All across America there has been a stir concerning the Trayvon Martin case. In Sanford, FL George Zimmerman shot and killed the teenager allegedly as self defense. Yet Trayvon had no weapons just a pack of skittles and a ice tea beverage. As a result of his murder there has been an outrage across America and rallies in major cities like Chicago, Austin, and New York.As it relates to the Trayvon Martin case, I believe Zimmerman should be arrested and held accountable for the death of this young man. This case has not been handled correctly. In certain situations Trayvon has been viewed as the aggressor when Zimmerman was clearly told by the 911 dispatcher not to follow Trayvon. Zimmerman, a self appointed neighborhood watch person, did not listen to the dispatcher. The 911 call also captures Zimmerman calling Trayvon a "coon." The statement alone can turn this case into a hate crime which the Florida authorities have not even considered.
Let's consider the force that was used. The Florida statue 776.012 states a person may be justified in using force if he or she is protecting himself or herself or someone else, or if he or she believes that a felony is about to occur; however, it does not state that deadly force can be used, unless the person believes his or her life is being threatened. How can Zimmerman be free based upon standing his ground for self defense when he stated to the dispatcher that Trayvon was running away? Zimmerman should have been viewed as the aggressor since he followed Trayvon.
There has been indications that Trayvon attacked Zimmerman before he was shot. Zimmerman is 10 years Trayvon's senior and a 100 pounds heavier. I find it hard to believe that Trayvon got the best of Zimmerman in a physical confrontation that resulted in Zimmerman using deadly force. Furthermore, since Trayvon was in a unfamiliar place, being followed by a person he did not know, it is evident that he went into fight or flight mode. He began by running away and when Zimmerman followed him and ran up on him his instincts took over and he began to defend himself, hence the altercation.
There has been comments on this case in every reporting agency across America. It has definitely turned into a race related situation. Even blind eyes can see the truth. Over 55 plus years later and after the civil rights movement, this case can be related to the case of Emmett Till. Will America ever change? Will a higher ranking government law enforcement agency step in and correct the situation? It is obvious that Florida's law enforcement agency is not doing a thorough investigation.
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ReplyDeleteMy fellow government classmate LMorris, posted a uniqueopinion on the Trayvon Martin case that has recently spurred nationwide anger. I agree on my classmate’s opinions on how the case should’ve been handled. The first thing is George Zimmerman killed a young man, we need to put aside his “racial profiling” and get into the main idea, he killed someone who has a huge chance of being innocent, almost positively innocent. I agree with our innocent into proven guilty idea, but let’s face it that this case is real unique. No real sincere evidence can be found, making it hard to prove it. I believe the proof we have is enough, but we shouldn’t jump the gun. This post was posted before George Zimmerman turned himself in, and now he has. He should’ve been arrested, but this turning himself in is bigger proof that he did it, knowing his consequences. This case goes to show you that sometimes our ways of dealing with criminals is slow or corrupt in a sense. The Florida law of standing your ground is ok, but if it turns into a way to get away with crimes, it should be looked into carefully, and may need some amending. It is clearly an outdated law as of this case. The big stale mate was innocent until proven guilty, as this case had no huge evidence. Now it seems it will be concluded, and he will receive some kind of punishment I hope. This may be a wake-up call for various laws dealing with crime cases, only time can tell what this case will teach us.
ReplyDeleteFrom the reading, it is evident that this blog was written shortly after the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case first broke in the news media. The date of the blog verifies this as do the comments made by the blog author. The comments seem to have come from the very first reports that were given by major news stations immediately after the tragic event took place.
ReplyDeleteSince March, when this blog was written, much information has changed from initial reports to information from a more thorough investigation. Information has definitely been revised regarding the on-air replays of the call George Zimmerman made to police.
The early news reports put together bits and pieces of the police recording, but these bits and pieces lead the listeners to believe that George Zimmerman’s comments to the police dispatcher were racial. Recently, when the entire tape was played from beginning to end, it could be told that the news stations had rewritten the script to make it sound as though George Zimmerman was chasing and targeting Trayvon Martin because of racial prejudice. When the entire tape was played, the dispatcher was the one who asked the specific race question to George Zimmerman; Zimmerman did not offer that information without solicitation from the police dispatcher. After investigating further into George Zimmerman’s background, the media found that George Zimmerman had been the opposite of a racist: he volunteered his own time to teach at-risk and minority youth.
This blogger also mentions the size differential between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin as a valid reason Trayvon Martin could not have been the aggressor in this case. News outlets repeatedly showed a photo of Martin as a 10-13 year old boy. After several weeks, the media disclosed that the photo of Martin was not current and that he was now over 6 feet tall.
Further, according to police reports, when George Zimmerman was told to stop following Trayvon Martin he did. Also according to police reports, Zimmerman was walking to find the address of his location – a request made by the police dispatcher.
The blogger sites Florida statute 776.012 which states a person may be justified in using force if he or she is protecting himself or herself or someone else. According to reports from witnesses, Trayvon Martin said to George Zimmerman as Martin was on top of Zimmerman, assaulting him, something similar to, “You’re going to die tonight.” Those words would certainly cause any human to fear for his life and cause him to go into a mode of survival.
This country is founded on the presumption of innocence until found guilty. This blogger, as well as the news media, tried and convicted George Zimmerman in the court of popular opinion, after swaying that opinion with “facts” (audio police reports that were tampered with) and flawed and invalid photos of Trayvon Martin (pictures shown that were four or more years old). Those in positions of leadership in this country, like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, convicted George Zimmerman before he could even go to trial.
The lynch mob that is the media has already sentenced George Zimmerman without due process. The blogger asks why nothing has changed in this country in 55 years. Perhaps he as well as others who have already convicted George Zimmerman should take a long, hard look at what is truth and what is fallacy, especially now that the investigation is underway and information is being dissected as opposed to false primary reports.
[**im really behind on my blogs. haha. sorry!]