Trayvon Martin vs. George Zimmerman ....

Really? The neighborhood was 51 percent black. You think he called the cops every time one of them left the house after dark? Come on!

 

I hope that everyone would just back up a minute and wait until all the facts are sorted out. The fact that everyone is sooooo quick to throw that race card is sad indeed. Would they be as quick to throw it if the kid had been white and the shooter black?

 

While I'm sure you understand why I posted that I'll explain any way. It makes it understandable that there would be a neighborhood watch, it makes it understandable that someone living there might join it, it makes it understandable as far as why there are such a high number of police calls in that area, it makes it understandable that a person who is on said neighborhood watch might be making 10% of those calls. Let's see if this makes sense...you live in a neighborhood with one of highest crime rates in the nation...your neighbors have been robbed...the police have been called over 400 times....you wouldn't be on guard? You wouldn't be suspicious of any person walking in a hoodie in the dark? You just saw someone walking around your neighborhood in the dark in a hoody and your wife says "hey I'm gonna take the dog out for a walk" you don't go with her? All I'm saying is we don't live there and know what the residents deal with, that doesn't mean I think Zimmerman was right I'm just saying it was made a racial issue before it was determined if it even was one. I feel like the investigators will get to the bottom of this based on the FACTS they recover.

I agree saying someone has a hood, or smoked weed, or it's dark are not legitimate reasons to kill someone but we all are smart enough to see how the interaction between the two could have happened because of some of the circumstance. The confrontation, fight, and shooting all came after that. You simplify it to sound like Zimmerman saw a black guy walking down the street in a hoody in the dark and just got out and killed him. Based on everything from both sides that you've seen and read you truly believe that's what happened?

 

So many "what ifs"...

There are only 2 facts we know.
1. We don't have enough facts in order to make a clear judgement.
2. The media is using this as a political matter

 

The sizes are being blown way out of proportion...Im roughly the same build as the "kid" 6'2" 175 (he is a little lighter, but likely as strong being a football player).... I would NOT be scared to fight a fat 5'9" 230 lb guy such as Zimmerman. In fact, I would like my odds (as Trayvon obviously did as well).

Its terrible the racial prejudices from both sides have washed away the real message of how senseless this was. Zimmerman should have thought more logically, and Trayvon should have responded more logically.... such a waste of life for this to have happened.

 

Now we have a couple in their 70's who have abandoned their home in fear because Spike Lee retweeted their address as that of George Zimmerman.

 

it's not just race, it's gun rights also, which really murkies the water.

 

There are a few more we know, Bro ...

Zimmerman was told to not go after him

He went after him

He asked him what he was doing there

Trayvon did not have a gun

Zimmerman had a gun

Zimmerman used a gun in a fist fight

Zimmerman snuffed out the life of a 17 year old kid because he had a God complex

Zimmerman was previously charged with assaulting a police officer (this shows his respect for authority) Why was he allowed to carry?????

 

Are you suggesting that he shouldn't make those calls if it involves a person of color? Or that when he calls he should just say some "individuals"? Do you think he didn't see suspicious black males or whatever he said when he made the 40 calls? Of the 362 other calls that were made by other individuals, how many reported black males suspects? That would be nice to know wouldn't it, shockingly the media didn't dig that deep.

Everybody has their own personal feelings influenced by what they have seen and read and their own lives, Trying to see past the media side of thing and my own assumptions I hope helps me stay at least close to neutral until more facts come out or he is charged or both. Any which way it goes I know if I was the one facing the charges I would want an unbiased jury that made a decision based upon the facts presented in the case and if I was a juror I would want to to do that. Good luck finding a jury like that if/when this goes to trial.

 

For everyone that likes to keep asking if this would be a big deal if it white shooter/white victim or black shooter/white victim...let see how that would play out...

If you think there wouldn't be public uproar if a white unarmed teenager were shot by a vigilante and not charged, you are out of your mind. But has this every happened? Not sure have a previous case to base that on. Why is that?

If it were black shooter and white victim, we wouldn't hear about it because the shooter would be have been arrested and charged with something. If you don't believe that, you are out of your mind.

History repeats itself.

 

Not at all, but...

Many of his calls did not report suspicious activity, just that he seen a black male. Or what he described as suspicious, was not considered suspicious behavoir by police. I'm not kidding, read the log of his past calls. He made a number of calls to report "an open garage door" in his neighborhood. The guy was obviously paranoid.

 

never convicted because of some 1st offender program

 

Regardless if he was right in asking him what he was doing there.... A 6'2" guy starts beating the crap out of you and smashing your head on the sidewalk....you telling me you wouldn't use your gun to get out of the situation? Ages aren't tattooed on foreheads Tony...nor are intentions.

NEITHER person handled the situation logically (which could have avoided the death), but was the shooter within the law is the only question...ages, skin color, clothing, none of that will matter when it gets down to the facts.

 

Sometimes I wish I could see the world as simple as this.

 

I guess I should also address the other scenario brought "if this were a black shooter and black victim". If that were the case, we wouldn't hear about it either. The majority of Americans as a whole don't care if black people are killing black people. That is evidenced by the stats Christine posted.

I didn't address it the first time because I figured it was a given.

 

If I initiated the situation for the reasons Zimmerman did, I would expect there would most likely be consequences for my actions.

One thing I do wonder...if Zimmerman was able to get to his gun, I wonder if that meant he could have ran away or at least tried. I imagine its not real easy to get your gun out if someone is pummeling you. Especially if your head is getting based against the cement.

Like I said, Zimmerman's story just doesn't add up.

 

Then it makes sense.

Edit: I was only referring to the "never convicted" part.

 

In Florida, you are allowed to assault a police officer more than once?

 

Vito you stated you are disappointed with this thread and Tony you said someting along the lines of people dropping a couple of notches or something like that. What exactly is disappointing and why? I like reading both of you guys posts almost all the time, you seem like good guys but I wouldn't assume to know you based on simple posts on a monitor especially on a topic such as this. Is there some higher level of awareness some of us are missing? Throwing around hyperbole like Death Wish and "vigilante" only makes you sound like the media.

 

Tony,
Everyone really needs to slow down, remove race, and investigate. This happened a month ago, witnesses are just now coming out? That's something that needs addressed as well.
Yes there is a call to 911. We do get SOME facts there. There is a second call to 911 with someone yelling help, again SOME facts. I'm not saying there are no facts. I'm saying there are not enough currently to judge someone's life. There is already a dead young man, no need to make it 2.
I am not going to label Zimmerman as a murderer. However, I'm not going to label Martin as provacative trouble maker. It's not my place to judge anyways. I live in a small farming community, life is completely different elsewhere.
The media, public, and ,sadly to say, politicians, need to back off and let law enforcement investigate, put everything together, and create a factual story of what happened. Then it will be up to the judicial system.

It's fine to form an opinion. I just don't have one. I see instances where Zimmerman was in the wrong, but I'm not entirely sure what Martin did either. If when approached Martin would have just said he was on his way home from the store, would anything have ever taken place? It is obvious that cooler heads didn't previal.