Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman verdict

[Lifetime]

If you were being followed by an unknown and suspicious person, you wouldn't want to turn around and confront the person? Maybe get defensive about it?

no I would get the hell out. And there is zero evidence that that is the scenario in this case. How close to Travon was he following? Was he close enough that he heard George's phone call to police? Was he close enough to feel he was in imminent danger?

[Lifetime]

You claimed to have stalked someone with a baseball bat for the crime of walking through your neighborhood but you don't allow Trayvon the privilege of feeling threatened by being followed by a strange man?

stalked lol. Yes I followed a strange person in my neighborhood down the block so I could observe and I did so at a distance. I took a bat with me in case he decided to come at me. I was never going after him aggressively or waiving the bat or anywhere close to him. The only way he would have felt threatened is if he came after me and discovered I was not defenseless. There is zero evidence that Zimmerman was confrontational or threatening to Trayvon.

[Lifetime]

No one knows who attacked who

perhaps, but we do have some information and since that is all we have to go by, perhaps it would be better not to assume otherwise.

[arch stanton]

stalked lol. Yes I followed a strange person in my neighborhood down the block so I could observe and I did so at a distance. I took a bat with me in case he decided to come at me. I was never going after him aggressively or waiving the bat or anywhere close to him. The only way he would have felt threatened is if he came after me and discovered I was not defenseless. There is zero evidence that Zimmerman was confrontational or threatening to Trayvon.

I never said or implied that you threatened him. I implied that you were so threatened by the sight of a stranger walking through your neighborhood that you felt the need to arm yourself. Why won't you allow Trayvon the same feeling of threat? 

[mtangelsfan]

Well, arch seems to imply he knows what happened.

[arch stanton]

Well, arch seems to imply he knows what happened.

I'm just asking why it's ok to give Zim a pass for defending himself but not Trayvon and why Zim couldn't play the part of the grownup in the scenario and diffuse it instead of inflame it. 

[Lifetime]

I never said or implied that you threatened him. I implied that you were so threatened by the sight of a stranger walking through your neighborhood that you felt the need to arm yourself. Why won't you allow Trayvon the same feeling of threat?

because Zimmerman was not a stranger in Trayvon's neighborhood. And let's just assume that Trayvon did feel a little bit of a threat being followed, so then he is justified for verbally and physically confronting him?

[m0nkey]

What I'm getting out of all this is that no one knows what happened.

we are all witnesses

[tdawg87]

All of this would be meaningless if Trayvon had a gun...

F'n Opama

[Lifetime]

I'm just asking why it's ok to give Zim a pass for defending himself but not Trayvon and why Zim couldn't play the part of the grownup in the scenario and diffuse it instead of inflame it.

defend himself against what?

And how did Zimmerman inflame the situation?

[arch stanton]

because Zimmerman was not a stranger in Trayvon's neighborhood. And let's just assume that Trayvon did feel a little bit of a threat being followed, so then he is justified for verbally and physically confronting him?

Trayvon did not know Zimmerman. I believe that is the very definition of "stranger". What do you think Trayvon should do when he realizes he\s being followed by a stranger?

[tennischmp]

perhaps, but we do have some information and since that is all we have to go by, perhaps it would be better not to assume otherwise.

The only information we have is an account from a guy trying to get out of life in prison

[mtangelsfan]

I'm just asking why it's ok to give Zim a pass for defending himself but not Trayvon and why Zim couldn't play the part of the grownup in the scenario and diffuse it instead of inflame it. 

 

I don't think most people are giving him a pass.  I'm guessing that a majority of folks probably would have been ok with a manslaughter conviction.  I think they were both at fault and did things wrong. 

[Lifetime]

OK let me slow this down for you, Zimmerman was not a stranger in TRAYVON'S NEIGHBORHOOD. And as I and others have said, if I was being followed by a stranger, I get the hell out of there. I don't confront or get into a physical altercation with the stranger. Which by the way is exactly what the stranger in my neighborhood did.

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

Along with the witness who saw Martin on top of Zimmerman and one of the expert witnesses testifying that the wounds to the back of Zimmerman's head were from being slammed into the ground.  Obviously Martin can't tell his side of the story but the evidence that was available supported Zimmerman's life being in danger.   

[Lifetime]

The only information we have is an account from a guy trying to get out of life in prison

right, so in absense of any controverting evidence we should assume such evidence in order to accuse and convict someone.

[tennischmp]

right, so in absense of any controverting evidence we should assume such evidence in order to accuse and convict someone.

You sure are assuming it as fact

[Catwhoshatinthehat]

You ever been on a court case of any kind?  You can only go on the evidence presented to you and it's made clear that you aren't supposed to speculate.

[Lifetime]

I am taking the only information we have that is also supported by the little witness we have and the physical evidence as opposed to assuming a completely different scenario with zero evidence or witnesses.

[Lifetime]

I don't think most people are giving him a pass.  I'm guessing that a majority of folks probably would have been ok with a manslaughter conviction.  I think they were both at fault and did things wrong.

actually, I don't think there's any evidence to support a manslaughter conviction.

[mtangelsfan]

Hence the "most folks" comment.

[Lifetime]

Other than the few that are assuming unsupported facts, who thinks Zimmerman should have been convicted of manslaughter? Why would most folks be OK with manslaughter conviction without proper evidence?

[Kevin]

Well if you don't think gz's account is believable because he's trying to stay out of prison, why should we believe martin was innocent based on his past?

See how that's not fair to both?

[gotbeer]

And just when you thought this case couldn't get any lower.

 

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/new-talking-point-trayvon-martin-was-real-bigot-because-he-thought-zimmerman-was-gay/67235/

[Spirit]

And just when you thought this case couldn't get any lower.

 

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2013/07/new-talking-point-trayvon-martin-was-real-bigot-because-he-thought-zimmerman-was-gay/67235/

 

 

I'm going to need another bowl of popcorn.