think so Joebob, i would have listened to the dispatcher and not exited my vehicle and waited on LEO to arrive....Of course in the hood and every dirt bag has a family and friends that will extract vengeance. One of the reasons no one speaks up....

 

 

Oh trayvon was no angel.

BD, you are such an idiot.

[Stosh]

I agree with you on that account.. The question that was put in the jury's mind though was what did Martin do after he knew he was being followed, run to the safety of his home? No, this is confirmed.. Confront the guy and pick a fight with him and pummel him????????????? React in self defense and only fight back when he himself thought he had no other choice??????????????? When there is reasonable doubt then black or white, the ruling is for the defense.. The defense worked in enough reasonable doubt, as to what happened.. Was it Trayvon screaming for help or Zimmermon.. Myself, I think it was Trayvon, due to the screaming stopping when the gun was fired.. If Zimmermon was screaming for help, then even after shooting as far as I am concerned he would have continued to scream, "Help I need police", "Help, I need an ambulance", "Help, I need something".. At least one or two shots.. But, that is my opinion, with no proof, and others will equally argue that they think it was Zimmerman.. So who is right? Reasonable doubt for the Jury..

 

I do hope they sue the guy, I think that is something they will win. He is not 100% innocent.. I doubt the jury let him off feeling he was 100% innocent, they just agreed there was too much reasonable doubt. He was found not guilty, he was not found innocent.

No one ever in court is ever innocent. Guilt is determined as having a degree of doubt. Innocence is determined by a level of doubt. All members of a jury must have absolutely no doubt before a person is deemed guilty. It was strange in this case that ALL the jury members had doubt. That's a very compelling statement made to the court. In the eyes of the law, no one else's opinion is valid.

[perdidochas]

Zimmerman decided to follow and confront Martin - in his own words, "This guy looks like he's up to no good". This was based on observing what Martin looked like. Martin had not been involved in any criminal activity. He was walking along, minding his own business. Zimmerman decided that Martin looked suspicious.

How are black teenage men supposed to walk so that they won't get shot?

 

Martin didn't get shot from walking around. He got shot from trying to beat somebody. If Martin had done what we tell every kindergarden kid to do--keep your hands to yourself, he would be alive, and Zimmerman would have a normal life.

[SR540Beaver]

No justice no peace.

 

Interesting...

 

It is pretty divided along racial lines.....

 

Black Zimmerman should have been found guilty.

White Zimmerman was justified.

 

Both of them were wrong......and trayvon is dead.....

 

Stand your ground laws gives punks the reason to pull their guns and shoot folks because they feel threatened,.

First, the trial had nothing to do with the "stand your ground" law and was tried based on classic self defense.

 

 

 

Second, while some may turn their nose up at the news source reporting, the facts presented are correct in the media demonizing Zimmerman with fabricated data and making this all about race.

 

 

 

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/07/13/Media-Zimmerman-Coverage-Rap-Sheet

[moosetracker]

I agree with you on that account.. The question that was put in the jury's mind though was what did Martin do after he knew he was being followed, run to the safety of his home? No, this is confirmed.. Confront the guy and pick a fight with him and pummel him????????????? React in self defense and only fight back when he himself thought he had no other choice??????????????? When there is reasonable doubt then black or white, the ruling is for the defense.. The defense worked in enough reasonable doubt, as to what happened.. Was it Trayvon screaming for help or Zimmermon.. Myself, I think it was Trayvon, due to the screaming stopping when the gun was fired.. If Zimmermon was screaming for help, then even after shooting as far as I am concerned he would have continued to scream, "Help I need police", "Help, I need an ambulance", "Help, I need something".. At least one or two shots.. But, that is my opinion, with no proof, and others will equally argue that they think it was Zimmerman.. So who is right? Reasonable doubt for the Jury..

 

I do hope they sue the guy, I think that is something they will win. He is not 100% innocent.. I doubt the jury let him off feeling he was 100% innocent, they just agreed there was too much reasonable doubt. He was found not guilty, he was not found innocent.

Don't quite get you jblake, in a court case the jury must all come to a consensus, it is not a vote, and the majority wins. Therefore all must agree to the verdict. One person holding a different opinion means the jury stays out until that jury member either changes their opinion, or he changes the opinion of all the other jury members, or the decide it is a hung jury... That all jury members decided not guilty due to having doubts to his guilt is not a strange outcome at all.

 

Also I wasn't implying there was such a thing as a verdict of innocent, not guilty or guilty.. Just that the whole trial both for and against Zimmerman was on speculation because there was no one who saw the whole thing who had a good view.. Partial viewings, bad lighting, interpretation of voices, someone hearing things over a phone but not seeing anything, and the phone cutting out..A physical fight no one knows who started, cries for help no one can say which one was crying for help. Then a lot of speculation one way or the other..

 

I don’t see how any of the jury could have come to a concrete decision one way or the other on guilt or innocence. Just if there is doubt, then they have to side for the defense.

 

Some guilty verdicts may have a level of doubt, but they have a lot of hard evidence to wash away the doubt. There really was no hard evidence on either side hear.. Some guilty verdicts the jury can be sure about their decision.. The Boston bomber is pleading innocent.. Not sure what his defense will be.. Insanity?? He feels he doesn’t have to abide by US Laws?? It wasn’t him in those videos, throwing bombs at the police, hijacking cars.. He just happened to get shot and fall into a boat wounded that had all this writing all over it as to why the Boston bombing took place.

[SR540Beaver]

Well, I guess the racially motivated, political media is bringing down the Big Top ready to move on to the next town. Next comes the racially motivated, political media's coverage Part 2 (always have to have a sequel to a blockbuster) civil case. NAACP has already been talking about it with the not really black/not really white president. But there's enough racism to get it out front of the media.

 

And the surprising thing about all this? Been there, done that 40+ years ago. Curfews, fires, shootings, riots, etc. and here we are once again. Those that don't learn from history are destined to repeat it.

Considering the findings by the FBI, the DOJ will have a hard time bringing civil rights hate crime charges.

 

 

 

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2012/07/12/155918/more-evidence-released-in-trayvon.html#.UeM9mT7DVoY

[SR540Beaver]

Trayvon Martin is dead because he chose to confront a neighborhood watch captain who was keeping an eye on him until police arrived to question his suspicious behavior.

Martin had 4 minutes to walk 80 yards to get to his father's girlfriend's home.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CDk6SYyZum8/T3JNkQ84MeI/AAAAAAAAAxg/Hg9HwbXJ4Mo/s1600/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-path.jpg

 

He chose to use those 4 minutes (the time between his phone being dropped, connection lost, and the time the shot was recorded on the 911 tape) to ambush the person following him.

A timid child in an unfamiliar neighborhood in the dark would choose to go home.

If confronted, a normal teenager would politely explain who he was and where he was going.

A belligerent teenager seeking to boost his 'street cred' (who had bragged about winning a fight the week before) would instigate a fight against a 4 inch shorter unsuspecting victim.

 

George Zimmerman didn't get away with anything.

His life is ruined. He will always be hunted by Black activists.

The two years it's taken to get to a just verdict have been hell on Zimmerman.

All because Zimmerman didn't want to die.

 

Anybody else on the board ever stitch up a scalp would? The scalp is tough. It's hard to push a needle through the human scalp. Trayvon was pounding George's head on the concrete to produce those wounds. When the police that George had called didn't arrive in time, and the neighbors who heard him yelling chose not to help, George chose to use his gun to keep himself alive.

 

Under the same circumstances, every one of us would have acted the same.

 

No, Zimmerman isn't a victim at all. He can just get in his car and go to the grocery store without a care in the world. I mean, why worry if people like Giant's wide receiver Victor Cruz tweets things like, "Thoroughly confused. Zimmerman doesn't last a year before the hood catches up to him.†Or Falcons wide receiver Roddy White tweeting, "All them jurors should go home tonight and kill themselves for letting a grown man get away with killing a kid". That's just two examples from only the sports world. There are plenty of other folks out there seeing this case thru a racial lens calling for his death. No, Zimmerman hasn't a care in the world since he "got away with it".

[moosetracker]

Zimmerman decided to follow and confront Martin - in his own words, "This guy looks like he's up to no good". This was based on observing what Martin looked like. Martin had not been involved in any criminal activity. He was walking along, minding his own business. Zimmerman decided that Martin looked suspicious.

How are black teenage men supposed to walk so that they won't get shot?

 

Martin didn't get shot from walking around. He got shot from trying to beat somebody. If Martin had done what we tell every kindergarden kid to do--keep your hands to yourself, he would be alive, and Zimmerman would have a normal life.

Or Martin was shot even though he tried to defend himself from a man with a gun.. You don't know that Martin started it perdidochas..Unfortunatly no one knows. Do you tell your kindergaden kids to keep their hands to themselves if some strange man tries to haul them into their car and kidnap them, or do you tell them to yell scream and fight for their lives. Keep your hands to yourself is only taught when the kid is poking at the other kid who is trying to ignore the instigator or when two kids are poking at each other.. And it is said to BOTH kids not just the black kid (or at least it should be said to both kids.).. It might be said a little more severly to the known instigator and that in this case would have been Zimmermon who should not have been stalking Martin.

[SR540Beaver]

Putting on my moderator hat here. From a long history of being a member here at Scouter.com, I know how the membership feels about editing and/or deleting posts. They don't like it. Neither do I. While we give a certain amount of leeway in the Politics and Issues forum, the Scout Oath and Law still apply. Do NOT call (or imply) anyone a racist, idiot or anything else unfriendly, uncourteous or unkind or you'll find your post edited or deleted or the thread locked.

 

[rdclements]

I believe that it is wrong and foolish to judge individuals based on race. As a southern white male, I do not have much experience being the recipient of racial or gender discrimination. At the same time, it is possible and probable that my judgement is influenced by race due to my heritage and life experience, even though I would prefer that it was not. I have been in situations where black people have accused me of being racist due to a decision that I had made. It is easy to excuse comments made in the heat of the moment. The fact is that there is racism in our country and accusing people of racism where it is not justified simply allows real racism to hide.

 

Paula Deen continues to get pounded in the media because she admitted under oath to using racial language decades ago. An all white jury found Zimmerman not guilty after he killed a kid for being black. One part of the Zimmerman case that troubles me is the enthusiasm that some people on the right have shown over the verdict. A young man is dead, how is there anything to celebrate?

[packsaddle]

Trayvon Martin is dead because he chose to confront a neighborhood watch captain who was keeping an eye on him until police arrived to question his suspicious behavior.

Martin had 4 minutes to walk 80 yards to get to his father's girlfriend's home.

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CDk6SYyZum8/T3JNkQ84MeI/AAAAAAAAAxg/Hg9HwbXJ4Mo/s1600/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-path.jpg

 

He chose to use those 4 minutes (the time between his phone being dropped, connection lost, and the time the shot was recorded on the 911 tape) to ambush the person following him.

A timid child in an unfamiliar neighborhood in the dark would choose to go home.

If confronted, a normal teenager would politely explain who he was and where he was going.

A belligerent teenager seeking to boost his 'street cred' (who had bragged about winning a fight the week before) would instigate a fight against a 4 inch shorter unsuspecting victim.

 

George Zimmerman didn't get away with anything.

His life is ruined. He will always be hunted by Black activists.

The two years it's taken to get to a just verdict have been hell on Zimmerman.

All because Zimmerman didn't want to die.

 

Anybody else on the board ever stitch up a scalp would? The scalp is tough. It's hard to push a needle through the human scalp. Trayvon was pounding George's head on the concrete to produce those wounds. When the police that George had called didn't arrive in time, and the neighbors who heard him yelling chose not to help, George chose to use his gun to keep himself alive.

 

Under the same circumstances, every one of us would have acted the same.

 

Hey, he's going to get his weapon back and he clearly can defend himself. Unlike Trayvon, he CAN just get in his car and go to the grocery store. If he has paranoid thoughts, I suggest they are merely a continuation of what he evidently had before he killed Trayvon. They might be even more vivid to him now but that's all in his wretched mind. Only IF one of those completely speculative things does happen to him, THEN he will be a victim. Until that speculative time, he has the luxury of being able to 'live' with it. Can't say that for Trayvon.

 

GZ chose to take an action and he got away with it. So be it. Now he must live with whatever consequences come his way. He has demonstrated empirically his ability and willingness to kill another person if he feels like his life is threatened and the system has demonstrated empirically that he is free to continue that way of life. His choice. If that's a heavy weight on his mind, tough luck. I hope it's really heavy and that he lives with it for a very long time.