So Zimmerman is charged with 2nd degree murder.

[Chili]

I've generally disassociated myself with people that had extreme differences of opinions on this matter.

Why? To me it's simply core principles that are too far off on this one. ESPECIALLY when all they want to do is pull the "he was a kid" or race card. To think he (Zimm) should have been put on trial even is insane based off the evidence I saw.

More importantly, anyone that carries a gun should also feel the same way in my opinion. It's legal to use it in self defense. You should not be drug through a legal shredder when a simple no bill could accomplish the same thing.

Also, for some reason the "he should have stayed in his car" argument pisses me off. Too many people are (I'm guilty a lot too) figuratively just staying in their cars over a lot of issues. Based off the court case and other information, Zimmerman did nothing illegal - including getting out of his car.

There is no valid argument for Zimmerman to have been taken to court or found guilty. Generally, I do not think of you as a friend if you disagree with me for a variety of reasons. I simply cannot comprehend another opinion on this matter.

I don't think I have posted my opinion on the whole scenario here, mostly because I did not study the information closely, so most of my opinions are based on minimal information. But my general feelings are as follows:

I think the not guilty verdict was the right one, for sure. I believe Zimmerman was being attacked, and am okay with him using his firearm in self defense. I think that stand-your-ground laws, just like the castle doctrine, are very important and have a definite place in America.

That said, I also think that Zimmerman should not have put himself in the position to have to defend himself. I think that the past thefts had a lot to do with the choices he made, and understand his desire to stop the crime, but that he was foolish to get out of his car and put himself in the position of being a possible victim.

So, could have the whole situation been avoided had Zimmerman stayed in his car? Absolutely. In hind sight, do I think that Zimmerman wishes he had stayed in his car? 100%. Do I think that he should have been prosecuted for that? Hell no.

[Forever_frost]

The CBC never misses an opportunity to push their racial agenda.

Via The Hill:

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are readying a flurry of bills in response to George Zimmerman’s acquittal on charges in last year’s fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.

The lawmakers are drafting proposals intended to rein in racial profiling; scrap state stand-your-ground laws; and promote better training for the nation’s neighborhood watch volunteers, among other anti-violence measures.

CBC members had remained largely silent throughout the trial, but following the verdict, argued forcefully that, decades after the civil rights movement, the nation’s criminal justice system still discriminates against blacks and other minorities.

Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), an icon of the civil rights era, said the decision “seems to justify the stalking and killing of innocent black boys and deny them any avenue of self-defense.”

http://weaselzippers.us/2013/07/17/congressional-black-caucus-to-file-flurry-of-bills-in-response-to-zimmerman-verdict/

[Craizie]

All this is doing is making me not like them more. Good job.

[Forever_frost]

Racialists Are Overplaying their Hand and Turning Allies into Enemies
Posted by Gary DeMar in Law, Politics, Propoganda, Race, Racism | 150 Comments

I can understand (sort of) how some blacks are upset with the result of the George Zimmerman trial. I’ve never lived as a black man. Being black, contrary to what homosexuals argue, is not the same as being a homosexual. Blackness is written on the skin; sexual proclivities aren’t.
People do prejudge. Sometimes they’re right, and sometimes they’re wrong. That goes for people of all races, nationalities, rich and poor, male and female, young and old. You pick a distinction, and people prejudge.
The aftermath of black outrage is getting out of control and any sympathy that people have for what happened to Trayvon Martin and his family is about to be squandered. People of good will are getting tired of being blamed for what other people have done — white or black.
300+ million Americans didn't kill Trayvon Martin. One man did, and according to the jury, it was self-defense. Whites didn’t riot when O.J. Simpson was found “not guilty” for killing two white people.
Six women found George Zimmerman “not guilty.” Prior to the verdict I heard liberal pundits say that an all-woman jury helped the prosecution. I thought so too.
The prosecution had a partial say on who sat on the jury. It was the prosecution that kept a black person off the jury because he/she watched Fox News. Was this “conservative profiling”? What would have happened if a potential black juror was an avid listener of Al Sharpton’s MSNBC show and was not picked for that reason? The loony left would have gone ballistic.
Roughing up whites and Hispanics “for Trayvon,” destroying property, and making threats do not go down well with law abiding citizens who at this point in time sympathize with the Martin family and their loss.
The media are complicit in the fomenting of bad feelings among many Americans. They “repeatedly described the shockingly lawless Occupy Wall Street movement as ‘mostly peaceful,’ and is now attempting to persuade America that the anti-Zimmerman protests currently being ginned up by an NBC News anchor (MSNBC’s Al Sharpton) are also ‘mostly peaceful.’”
You may recall how the Tea Party had repeatedly been described as racist and violent even though there was no evidence to back up the assertions.
Consider what’s happened since Zimmerman verdict.
1. July 14: Witness claims Hispanic man beaten by youths yelling, “This is for Trayvon.”
2. July 16: Jogger in Mississippi claims he was attacked in retaliation for Zimmerman verdict
3. July 16: Pennsylvania business graffitied with 'Kill Zimmerman,' set on fire
4. July 16: Wisconsin man claims he was beaten by teens shouting, “This is for Trayvon.”
5. July 15: Anti-Zimmerman protesters block freeway traffic in Los Angeles
6. July 15: Anti-Zimmerman protester raid a Walmart in Los Angeles
7. July 16: CBS reporter assaulted in Crenshaw during anti-Zimmerman protest
8. July 15: Anti-Zimmerman protester block major intersection in Newark, NJ
9. July 16: Thirteen arrested in Crenshaw for vandalizing cars and stores, assault
10. July 16: Waiter struck in head with a hammer
“Youth are the biggest target in Chicago. Black youth,” conservative radio host Dana Loesch pointed out on Glenn Beck’s show. “In 2012, Chicago had 100 more murders than New York City, 215 more than Los Angeles, and according to the Chicago Reporter and other statistics, from 2008 to 2012 half of Chicago’s nearly 2,500 homicide victims were killed before they reached their 25th birthdays.”
“So where are the riots? Where are the protests?” Loesch asked. “I mean yes, apparently they are just killing black teenagers out there – but who is ‘they’? According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, anywhere from 8,000 to 9,000 black Americans are killed every year…93% of these murders are committed by other black Americans.”
It’s time that black leaders, educators, and communities clean up their own house and stop the guilt tripping. There is more violence committed by blacks against blacks than whites against blacks.
If blacks continue the assault on white good will, racialism will continue and the nation will suffer.

http://godfatherpolitics.com/11768/racialists-are-overplaying-their-hand-and-turning-allies-into-enemies/#.Uec2WFl-9vE.facebook

[naynay]

I don't think I have posted my opinion on the whole scenario here, mostly because I did not study the information closely, so most of my opinions are based on minimal information. But my general feelings are as follows:

I think the not guilty verdict was the right one, for sure. I believe Zimmerman was being attacked, and am okay with him using his firearm in self defense. I think that stand-your-ground laws, just like the castle doctrine, are very important and have a definite place in America.

That said, I also think that Zimmerman should not have put himself in the position to have to defend himself. I think that the past thefts had a lot to do with the choices he made, and understand his desire to stop the crime, but that he was foolish to get out of his car and put himself in the position of being a possible victim.

So, could have the whole situation been avoided had Zimmerman stayed in his car? Absolutely. In hind sight, do I think that Zimmerman wishes he had stayed in his car? 100%. Do I think that he should have been prosecuted for that? Hell no.

if he wasnt pegged as a "wanna be cop" i could get behind him. i too have dreams of being a hero, but its not gonna happen accosting random people who may or may not be doing wrong. i'd rather be the one to SAVE some one.

lets flip the script.. say you walked up 30 some odd seconds later. THIS IS DIRECTED TO ALL THE CHL HOLDERS. what if you didnt know what was going on, but saw GZ with a firearm pointed towards an unarmed man/child. would you dispatch the situation/perp ASAP? or would you ask them whats going on, and try to talk about the situation. If you hadnt seen any of the previous events, you may see GZ bloodied up waving a gun around and feel panicked your self. would you be justified in the "fear for your life" defense? this is a serious question.

i know when the aurora shootings happened and the crazy guy in utah stabbing people all yall were up in arms about having a chl and eliminating the threat. So my question is, if you see a stranger with a gun pointed at another stranger, do you feel your life may be threatened too? to put it more into light, if you are third in line at the corner store, and number 1 pulls out a gun and asks for all the money in the register, can you not just assume he only wants to shoot the clerk, and not anyone who is witnessing his illicit behavour?

[naynay]

and if you will examine, i did not use race once in that post.. call it gray

[Craizie]

If I walked up on someone pinning, and beat a man on the ground... and then that man pulled out a gun and shot the person beating him... I'd probably just help him up.

[Trip McNeely]

Like 99% of the people, we don't know the exact circumstances. I don't "believe" he just was pointing the gun at him. There was a struggle and as he was getting his head smashed in, he probably pulled the gun and shot in close quarters so as not to get his head caved in and die.

[naynay]

i said 30 seconds later... (and heres the prosecution) if i have you in a full guard, and your gun is on your hip, and your head is being bashed in the concrete, you will be able to reach down around my legs get to your gun and shoot me in the chest?

have you considered that maybe the stood back up, TM backed off and said "aight fuck it" and thats when GZ pulled out the pistol and shot him? out of a fit of rage..

the kid (if the pic that keeps being posted is real) was laid out like he was standing and fell back..

[Chili]

if he wasnt pegged as a "wanna be cop" i could get behind him. i too have dreams of being a hero, but its not gonna happen accosting random people who may or may not be doing wrong. i'd rather be the one to SAVE some one.

lets flip the script.. say you walked up 30 some odd seconds later. THIS IS DIRECTED TO ALL THE CHL HOLDERS. what if you didnt know what was going on, but saw GZ with a firearm pointed towards an unarmed man/child. would you dispatch the situation/perp ASAP? or would you ask them whats going on, and try to talk about the situation. If you hadnt seen any of the previous events, you may see GZ bloodied up waving a gun around and feel panicked your self. would you be justified in the "fear for your life" defense? this is a serious question.

i know when the aurora shootings happened and the crazy guy in utah stabbing people all yall were up in arms about having a chl and eliminating the threat. So my question is, if you see a stranger with a gun pointed at another stranger, do you feel your life may be threatened too? to put it more into light, if you are third in line at the corner store, and number 1 pulls out a gun and asks for all the money in the register, can you not just assume he only wants to shoot the clerk, and not anyone who is witnessing his illicit behavour?

No point in getting into a drawn out argument; if I didn't say it clearly enough, I will clarify. I think that Zimmerman was in the wrong overall, and all of it could have been easily avoided. I still don't think that he was criminally culpable. I think the Jury made the right decision, but still think he made several bad decisions.

That does not nullify the validity of the "stand your ground" laws.

[naynay]

Like 99% of the people, we don't know the exact circumstances. I don't "believe" he just was pointing the gun at him. There was a struggle and as he was getting his head smashed in, he probably pulled the gun and shot in close quarters so as not to get his head caved in and die.

but if TM is on top, how does he get the gun? if the gun has a 6 pound pull and TM had so much of a strength advantage how does he get to fire off a shot?

[Trip McNeely]

i said 30 seconds later... (and heres the prosecution) if i have you in a full guard, and your gun is on your hip, and your head is being bashed in the concrete, you will be able to reach down around my legs get to your gun and shoot me in the chest?

have you considered that maybe the stood back up, TM backed off and said "aight fuck it" and thats when GZ pulled out the pistol and shot him? out of a fit of rage..

the kid (if the pic that keeps being posted is real) was laid out like he was standing and fell back..

You don't know what happened. Quit assuming bullshit. There have been many stories of people getting accosted and being able to draw a gun while down. It's not impossible.

[Craizie]

i said 30 seconds later... (and heres the prosecution) if i have you in a full guard, and your gun is on your hip, and your head is being bashed in the concrete, you will be able to reach down around my legs get to your gun and shoot me in the chest?

have you considered that maybe the stood back up, TM backed off and said "aight fuck it" and thats when GZ pulled out the pistol and shot him? out of a fit of rage..

the kid (if the pic that keeps being posted is real) was laid out like he was standing and fell back..

Well, as several witnesses saw Naynay on top of Zimm and then heard a shot without either man getting up... I'd say your argument is fucking stupid.

[naynay]

No point in getting into a drawn out argument; if I didn't say it clearly enough, I will clarify. I think that Zimmerman was in the wrong overall, and all of it could have been easily avoided. I still don't think that he was criminally culpable. I think the Jury made the right decision, but still think he made several bad decisions.

That does not nullify the validity of the "stand your ground" laws.

i agree with that.. i feel that law was written for situations just like this... i wouldnt know a thing about it had i not seen the video about the old firefighter guy shooting the teacher having a party. i agree. THAT trial was juried appropriately. but i do agree with weiner/holder seeking additional federal charges. street justice is not allowed. ask me how i know.

[naynay]

Well, as several witnesses saw Naynay on top of Zimm and then heard a shot without either man getting up... I'd say your argument is fucking stupid.

sounds corroborated. but thats just MHO