Here’s Why The Zimmerman Verdict Matters
What does the George Zimmerman Verdict really mean?
Putting aside the racial aspect for a moment, there is a much greater impact from the Zimmerman verdict.
Due to the Stand Your Ground laws in Florida and other states, it is increasingly common for an armed man to shoot and kill an unarmed person and go free without ever standing trial. Local prosecutors complain that it’s far more difficult to file charges against shooting suspects because the law says they only have to claim they felt “threatened” by their victim to justify the shooting. If the only other person involved in the shooting is dead, there is not a lot of evidence to prove otherwise.
These laws have resulted in a Wild West mentality where more and more people believe they have the right to shoot first and ask questions later.
Although George Zimmerman’s defense team did not specifically employ the Stand Your Ground defense in his trial, the existence of this law is one of the reasons he was not initially charged with any crime.
Zimmerman’s acquittal means much more than just the fact that the killer of an unarmed teenager goes free. It means that gun owners in Florida, Texas and other Stand Your Ground states will be even more encouraged to take the law into their own hands and to use that gun at the slightest provocation.
No matter what your opinion of George Zimmerman may be, it is hard to deny that, at the very least, he used poor judgment on the night that he followed and ultimately killed Trayvon Martin.
If Zimmerman had been convicted, it would have sent the message that this is not the Wild West. If you are a gun owner you need to exercise careful judgment when confronted with a possibly dangerous situation and you will be held responsible for your actions. The possession of a gun does not automatically make you right.
Even the most adamant pro-gun advocates should see the danger in letting the Stand Your Ground laws continue to enable people to shoot their neighbors with impunity.
What does the George Zimmerman Verdict really mean?
~Jeff http://t.co/EZvoVioVKD
“@ProCentralists: What does the George Zimmerman Verdict really mean? ~EDS http://t.co/WwjfbBjdMl” that shooting unarmed black kid is ok.
Here’s Why The Zimmerman Verdict Matters http://t.co/CzaFSrqDPI via @ProgressivePrs
#US Here’s Why The Zimmerman Verdict Matters http://t.co/zWrbuchWeQ
It means that blacks should move out of Florida ASAP because they do not stand a chance against more George Zimmermans. And let’s not forget the black woman who got 20 years just for firing a warning shot with NO INJURIES. Crazy!
You know, if Zimmerman and Trayvon were each driving cars and Zimmerman made a bad judgenent call on a turn and slammed into Trayvon and killed him by car as opposed to gun we’d already have a guilty of manslaughter and no big media sensationalism. Cuz there are actually rules for driving. Driving can be dangerous, my goodness. But guns? Don’t need to use any judgements with those things . Is that what we are supposed to get from all this, Sad
This case was never about race…George Zimmerman is Hispanic or half Peruvian or whatever…if his name was Rodriguez the whole race thing would be a mute point. This is about a out of shape neighborhood watch guy vs. a muscled teen who liked to fight. The young man didn’t call 911 because he wasn’t afraid–he confronted George broke his nose and was in the process of beating him up. What would you do if someone were beating you senseless? Do you know? One witness said Chuck Norris’ response would be different then the response of PeeWee Herman–and so it was here. George carried a gun–The young man should’ve gone home to his father or he should’ve had his girlfriend [with whom he was conversing…911 for him or done it himself]–he chose to handle it himself. Following someone is nothing and unless done repeatedly in a stalking manner over a period of time is nothing–the young man should’ve gone home. He made his choice…a bad one. Everything is not about race and only people with an axe to grind or chip on their shoulder about some incident in their own or someone else’s past make it one.
Zimmerman’s race is beside the point. It doesn’t matter that Zimmerman is of mixed race. That’s beside the point. As long as he’s shooting a young black man, Zimmerman’s race doesn’t matter. Whitey doesn’t care who did the shooting, only who was shot. And it was a black youth, so, it’s all good, right?
It’s the racist double-standard in America’s legal system and the “oh well” attitude of white people like yourself justifying it that has people outraged.
How do you think the case would have been handled if Trayvon had been white? How do you think the mostly white jury would have ruled? Past experience tells me a man of mixed race—Zimmerman—would have gotten time in prison for gunning down a white kid. And that’s the point.
It’s a matter of record that America’s courts have remained racist even after the Civil Rights struggles of the ’50’s and 60’s, until this day. And the handful of token black judges and SCOTUS justices since then aren’t because of equality in our legal system; they’re only to give the illusion of it.
And what would you do if some crazy ass was confronting you with a GUN? Just stand there and take it? Martin had no right to defend himself against a total stranger who was running after him? Give me a break. Zimmerman deserved to have his ass beat. He was a coward for resorting to a gun, and will always be a coward and a killer.
Jeanie,
Trayvon Martin was a skinny teenager on his way to his father’s house with a bag of Skittles for his little brother. He was doing nothing wrong when some guy started following him in his car. Trayvon told his friend on the phone that he was going to walk faster to get away from the guy following him.
Zimmerman’s recorded comments confirmed that Trayvon was running to get away from him but Zimmerman made it clear that he didn’t want him to get away.
Zimmerman got out of the car and pursued him. Trayvon was going home. There is no evidence that he approached Zimmerman – quite the opposite.
How would you have reacted if they creepy guy following you – who you tried to get away from – catches up with you and demands to know why you’re there? Trayvon had to have been terrified – and for good reason.
We’ll never know how the fight started but it’s clear that Trayvon was not the assailant. He was just a kid on his way to his Dad’s house, minding his own business and someone with a gun shot him dead.
Here’s Why The Zimmerman Verdict Matters http://t.co/HAhrBh6DGS
It is now legal, under the law in Florida, to murder any non-white you want to, or someone you think is non-white…. http://t.co/bad1U1eBvp
This means that many more vigilante actions will be based on people’s racial projections. This is a very slippery slope. Because people’s feelings about their safety may have very little to do with whether they are in real danger and much more to do with cultural and racial stereotyping…This decision no doubt takes us back by about 70 years. This is a very sad day in America…we are going backward with this verdict.
This young man was not the aggressor in this case, no matter how weird, wayward, or suspicious you may have heard… http://t.co/DS0b5ByBDv