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Young men in hoodies get stereotyped for a reason. Nonetheless it is tragic that Trayvon -- who didn't commit any crime -- was killed for this.
Zimmy is a buffoon. Exactly the kind of person you don't want running around with a gun, and he proved exactly why.
Trayvon very much did commit a crime by physically assaulting another person. Should it have lead to his death? No, I don't think fighting with someone should earn you a death sentence but Zimmerman didn't shoot Trayvon to kill him, he shot him to protect/defend his own life, hence the self defense claim.
Well, based on what I'm seeing from my last question, one side is saying "Martin was shot after the fight" and another side said "Martin was shot during the fight".
Truth is, I have never followed the cased. I've stayed away from the case for the most part. I never watched the trial. I don't have cable. I knew it was going to take a racial tone the very minute this got out.
The day the verdict came out, I knew it was going to be war on my facebook page. It was quite polarizing, as I expected it to be. Those ruling in favor of Zimmerman, vast majority were White or non-Black. Those displeased with the verdict, all of them Black.
I never posted anything about the trial on facebook. I didn't want anyone to talk to me about the trial. To be honest, this is why it is easier for me to say this here, than to say it on facebook or out loud in public, where people can see me. I'm not using my real name on city-data. No pictures of me on my city-data profile. And I don't know anyone's name or barely see anyone's pictures on city-data. On facebook, I know everyone on facebook and everyone knows me. I don't want to hear anyone's view of it one facebook, and I don't want to discuss it with them, on facebook or face to face.
One of the statuses from facebook involved someone saying something to the effect of "it's okay to follow someone, but not okay to pick a fight". I was quite speechless. After thinking about it, if I was willing to have a confrontation, this is what I would have said.
ME: So what if it isn't illegal to follow someone? Why did Zimmerman follow Martin, after he was told not to? And would he have followed Martin if he had been a White kid?
To be honest, I didn't know how to feel about the trial. The dog fight I had in it was this. I'm a young Black man. The police have been called on me before when I went out in the neighborhood for a walk. I had to wonder, with this verdict, could someone kill me and say they felt threatened by me. I had to wonder about the possibility for riots. Other possibilities included the way some people felt about this situation. I had to wonder if some people sided with Zimmerman because they had resentment towards Blacks and looked at it as "Black people commit so much crime, it's about time a private citizen do something about it". The flip side, in favor of Martin could be "this is a lynching of a young Black kid, it's the 1920s all over again".
To be honest, I didn't know how to feel about the trial. The dog fight I had in it was this. I'm a young Black man. The police have been called on me before when I went out in the neighborhood for a walk. I had to wonder, with this verdict, could someone kill me and say they felt threatened by me. I had to wonder about the possibility for riots. Other possibilities included the way some people felt about this situation. I had to wonder if some people sided with Zimmerman because they had resentment towards Blacks and looked at it as "Black people commit so much crime, it's about time a private citizen do something about it". The flip side, in favor of Martin could be "this is a lynching of a young Black kid, it's the 1920s all over again".
This case didn't have anything to do with race until other people made it about race thinking it would affect the outcome in their favor. I didn't side with Zimmerman because Trayvon Martin was black, I sided with a person who legally carried and used a firearm against an attacker.
This case didn't have anything to do with race until other people made it about race thinking it would affect the outcome in their favor. I didn't side with Zimmerman because Trayvon Martin was black, I sided with a person who legally carried and used a firearm against an attacker.
I didn't take sides. I stayed out of it. I knew what direction it was going to go to. I also didn't want to hear how anyone else felt about it. Basically, I was looking out for my own sanity.
And I was not talking about you specifically. Everything I said was to chronicle how I felt about this trial. I mentioned my own fears.
Well let us play a little what if. Say Martin grabbed the pistol and killed Zimmerman. I would think in the end he would end up in the same place as Zimmerman did. Martin probably had a better self defense than did Zimmerman.
But do you think he would have been let go that night? If you do I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you.
So I would think race is buried in the affair...inextricably.
ME: So what if it isn't illegal to follow someone? Why did Zimmerman follow Martin, after he was told not to? And would he have followed Martin if he had been a White kid?
To be honest, I didn't know how to feel about the trial. The dog fight I had in it was this. I'm a young Black man. The police have been called on me before when I went out in the neighborhood for a walk. I had to wonder, with this verdict, could someone kill me and say they felt threatened by me. I had to wonder about the possibility for riots. Other possibilities included the way some people felt about this situation. I had to wonder if some people sided with Zimmerman because they had resentment towards Blacks and looked at it as "Black people commit so much crime, it's about time a private citizen do something about it". The flip side, in favor of Martin could be "this is a lynching of a young Black kid, it's the 1920s all over again".
For me, it really had nothing to do with who started the fight. Primarily because we don't know, both parties had the right to be there that night, and we have to presume innocence. At first I thought Zimmerman was guilty of something, but it ultimately it came down to the totality of the evidence and who was on top when the neighbors were telling them to stop fighting. Basically, even if Zimmerman started the fight and TM was just standing his ground, TM crossed over into assault territory when Zimmerman was losing the fight.
Any number of key factors could have swayed my opinion. Factors such as these: If john Good said he didn't know who was on top or saw Zimmerman on top. If the military lawyer didn't say you can lose the right to stand your ground and then subsequently regain it. If the ballistic expert had said TM was on the ground when he was shot. If Zimmerman had no injuries. Etc.
Skin color wasn't a factor for me, but probably was for Zimmerman. However, I don't think Zimmerman is the racist people are portraying him to be.
For me, it really had nothing to do with who started the fight. Primarily because we don't know, both parties had the right to be there that night, and we have to presume innocence. At first I thought Zimmerman was guilty of something, but it ultimately it came down to the totality of the evidence and who was on top when the neighbors were telling them to stop fighting. Basically, even if Zimmerman started the fight and TM was just standing his ground, TM crossed over into assault territory when Zimmerman was losing the fight.
Any number of key factors could have swayed my opinion. Factors such as these: If john Good said he didn't know who was on top or saw Zimmerman on top. If the military lawyer didn't say you can lose the right to stand your ground and then subsequently regain it. If the ballistic expert had said TM was on the ground when he was shot. If Zimmerman had no injuries. Etc.
Skin color wasn't a factor for me, but probably was for Zimmerman. However, I don't think Zimmerman is the racist people are portraying him to be.
I agree with pretty much everything you said, especially the key factors that could have swayed me.
If anyone showed any evidence whatsoever that Trayvon was shot while on his back, on the ground or even standing up I wouldn't support this verdict.
If anyone showed any evidence that Travyon didn't slam Zimmerman's head against the ground/sidewalk then I wouldn't support this verdict.
If anyone could prove that Zimmerman started the physical confrontation with Trayvon I wouldn't support this verdict.
If anyone proved that Zimmerman was indeed a racist and that skin color had anything to do with this case I wouldn't support this verdict.
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