Here's a quick overview of the case followed by my opinions...
Trayvon Martin was a 17 year old African American boy who was walking home from a convenience store when George Zimmerman, a 28 year old Hispanic American man, got out of his car to confront the boy. What transpired between 7:09 P.M. and 7:16 P.M. is uncertain but what is certain is that when police arrived they found Trayvon Martin dead, a victim of a gunshot wound to the chest.
Now I'm not claiming to know all the facts. I want to make that blatantly obvious for everyone reading. Here's my opinion though.
George Zimmerman was a self-appointed neighborhood watchman. He was not a part of any organized, state recognized group. His neighbors had agreed to let him lead the town's watch, but it was not set up by the actual Neighborhood Watch organization. (To me that screams vigilante with a hero complex.) Before Zimmerman approached Martin he called police. He threw around phrases like, "He's up to no good," and, "They always get away." (To me that sounds like a man looking for trouble.) When George Zimmerman got out of his car to pursue Trayvon he broke the primary tenet of Neighborhood Watch. Neighborhood Watch explicitly states that no member should pursue a suspect. Their job is simply to alert police. The only problem is that Zimmerman wasn't a part of Neighborhood Watch, HE MADE UP HIS POSITION.
While we don't know exactly what happened next we know that Martin and Zimmerman got into a physical altercation. It is unclear who hit who first but what is clear is that George Zimmerman pulled his gun out and shot an innocent 17 year old to death in cold blood. On a 911 call made by a neighbor you can hear someone yelling for help. (It is unclear whether it is Zimmerman or Trayvon.) One neighbor said they spotted Trayvon on top of Zimmerman doing a "ground and pound" which is a term used in ultimate fighting where one man straddles another and basically punches the one on the ground senseless. I saw the picture of George Zimmerman's injuries. He had a broken nose and some scratches on the back of his head. Was George Zimmerman hurt? Yes. We're his injuries life threatening? No, not even close.
Frankly I don't care who hit who first. When Zimmerman got out of his car he was in the wrong. If I was a 17 year old kid walking home and a man approximately 10 years older than me approached me I would get defensive too. If he used inflammatory language towards me or physically assaulted me I would fight back until I felt safe. If that means straddling him and punching him senseless then yes, I would do that too.
George Zimmerman got off on "self defense" but I think the jury forgot about Trayvon Martin's right to self defense. A defense against racial profiling and against being followed by a man when he was doing nothing wrong.
Zimmerman said that Trayvon had something in his hand and at one point was reaching for his waistband. He was right. A pack of skittles and a pop. God forbid he shake up a pop and squirt Zimmerman to death with it.
I understand that Trayvon Martin had past run ins with authorities. Tardiness and truancy at school, as well as having a marijuana pipe and empty bag with remnants of marijuana. However, George Zimmerman has a past with the law as well. (You can look that one up for some proof if you want.) I also understand the area of Florida this occurred in has an above average rate of crime and that the neighborhood in particular had some break ins recently. But what type of crimes occur at 7:00 P.M.?
Also, just to clarify another point for everyone. Trayvon Martin was 5'11" tall. Not 6'2" like some reports stated. And George Zimmerman is 5'8" tall. To some I'm sure that sounds like a real disadvantage in a fight, but the truth of the matter is Zimmerman had Martin by 27 pounds. (185 to 158) I'm built exactly like George Zimmerman and truth be told I like my chances against a taller, lankier person. But that's beside the point.
Basically what it comes down to for me is this:
1. It was 7:00 when this all occurred. PEOPLE DO NOT ROB HOUSES AT DINNER TIME. People rob houses in the middle of the night.
2. George Zimmerman pursued Trayvon Martin without solid evidence of any wrongdoing.
3. During a physical altercation he pulled out a gun and shot a 17 year old to death.
I hate that people turned this case into a race case because it is anything but. What this case is is wrongdoing on the part of George Zimmerman. I'm certain that if you asked police officers what they would have done in Zimmerman's situation they would have watched the boy, maybe trailed him and asked him where he was going, but they wouldn't have pursued on foot, no questions asked ready to pull their gun.
In my opinion when a person is shot to death in America someone broke the law. And according to that Florida jury since George Zimmerman didn't break it for what he did Trayvon Martin must've been guilty of 1st degree wrong place at the wrong time and 3rd degree wanting to go home.
Bullshit. That's what it is. And it's a bullshit law if that's what allowed Zimmerman to walk. We live in a country where the law puts Plaxico Burress in jail for shooting himself in the leg, but lets George Zimmerman walk when he shoots a teenager. That's just wrong.
That's all I have to say.
NP: Changes- Tupac
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