Florida's Stand your Ground law

Too many whites will not admit it, but race, not justice makes the decision for them. - Even if Trayvon did fight back, what would you do if some person, who is no cop, gets out of his car and goes after you like that?

1 Reply

@sozobe,

sozobe wrote:

Good grief, really? Overwhelmingly?

I went back and looked at the original Gallup poll -- that's not quite true.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/153776/Blacks-Nonblacks-Hold-Sharply-Different-Views-Martin-Case.aspx

To the question "Is George Zimmerman guilty of a crime?", 51 percent of blacks said yes and 11% of nonblacks said yes.

However, 61 percent of nonblacks answered "Unclear from available information/ no opinion" to that question (while 27% of blacks gave that answer).

That's not "innocent." That's probably the answer I'd give, out of those options. We don't have enough info yet.

I think it's likely enough that he committed a crime that he should have been arrested -- and that's my main concern.

Not my choice of words - just C&Ped a headline, Sozobe.

1 Reply

@edgarblythe,

What perplexes me in this tragedy is that this guy, Zimmerman, was a neighborhood watch guy, right? He was not a cop on patrol. Why the **** did he carry a gun? Neighborhood watch means that you WATCH! If during your watch, there's some crime being commited, to my understanding the procedure is you report it directly to the police. Where does it say shoot to kill?!

What was Trayvon doing that warranted following and ultimately shooting? Wearing a hoodie? Or was he walking while being BLACK?

Mercy me...Why doesn't FL arrest this guy? What a stupid law and stupid legal system. Been here all of 2 yrs and I hate this State gov't already.

1 Reply

One interesting thing to come out of all of this is that several big companies are dropping their memberships to ALEC:

Quote:

Coca-Cola, Intuit, and Kraft have joined Pepsi in renouncing membership in the American Legislative Exchange Council, a right-wing, corporate-funded organization that pushed — hard — for the shoot-first legislation that is hampering efforts to arrest and prosecute Trayvon’s Martin’s shooter. ALEC also is a proponent of restrictive voter ID laws; the two issues prompted progressive advocacy African-American group Color of Change to target the group this week with a petition campaign.

2 Replies

@snood,

snood wrote:

sozobe wrote:

Good grief, really? Overwhelmingly?

I went back and looked at the original Gallup poll -- that's not quite true.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/153776/Blacks-Nonblacks-Hold-Sharply-Different-Views-Martin-Case.aspx

To the question "Is George Zimmerman guilty of a crime?", 51 percent of blacks said yes and 11% of nonblacks said yes.

However, 61 percent of nonblacks answered "Unclear from available information/ no opinion" to that question (while 27% of blacks gave that answer).

That's not "innocent." That's probably the answer I'd give, out of those options. We don't have enough info yet.

I think it's likely enough that he committed a crime that he should have been arrested -- and that's my main concern.

Not my choice of words - just C&Ped a headline, Sozobe.

LIAR

you copy nothing you LIE
congenitgal

3 Replies

@ABE5177,

What did I lie about, you drooling pestilence?

0 Replies

@ABE5177,

There are some people that could use a kick in the ass with a steel toe boot, you’re one of them!

0 Replies

@boomerang,

Maybe one thing good will come out of this.

1 Reply

@ABE5177,

conjugal?

0 Replies

@Setanta,

What good so far? Zimmerman is still a free man and the world now re-learns how FL police enforcement and legal system is locked 60 yrs into its ugly racially biased past.

Sadly, the act of those big companies dropping their memberships to ALEC is a token gesture. Granted it's a step in the right direction but it's a drop-in-the-bucket.

1 Reply

@Ragman,

So, you've not been following the ALEC controversty, huh? It's merely your opinion that this is a token gesture. The organization relies upon big corporate names for its lobbying muscle.

0 Replies

@Ragman,

Quote:

Why the **** did he carry a gun?

The rules of his particular Neighborhood Watch organization prohibited volunteers from doing so. He broke the rule. It also prohibits volunteers from pursuing possible suspects and he broke that rule as well.

Quote:

What was Trayvon doing that warranted following and ultimately shooting?

Walking home from a store after buying some candy and a beverage, while talking to his girlfriend on his phone.

Quote:

Wearing a hoodie?

It was cold and raining and most of us would have been wearing the exact same thing.

Quote:

Why doesn't FL arrest this guy?

They had him in handcuffs, apparently questioned him and then let him go. It defies logic.

My neighborhood isn't gated, nor do we have a neighborhood watch. We all walk at all hours of the day or night, some for exercise, some with our dogs and none of us should have to fear getting shot by some lunatic. Neither should Trayvon Martin have.

1 Reply

@Irishk,

My questions were rhetorical - meant to underscore how ironic these acts were. I'm incredulous ...no I'm ANGRY.... that an unarmed person (black or white) can't walk home from a store at night without getting acccosted, shot and killed. Why is the hue and cry from the masses not deafening? Why is Zimmerman still unable to be located?

Too bad Zimmerman didn't accidentally shoot and kill himself. Oh crap, if that had happened, I'll bet the FL police would have locked up Trayvon and thrown away the key.

1 Reply

@Ragman,

Located? Zimmerman's not in hiding or anything, it's just a matter of the police deciding whether to charge him with anything. So far, they've decided not to.

Random-ish cite:

Quote:

George Zimmerman would surrender to authorities if he is charged in the Florida shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, his attorney said on Monday, adding he was preparing for trial in the case that has captivated the US public.

"If he's charged, he will be arrested and he will turn himself in," attorney Craig Sonner told Reuters in a telephone interview. "However it goes, he's not hiding from the authorities. If he is asked, he will turn himself in. There's not going to be a manhunt or anything like that."

Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, fatally shot Martin on the night of Feb. 26, saying he had acted in self-defense. Police released him without charge and said there was no evidence to contradict Zimmerman's story that he was attacked by Martin, 17.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0403/George-Zimmerman-ready-to-surrender-if-charged

2 Replies

@sozobe,

Pardon my misunderstanding. I had read a report that stated he is avoiding being seen in public. I must have misinterpreted that to mean he was in hiding. Of course, those are two different things.

0 Replies

@sozobe,

sozobe wrote:

Located? Zimmerman's not in hiding or anything, it's just a matter of the police deciding whether to charge him with anything. So far, they've decided not to.

Random-ish cite:

Quote:
George Zimmerman would surrender to authorities if he is charged in the Florida shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, his attorney said on Monday, adding he was preparing for trial in the case that has captivated the US public.

"If he's charged, he will be arrested and he will turn himself in," attorney Craig Sonner told Reuters in a telephone interview. "However it goes, he's not hiding from the authorities. If he is asked, he will turn himself in. There's not going to be a manhunt or anything like that."

Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, fatally shot Martin on the night of Feb. 26, saying he had acted in self-defense. Police released him without charge and said there was no evidence to contradict Zimmerman's story that he was attacked by Martin, 17.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0403/George-Zimmerman-ready-to-surrender-if-charged

Well, I heard he's hiding in fear for his life. I also heard his lawyers say they have yet to meet with him face to face - that they've conducted every interview by phone.

1 Reply

@snood,

snood wrote:

Well, I heard he's hiding in fear for his life.

Another argument for having him arrested, IMO. He'd be safer in jail.

1 Reply

@FreeDuck,

He'd be safer in jail ... like Lee Harvey Oswald was?

2 Replies

@Ragman,

Yes. The reason why this story is on fire is because he's still free. If he had been arrested he would be safer, both because he'd be secure and because the arrest itself would put the protest on simmer.

1 Reply

@FreeDuck,

Please read my earlier comments as I clearly understand this.

1 Reply

Florida's Stand your Ground law

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