Sarcasm. Following someone isn't illegal. Tackling someone, straddling them, then beating the **** out of them is illegal. The defense more than adequately supported the idea that Zimmerman had reason to fear for his life. The prosecution absolutely did not prove beyond all reasonable doubt that he had no reason to fear for his life. Some moral culpability? Yeah, he was an overzealous hothead. Legal culpability? No, and it was completely obvious for months. The case blew up because of media irresponsibility and grassroots racial angst. The former is ridiculous, the latter I understand. But neither means anything in a first world courtroom. Justice isn't based on how any individual or community "feels" about a case or the undertones of a case. It's about facts and evidence.
And FTR Amaru, I actually think Zimmerman should have recieved some type of punishment (manslaughter at the most).
You aren't talking about the justice system then, you are talking about racism. That's just something you can't solve by reforming the justice system. No matter how hard you try if there is human nature involved, then racism will always play a part. Unless you want to restrict the justice system to strict by-the-book regulations and laws, standards, procedures that prevent all human arbitration whatsoever. Then new problems will come into play.
How is that inciting a race war? Either way I'm amused at the amount of folks that think Zimmerman is all of a sudden going to get killed on the streets. After all Casey Anthony is still alive.
yo that's a pretty sick set-up. hopefully GZ does his praying, and wipes away all punishments for taking a life. I personally don't care to see him punished or anything---you need to use this example to build laws to prevent this from happening again within the system---but I find the contrast between when some people are going to burn in sin, and others won't, interesting, to say the least. Jesus forgives the taking of life, but you should still feel guilty about it to the end of life. i get it. is the proper course to get GZ and all vigilantes to look at graphic pictures of brute violence and the boy he killed, so this won't happen again?
This has been my biggest issue with this whole case. That said I doubt it will be changed and frankly this verdict will give more ammunition (pun intended) for those wanting to keep it and even expand it.
"Fignewton" is my term for those blacks who feel the need to share their uneducated, half-baked opinions about race relations. Fake Huey Newtons.......I call 'em Fignewtons.
This case had nothing to do with stand your ground laws. Why would this case have any bearing on the law?
And I agree with the last part. I would not personally have gotten out of the car to follow the guy. But the fact remains that what he did was not illegal. And Martin had no right to attack him for the simple fact of tailing. Anyone who believes otherwise has seen too many movies. Stand your Ground is in place because what was in place earlier placed an undue burden on a potential defender. It used to be that you had an obligation to try and run from the fight before using deadly force. Well, anyone who has been in such a situation knows that it is very often not always practical or possible. So your options before were to die or be prosecuted, or MAYBE you get lucky and use deadly force and are able to prove it justifiable in court. Stand your Ground not only provides you with a good defense for justifiable use of force, it provides a strong incentive for someone who is dumb enough to get into a fight with someone who is potentially armed to not start that fight in the first place. Unfortunately, there are alot of stupid people out there who will throw a punch at the drop of a hat. Their loss.
No ****. Racism is a part of just about every area of human relation in this world. War, religion, politics, labor, sex, economics, law etc. What I want is simple.......I want my future children to be able to walk down the street, just like any other human being, and not have people automatically assume that they are criminals simply because they are African!
It started with the tragic loss of life, then the media bias kicked it. The media bias has been what I've wanted to expose all along. That's the main story -- not me. Image deleted by bigtexxx due to complaints (I'm receptive to feedback!)
That depends on the law. In many states it is established that if you put yourself into that situation it isn't self-defense. The stand your ground law though removes that distinction as under threat you don't have to consider retreat as an option. While under a state without a stand your ground law Zimmerman might not have been convicted of murder a straight up self-defense claim would've been harder to make since he was the one who put himself in that situation by following someone he considered to be potentially dangerous.
Let me also say that my heart goes out to the parents of TM. Even if GZ was found guilty it wouldn't bring back their son. It wouldn't even give them closure. GZ was found innocent, but even though he won't be in a jail cell, his life from here on out will be lived in a jail cell and he will NEVER be free.
Yup maybe Florida but folks are acting like there will be riots in other states. I don't see it happening and really don't see it happening in Florida either. I hate all of these folks saying they wish they would see Zimmerman on the street so they could kill them when in reality if they saw him they wouldn't do anything.
