A final word on Trayvon Martin

[Brother Mike]

Zimmerman watched and followed a man he didn't recognize walking through the yards of neighbors.
Zimmerman called non-emergency 911, reported his concerns.
911 operator advised Zimmerman that he didn't need to follow the stranger.
Zimmerman said "OK" and began walking back to his truck.
Zimmerman was confronted by, and then attacked by, Martin.
While having his head bashed against the sidewalk and fearing for his life, Zimmerman used his handgun to shot and kill Martin.

I found the hoping over the fence on some website, but that sounds good enough. Martin attacked and was the bad guy.

Mike.

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

Where did you get that sequence of events, because it doesn't fit with the evidence?

From George Zimmerman's reeactment the morning following the shooting. He said that when Trayvon confronted him that he (Zims) began reaching inside his pockets for his phone. Trayvon likely was alarmed by Zim's reaching and thought he was reaching for a weapon.

 

[Mike S]

Where did you get that sequence of events, because it doesn't fit with the evidence?

From George Zimmerman's reeactment the morning following the shooting. He said that when Trayvon confronted him that he (Zims) began reaching inside his pockets for his phone. Trayvon likely was alarmed by Zim's reaching and thought he was reaching for a weapon.

There are a lot of ways we can speculate about what happened, but a court case can't be decided on the basis of what others think "likely" happened. The only one in that trial who knew with certainty what happened was George Zimmerman. The jurors decided he was believable, and decided that the testimony of witnesses based on facts, rather than on emotion and speculation, was also believable. There really was no legally responsible decision based on law and evidence other than "not guilty."

It's a tragedy that a young man was killed that night. But, based on everything we know, I believe it was a confrontation that could have been avoided by more thoughtful reactions by either man (as many such confrontations doubtless are every day), and, instead got out of control in the heat of the moment and a man died.

So, would it have been justice if Zimmerman had been tried by the court of public outrage rather than a court of law, and been found guilty? I don't think so. I think Zimmerman's lawyer had it right when he said (my paraphrasing) "The not guilty decision prevented what was already a tragedy from becoming a travesty as well."

 

[TRUTH over TRADITION]

a court case can't be decided on the basis of what others think "likely" happened.

Stop right now! You're assuming something for which you have no foundation that should even lead you into a conversation. Nothing I posted had to do with the court case, NOTHING. Zimmerman was rightly found innocent based on the law and did not appear to do anything that would warrant him being punished legally based on the circumstances. I hope my position on that is clear for if I were on the jury I would have voted not guilty as well.

BUT, what I also want to make sure I am clear on is that all you guys pointing fingers at the kid that got killed are wrong as can be. He was every bit as innocent as Zimmerman and perhaps moreso. So for those that wish to use circumstantial info to paint this late young man as a devient menace to society that basically had it coming; Shame on you!

I found the hoping over the fence on some website, but that sounds good enough. Martin attacked and was the bad guy. Mike.

So any info that backs your declarations is "good enough." I see how you roll BM. But based on the accepted FACTS used by the court and Zimmerman's own testimony no fence was mentioned. Zims was apparently running an errand for his wife and en route to dist destination he saw Trayvon outside in front of a counter house and something about Trayvon looked strange to him. He parked his truck while speaking to dispatch and Trayvon subsequently approached and circled his truck to check Zimmerman out. Then Trayvon ran off. Zims then drove down the block to see if he could see where Martin went (So yes, he was following him). From this 2nd parked location Zims got out of the truck and strolled to get an idea of the address he was behind to tell the laws where to redeveux. After walking a bit Zims turns to go in the direction he told the dispatcher about and passed a hidden Trayvon at a sidewalk interection. Trayvon popped out and confronted Zims by asking Zims what his _____ problem was. This along with the phone call between Trayvon and his friend confirms that Trayvon felt he was being threatened. At this point Zimmerman said he replied and immediately reached for his phone which he had somewhere in his jacket or pockets. Trayvon saw a man that he felt threatened by reaching for something and he attacked. What about either young man's behavior so far was unwarrantedly wrong or stupid based on the circumstances?

Neither young man was a "bad guy" as you so wrongly claim. Both acted in the manner they deemed necessary in order to protect themselves. Quite possibly, had George Zimmerman's gun never been exposed, both fellas would be alive today, healed of all their battle scars, and we wouldn't even know their names.

 

[Mike S]

Stop right now!

...what I also want to make sure I am clear on is that all you guys pointing fingers at the kid that got killed are wrong as can be. He was every bit as innocent as Zimmerman and perhaps moreso. So for those that wish to use circumstantial info to paint this late young man as a devient menace to society that basically had it coming; Shame on you!

You can get off your high horse now, and take your phony outrage somewhere else! If you'd have actually been paying attention to my comments you would have seen this

I don't think this is a good civil rights case. I don't think Martin was a thug, and I don't think Zimmerman wanted to kill him. Martin had a right to be were he was, and Zimmerman had a right to be suspicious. Any number of simple things either man could have done would have defused the situation. I think it simply got out of control.