Lifestyle > Train of Thought
All Things Trayvon Martin
Elano The One And Only:
It's impossible to know whether it was Trayvon Martin or George Zimmerman who threw the first punch in the confrontation that ended Martin's life. The jury apparently relied on that ambiguity to acquit Zimmerman of murdering Martin, because he said he killed the 17-year-old in self defense. But despite the confusion, there are plenty of facts that both sides can agree on. While Zimmerman may have been found not guilty, that doesn't mean he wasn't responsible. Trayvon Martin would be alive today, but for at least six decisions made or not made by Zimmerman and the state of Florida.
1. Zimmerman could have decided not to follow Martin.
For starters, George Zimmerman is not a law enforcement official trained in spotting suspicious or criminal behavior. Zimmerman told a 911 operator that Martin seemed suspicious and appeared to be "on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about." It was not 3 a.m. when Zimmerman spotted Martin. Rather, it was early evening, a time when people typically "walk around, looking about." Had Zimmerman simply gone about his business, we never would have heard about either of them.
2. Zimmerman could have listened to the 911 operator and not followed Martin.
Talking to an operator, Zimmerman complained, "These assholes, they always get away." He later narrated, "Shit, he's running."
"Are you following him?" the operator asked.
Zimmerman confirmed he was. "Ok, we don't need you to do that," the operator told him. If Zimmerman had simply let Martin run away, he'd be alive today. Martin, it later emerged, found Zimmerman as deeply suspicious as Zimmerman found him. Only one of those judgments turned out to be correct.
3. If Zimmerman had not been secretly armed, he probably wouldn't have followed Martin.
Zimmerman knew that he had an advantage in any possible confrontation with a neighbor: He was concealing a weapon. If a fight started, and Zimmerman began losing, he could pull out the gun and shoot his opponent. The state of Florida allows Zimmerman to patrol his neighborhood armed, which emboldened him.
4. If Zimmerman's weapon had not been hidden, Martin probably would have dealt with him differently.
When a man follows another, tensions rise. One way or another, those tensions led to a physical confrontation. But if Florida law barred concealed carry, Martin would have been able to see that Zimmerman was armed. Zimmerman defenders suspect Martin threw the first punch. But even if that's true, would he have done so if he knew Zimmerman was carrying a loaded weapon?
5. Zimmerman could have been barred from carrying a weapon.
Zimmerman had a long history of violence, including a restraining order for domestic violence, felony charges of resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer (the charge was pled down to a misdemeanor and then closed; Zimmerman's dad was a magistrate at the time). He was bounced from a job as a bouncer for being too aggressive with patrons, the New York Daily News reported. And a family member accused him of a pattern of sexual molestation. He wasn't convicted of any felony charges, which could have barred him from a gun license, but in some societies, people would determine that such a history makes someone less than an ideal candidate for the right to carry around a hidden loaded weapon.
6. Zimmerman could have not shot and killed Martin.
Regardless of who threw the first punch, a series of aggressive decisions by Zimmerman led toward the fight that broke out. Zimmerman therefore bears some responsibility for the altercation. If one starts a fight and loses, the result is generally a bloody nose, a fat lip, a black eye, a concussion or even a broken bone. That's the price one pays for getting into a fight, and it tends to be a deterrent to starting a fight. Zimmerman could have chosen to take his lumps and rethink the decisions he had made that landed him where he was. Instead, he pulled out his gun, squeezed the trigger and killed Trayvon Martin.
Of course, there's a seventh decision that could have been made that night -- Trayvon Martin could have chosen to not defend himself.
It's important to note that the jury's verdict sends a message to anyone confronted or pursued by another man: If you engage the confrontation, even an act of self defense could be used as justification to shoot and kill you. What led up to the confrontation in the Martin-Zimmerman case was ruled irrelevant; only Zimmerman's state of mind at the time he shot him was to be taken into account by the jury. That doesn't leave someone being followed through their neighborhood many options other than fighting back.
Mick a/k/a Mickaveli_#1:
Both of them were assholes, and one was surely going to get their ass beat or killed. Both happened on that same day
Mick a/k/a Mickaveli_#1:
2 assholes came head to head. 1 is dead!!! Case closed. I hate how people feel they need to pick a side to be on. There are no sides. Both were assholes.
Zimmerman's "I'm the man" portrayal is one where he felt the need to be empowered and have authority and control over people - Which explains his choice in bouncing at nightclubs. It explains his need to "help" the community when in fact it wasn't to help "them" but rather to feed his ego and to create a community reliance upon him in order for them to depend on him for certain things, education, safety whatever! People set up charities for this reason all the time - To appear invaluable, to get respect and to have this dominance once these programs are set up. They wield the power once it's all in place. People like this are jobsworth and an irritation to society. You know the types - The ones to take up management and supervisor jobs just to be in 'control' over others. & it only certify's my opinion on that last day where it is apparent that he is "community watch man" ::) and then is trying to act like a police man, and is even told by police not to carry out the actions he went ahead and done anyway, which was to pursue Martin and play this "big man" character!!!
Martin's "I'm the man" portrayal is one of this artificial Hip Hop "swag" generation that's almost cringing to watch, like the dude on here with his signature filled with his trap garbage. Getting into fights, bragging about fights and beating people in fights is not an individual who is a "nice guy". Posing like a wannabe gangster and trying to intimidate people over the internet too. Would he have eventually led to killing more than 1 innocent person in the near future to solidify this portrayal of a big man? Who knows. But people like this are also an irritation. "Yo mane, I'm gettin ma muny" and trying to "act" like a bad ass is just as devastating as being a badass. We know they aren't being truthful when all of Martins pictures are ones of when he was younger. There are a lot more they could get, but they want to try and divide again.
Divide opens up the door to debate and law changes that they likely had in mind before the incident but use this as a catalyst for change (usually for the worst) to disarm the American public
Russell Bell:
--- Quote from: NIKCC on July 18, 2013, 02:43:10 AM ---
--- Quote from: Russell Bell on July 18, 2013, 12:45:00 AM ---
--- Quote from: NIKCC on July 17, 2013, 09:35:20 PM ---I AINT GOD, BUT WHATS HAPPENIN IS PRETTY DAMN OBVIOUS 2 ME
--- End quote ---
dude BEAT THE FUCK OUTTA ZIMMERMAN
in this country U HAVE THE RIGHT TO DEFEND YOURSELF if you think your life is in danger
dont know whats so hard to understand here
doesnt matter if "hes a child, do you have kids" classic material, thats you being played on your emotions by media
doesnt matter if "zimmerman killed someone" nik, see lines 1 and 2
you cant argue this based upon logic or law.
--- End quote ---
SO IF SOME DUDE IS STALKIN ME AND PROVOKES A BEATDOWN, HE HAS THE RIGHT TO SHOOT ME? THATS WRONG, NO MATTER WHAT WAY U SLICE IT UP.
--- End quote ---
the law dont see it that way (and common sense), u cant just beat someone down because u think theyre following u
evidence points to trayvon attacking zimmerman (eyewitness, injuries) and zimmerman shooting him - anything else is just yall being played by the media and racists in our country tryna stoke racial unrest. dont fall for it.
Rick Venom:
NIGGAS ALL WANNA BE MLK ERY 10 YEARS BUT RIGHT NOW DEY LOOKIN FOOLISH.
LOL WE GOT LIKE 5 NEW SELF PROCLAMMED 'CIVIL RITE LEADERS' NOW N SHIT. ITS GETTIN RIDIC YO.
AND DAT PRESHOUS BIG MOUF BITCH WHO WAS ON TRIAL CUZ SHE ANSWERED A FONE CALL AND CANT EVEN READ BE GETTIN FULL RIDES TO UNIVERSITIES? NIGGAS IS WILIN B.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version