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As I watched the prosecution's presentation, I can't remember how many times they actually presented information and testimony that supported a not guilty verdict. It was almost as if they don't really believe they have a case but want to appear as though they are being responsive to the "will of the people." Let's not forget that even the president said "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon"...that's a lot of pressure. Are there some minor inconsistencies in GZ's story? Yes, there are some. Was there some weak testimony by a neighbor that might refute the GZ account? Yes but, again, there are reasons to discount that info, too. No case is perfect. All will have some loose ends or conflicting information. I thought GZ's attorney had pretty compelling reasons for an acquittal but the judge said no...it was the only realistic decision she could make. I don't think there is any racial profiling involved here but there's no question that there was some anti-theft, anti-punk "profiling" going on. That's not to say that TM was a bad guy but GZ thought that he might be one based on the circumstances and it was a reasonable suspicion based on the circumstances, IMO. He did not take the law into his hands, he followed the law. That he had a gun on his belt is absolutely meaningless. It doesn't indicate that he was looking for a fight or wanted to kill someone. That is an unsubstantiated conclusion. There are more than 1.1M concealed weapon holders in FL right now. You probably walk by someone with a hidden gun (or other deadly weapon) regularly and never know it. You might even have acted obnoxiously toward that person and still never were aware of it. Some of them might have thought you were acting a little suspiciously and you still never were aware of it. However, I'd bet that in almost every one of those cases (or at least the ones where the weapon holder didn't have any professional fight training), had you punched them in the nose, knocked them on their backs, pummeled their heads, and reached for their guns....you would have learned they were carrying a weapon. It's called self-defense. I don't know where I've seen it before but there's a saying...when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
As I watched the prosecution's presentation, I can't remember how many times they actually presented information and testimony that supported a not guilty verdict. It was almost as if they don't really believe they have a case but want to appear as though they are being responsive to the "will of the people." Let's not forget that even the president said "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon"...that's a lot of pressure.
Yep. Lets not forget what proof beyond a reasonable doubt means. That doesn't mean that the prosecution might be right or even appears to be right, it means that they have proven the case beyond and to the exclusion of any other reasonable explanation or possibility. I personally believe that Zimmerman was very likely a little trigger happy and put himself in a situation that he shouldn't have, however that doesn't mean that the prosecution has proven a murder case. It also doesn't mean he is innocent, it just means that the legal burden of proof for a guilty verdict doesn't appear to be met.
Self defense is an affirmative defense that involves what a reasonable person believes or should believe. The prosecution did not produce any solid evidence to refute that Zimmerman felt in fear for his life. The bloody pictures of him assert that he was indeed in danger, and the prosecution witnesses haven't done a very good job refuting a valid self defense claim.
Last night I woke up wanting something to eat....something sweet...It was 3 AM...my neighborhood is gentrified and very safe during the day...but in the dead of night it is sketchy. I PROFILE everyone..I read faces quickly and figure out who they are. As I was leaving the store..I almost ran head long into the person coming in...The guy was very tall- strong....intelligent...and totally dangerous. He was getting smokes as a cab waited out side. I PROFILED the person quickly...He appeared to be some high ranking criminal..perhaps a Hell's Angel - Clearly this person was a KILLER. Whether black or white or green...You have to judge quickly your human environment...If it appears to be dangerous - IT IS.
Maybe we should make you a cop, judge, and jury and put you to work. Society could save a lot of money if you were allowed to use your keen observation skills to identify "dangerous killers" and "ranking criminals" and immediately throw them in prison for the rest of their lives based solely on how they look and appear to you. Why bother with petty things like probable cause for arrest, trials, and civil rights when we have people like you who know who the dangerous people in this world are just by looking at them?
However, you have to admit it's true that most people walking in the dark late at night would rather turn around and see a Betty White than a Lee Van Cleef, which might be why he played a villain most of the time. Maybe it just depends on where you live, but society creates images of what "safe" looks like.
Call them what you will, but preconceived notions of people based upon their "image" that "society creates" are simply PREJUDICES. They are not based on material facts. You can say you aren't racist until you're blue in the face, but if you have some preconceived belief that the big, burly black guy with dreadlocks wearing urban style clothes who is walking towards you is dangerous based on his appearance alone, they you ARE racist and prejudiced. I'm sure you won't admit that, but it's true.
How someone is acting is a much greater indication of whether or not they are dangerous than their appearance. If someone is walking down the street yelling and punching the air, there is good reason to believe that person is unstable or dangerous. It makes no difference how that person looks or what their race is.
As I watched the prosecution's presentation, I can't remember how many times they actually presented information and testimony that supported a not guilty verdict. It was almost as if they don't really believe they have a case but want to appear as though they are being responsive to the "will of the people." Let's not forget that even the president said "If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon"...that's a lot of pressure. Are there some minor inconsistencies in GZ's story? Yes, there are some. Was there some weak testimony by a neighbor that might refute the GZ account? Yes but, again, there are reasons to discount that info, too. No case is perfect. All will have some loose ends or conflicting information. I thought GZ's attorney had pretty compelling reasons for an acquittal but the judge said no...it was the only realistic decision she could make. I don't think there is any racial profiling involved here but there's no question that there was some anti-theft, anti-punk "profiling" going on. That's not to say that TM was a bad guy but GZ thought that he might be one based on the circumstances and it was a reasonable suspicion based on the circumstances, IMO. He did not take the law into his hands, he followed the law. That he had a gun on his belt is absolutely meaningless. It doesn't indicate that he was looking for a fight or wanted to kill someone. That is an unsubstantiated conclusion. There are more than 1.1M concealed weapon holders in FL right now. You probably walk by someone with a hidden gun (or other deadly weapon) regularly and never know it. You might even have acted obnoxiously toward that person and still never were aware of it. Some of them might have thought you were acting a little suspiciously and you still never were aware of it. However, I'd bet that in almost every one of those cases (or at least the ones where the weapon holder didn't have any professional fight training), had you punched them in the nose, knocked them on their backs, pummeled their heads, and reached for their guns....you would have learned they were carrying a weapon. It's called self-defense. I don't know where I've seen it before but there's a saying...when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.
Very well put. Unless something surprising happens going forward, which is doubtful as the prosecution has rested, it is what it is and I do not see how a conviction can be brought forth......unless out of fear of retribution.......which is very possible.
Very well put. Unless something surprising happens going forward, which is doubtful as the prosecution has rested, it is what it is and I do not see how a conviction can be brought forth......unless out of fear of retribution.......which is very possible.
I said a long time ago that I thought Zimmerman would be found guilty at trial because of the "trial" that occurred in the media. I also said that if this happened, the conviction probably would eventually end up being overturned on legal grounds.
After watching the prosecution's case and seeing the racial makeup of the jury, I really don't know what will happen. A jury that was all or mostly minority would probably be more apt to buy into the racial overtones, but a jury of five white and one Hispanic women very well may not.
It also doesn't help matters that one of the prosecution's star witnesses can barely communicate in a coherent manner.
I said a long time ago that I thought Zimmerman would be found guilty at trial because of the "trial" that occurred in the media. I also said that if this happened, the conviction probably would eventually end up being overturned on legal grounds.
After watching the prosecution's case and seeing the racial makeup of the jury, I really don't know what will happen. A jury that was all or mostly minority would probably be more apt to buy into the racial overtones, but a jury of five white and one Hispanic women very well may not.
It also doesn't help matters that one of the prosecution's star witnesses can barely communicate in a coherent manner.
Are you male? Gender trumps race when it comes to women. Motherhood also trumps race. Gun owners? While Florida has more female gun owners than the rest of the country, males still outnumber female gun owners.
We shall see. I think gender will trump race in this case. 2nd degree? No, but I don't think Zimmerman will walk off scott free.
Anything that Jesse Jackson or Al "Tawana Brawley" Sharpton say, then the opposite is always true. These guys are the worst charlatans and race baiters on the planet.
There is no evidence that he did anything after he called the police. The only testimony is that Z-man did indeed head back to his vehicle after the "dispatcher", not the police, told him they don't need him doing that. So no need to invent stories about Z-man approaching Trayvon.
As far as punks getting away......there had been a rash of robberies. Robbers are punks and they had been getting away with ripping people off. Your point? his responsibility on the neighborhood watch is to do exactly what he did....that we know of so far....which is WATCH for suspicious/different activity in the neighborhood and call the police when concerned. He did that. He noticed someone who was not normally in the neighborhood. He noticed is was bad weather, in which most people were in shelter. Yet this person was walking around different houses in the neighborhood. Seems very reasonable to pay attention to them.
And as Z-man was a mentor for blacks....it is extremely unlikely that race had any part of this whatsoever.
Why is it because he mentors a or some black kids that does not make him racist? I was a caseworker and I worked with some of the most racist whitewomen ever, but they headed many programs that were dominated by minorities. Zimmerman could have held his own negative feelings for blacks that he did not know and felt compasionate towards the ones that he did. This is no different than a slaveowner favoring the slaves who worked in the house over those who worked in the field. So the arguemnet that race had nothing to do with it because he mentored black kids is invalid.
I don't know what is in his heart, so I will not label him a racist or not. My feelings towards the Sanford police dept is alot different though.
Are you male? Gender trumps race when it comes to women. Motherhood also trumps race. Gun owners? While Florida has more female gun owners than the rest of the country, males still outnumber female gun owners.
We shall see. I think gender will trump race in this case. 2nd degree? No, but I don't think Zimmerman will walk off scott free.
In studies of jury behavior, females tend to vote to acquit more than males do. I'm not saying that's what will necessarily happen in this case, but it's documented through research. The defense is betting on this, while the prosecution figured that the females would sympathize with Martin's family as mothers.
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his responsibility on the neighborhood watch is to do exactly what he did....that we know of so far....which is WATCH for suspicious/different activity in the neighborhood and call the police when concerned. He did that. He noticed someone who was not normally in the neighborhood. He noticed is was bad weather, in which most people were in shelter. Yet this person was walking around different houses in the neighborhood. Seems very reasonable to pay attention to them.
