343 replies to this topic

[The Average Joe]

wait a minute. did you say its open season on white people? do you need tags or a license and is there a limit?

I only hunt home invasion robbers...You don't need tags, there is no limit, and they are always in season!

[Carl G]

...
No, I haven't made up my mind about Zimmerman's guilt. Like you, all I know is what I've read, seen and heard in the news. I heard the tape of Zimmerman saying he was going to follow Trayvon, and heard the dispatcher advise against it.
...

Steve - I think you have your tense wrong. Zimmerman was following Trayvon. Here is a transcript from the 911 call:

911 dispatcher:
Are you following him? [2:24]

Zimmerman:
Yeah. [2:25]

911 dispatcher:
OK.
We don’t need you to do that. [2:26]

Zimmerman:
OK. [2:28]

If you listen to the tape, Zimmerman was breathing heavily from running after Trayvon. About 10 seconds or so after the 911 operator told him "We don't need you to do that" Zimmerman's breath returns to normal suggesting he stopped running after Trayvon. His family/friends say he stopped and was returning to his truck when Trayvon came up behind him.
In an interview with Nancy Grace yesterday, I saw a friend of Zimmerman make the point that Trayvon was a 6'3" football player capable of running 100 yards in less than 10 seconds. Given that there is no way that if Trayvon was running away from Zimmerman to evade him he would be able to catch him, with Zimmerman being (I think his friend called him) pudgy.

In anycase, Zimmerman has been arrested and is now going through the legal system. I have full faith in the legal system that whatever happens will be correct.

[old soldier]

folks who have their mind made up either way are going to feel stupid when the trial is finally over. and this trial will be as big as the oj trial, not because it deserves it but because its being used by folks with another adjenda

the idiot black panthers are using it for publicity and shame on the cameraman who slides up to them to record their trash.

shame on the news folks who can see the tril as a way to boost ratings. the different networks are gearing up like its an olympic event

the timing is bad, cause we have a do nothing president fighting for his political life and sees this here event as another way to divide the country and get votes.

I have said before being old, I can see the progress made with race relations over the past 50 years and am proud like a lot of other white folks of how color blind things have gotten. cases like this bring things in the other direction.

its probably going to turn our that we have a wanta bee cop, who can only rise to the position of neighborhood watch captain, packing a gun against instructions who forced an encounter with a young black kid that may have shown his disapproval of being watched by punching the wanta bee in the nose and the fight which followed went against the wanta be who fired the shot while he was on his back getting tuned up.

the next problem will be if zimmerman gets convicted of a lesser offense, we will be back in the prepare for a riot mode

in a way we are all to blame because we are the ones the news people think want wire to wire coverate of this sad situation.

[Steve Heard]

folks who have their mind made up either way are going to feel stupid when the trial is finally over. and this trial will be as big as the oj trial, not because it deserves it but because its being used by folks with another adjenda

the idiot black panthers are using it for publicity and shame on the cameraman who slides up to them to record their trash.

shame on the news folks who can see the tril as a way to boost ratings. the different networks are gearing up like its an olympic event

the timing is bad, cause we have a do nothing president fighting for his political life and sees this here event as another way to divide the country and get votes.

I have said before being old, I can see the progress made with race relations over the past 50 years and am proud like a lot of other white folks of how color blind things have gotten. cases like this bring things in the other direction.

its probably going to turn our that we have a wanta bee cop, who can only rise to the position of neighborhood watch captain, packing a gun against instructions who forced an encounter with a young black kid that may have shown his disapproval of being watched by punching the wanta bee in the nose and the fight which followed went against the wanta be who fired the shot while he was on his back getting tuned up.

the next problem will be if zimmerman gets convicted of a lesser offense, we will be back in the prepare for a riot mode

in a way we are all to blame because we are the ones the news people think want wire to wire coverate of this sad situation.

This is probably your best post ever, and you've made some good ones (and a few I disagreed with).

[Chris]

Like many a tragedy this one started out with one single mistake and then was followed by several more mistakes.... The first mistake was to go outside your home with a gun and follow somebody....... This should never be done unless you are dreaming or in a movie....!
I can only imagine the several mistakes made afterwards, probably by both parties.....
In the end, Zimmerman is a grown man and should know better, Trayvon was still a kid mentally even though he looked like a man to most of us, he was just a kid. I'm with the old soldier on this one, somebody playing "cop".

You also know that this won't end well when the half-wit, internet twitter crowd, and racist posses putting a bounty on someones head and start posting home addresses.

There are only two people in this world I am sure that see this as a "positive" event... Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton. This is the perfect storm to give them the excuse to come out from under their respective rocks.

Chris

[asbestoshills]

If it happened to a white guy it wouldn't be in the news at all let alone daily, Obama wouldn't care or say anything about it and a picture of an 11 year version of the victim who is now 17 wouldn't be on the front page of people magazine. But most of all there would be no protests, the kkk wouldn't call for a bounty on the shooter and Ted Turner wouldn't tweet the shooters address telling whites to go get him

The media is the one who posted those pics, not the family or the police. So, ask yourself who is trying to instigate the matter? Also, how do you know what the KKK would do? If a white boy unarmed with a bag of Skittles and an iced tea would've been shot by a black guy claiming to be a neighborhood watch patrolman (not exactly a real cop) I think there would be plenty of protests from outraged citizens. Why? Because either way there was no justice done. Zimmerman was not even arrested for killing a child. Also, obviously you aren't a black man, but Obama is half black and there is a long history of killing black men, in this case a boy, without much reason. Hello, you cannot deny that there is police brutality in some cities. It exists, just like racism. Now, as president, he shouldn't have said anything until he knew all of the facts, however, what if he is right? What if this Zimmerman didn't get hurt or wasn't threatened and decided to kill this kid b/c he was black? Then you wouldn't be complaining about anything. Before you start protecting Zimmerman's rights, you might want to look at his background and history. He's not the brightest bulb in the pack and seems mentally unstable to say the least. In fact, the victim had his own issues at school, but either way, an unarmed child is dead.

[Robert Giacometti]

The media is the one who posted those pics, not the family or the police. So, ask yourself who is trying to instigate the matter? Also, how do you know what the KKK would do? If a white boy unarmed with a bag of Skittles and an iced tea would've been shot by a black guy claiming to be a neighborhood watch patrolman (not exactly a real cop) I think there would be plenty of protests from outraged citizens. Why? Because either way there was no justice done. Zimmerman was not even arrested for killing a child. Also, obviously you aren't a black man, but Obama is half black and there is a long history of killing black men, in this case a boy, without much reason. Hello, you cannot deny that there is police brutality in some cities. It exists, just like racism. Now, as president, he shouldn't have said anything until he knew all of the facts, however, what if he is right? What if this Zimmerman didn't get hurt or wasn't threatened and decided to kill this kid b/c he was black? Then you wouldn't be complaining about anything. Before you start protecting Zimmerman's rights, you might want to look at his background and history. He's not the brightest bulb in the pack and seems mentally unstable to say the least. In fact, the victim had his own issues at school, but either way, an unarmed child is dead.

Instead of looking at the hype and the misleading protrayel that the media and others have been promoting, maybe we should all look at the facts of what happened, right before shots were fired?

Hypothetically, If indeed, one person was banging another persons head off the concrete and the person who was having their head banged off the concrete feared that were about to be killed, I could see how that person may have used a gun to protect themselves.....regardless of everyone's skin color.

What would you do if someone was banging your head on the concrete and you felt you were going to be killed by an unarmed person and you had a gun and skittles? Would you use that gun to save your own life or would you allow the beating to continue?

In this particular case, I can support leaders demanding answers as to what happened. However, IMO leaders should be doing it in a manner to get to the truth, without playing the race card, further dividing our country!

From my perspective there is a double standard in our country, yet I know there is also discrimination based upon race. I think we would all agree that when we see a double standard, it can create a resentment of some sorts by others who aren't benefitting from the double standard.

Its rather easy for me as a white male to point out the double standard, yet since I haven't experienced the discrimination to the degree that minorities have, I can empathize with their frustration and anger.

I'm still believing though, that the best solution is to change our laws that eliminate all categories that people are assigned into and change our laws that give preferential treatment to some. This would give everyone the same opportunity and eliminate the resentment of preferential treatmnet and HOPEFULLY reduce the amount of discrimination.

[supermom]

I've asked my self why this incident has generated so much anger among those in the black community. Trayvon was NOT shot by someone that was paid law enforcement. Zimmerman was not part of the police force nor was he a paid security guard, that I know of. The answer is our lame media. They played only part of Zimmerman's conversation with the police and made people believe the worst. At minium, they should lose their license for false reporting. At best, they should be arrested for disturbing the peace and inciting violence.

Old soldier you are the only one who sees through the BS as to what is really taking place. The Obama administration has divided us by class according to how much money a person makes, and now is dividing us by racial lines. He needed to keep his mouth shut because he TOO is guilty of inciting people to commit violent acts. By NSA standards, that is an offense subject to arrest. It's shameful that a man in the position of president is acting so un-presidential and has stirred the pot not once, but throughout his term in office.

Zimmerman was called a "White Hispanic". Why would anyone use that term, but to incite racial hate? (You know whites are blamed for everything under the sun) My feeling is that all of us are being played. This administration is pushing our buttons and trying to get a political edge by turning us against each other....just as you stated. Obama has used this race card since he started running for the office of president, and it is unforgivable.

The hateful words of those who say they want justice won't go away over night. The truth of how our black race really feels is coming forth. And, it's frightening. Gun sales are going through the roof, home security systems are too. Everybody is on edge, wondering what will happen next and checking their door and window locks twice before going to bed. All races in America are now watching where they go and what they do. It's crazy. And yes, it has set us back in race relations in America. We have seen that when it comes down to it, too many think race, when they should be thinking "Human Being".

We have seen what happens when civil unrest reaches unmanageable levels. The big guns are brought out and many of the participants go to the hospital or morgues. The OWS didn't result in what those people were after. The riots of the past in Watts didn't result in what those people wanted either. And now, our government has even more advanced weapons for riot control. One has to think they may be wanting to thin the herd. But, if anyone thinks they can riot and go away unharmed, they better think twice....

http://www.alternet....ple?page=entire

We won't hear about the horrible weapons used against those who riot, because it's too fearful for most of the public to handle. But the police are fully prepared for a worse case incident and won't have any problem finding body bags as they have stocked up, as they were told to do.

WE all have been played and it's a shame that most don't see it.

you forgot to mention that zimmerman was carrying a loaded weapon, acting in the courses of a security guard without a licensed guard card, and that he has been arrested and released on two other times for illegally working as a securtity guard, causing great harm to a person while in the performance of his duties against people who were too inebriated to defend themselves, and that he also has been investigated for tax evasion for working as a security guard and being paid under the table while not licensed.


This guy hospital a man and a woman on two separate occasion. Don't let his "pudginess" confuse you with unskilled and dangerous security guard working outside the bounds of legally appropriate behavior.

As a security guard your job is not to be a man of the castle. Your job is to observe and report.

edit to add:

This is why the gated community HOA now has a lawsuit against it for the death of Treyvon, as well.

They allowed the watch guard to be an unlicensed security guard and carry a loaded weapon (which requires another license for security guards in Florida).
The lawsuit contends that the HOA knowingly put Treyvon in danger by authorizing Zimmerman to act as head of security and watch guard, and informed residents of the gated community in writing to go to him for issues related to security.

This guy knew he was acting outside the requirements of the law, because he had been informed by the police on separate occasions that he needed to be licensed. He may not have acted under motivation of a hate crime (I'm not sure we will ever know since there aren't any witnesses and the victim is dead), and he may not have pre-meditated this death; but I do believe that through his poor choices he should be considered for an act of manslaughter.

[Robert Giacometti]

you forgot to mention that zimmerman was carrying a loaded weapon, acting in the courses of a security guard without a licensed guard card, and that he has been arrested and released on two other times for illegally working as a securtity guard, causing great harm to a person while in the performance of his duties against people who were too inebriated to defend themselves, and that he also has been investigated for tax evasion for working as a security guard and being paid under the table while not licensed.


This guy hospital a man and a woman on two separate occasion. Don't let his "pudginess" confuse you with unskilled and dangerous security guard working outside the bounds of legally appropriate behavior.

As a security guard your job is not to be a man of the castle. Your job is to observe and report.

edit to add:

This is why the gated community HOA now has a lawsuit against it for the death of Treyvon, as well.

They allowed the watch guard to be an unlicensed security guard and carry a loaded weapon (which requires another license for security guards in Florida).
The lawsuit contends that the HOA knowingly put Treyvon in danger by authorizing Zimmerman to act as head of security and watch guard, and informed residents of the gated community in writing to go to him for issues related to security.

This guy knew he was acting outside the requirements of the law, because he had been informed by the police on separate occasions that he needed to be licensed. He may not have acted under motivation of a hate crime (I'm not sure we will ever know since there aren't any witnesses and the victim is dead), and he may not have pre-meditated this death; but I do believe that through his poor choices he should be considered for an act of manslaughter.

If someone was banging your head off the concrete and you felt you were going to die, would you shoot them to save yourself?

[The Average Joe]

This guy knew he was acting outside the requirements of the law, because he had been informed by the police on separate occasions that he needed to be licensed. He may not have acted under motivation of a hate crime (I'm not sure we will ever know since there aren't any witnesses and the victim is dead), and he may not have pre-meditated this death; but I do believe that through his poor choices he should be considered for an act of manslaughter.

Source?

[Homer]

folks who have their mind made up either way are going to feel stupid when the trial is finally over. and this trial will be as big as the oj trial, not because it deserves it but because its being used by folks with another adjenda

the idiot black panthers are using it for publicity and shame on the cameraman who slides up to them to record their trash.

shame on the news folks who can see the tril as a way to boost ratings. the different networks are gearing up like its an olympic event

the timing is bad, cause we have a do nothing president fighting for his political life and sees this here event as another way to divide the country and get votes.

I have said before being old, I can see the progress made with race relations over the past 50 years and am proud like a lot of other white folks of how color blind things have gotten. cases like this bring things in the other direction.

its probably going to turn our that we have a wanta bee cop, who can only rise to the position of neighborhood watch captain, packing a gun against instructions who forced an encounter with a young black kid that may have shown his disapproval of being watched by punching the wanta bee in the nose and the fight which followed went against the wanta be who fired the shot while he was on his back getting tuned up.

the next problem will be if zimmerman gets convicted of a lesser offense, we will be back in the prepare for a riot mode

in a way we are all to blame because we are the ones the news people think want wire to wire coverate of this sad situation.

Great post, The media has been irresponsible in their reporting of this unfortunate incident.