Zimmerman Found Not Guilty

[Coolyfett]

LOL at this thread and the comments.

[Cheshire Cat]

LOL at this thread and the comments.

I don't find much funny about the death of Trayvon or the hurts of racism.  I think there has been some very good commentary so far.  What is funny about this thread in your view?  I would be interested to know. This is a sincere question by the way. 

[Jameson]

Shame on you, Jameson.  Shame on you.  It sounds like the minute someone mentioned race, you forgot that it was about a child killing.

And btw, your last point is nonsense.  Do you think the Civil Rights Movement set us back as a nation?  Poppycock.

Stephen, why the shame on you?  Jameson is stating their view as they are entitled to.  You don't have to agree but please don't go after those who disagree with you all of the time.  Perhaps it would be better to try and understand what others think without making their views inferior.  It makes for better discussion that can possibly lead to understanding.

Stephen, if you truly listen to the words of MLK, his dream was to live in a nation where one's race was irrelevant. Where one's race would one day not be a factor in regards to anything and everything. Where we wouldn't see a black person or a white person. We would simply see a person. That is the world I want to live in and only when we reach that point as a society will racism be extinct.

It wasn't "someone" mentioning race. It was the media creating a racial narrative to fit their agenda (http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/07/13/Media-Zimmerman-Coverage-Rap-Sheet), networks such as MSNBC doctoring 911 calls to make it sound like Zimmerman was profiling based on race, etc., THAT then makes this case more about race in the public's eyes instead of the fact that it is a tragedy that a teenager was killed.

If you want to shame anyone, you should shame the media.

[Cheshire Cat]

Shame on you, Jameson.  Shame on you.  It sounds like the minute someone mentioned race, you forgot that it was about a child killing.

And btw, your last point is nonsense.  Do you think the Civil Rights Movement set us back as a nation?  Poppycock.

Stephen, why the shame on you?  Jameson is stating their view as they are entitled to.  You don't have to agree but please don't go after those who disagree with you all of the time.  Perhaps it would be better to try and understand what others think without making their views inferior.  It makes for better discussion that can possibly lead to understanding.

Stephen, if you truly listen to the words of MLK, his dream was to live in a nation where one's race was irrelevant. Where one's race would one day not be a factor in regards to anything and everything. Where we wouldn't see a black person or a white person. We would simply see a person. That is the world I want to live in and only when we reach that point as a society will racism be extinct.

It wasn't "someone" mentioning race. It was the media creating a racial narrative to fit their agenda (http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/07/13/Media-Zimmerman-Coverage-Rap-Sheet), networks such as MSNBC doctoring 911 calls to make it sound like Zimmerman was profiling based on race, etc., THAT then makes this case more about race in the public's eyes instead of the fact that it is a tragedy that a teenager was killed.

If you want to shame anyone, you should shame the media.

Well youve already mistakenly criticized my own posts here based on what you thought was being said, rather than what I actually said, and at the end of the day, you can thank Zimmerman and his family for driving the racial profiling narrative. 

NO ONE questions the fact that profiling happened, and thats about as racist as it gets.

Stephen, The Zimmermans may or may not be racist I don't know.  But if they are, there is no evidence of them using the media to drive home their racist views and they are not the ones on trial, only George is.  If there is a public evidence of them driving a racist agenda behind this case via the media can you share that with all of us?  I think this was media at the forefront of the issue in that they know that a case that can be shared as racist is a case that will get viewers and readership.

[tmania]

It seems everyone is arguing over the unknown.  If you speculate that Zimmerman attacked Trayvon, then Zimmerman is a racist child killer.  If Trayvon attacked Zimmerman than Trayvon is a deserving dead thug.  Pick your brand of racism and throw the dice.  What a waste of time, looks like there's  no good to come from this tragedy.

[MEGATRON]

What brought this case to national attention was the delay in arresting Zimmerman in the first place.  You probably don't remember the early days of this, but the zimmerman camp had some pretty steamy things that got put out there in the press in hopes of keeping him from being charged with any crime at all.

Zimmerman was not charged with a crime because the local prosecutor did not believe it had the evidence to convict him.

[MEGATRON]

see above.

What brought this case to national attention was the delay in arresting Zimmerman in the first place.  You probably don't remember the early days of this, but the zimmerman camp had some pretty steamy things that got put out there in the press in hopes of keeping him from being charged with any crime at all.

Zimmerman was not charged with a crime because the local prosecutor did not believe it had the evidence to convict him.

That addresses Zimmerman's defense.  It does not address the delay in prosecuting Zimmerman.

[Cheshire Cat]

Shame on you, Jameson.  Shame on you.  It sounds like the minute someone mentioned race, you forgot that it was about a child killing.

And btw, your last point is nonsense.  Do you think the Civil Rights Movement set us back as a nation?  Poppycock.

Stephen, why the shame on you?  Jameson is stating their view as they are entitled to.  You don't have to agree but please don't go after those who disagree with you all of the time.  Perhaps it would be better to try and understand what others think without making their views inferior.  It makes for better discussion that can possibly lead to understanding.

Stephen, if you truly listen to the words of MLK, his dream was to live in a nation where one's race was irrelevant. Where one's race would one day not be a factor in regards to anything and everything. Where we wouldn't see a black person or a white person. We would simply see a person. That is the world I want to live in and only when we reach that point as a society will racism be extinct.

It wasn't "someone" mentioning race. It was the media creating a racial narrative to fit their agenda (http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2013/07/13/Media-Zimmerman-Coverage-Rap-Sheet), networks such as MSNBC doctoring 911 calls to make it sound like Zimmerman was profiling based on race, etc., THAT then makes this case more about race in the public's eyes instead of the fact that it is a tragedy that a teenager was killed.

If you want to shame anyone, you should shame the media.

Well youve already mistakenly criticized my own posts here based on what you thought was being said, rather than what I actually said, and at the end of the day, you can thank Zimmerman and his family for driving the racial profiling narrative. 

NO ONE questions the fact that profiling happened, and thats about as racist as it gets.

Stephen, The Zimmermans may or may not be racist I don't know.  But if they are, there is no evidence of them using the media to drive home their racist views and they are not the ones on trial, only George is.  If there is a public evidence of them driving a racist agenda behind this case via the media can you share that with all of us?  I think this was media at the forefront of the issue in that they know that a case that can be shared as racist is a case that will get viewers and readership.

actually, that isnt accurate, Diane.  From the beginning, Zimmerman maintained that he was covered by the stand your ground law, and then his cousins immediately came out and called him out for his racist background.

What brought this case to national attention was the delay in arresting Zimmerman in the first place.  You probably don't remember the early days of this, but the zimmerman camp had some pretty steamy things that got put out there in the press in hopes of keeping him from being charged with any crime at all.

Interesting, I was unaware of the statements by his cousins, but not sure that those qualify has driving the racist perception.  But will concede it does lead some credence to racism in Zimmerman's mind.  My question then becomes if his cousins made such statements, why didn't the prosecution put them on the stand?  Probably because Corey decided it wasn't about race.  In any event it was the media driving much of the sentiment surrounding this case. IMO 

[Cheshire Cat]

By the way, I am not going to participate in a debate about whether or not the case is about racism.  For me it is about irresponsible gun laws, created by the very people who want more proliferation of guns.

However, an idiot first time poster decided to use this issue as a way to discuss his bizarre theories about the criminality of black people, which is how i got involved in the discussion in the first place.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/07/15/2301621/why-stand-your-ground-is-central-to-george-zimmermans-case-after-all/

If George Zimmerman was not engaged in an unlawful activity and was attacked in anyplace where he had a right to be, he had no duty to retreat and had the right to stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he reasonably believed that it was necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

Can you start a link about how Gun laws impacted this case?  That is a discussion waiting to be continued.

[Jameson]

Well youve already mistakenly criticized my own posts here based on what you thought was being said, rather than what I actually said, and at the end of the day, you can thank Zimmerman and his family for driving the racial profiling narrative. 

NO ONE questions the fact that profiling happened, and thats about as racist as it gets.

Actually Stephen, I criticized your post, you asked me to show you which post I was referring to and demanded an apology. Instead of apologizing (as it most certainly is not warranted), I quoted your post, pointed out the line to you, and you have not made any attempt at a clarification or a rebuttal.

Now you claim that Zimmerman and his family drove the racial narrative and not the media. How one can look at the news stories and make such an ignorant statement is beyond me. But I digress.

Yes, PROFILING happened. Not RACIAL PROFILING. Keep in mind that it was at night, dark, raining, Trayvon was wearing a hoodie and walking away from Zimmerman, and Zimmerman made no mention of the race of Trayvon Martin until asked by the 911 Dispatcher:

Dispatcher: Sanford Police Department.

Zimmerman: Hey we've had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there's a real suspicious guy, uh, it's Retreat View Circle, um, the best address I can give you is 111 Retreat View Circle. This guy looks like he's up to no good, or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about.

Dispatcher: OK, and this guy is he white, black, or hispanic?

Zimmerman: He looks black.

So again, as the facts show, Zimmerman wasn't profiling Trayvon based on his race.

Also, the FBI has already investigated whether Zimmerman was motivated by "racial bias or hatred" and found no evidence to support those claims:

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2012/0712/FBI-report-No-evidence-George-Zimmerman-is-racist

[mikew]

Actually, the FBI did an investigation on Zimmerman and came to the conclusion that he wasn't racist. 

And as far as I'm aware - the only racist that night was Trayvon Martin.  Or maybe you consider "crazy-ass cracker" an endearing term?

[Jameson]

By the way, I am not going to participate in a debate about whether or not the case is about racism.  For me it is about irresponsible gun laws, created by the very people who want more proliferation of guns.

However, an idiot first time poster decided to use this issue as a way to discuss his bizarre theories about the criminality of black people, which is how i got involved in the discussion in the first place.

Who might the idiot first time poster be? 

[Demosthenes]

If there was some legit concern that he acted out as a racist, the charges should have been filed immediately. Filing them now makes it seem a lot like double jeopardy.

"Well shit, we didnt get the conviction. Screw it, we will just keep filing new charges until we find one that sticks!!"

Also, I believe corporations, landlords, and employers should be regulated as far as racial issues go (EO is necessary and justifiable) but individuals being charged with racism is a little too thought policey for me.

If someone murders someone because they are gay or black, its still murder. Motive is already considered when the charges are levied. No?

[MEGATRON]

megatron, do you have any clue at all about the criminal process? 
I suspect that you don't know what you are talking about, and would be more than happy to fill you in.  Normally a case like this is initiated by an arrest and a police officer filing a criminal charge with the states attorney.

At that point the states attorney decides whether to prosecute or not.

In this case, the police didnt arrest zimmerman for weeks.

Anyways, this doesnt apply to the conversation that you are commenting on, which is about how the discussion of race and profiling was first injected into the story nationally.
[/quote]I know a lot more about it than you do, Stephen.

[MEGATRON]

megatron, do you have any clue at all about the criminal process? 
I suspect that you don't know what you are talking about, and would be more than happy to fill you in.  Normally a case like this is initiated by an arrest and a police officer filing a criminal charge with the states attorney.

At that point the states attorney decides whether to prosecute or not.

In this case, the police didnt arrest zimmerman for weeks.

Anyways, this doesnt apply to the conversation that you are commenting on, which is about how the discussion of race and profiling was first injected into the story nationally.

I know a lot more about it than you do, Stephen.