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George Zimmerman not guilty
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Surprised there wasn't a thread about this yesterday, I know it's in America but still a very interesting case.
News story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23309534
Personally I think he should have at least got sent down for manslaughter, you can't help but feel sorry for Trayvon Martin's family. The person who killed their son/brother etc. is now walking free, no punishment at all. If this was in England and someone got killed for wearing a hooded top there would be outrage! I highly doubt it was self defense like he claims, and even if it was an unarmed teenage boy could not have stood as much of a threat!
What are your opinions?
News story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-23309534
Personally I think he should have at least got sent down for manslaughter, you can't help but feel sorry for Trayvon Martin's family. The person who killed their son/brother etc. is now walking free, no punishment at all. If this was in England and someone got killed for wearing a hooded top there would be outrage! I highly doubt it was self defense like he claims, and even if it was an unarmed teenage boy could not have stood as much of a threat!
What are your opinions?
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Comments
Mr. Zimmerman's defence had to resort to presenting a slab of concrete (i.e. the pavement he was walking on), which creepily suggests that no one can ever be considered to be "unarmed" in the US after this decision. Let's hope not.
The only time I would challenge someone "acting supiciously" whilst not at work would be if they were hovering around my car or on my property.
This video lays the facts out quite well.
Why was this turned into a black vs white thing anyway? Zimmerman is mestizo/Hispanic and that neighbourhood was multi ethnic. The media caused the entire furore around the incident.
Why? Zimmerman was walking around the streets PRETENDING to be a cop, playing at it. He sees a youth, challenges him and ends up shooting him. If Zimmerman had left it alone and called the professionals like any other reasonable law abiding citizen he wouldn't have ended up in this mess.
Accidentally or not, Zimmerman took a life unlawfully.
Anyway.
The problem with this case is that Zimmerman probably was innocent, given how the laws are written in Florida. You are entitled to "stand your ground", i.e. shoot first, ask second, if you believe you are in danger. There isn't the same requirement for that to be a reasonable belief as there is in the UK, so long as you can evidence some fear (hence the concrete slab). Presumably the jury believed Zimmerman when he said he'd been hit by Martin and that he feared serious injury, even if Zimmerman probably was out looking for trouble.
As always, the focus must really swing back to the police, who actually stated in court they believed Zimmerman. Just as in the UK, US police forces are essentially staffed by racist neanderthals who won't let anything like morals or ethics stand in the way of beating the shit out of someone or taking a big fat bung. The police backed up Zimmerman; they originally released him without charge and made sure the trial didn't change that decision. The blame must lie with them, as is always the way with the thuggish crooks who supposedly "protect" us.
He did report to the police he saw someone who was acting suspicious and they said to leave it. It was an area where the police were notorious for being useless and his actions in challenging someone were not illegal.
Nuff said really.
So next time you're walking around an estate, its perfectly acceptable for me to challenge you, and because i feel "threatened" I can shoot you.....?
Ok.
How do you know what happened? You were not there. The only person who honestly knows what happened is George Zimmerman, and I highly doubt he'd ever turn round and say "yea I shot an innocent man." even if that is what happened.
EDIT: and to the photos of Zimmerman having been hit, how do we know he did not aggravate the boy first? Also, shooting someone is hardly reasonable force against someone who hit you. Hit them back and restrain them. Phone police.
Point well taken.
But he should have been tried as he was. He's not fucking Batman.
This should help http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eA9jV9BFiqg
I want my four minutes back. That guy's a dick. I've started to noticed how "white people" just rolls off tongues these days as if it were nothing.