George Zimmerman declared not guilty of second-degree murder

[Chocolate Shake Man]

oooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo institutionalized racism

Boy, if the term elicits this kind of reaction, it must not exist!  

Let me try one:

oooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo cultural Marxism

Hey, it works!

[Heysaboda]

So, Zimmerman's need to "fear" young black men trumps Martin's wish to remain alive?

[Jason]

So, Zimmerman's need to "fear" young black men trumps Martin's wish to remain alive?

Appeal to emotion.

[leggo of my ego]

All in all a real tragedy but the media misrepresented the facts to drive their own agenda. Due to this its almost a miracle that Zimmerman
isn't still imprisoned. Stretching the truth and trying to deceive the public, withholding facts blew this story way out of proportion.
NBC should have the pants sued off of them and many others should be hanging their heads in shame.

[Awesoman]

All in all a real tragedy but the media misrepresented the facts to drive their own agenda. Due to this its almost a miracle that Zimmerman
isn't still imprisoned. Stretching the truth and trying to deceive the public, withholding facts blew this story way out of proportion.
NBC should have the pants sued off of them and many others should be hanging their heads in shame.

Right, the media portrayal of this story was a complete disgrace and travesty.  Neither Zimmerman nor Trayvon deserved to be vilified or lionized.

[Bean Bag]

NBC should have the pants sued off of them and many others should be hanging their heads in shame.

You said it brother.  With NBC, we have an actual case, in black-n'white (pun intended), of institutionalized you-name-it.  In a sane world NBC would have the protests outside of their office.  But no... the soulless, mindless tools of the Left will be punishing innocent people.  Cuz that's what they do.

Good news if you're a Marxists though.  They get hard for this kind of stuff.  They bust out the KY and get all silly watching this chaos.  "Yeah, yeah, bust those shop windows... yeah... fck those capitalist pigs, fck them hard -- uh!!! they're ex-ex-ploiting the w-w-w-w-wooooorkers!!"

 

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Delete.

[hypehat]

oooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo institutionalized racism

Boy, if the term elicits this kind of reaction, it must not exist!  

Let me try one:

oooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooo cultural Marxism

Hey, it works!

An astounding discovery! 

[Jason]

.

[Heysaboda]

It’s called Flori-duh for a reason

 

Sitting on a jury is not like sitting in a chair in front of the tube and determining whether someone is innocent or guilty. Though, what drives me crazy is that when a California jury supposedly got it wrong in the O.J. Simpson trial, I don't remember seeing people taking to the streets because Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ron Goldman didn't get justice.

True, but I was thinking of the Floriduh prosecution staff, which seem to have the intelligence of the average mollusk!
They really couldn't be bothered to put on a case.

[Heysaboda]

This brings up a point I've always had. White people don't care about gun control until some asshole shoots up an area in white suburbia. They don't give a sh*t when it happens in the inner cities. The only reason gun control is "popular" now in the U.S. is because one asshole broke white suburban America's one rule - NIMBY, or "NOT IN MY BACK YARD".

This point is unassailable!

[drbeachboy]

It’s called Flori-duh for a reason

 

Sitting on a jury is not like sitting in a chair in front of the tube and determining whether someone is innocent or guilty. Though, what drives me crazy is that when a California jury supposedly got it wrong in the O.J. Simpson trial, I don't remember seeing people taking to the streets because Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ron Goldman didn't get justice.

True, but I was thinking of the Floriduh prosecution staff, which seem to have the intelligence of the average mollusk!
They really couldn't be bothered to put on a case.

Are you sure about that? The bald prosecutor claims this was only his 2nd loss in over 300 criminal cases. CNN was heaping all kinds of praise on the prosecutor who did the rebuttal on the final day of trial. To me, after having sat on a Grand Jury for 5 months, I find that the real issue are the instructions that the jury must follow. They can be very tricky to navigate. When we make up our minds when following a case, we can listen to evidence and make judgments without rules hindering our outcome. Not so with jurors. As we have now heard, during deliberations, three jurors did  not agree with a not guilty verdict. It took time and more questions to arrive with an unanimous verdict. Also, there is nothing like having a great defense attorney.

[Heysaboda]

So, Zimmerman's need to "fear" young black men trumps Martin's wish to remain alive?

Appeal to emotion.

Honestly TRBB, I was not going for an emotional argument.  I was just weighing one against the other.

I mean, this bloated moon-faced imbecile Zimmerman insisted on carrying a gun, and because of that someone else is dead.  What kind of jerk goes driving around in his SUV with a loaded gun in his hand?

[Chocolate Shake Man]

So, Zimmerman's need to "fear" young black men trumps Martin's wish to remain alive?

Appeal to emotion.

Honestly TRBB, I was not going for an emotional argument.  I was just weighing one against the other.

I mean, this bloated moon-faced imbecile Zimmerman insisted on carrying a gun, and because of that someone else is dead.  What kind of jerk goes driving around in his SUV with a loaded gun in his hand?

He was hyperaware of suspicious people due to break-ins in the neighbourhood. He largely considered Trayvon Martin suspicious, in his words, because he was walking in the rain and looking around...

[Heysaboda]

It’s called Flori-duh for a reason
 

Sitting on a jury is not like sitting in a chair in front of the tube and determining whether someone is innocent or guilty. Though, what drives me crazy is that when a California jury supposedly got it wrong in the O.J. Simpson trial, I don't remember seeing people taking to the streets because Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ron Goldman didn't get justice.

True, but I was thinking of the Floriduh prosecution staff, which seem to have the intelligence of the average mollusk!
They really couldn't be bothered to put on a case.

Are you sure about that? The bald prosecutor claims this was only his 2nd loss in over 300 criminal cases. CNN was heaping all kinds of praise on the prosecutor who did the rebuttal on the final day of trial. To me, after having sat on a Grand Jury for 5 months, I find that the real issue are the instructions that the jury must follow. They can be very tricky to navigate. When we make up our minds when following a case, we can listen to evidence and make judgments without rules hindering our outcome. Not so with jurors. As we have now heard, during deliberations, three jurors did  not agree with a not guilty verdict. It took time and more questions to arrive with an unanimous verdict. Also, there is nothing like having a great defense attorney.

The defense called a young white mother who had been robbed in the neighborhood months before the shooting. The witness, Olivia Bertalan, testified that she had cowered in her closet, baby in her arms, as two African-American males burglarized her home.  What did that have to do with Trayvon Martin? The prosecution never asked.
JEEZ
I call that incompetence.

[drbeachboy]

It’s called Flori-duh for a reason
 

Sitting on a jury is not like sitting in a chair in front of the tube and determining whether someone is innocent or guilty. Though, what drives me crazy is that when a California jury supposedly got it wrong in the O.J. Simpson trial, I don't remember seeing people taking to the streets because Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ron Goldman didn't get justice.

True, but I was thinking of the Floriduh prosecution staff, which seem to have the intelligence of the average mollusk!
They really couldn't be bothered to put on a case.

Are you sure about that? The bald prosecutor claims this was only his 2nd loss in over 300 criminal cases. CNN was heaping all kinds of praise on the prosecutor who did the rebuttal on the final day of trial. To me, after having sat on a Grand Jury for 5 months, I find that the real issue are the instructions that the jury must follow. They can be very tricky to navigate. When we make up our minds when following a case, we can listen to evidence and make judgments without rules hindering our outcome. Not so with jurors. As we have now heard, during deliberations, three jurors did  not agree with a not guilty verdict. It took time and more questions to arrive with an unanimous verdict. Also, there is nothing like having a great defense attorney.

The defense called a young white mother who had been robbed in the neighborhood months before the shooting. The witness, Olivia Bertalan, testified that she had cowered in her closet, baby in her arms, as two African-American males burglarized her home.  What did that have to do with Trayvon Martin? The prosecution never asked.
JEEZ
I call that incompetence.

Serious question for you. How would you suppose that he be tried? Do you really think that one defense witness made all the difference? When everyone cried foul that Zimmerman was not arrested and insisted that he be put on trial, I was crying right along. That day came and a jury accquitted him of the crime. We have to be satisfied that he was put through the justice system. We should not be acting like vigilantes and exact our own justice or revenge because we did not agree with the outcome.

[Awesoman]

So, Zimmerman's need to "fear" young black men trumps Martin's wish to remain alive?

Appeal to emotion.

Honestly TRBB, I was not going for an emotional argument.  I was just weighing one against the other.

Yeah and if I had wheels I'd be a wagon.

I mean, this bloated moon-faced imbecile Zimmerman insisted on carrying a gun, and because of that someone else is dead.  What kind of jerk goes driving around in his SUV with a loaded gun in his hand?

It's not illegal to carry a gun.  There are millions of people that own guns and somehow manage to get through each day without having to kill anyone. 

Convenient how people continue to gloss over the fact that Trayvon spent the last few minutes of his life pummeling Zimmerman's head into the ground.  Of course this doesn't justify his death, but I can't imagine it was the wisest strategy to attack an armed man.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Convenient how people continue to gloss over the fact that Trayvon spent the last few minutes of his life pummeling Zimmerman's head into the ground.  Of course this doesn't justify his death, but I can't imagine it was the wisest strategy to attack an armed man.

What is the wisest strategy, particularly if you've already tried running away, and the guy with the gun kept pursuing you?

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Racial stereotyping is disgusting, we should all know this, and agree that Zimmerman should never be allowed to suspect anyone based on race.

HOWEVER.

In this case, the neighborhood had been targeted by (this is fact, not stereotyping) several African American burglars.
You tell me,after dealing with several
robberies, wouldn't you want to make sure he was under control?

My take on this: Zimmerman was dumb to follow him, but I can understand why he did. I believe he only shot because he was attacked.
Many say he created the conflict but... We're not sure. I think this is why he was declared not guilty.

Was he right to shoot? No.

Was he right to follow? Well, under the law, yes.

Was he right to suspect him? Maybe not, but you couldn't even tell me that some of us wouldn't have a thought in the back of our minds.
Gangs do exist,I know that could be considered a stereotype, but sometimes it's better to be safe then sorry.

[Awesoman]

Convenient how people continue to gloss over the fact that Trayvon spent the last few minutes of his life pummeling Zimmerman's head into the ground.  Of course this doesn't justify his death, but I can't imagine it was the wisest strategy to attack an armed man.

What is the wisest strategy, particularly if you've already tried running away, and the guy with the gun kept pursuing you?

A few years ago I was held at gunpoint by two individuals who robbed me right at the parking lot of my apartment.  At no point during this did I think it would be a good idea to fight back.  They had the advantage; I didn't.  I let them steal what little I had on me and I remain alive.  As for Trayvon, I'm not entirely clear that he was even aware Zimmerman had a gun on him initially.  But if Zimmerman was so intent on killing Trayvon, why the hell did he phone the police first?

[FatherOfTheMan Sr101]

Exactly. Very scary story, I'm glad you're alright!
But I think everyone is ignoring this fact about zimmerman:
"Three weeks prior to the shooting, on February 2, 2012, Zimmerman called police to report a young man peering into the windows of an empty Twin Lakes home. Zimmerman was told a police car was on the way and he waited for their arrival. By the time police arrived, the suspect had fled. "

He was probably just making sure that didn't happen again!!

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Racial stereotyping is disgusting, we should all know this, and agree that Zimmerman should never be allowed to suspect anyone based on race.

HOWEVER.

In this case, the neighborhood had been targeted by (this is fact, not stereotyping) several African American burglars.
You tell me, if you see a teenager walking in a gated community he was not allowed to be in, after dealing with several
robberies, wouldn't you want to make sure he was under control?

My take on this: Zimmerman was dumb to follow him, but I can understand why he did. I believe he only shot because he was attacked.
Many say he created the conflict but... why was Martin even in the GATED COMMUNITY? I think this is why he was declared not guilty.

Was he right to shoot? No.

Was he right to follow? Well, under the law, yes.

Was he right to suspect him? Maybe not, but you couldn't even tell me that some of us wouldn't have a thought in the back of our minds.
Gangs do exist, and he wasn't supposed to be in the area. I know that could be considered a stereotype, but sometimes it's better to be safe then sorry.

Martin's father's girlfriend lived there. He was "allowed" to be there. It's not like there were 15 people living in this gated community - it had 260 townhouses, where 20% of the population was black. If I lived in a neighbourhood where there were robberies committed by white people and then saw a white person walking around at night, my first instinct wouldn't be to assume that they are dangerous.

[Chocolate Shake Man]

Convenient how people continue to gloss over the fact that Trayvon spent the last few minutes of his life pummeling Zimmerman's head into the ground.  Of course this doesn't justify his death, but I can't imagine it was the wisest strategy to attack an armed man.

What is the wisest strategy, particularly if you've already tried running away, and the guy with the gun kept pursuing you?

A few years ago I was held at gunpoint by two individuals who robbed me right at the parking lot of my apartment.  At no point during this did I think it would be a good idea to fight back.  They had the advantage; I didn't.  I let them steal what little I had on me and I remain alive.  As for Trayvon, I'm not entirely clear that he was even aware Zimmerman had a gun on him initially.  But if Zimmerman was so intent on killing Trayvon, why the hell did he phone the police first?

Well, people do react differently. I probably would have done what you did, and consider it the smarter decision, but I also wouldn't necessarily blame someone for trying to defend themselves against a guy who has repeatedly pursued me at night.

As to your second point, I am not necessarily suggesting that Zimmerman was bloodthirsty. Nevertheless, despite calling the police, he was certainly happy to try to take matters into his own hands as he continued to pursue Martin even after the police told him not to so he was certainly prepared to take action with or without the police.

[Awesoman]

As to your second point, I am not necessarily suggesting that Zimmerman was bloodthirsty. Nevertheless, despite calling the police, he was certainly happy to try to take matters into his own hands as he continued to pursue Martin even after the police told him not to so he was certainly prepared to take action with or without the police.

You're over-looking an important fact.  He took "matters into his own hands" because Trayvon was on top of him, beating his head into the ground.  Would Zimmerman still be happily firing away at Trayvon had he not been attacked?  Doubtful.  But thanks for proving my initial point!

[leggo of my ego]

So, Zimmerman's need to "fear" young black men trumps Martin's wish to remain alive?

Appeal to emotion.

Honestly TRBB, I was not going for an emotional argument.  I was just weighing one against the other.

Yeah and if I had wheels I'd be a wagon.

I mean, this bloated moon-faced imbecile Zimmerman insisted on carrying a gun, and because of that someone else is dead.  What kind of jerk goes driving around in his SUV with a loaded gun in his hand?

It's not illegal to carry a gun.  There are millions of people that own guns and somehow manage to get through each day without having to kill anyone. 

Convenient how people continue to gloss over the fact that Trayvon spent the last few minutes of his life pummeling Zimmerman's head into the ground.  Of course this doesn't justify his death, but I can't imagine it was the wisest strategy to attack an armed man.

Don't bring your fists to a gun fight? No doubt in another State without Stand Your Ground laws GZ would be seeing a good deal of jail time. However, the law in Florida says it okay to defend yourself. Maybe if GZ had not been armed Martin would be alive behind bars facing murder charges, he was not the skinny little kid the media falsely portrayed him to be and could have killed Zimmerman with ease.