Had MrZ randomly bumped into TM and an altercation occurred, I might could have agreed... BUT MrZ contacted 911 and they TOLD HIM NOT TO PURSUE ! But He DID anyway... so from that point it was HIS responsibility for the outcome.... HE FAILED... therefore he should take his "GOP responsibility" and the Rx that goes with it !! He provoked a situation* & killed an innocent, UNARMED kid !! PERIOD !
*We don't know the words said - but just his presence provoked a confrontation ! I suspect he reiterated the same BS he told the 911 operator. Otherwise even if TM did attack him (doubtful), why would a 17 yr old kid attack a totally unknown stranger without provocation ?? ... unless said stranger confronted him in a menacing way, or said harsh words to him. THINK McFly- THINK !!
#598493 - 07/15/1303:20 PMRe: Not guilty
[Re: DLC]
yoyo52 Nothing comes of nothing.
Registered: 05/25/01
Posts: 30520
Loc: PA, USA
I don't know what the law says, but the conclusion I come to from the whole event is that I could, right now, go out on the street stalk someone, and when that person responds by defending him or herself, I can shoot the SOB and get away with it.
It all makes me feel much much safer.
_________________________ MACTECHubi dolor ibi digitus
#598497 - 07/15/1303:46 PMRe: Not guilty
[Re: yoyo52]
garyW
mid-century modern
Registered: 04/19/02
Posts: 8329
c/p
On twitter earlier in the day.
Dear George Zimmerman,
For the rest of your life you are going to feel what its like to be a black man in America.
You will feel people stare at you. Judging you for what you feel are unfair reasons. You will lose out on getting jobs for something that you feel is outside your control. You will believe yourself to be an upstanding citizen and wonder why people choose not to see that.
People will cross the street when they see you coming. They will call you hurtful names. It will drive you so insane some days that you will want to scream at the top of your lungs. But you will have to wake up the next day, put on a firm look and push through life.
I bet you never thought that by shooting a black male you'd end up inheriting all his struggles.
#598499 - 07/15/1304:26 PMRe: Not guilty
[Re: MrB]
garyW
mid-century modern
Registered: 04/19/02
Posts: 8329
Florida law states that a defendant cannot claim self-defense if he "initially provokes the use of force against himself".The defense objected to the initial aggressor instruction. This clause of the law was deliberately withheld from the jury in the instructions from the judge.
It's hard to toe the line between discovering facts and character assassination. The 20-year-old Zimmerman is not the 28-year-old. But surely a past of confrontation and threatened violence is relevant?
_________________________ MACTECHubi dolor ibi digitus
Florida law states that a defendant cannot claim self-defense if he "initially provokes the use of force against himself".The defense objected to the initial aggressor instruction. This clause of the law was deliberately withheld from the jury in the instructions from the judge.
HTHell it was being overlooked that Trayvon Martin couldn't HELP but feel that his life was under threat, since nobody in their right mind would have exited his vehicle to stalk an individual he found "Suspicious & Threatening" on foot UNLESS HE WAS ARMED... ...from there it's an incredibly short leap to realizing that Trayvon reacted to what HE felt was a life-threatening situation.