Following the tragic death of 17-year-old Florida teen Trayvon Martin those in the Hip Hop community have paid very close attention to the case and the fate of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer who killed the unarmed teenager.
Countless tributes for Martin have been released and have included songs from artists such as Mistah F.A.B., Mos Def, Plies, and GhostWridah. A number of tributes were released as an outlet to express condolences and ask for justice and according to the Washington Post justice may soon be served.
Although the specifics remain unclear the Washington Post reports that Zimmerman will in fact be charged in the shooting.
Unfortunately at this moment the whereabouts of Zimmerman are unknown. Hal Uhrig, Zimmerman’s former attorney, even informed reporters that he’s likely far from Sanford, Florida.
“You can stop looking in Florida. Look much further away than that,” said Uhrig, according to the Washington Post.
A news conference is expected to take place later today (April 11) at 6 p.m. EST.
[April 11]
UPDATE: George Zimmerman will be charged with second-degree murder in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, reports MSNBC. “We did not come to this decision lightly,” said Angela Corey, the special prosecutor appointed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott to look at the case.
Zimmerman’s lawyer, Mark O’Mara, said that he would plead not guilty and would try to get him released from prison on bond. His hearing is currently taking place.
“I think he’s troubled by the fact the state decided to charge him,” O’Mara said. “I would think anyone charged with second-degree murder would be scared.”
RELATED: Murder Of A Teenage Life: Hip Hop’s Take On The Slaying of Trayvon Martin
Who the f cares. That’s not music news you dumb f’s
Hip hop is a culture you dumb fuck therefore this is relevent, Im white and I understand that. smh
@jb no one gives a fuck what your race is, and anonymous right this is HHDX not CNN, jus another fucked up incident with a kid who got shot and since he was black and and the shooter had some white in em everyone going to march and protest and talk all this black and white racial bullshit to help try n divide us even more, it’s fucked up no one should have to die like this but it always turns racial. If it was the other way around or if zimmerman would’ve been shot by a cop who was 100% white then i’m sure they wouldn’t have even mentioned zimmermans white side he would’ve been a hispanic killed by another white cop who racially profiled him
Anonymous & DaGnrl, finally SOMEBODY makes sense around these parts.
Da your wrong everything u said
If he would have killed you all sons u wouldn’t be so heartless and cold
“Countless tributes for Martin have been released and have included songs from artists such as Mistah F.A.B., Mos Def, Plies, and GhostWridah.”
^thats why its relevant. why do you care anyways? its one story not directly about hip hop out of thousands they do post about hip hop. no ones making you read this article.
Charge with what? That is the question. Zimmerman will not serve any time for this.
What u think , murder
Mr. Martin might have been unarmed…but he was NOT as peaceful as you make him look. He was into that thug life, selling drugs and into gangs and all that…why was he walking that way on a SCHOOL NIGHT? And footage shows a wound on Mr. Zimmerman’s head (Trayvon might have punched the living daylights out of him-no, being followed is not an acceptable defense for AGGRAVATED ASSAULT.)
So all you marching “Justice For Trayvon”…how about teaching the young to stay in school, don’t do drugs, and don’t get involved in that thug life so you don’t end up like he did!
LIVE LIKE A THUG, DIE LIKE A THUG.
Stop taking up for zimmerman he’s wrong ,it doesn’t matter how u try to fix up to make Martin the bad guy..if someone killed your son I’m sure u wouldn’t just let it go , u would probably lie and say my son wasn’t into gangs he wouldnt do that . I bet your white
suck a dick how u kno thug life you racist fairy ass motherfucker u talk like you kno but dont just kill yourself and make us all happy
The Voice – you need to take your idiocy to a Republican convention. This is no place for your nonsense.
There is no evidence that Trayvon is a thug. He simply wore a hoodie and smoked some weed. I live in Toronto, Canada. That describes 80% of the youth here. Glad to say its also not a crime here.
I have no doubt that adult Zimmerman was scared out of his mind by this 17-year old black kid. I have lived in the USA long enough to know how helplessly many Americans typically live in constant pitiful fear of black men, even children. Its a very pathetic and embarassing trait of your nationality which you should try to hide instead of blatantly advertising your weakness as you did here.
At any rate, I feel good everyday I live in a far superior country, Canada, where black folks and white folks actually get along and can see the truth, rather than obsess over race to no avail.
And, personally, I could careless if Trayvon kicked Zimmerman’s ass. This paranoid crazy man had absolutely no place following anyone. He should have minded his own business. How a grown man can get in an “alleged” fist-fight with an unarmed teenager when he has a gun and then,lose sounds completely ridiculous. Pathetic. He deserves jail time on principle.
Im proud to say we still have the freedom in my country to dress anyway we want whereas the USA is quickly becoming a police-state where how you dress means you deserve to be shot.
^^^^^^
Co sign
Thank you, my Canadian friend…
As for The Voice…come on. Really? You don’t even believe that foolishness you stated. If you do, you’re one of the biggest fools in the world.
Get off of that Fox News, far right, scared of the outside world where you have to see and live amongst others who are not similiar to you and try to live without fear for once. News flash: We as a people don’t bother you until you bother us.
Now I will say some of our people don’t do any favors with some of the monstrosities and nonsensical madness that just so happens to illustrate perhaps a mentality that we are nothing but savage animals. However, those are just like any other race members who are blind, ignorant, and don’t seek wisdom as to what is right and even to who they are. They don’t know probably because they haven’t been taught or they have been taught something that is based off confusion, hatred, angst, and sheer stupidity.
So before you get on here talking about kid who was crucified, know that the same energy that you emit doing this can and will be the same energy that returns the favor tenfold.
Now go and sit the fuck down before someone lays you the fuck down. Tomato head bitch.
Is this hip-hop news? Last time I checked this was a hip-hop site. Y’all can’t even get hip hop news right and have 15 year olds writing for you.
You’re ignorant.
LOL I read the news everyday homie. I go to university, studying to be a lawyer, have worked since 10 etc. I know exactly what’s going on in the world. I don’t come to hiphopdx to read about trevon martin if I want to read about this type of stuff i’ll go to google news like I do everyday. LOL ignorant some people just like speaking on shit they don’t know
YA’LL SEE HOW NBC EDITED THE 911 CALL ZIMMERMAN MADE? JUST MY POINT ON HOW THE MEDIA FUCKS SHIT UP PURPOSELY TRYING TO DIVIDE OUR COUNTRY, STILL DON’T MAKE WHAT HAPPENED RIGHT BUT HOW THE FUCK WE SUPPOSE TO KNOW THE STORY IF THE NEWS CAN’T EVEN TELL THE TRUTH ZIMMERMAN LABELED WHITE-HISPANIC SO IS OBAMA A WHITE BLACK ITS JUST CRAZY, THINK WHITE PEOPLE NEED TO START MARCHING EVERY TIME ONE OF THEM GET SHOT BY ANOTHER RACE.
Go head and march u doing everything else ignorant a$s , u know Damn well if he was white he wouldn’t have been profile and followed, stop making excuses for this killer
So the operator didn’t say stop???????
What is your point!!
WELL FOR ONE HISPANIC IS NOT A RACE EITHER YOU WHITE OR BLACK…SMH.
WHY THEY KEEP POSTING TRAYVONS MIDDLE SCHOOL PIC? KID WAS LIKE 6’2
It doesn’t matter how tall he was zimmerman was like 300 pounds
The whole age of the photos thing reminds me of Mississippi Burning when the cop said their so cute when they are babies
Whites felt tricked when it came out that this was a older unarmed teen vs. a small unarmed child. Even though the fact remains that Zimmerman attempted to detain Trayvon because they always get away.
His neighbor all but admitted on national TV that they were stalking all blacks in the community because of the action of some, WHICH IS THE DEFINITION OF STEREOTYPING IF THEIR EVER WAS ONE!!!!
b/c they want to trick.
who cares like seriously if the kid was white would the black folks rally no!
If he was white he would have never got shot and killed dumb ass
this would never happen to lil white kids…they get kidnapped
If the kid was white this murderer would have smiled and let him be on his way. Idiot..smfh..
STFU i’m in Florida rite now and about to slap up this blond hair Becky just to get knocked so i can ice pick this craker in his kidney’s.
I would’ve shot this bitch too quit putting middle school pictures nobody gives a fuck!!!
And i hope your momma gets shot
NIGGAS GET KILLED EVERYDAY B!!
this dumbass got killed cause he listened to too much Rick Ross thought he could play tuff guy like him but ended up getting shot POW!!!! THis 2012 nobody is scared of black people anymore you dumb fucks…..LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111
Dumbass
Ignorant ass cracker you better be scared
Believe me yall still scared. Bet you want go to a black neighborhood and say that. LMAO
Meh all a distraction from whats really going on. We or at least people like me already know what it is. I’m not white or black but this isn’t about race just about diving the country while at the same time distracting it. The same old divide and conquer tactics by the elite aka corporations/bankers etc.
LMAO at the privilege of some of these stupid ass commenters who are lucky enough to have never experienced what true racism is and can’t fathom that it’s still going on in this country. This is not about race, it’s about injustice and RACE played a ROLE in the injustice. Zimmerman had no reason at all to even call the police or consider Trayvon suspicious. If you don’t understand that simple point, you’re a fucking idiot. Add that to the fact that the police botched the case and the parents didn’t even know their son was dead for 3 days. There are plenty of reasons for the marches. Obviously, a lot of you haven’t had guns pointed to their head for no reason by racists, just for being black. Consider yourself lucky and shut the fuck up.
The new racism is denying that racism still exists.
Keep in mind 80% of this site’s daily visitors are white and haven’t had the pleasure of being demonized for “looking scary” in a hooded sweatshirt
Very true
How often are white people murdered by black people for being in the ‘wrong neighborhood’? White people are crucified every day for the actions and mindsets of people entirely detached and unrelated to them. Every white person isn’t a racist, and almost all black people assume that they are. Its fucked up. So don’t act like black racists don’t exist, cuz they do. Very few white people are the platitudinous model of rich suburban families with perfect marriages and spoiled children and suit-and-tie jobs, so quit blaming white people as a generalized grouping for life being hard, because its fucking shitty for everybody. You’ve never had a gun pointed at your face for being white. Black people that hate white people as a whole don’t realize that they’re displaying the same ignorance as the racists they speak about, because they justify it as vengence for something that most of us entirely despise. There’s something much bigger out there that seeks to oppress all of us. If we don’t get over this shit and start treating eachother like human beings we’re all gonna kill ourselves off. End of story.
On another note, fuck George Zimmerman. I pity the ignorant and the fearful, but hate the hateful. RIP Trayvon
He needs to be charged, he shot and killed an unarmed person after a 911 dispatcher told him to walk the other way, he’d of minded his buisness none of this would have happened
I agree 100%
the fact that hes already long gone from there shows he knew what he did was wrong. i hope they find him and he rots in jail, if hed even last more than a week without getting killed
^^^^^^^^^
Somebody who’s never been locked up before obviously, lol
No shots tho, maybe you just dont know, but any inmate involved in a high profile case can request protection and get put into a diffrent cell block where there not in danger.
Its common for Child molestors, crooked cops, and high profile criminals, like Charles Manson, you think he would have lived 42 years in prison if he was in general population
Truth is, as mad as people are, Zimmerman is probably safer in jail then his free
^^^^^^^^^^ lol at you thinking he’s going to last ,he’s not safe I can promise u that
^^^^^^
Your an idiot
Serial Killers last years in prison in protective custody, this guy will be fine, I wish I knew you so I could make a cash wager
Prison = Safest place in the world for George Zimmerman
^^^^^ why does it matter if he’s safe or not..he’s in jail thats all that matters we dont need this killer on the streets anymore
Damn, guess I’ll be paying for his fuckn cable tv n shit…
Mr Zimmerman wasn’t doing his job as a neighbourhood watch person at the time, because he went beyond watching, he also did not watch the kid do anything to report to the police at all.
I haven’t seen a SINGLE post saying people have a problem with neighborhood watches. I do personally have a problem with people who go beyond watching and start shooting. I do have a problem with people citing that someone is suspicious and that suspicion is not accompanied by an actual act…an illegal act, like breaking in cars, looking in a window, etc.. Wearing a hoodie, which many people own, is not suspicious.
A kid is dead, and regardless of this man’s intent, he did and should have to answer to the law.
Nail. On. Head.
word!
And there you have it.
It still looks to me like Trayvon was defending himself. Imagine you are a 17 year old male, being followed by a guy shorter, but much heavier than you. You start to run, he starts to run. He corners you and you ask why he is following you. He answers your question with a question. Would you assume Zimmerman was just a concerned citizen or would you try to get in one good punch or two so you can safely get away. Trayvon had just as much right to stand his ground. He had just as much right to try to defend himself. Maybe he did go for the gun, but that would mean he would have had to have seen the gun. Now all he knows is that this big guy that has been chasing him has a gun. Why would he let him get up he was a big guy with a gun after him. I would have tried to get the gun away from him too, I would have tried to save my life too.
Would it be OK if I chase you down and try to detain you?
Chasing someone down who is trying to run away from you = aggressor.
BY law, only peace officers have that authority unless a FELONY is in progress. If walking home from the store in a gated community with skittles and tea is a felony, our laws need changing.
He not only reported it, he also followed a kid and killed him. He knew the police were coming, but he wanted to be a hero and stop Trayvon from leaving.
Did Zimmerman’s automobile even have a magnet sign identifying him as SECURITY or a ORANGE strobe Light on his car???? Did he say I’m armed?????
If not then how was Trayvon to know George was wasn’t a gang banger or burglar himself looking to do harm to Trayvon???
If an armed Hispanic male (wearing earrings) started following you at night what would you do??? (See what he wanted??? smh Yeah right!!!) THIS IS SOME BULLSH!T!!!
So if Mr. Martin follows a white kid in a hoody on his way to Sanford High School in the morning and shoots him and says “He looked suspicious, I thought he was going to shoot up the school. Oops!!!” THEY SHOULD JUST LET HIM GO HOME AND TAKE HIS WORD FOR IT???
George’s armed delusional impersonation of an episode of “COPS” vs a teen trying to get home from a trip to the store (Skittles & a tea) before this crazy guy following him catches up AND the unarmed teen who was MINDING HIS OWN BUSINESS is DEAD AND GONE FOREVER!!!!!!
But this crazed, delusional & armed rent-a-cop wannabe is free????
he is in custody
2nd Degree murder. Zimmerman fucked up BAD when he decided to follow Treyvon and label him a trouble maker. May justice be served. R.I.P. to Treyvon Martin
He didn’t follow him, Trayvon didn’t belong in the neighborhood. He was on top of Zimmerman beating the shit out of him. SELF DEFENCE!!!! If it was a black dude who shot Trayvon we wouldn’t have heard about it. NBC, ABC and CBS already had to apologize for editing footage and audio from the 911 tape to make him look racist.
^^^^^
You act like you were there watching,
shut the fuck up
^^^^^^^^^^ another ignorant comment no knowledge at all
I hope you walk into my neighborhood so I can say you don’t belong there and follow you (against police recommendation) and kill you, you logic-challenged fuck.
@uranidiot
So he didn’t belong in the neighborhood because of what exactly?
Exactly.
Man the nerve of you cats to type behind a screen and hide out saying stupid stuff is beyond me.
Now I will say this: The media did a whole lot of sensationalizing until it’s pathetic.
However…
The fact remains that Zimmerman was out of bounds on so many levels that it’s ridiculous. He stalked an innocent kid minding his own business. He played a rogue vigilante. He took a life when it wasn’t his place to take.
And the cops involved in this case screwed it up so damn bad until you have the chance for everything to be blown in every direction as it has become.
He should’ve had manslaughter charges filed at the very least weeks ago when this shit first happened. You could always upgrade to 2nd degree murder or whatever as time went on.
You guys obviously don’t know what you’re talking about, just listening to the media making it out to be some racist thing. Yes, Zimmerman should be held accountable for his actions, but there are bounties out on his head. It wasn’t and isn’t about race. Quit listening to Spike Lee and the New Black Panther movement and educate yourselves. Pull your heads out of your asses, the news and everyone else has turned it into a race war, Zimmerman was defending himself and it ended with someone losing their life. What I was saying before if it was black on black it wouldn’t be a big story, Trayvon made the mistake by attacking him but Zimmerman made the bigger mistake by pulling the trigger. I wasn’t being ignorant and never stated that I was there, I’m just going off of what I KNOW and not what the news/media tells me to believe.
huge ass pounding coming his way
YOU. ARE. AN. IDIOT.
LET THE LEGAL SYSTEM DO IT’S JOB AND STFU
IF I DON’T LISTEN TO THE PANTHERS, OR SPIKE, OR BELIEVE THE MEDIA, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I WILL LISTEN TO YOU?
RACIST JERK
We get all our information from the New Black panther Party and spike Lee?
Say’s it all about the integrity of this naive and racist fool!
@uranidiot You really showed how stupid you are first posting that he shouldn’t have been in that neighborhood. Did Zimmerman see Treyvon breaking in a car NO, Did he see him climbing in somebody’s window NO, de he see him trying to pull a kick door forced entry into someones home NO. Walking in a neighborhood you don’t live in is not a crime. Your probably one of those white people who feel safe in one of those gated neighborhoods but start to panic when you see a black teen walking down your street. Not sounding racist because i have white friends im cool with but this kind of thought is what started the whole situation. It has to stop.
Trayvon’s dad lived in the community so how didn’t he belong there???
kill zimmerman
hell yea
I love these kinds of cases, its a swift reminder of how ignorant some people are
Anybody who justifies this is delusional, he was told to dtay where he was by the 911 operator, didnt listen and someone died. If he would have followed the rules and did what the law told him to do, none of this would have happened
People act like this Zimmerman character is an angel, aint I read this guy had a history of domestic violence somewhere??
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/27/10894561-zimmerman-accused-of-domestic-violence-fighting-with-a-police-officer
lol, so when he’s not “Protecting his community” he’s beating women and battering Police Officers??
Who the fuck gives an idiot like this the authority to protect the neighborhood??…. Did the neighborhood rapist turn down the job,
Nah, I’m busy tying this bitch up, go ask the wife beating piece of shit next door”
thank you
Good job all you are falling for the same divide and conquer tatic that the elite has been playing and look where the world is. There sucesfully dividing all of you and making this out to be way more bigger and important then it really is. We got thousands dying in pointless wars, kids dying of starvation. crack babies being born, civil liberties being stripped, complete control of government by corporations. Stop letting them divide all of you ever something as petty as race. Were all individuals that’s it. That’s why we have rights and freedoms because we are individuals not because we belong to a certain group fuck race, fuck color etc. Focus on the issue that challenges all of us as humans instead of being manipulated by a event that is happening countless times as we speak across the world and things that are 10x worse.
^^^^^^^^ what a ignorant comment
a Little ignorant but sadly semi true. If people didn’t focus on race all the time.. Hip hop would have more variety than it does now
yea if you can do the crime u do the time if Trayvon was bashing his head this dumbass should have just pistol whipped him not kill him what a dumb fuck
I hope he gets life bc if he doesnt i can see our ppl getting street justice.Either way im sure he will get his in or out of prison.
FREE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN!!!! Campaign starting right her right now
you dont care nothing about george zimmerman you just some pussy that wants the right to shot down some black person because you hate them and or fear them. standing your ground doesnt apply to him any body with sense knows that and moves on.
How dare you use the dead boy names, That has to be some very nasty karma points for you right there.
The Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman situation is a perfect case of a problem what needs to be analyzed fixed in America and around the whole globe
all of this could of been avoid if you learn about other culture you want to so quick the judge them. everything he heard about black people probably was something negative but media aside every race is a mix of both good and bad. when you take step to find the good in people things like this are avoid.
do you guys know there is 6.5 billion non whites and only a half a billion whites. non whites and whites included are not going any where try to wake and learn about other cultures so that you have love in you heart for them and you wont end up where george zimmerman is. hahahaha
Zimmerman turned himself in.
good! now everyone can shut the fuck up.
Question? What exactly was Zimmerman going to do when he caught up to Tray? How was he going to hold him until the cops arrived?
1. Flash his gun?
2. Pin him to the ground?
3. Shoot him?
4. Hope he freezes because he says so?
5. Use a magic lasso?
It wasnt his job to hold him till cops arrived, he’s suppose to make the call and keep it movin
you know whats in the news? all this crap! you know whats not even in my local news or even the damn newspaper? 2 dudes driving around trying to kidnap little girls. media is fucking stupid! they dont care to inform they just wanna make ratings and get paid
I hope that he gets life in prison.
Its the politics in prison that will do the sentencing R.I.P Trayvon Martin
I’m not a racist, but reading these dumb-a$$ comments is making me reconsider!
Hmmm maybe my neighborhood needs a neighbor hood watch guy too….
Put Zimmerman in the general population so he can stand his ground.
This story has turned into a clown show. There has been so much fabrication coming from the news outlets and the talking heads. Obama and his cronies have shown again that they would rather divide the country as oppose to bringing it together. Truly a sad time for this country.
true words friend.
Yeah Obamas the problem in all this; not the unneccessary death of a 17 year old and (probably racist) police misconduct that got us to this point…
http://raprise.com/2012/04/11/new-album-spitta-hd-i-am-spitta-hd-ii-growth-expectationsdd/
WHATEVER HE GETS JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED BECAUSE ZIMMERMAM WILL HAVE NO PEACE NOWHERE HE GOES!!! HE’S NOTORIOUSLY HATED NOW. HE PROBALY WILL GET SOME TIME THO. I BET HE’S REGRETING WHAT HE DID RIGHT ABOUT NOW THO THAT’S FOR SURE
TO THE FAGGOTS WHO ACTUALLY HAVE THE NERVE TO SAY TRAYVONN WAS BEATIN THE DUDE UP..THAT’S WHAT HIS WEAK ASS GET FOR FOLLOWING A KID THEN GETTIN DROPPED BY HIS ASS! TRAYVON WAS IN SELF DEFENSE AND THAT’S ALL THERE IS TOO IT..ZIMMERMAN SHOULDN’T OF TOOK THE LAW IN HIS OWN HANDS HE CALLED THE COPS..AFTER THAT HE SHUDDA LEFT IT ALONE
Still using that pic of a 13 year old Trayvon I see. Every media outlet is the same these days. Dishonest, biased, classless, masters of manipulating the masses. Sad.
The whole age of the photos thing reminds me of the movie “Mississippi Burning” when the racist cop said “their so cute when they are babies”
Whites felt tricked when it came out that this was a older unarmed teen vs. a small unarmed child. Even though the fact remains that Zimmerman attempted to detain Trayvon because “they always get away” for no reason.
Zimmy’s neighbor all but admitted on national TV that they were stalking all blacks in the community because of the action of some, WHICH IS THE DEFINITION OF STEREOTYPING IF THEIR EVER WAS ONE!!!!
where can i buy a Free Zimmerman shirt
County jail
Hang that motherfucker. Period.
U notice that faggot mormon Mitt Romey have to say on this murder
I don’t want my tax $$$ housing this scale. Take him out in the streets and bring me his head!
why do they have him in hollister shirt when his fb pics are this kid thuggin out… sorry for him and his family but they make it look like he is an innocent 11yr old… gets too much media to cover bush sr and bill gates!!
I’ve read some of the comments on here written by these ridiculous Zimmerman supporters and it sickens me. Firstly Zimmerman had no right to approach an armed young man(with Skittles and Iced-T) cause he perceived him to look suspicious. HE IS A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH…”WATCH” is the operative word. YOU WEREN’T TO DO A THING SHITFACE JUST “WATCH” AND CALL 911 LIKE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO. After he approaches Trayvon with a gun (QUITE THE SCARY THING TO EXPERIENCE) you Zimmerman supporters should experience this sometime in your lives. Trayvon was afraid, naturally then proceeded to GIVE ZIMMERMAN HIS SEXY AND WELL DESERVED BEATDOWN though Trayvon was as innocent as baby sheep. His girlfriend told him to “Run”, but he’d declined in possible fear of being shot in the back. I guess damned if you do or if you dont.
PS @uranidiot: EVERYTHING YOU POSTED MAKES NO SENSE WHATSOEVER. SCENARIO PAINTING MAKES SILLY ARGUMENTS SINCE I COULD PAINT A FEW THAT WOULD CONTRADICT EVERYTHING YOU WROTE.
Scenario painting? How exactly did I do that, like I said before I’m going by what I know and now what every media and news outlet is editing to get ratings. Zimmerman protected himself, Trayvon was beating him. He should have ran, he probably would still be alive today instead of trying to beat someone up. Go right ahead and paint some scenarios for me, I would just love to hear them. Have a wonderful day YOU fucking jackass.
I guess you are right after all Uranidiot.
You may be right @Uranidiot. Next time a person of legal authority approaches me (an innocent man) with a gun drop EVERYTHING AND RUN, I’ll seem REEEEAALLLY INNOCENT THEN. Moron…doing this as a minority is like getting a 80% discount for a trip to the AFTERLIFE. The ZIMMERMAN BEATDOWN was clearly in order. It’s just a matter of Justice now taking her course.
Go suck your mommas dick…and quit the rubbish.
George Zimmerman looks like a gangbanger. I read somewhere there’s no record of his holding a job since 2008, and even before that his work history was spotty. Seems he was more like the party boy. Wonder who was really behind all those alleed burglaries and alleged vandalisms taking place in that community. Then do he Susan Smith thing: Blame’em on the black man? You know, America has a long dark history of others committing serious crimes, even murdering their entire families, then some innocent black man was blamed got hung from the tree, bridge rafter and lamp post for it. Who is this Georgie guy, really? And how deep will the feds dig to find out?
People act like this Zimmerman character is an angel, aint I read this guy had a history of domestic violence somewhere??
lol, so when he’s not “Protecting his community” he’s beating women and battering Police Officers??
Who the fuck gives an idiot like this the authority to protect the neighborhood??…. Did the neighborhood rapist turn down the job,
Nah, I’m busy tying this bitch up, go ask the wife beating piece of shit next door”
his father is a judge.
He was in custody yesterday. This case has been manipulated by the media long enough.
The fellas are waiting zimmy get that fat ass in the cell
lolol
I swear, some of the people on this site are the MAIN REASON “a lot but not all”black people get a bad reputation. You don’t realize you bring it on yourselves with all the socially fueled violent statements? ie new black panther party talking about “a sea of blood” and “getting suited and booted”. Open your eyes and make a change. Losers
How do you know its black people behind the computer screen writing that, it could be devious white people that want nothing better than incite a race riot.
Because that is what white people want a bunch of niggas rioting and looting in the streets and pulling white people out of vehicles while hitting them in the head with bricks (Rodney King). Devious white people, SMH.
If you think white people dont try to get on the internet and act black then you are in denial. I know a lot of white people that still black photos and use it as their icon to make look like they are black. Should be against the law.
You never heard of a troll a troll will act black just to get something started then sit back and laugh at your dumb ass..smh.
I read a study recently that said black people are more likely to blog than white people. Not that white people don’t blog. Who would have thought. Go figure.
The study found 10 percent of Black people were more likely to blog than 6 percent of Whites. The study didn’t exactly reveal why the numbers tilt in favor of African-Americans, but Schradie did say it may have to do with the fact that blogging may afford Black people media access in a way that mainstream media doesn’t.
^ flawed study
FREE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN!!!!
FREE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN!!!! THIS GOES TO ALL YOU WANNA BE THUGS YOUR NOT THE ONLY ONES WITH GUNS NOW POW!!!!!!
You’re going nowhere in life
No guns it jail.
Shooters go to jail and get shot back at. This is that part of the game!!!
yea but in jail what do you have…lol.
The way I see it, Its F’ed up by the media the way they brainwash and alter things such as phone conversation and pictures to manipulate the audience and make you feel Martin was a little boy…..BUT 1 thing is very clear, the policy told Zimmerman to Stand back, and not follow him he refused and took the law into his own hands, couldnt go toe to toe with Martin so he shot him…
So what did they alter????? The part where the 911 operator said don’t follow the boy???
Or did they delete some crime that was being commented at the time???
The answer is No!!!!! So what are you talking about???
actually they deleted the part where the 911 operator asked what race he was, giving the impression that George was racist, by saying “i think he’s black” with no context. they also altered info regarding the depiction of Trayvon as being innocent, and perfect, where later pics surfaced of a gash on George’s head. not justifying his behavior, but ignorant people such as yourself, really should read more, before they make such huge assumptions
Nothing would have happened if he hadn’t followed him. George was in the wrong. no matter what you say. You sir, are the ignorant one.
Anonymous, first off I think you need to read my comment again because obviously you didn’t comprehend it correctly. I never said I agreed or disagreed with Zimmerman, so I dont know where you get off writing that donkey face, and second off if your going to comment on something get your facts straight…they altered the tape conversations when the 911 call was made dummy
@ Anonymous
“So what did they alter????? The part where the 911 operator said don’t follow the boy???
Or did they delete some crime that was being commented at the time???
The answer is No!!!!! So what are you talking about???”
Did you not read my comment dumb-ass?? Thats exactly wehat I said, that they told him to STAND BACK AND NOT FOLLOW HIM…he refused and did it any ways…were saying the same thing u moron
So @No,
You’re trying to tell me it was ok for Trayvon to beat the shit out of him but it was wrong for Zimmerman to follow him before leaving the scene? Are you trying to conduct a moral value here??
Cealix is a weirdo.
IF GEORGE DIDN’T FOLLOW HIM THERE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ANY SCUFFLE OR GUN BEING USED. GET IT NOW?
well thats besides the point, stupid. Obviously this discussion is taking place BECAUSE Zimmerman followed him. i am in no way defending this man, he was wrong for killing a kid. However please dont believe that bullsht that Trayvon was just a kid eating skittles. sktittles dont cause gashes.
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-03-04/news/31122324_1_white-boy-fire-tv-station Can i get a rally?
Fuck Zimmerman, burn in hell
On some real shit, people like to make the most ignorant comments on this site, sitting behind their computer feeling safe. Hahaha man y’all some clowns, I’m glad they finally made an arrest, but it’s sad that they had to march and get media attention for them to actually make an arrest, I smell a lawsuit. Zimmerman I hope he gets life, like the bible says an Eye for a Eye, you take a life, then your life gets taken. He has no right to question no one, or even approach someone and try to search them. Staking out with a loaded gun, as a “Neighborhood Watchman” really? This kid died for no reason, but for being Black. If that was a 17 year old white kid named Billy guess what, he would have finished his skittles and drank his tea and been on his way. Like or not America fears african people along with the Latino race. TM did not deserve to be shot and killed, if a stranger approached you with a gun, I bet your first instinct would be to defend yourself.
Fuck all you ignorant people on here talking about “Free Zimmerman” I hope someone kills one of your family members, so I can be just as ignorant like you and say “Free(who ever killed them)”
“people like to make the most ignorant comments on this site, sitting behind their computer feeling safe. ”
I think you just commented on yourself. It is sad that you would try to act like the bible promotes violence.
WOW!!!! I dont agree with Zimmerman not being arrested at the time of the murder, but boy your talking like you were an eye witness you should step up and give your statement to the police since you know so much….Did I just read that “Latinos fear Africans” ???
@ J-Yo
He was saying America fears African along with the Latino race meaning America fear African and Latinos together.
@J-Yo
I said that America fears the Black community and they fear the latin community, don’t know how you misunderstood that.
and
@ anonymous
You can’t kill someone for no apparent reason and just get away with it, you have to pay the price of taking someones life. Your telling me the bible does not say “Eye for an Eye”
@J-YO
let me ask you this question. Did he deserve to be shot and killed?
@Real Talk
I dont think anyone deserves to be killed UNLESS your fighting for the survival or well being of your own person. However, I wasnt there when it all went down, and I already saw how the media is trying to twist things So I gotta let the facts speak for themselves, and right now there are many facts just a bunch of speculation and pasted together phone conversations…..BUT I do think Zimmerman should have been arrested right away.
FREE!!!!! George Zimmerman
I don’t think he’ll get life, but either way he’s going to be facing some tall time. At least maybe the truth can now come out. No more speculating and inciting theories. Zimmerman should just man up regardless of how it makes him look, cause once he hits “the yard”, justification is out the window.
I think they charged him just to make peace, and only going to giv him like 3 years, out in 1.5 with good behaivor. Shame
LMFAO at all you niggas thinking George Zimmerman is gonna be found guilty hahahahahaha Not Guilty mark my words and after that George gonna get paid to tell his story. FREE!!!!! George Zimmerman
Just cause you dont use a screename doesnt mean we cant tell you’ve posted on this page 10 times
get a life
he wont be found not guilty but he will be aquitted.
no definite evidence to sway the case one way or the other
I can’t go buy skittles anymore cause everytime I go buy some they ask me if I’m supporting this THUG I tell them NO!!!! I don’t give a fuck about no Trayvon Martin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
George: Hey you THUG!!!!
Trayvon: Wat you want mane stop following me or I’ll kill you!!!
George: taste the rainbow, bitch!! POW!!!!!!!!!!!
And some of you swear racism doesn’t exist. Look above for proof.
FYI: the cries for help in the tape are from TRAYVON, his mom identified the voice.
Justice will be served when this coward is Convicted and sent to prison to serve his time for Murdering that boy! Until then y’all know the rest… What they doing is a start but this is what the Samford PD was suppose to from the gate. What kind of cowardly hearted grown man arms himself to go out and racially profile, discriminate, stalk, and confront then murder young teenage boys ? I bet everything that if this coward didn’t have that gun he wouldn’t have disobeyed the 911 dispatchers orders to Stop following that boy! That kid was frighten thus after being stalked and confronted by this grown-@ss coward with a gun and no authority the kid did what we are taught when trapped by a stranger, “Fight for your life!!!”
THERE! YA’LL HAPPY NOW HE’S IN CUSTODY HE’LL HAVE A SOMEWHAT OF FAIR TRIAL AND JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED, AND IF HE’S FOUND NOT GUILTY SO BE IT LETS GET BACK TO HIP HOP
WHAT ABOUT MY SON? GOOGLE IT BITCHES AND LETS MARCH
A little black boy lay murdered, face down in the wet grass. What was his crime? A rush to judgement by a racist white man who felt a little black boy shouldn’t be in “His” neighborhood.
The lawyer for the racist murderer has the nerve to say, and I quote: “Uhrig proceeded to emphatically represent Zimmerman’s position,
insisting that the media, members of Congress, activists and others had
made an unfair rush to judgment.”
Mr. Uhrig, I would counter that the ONLY rush to judgement was when your client judged and executed a little black boy because of the color of his skin. Excuse American’s for being outraged that your client could do the very same thing to any other American, profile and murder them, and walk free. We American’s enjoy the freedom of walking down the street without the threat of being profiled and murdered. That is something that a little black boy named Trayvon Martin will never have, because your client felt he had the right to murder him in cold blood.
you know he’s hispanic right?
Hispanic is a culture not a race. You know that right?
“Hispanic” is a narrower term which only refers to persons of Spanish-speaking origin or ancestry.. YOu know that right?
Spanish is not race – you that right??
All Trayvon wanted to do was get home before a stranger man following him caught up. Zimmerman wanted to detain Trayvon or stop him from getting to the house until the police arrived because quote… “THEY ALWAYS GET AWAY!!!!”. (Who are they? Innocent kids walking?)
TRAYVON WASN’T THEM!!!!!!! HE WAS INNOCENT AND HAD A HOME IN THAT GATED COMMUNITY AS WELL.
In the 911 tapes you can hear Zimmy saying “he’s checking me out” and then you hear Zimmy get out of the car and start running and out of breath as the 911 dispatcher says “are you following him? we don’t need you to do that police are on their way.”
The kid didn’t chase him and if he told the police that Trayvon did chase him then he must know that he did something wrong!!! WHY LIE IF YOU DID NOTHING WRONG???
Zimmy told his dad that same lie and his dad repeated it to reporters. THEY HAD TO CHANGE HIS DEFENSE AFTER THE 911 TAPES CAME OUT OF HIM ADMITTED HE WAS CHASING TRAYVON!! That is why his lawyer said “Stand Your Ground” doesn’t apply!!
Mr Zimmerman wasn’t doing his job as a neighbourhood watch person at the time, because he went beyond watching, he also did not watch the kid do anything to report to the police at all.
I haven’t seen a SINGLE post saying people have a problem with neighborhood watches. I do personally have a problem with people who go beyond watching and start shooting. I do have a problem with people citing that someone is suspicious and that suspicion is not accompanied by an actual act…an illegal act, like breaking in cars, looking in a window, etc.. Wearing a hoodie, which many people own, is not suspicious.
A kid is dead, and regardless of this man’s intent, he did and should have to answer to the law.
How about showing an acurate picutre of that kid instead of a picture from when he was 12
I don’t care if he was 21. You can’t stalk and shoot people when they defend themselves from the stalker and claim self defense.!!!
Whats the difference?
The whole age of the photos thing reminds me of the movie “Mississippi Burning” when the racist cop said “their so cute when they are babies”
Whites felt tricked when it came out that this was a older unarmed teen vs. a small unarmed child. Even though the fact remains that Zimmerman attempted to detain Trayvon because “they always get away” for no reason.
Zimmy’s neighbor all but admitted on national TV that they were stalking all blacks in the community because of the action of some, WHICH IS THE DEFINITION OF STEREOTYPING IF THEIR EVER WAS ONE!!!!!
As a white man, Im outraged that this man is still free. Had he shot a white boy, hed be in jail already. The cops involved should share his cell. He was clearly confrontational; he clearly had no right to be. I dont care if the kid had em down, he clearly wouldnt wait for the cops, who were on the way. He deserved to have his ass beat, CLEARLY no one needed to die. Dropping a hammer on anyone is a potential death sentence which he had no right to give.
After hearing about Trayvons conversation with his girlfriend, its obvious he thought some thug was after him. The fact he had the balls to kick an armed mans butt, unarmed, speaks to his courage. And since he was getting his butt handed to him by an unarmed boy, the punk had to shoot him in self defense to show who was boss. Zimmerman needs to be charged for initially assaulting Tratyvon by pulling a weapon on him!
Thank you WhiteGuy – well said.
all most all hoods in that town were gated and people were getting robbed in that hood and there was a diesel 6 foot tall black guy in a hoody not from that hood who was tatted with a grill and a mean mug i would have folled him too if i was the watch captin cause thats what watch captins do they fought zimmerman got scuffed up so he reached for the heater…..the nigga is innocent man stop this stupid race shit trayvon was basiclly a grown fuckin man
WHICH IS THE DEFINITION OF STEREOTYPING IF THEIR EVER WAS ONE!!!!
zimmerman is innocent stop all this stupid race card shit and quit actin like he was a black baby the muthafuka was 6 feet tall bouta be 18 a lil baby goon that would prolly fuck up every one who commented in a fight GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT
They are going to rape his ass off the hinges!! smh
he was a black baby
^ and you speak of a race card
As a concealed carry permit owner and someone who regularly carries this guy
is 100% guilty.
You NEVER play police officer just because you have a gun. I carry for defense,
aka if someone comes up to me with a weapon or I am followed by a person with a
weapon threatening to harm me.
This dude actively pursued the kid and then shot him, that is just plain murder.
When you have to follow someone, its no longer self-defense, sorry.
Its obvious from some of these posts that many have no idea as to what a self defense plea involves. Mr Zimmerman’s claim of self defense will be rejected after the State prosecutor finishes her investigation. There is no such thing as self defense if you are the aggressor and Zimmerman became the aggressor once he left the safety of his car. He has no police authority whatsoever and can only report incidents to the authorities.
Zimmy’s neighbor all but admitted on national TV that they were stalking all blacks in the community because of the action of some
^ You’re speaking to a white demographic about racial profiling. Think about that.
Look at the Facebook likes on the right. There’s your audience.
i counted 3 white guys and 7 blacks.
This whole ordeal was born off of racial profiling. Anyone who screams about a race card is a fool. I’ve read so many comments around the web from “melting pot” advocates that use so much racial jargon that it’s appalling. Something is really wrong with a lot of you. The AUTOPSY will tell all.
He killed an unarmed person, put his ass in a cell and throw away the key. Aint no one choose to pull that trigger but him, fuck outta here with this “accidental nonsence” you chose to pull that gun and click the trigger…deal with it.
i wish nothing but death to zimmerman, die motherfucker, die, die!
WHAT ABOUT MY SON HE’S WHITE AND GOT SET ON FIRE BY SOME BOYS WHO ARE BLACK GOOGLE IT, LETS MARCH
MY 13 YR OLD SON WHO IS WHITE WAS SET ON FIRE BY TWO 16 YEAR OLDS WHO WERE BLACK WHILE SAYING This is what you deserve. You get what you deserve white boy.
Well your race should have marched or brought it to your attention. You could have done the same thing Trayvon mom did and dont stop the fight until justice prevails. But while you are naming that one incident let me name a few for you.
Rodney King Oscar Grant Sean Bell and numerous other black that have been gun down by law enforcement. I feel your pain but we are tired of it. Those are just a few of the stories and there are plenty more if you want to go research it. Unarmed black men being gun down like dogs. We not taking it anymore. We only make up 12 percent of the population but we have been killed by police more than any race combine so I dont see your argument. Also no other race gets their sentence revoked like black men because of DNA testing. This is bigger than a kid being shot its about how the judicial system and police treat a black life. If his mother would have accepted like a lot do. Then we would have heard about this it would have been swept under the rug like they usually get done. The police thought it was business as usually. She wasnt having it so I commend her because this is something that black people have been saying for years. When a police pulls us over we have to have liscense registration and insurance on deck and readey we dont want any sudden movements because that will give a trigger happy cop a reason to shoot. I know white people that talk shit and throw their ticket at the police and the police take it if you black you getting shot or thrown to the ground.(tased) Its sad. Not to mention being followed for blocks because they are running your tags. Some white people are really clueless on things that happens out here. When I use to be in the streets I had white guys that would traffic drugs and they would get pulled over and the cop wouldnt get suspcious at all and they had drugs on them. I get pulled over o sir can we search the vehicle…lol. Shit is crazy. So this is a bigger issue than what you talking about. A white person loses their life you get capital murder black person lose their life you get 5-10 and get out in 3 shit happens everyday. Black people know if you take a black life it dont mean anything so thats the reason why the crime is high. They will be out in a couple of years or will not even get caught the police just say fuck it on to the next case…smh.
THIS KID SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN KILLED BUT WHERE IS THE MARCH FOR MY SON, GOOGLE MY NAME
your son is alive bitch
Lady, go speak to your people about that. Hasn’t your race done enough!?
WHY DOES THIS SITE REMOVE POST’S,
I hope they execute him.
I hope they execute you for having an opinion laced with that much hatred. To be clear, what Zimmerman did was wrong, and he should pay for it, but I dare you to step into the shoes of anyone like him for just a minute. How many times have you secretly “profiled” someone that you saw walking down the street?
I hate to shatter your innonence parade, but people make assumptions based on style of dress all the time. So while in no way Trayvon is to blame for another man’s assumption, you have to look at the other side as well. Imagine you looked out your window and saw someone who fit the description of what you would normally perceive as trouble, based on perception/style of dress. You go outside, stand on your lawn and watch. Big deal. It’s your property. The person, who for all you know could have just gotten out of church, starts getting paranoid that you’re staring at them. They say something, or come towards you the neighbor, and suddenly both of your perceptions come into play. End result. Someone ends up dead. So whose to blame, and before you say the neighbor, think real hard about what might have been going through Zimmerman’s mind as a struggle ensued. If he thought Tray was a thug just for walking down the street, try and imagine what he might have thought as Tray was possibly beating his ass.
perception is one thing. Actually following and harassing a stranger is another.
Imagine you looked out your window and saw someone who fit the description of what you would normally perceive as trouble, based on perception/style of dress. You go outside, stand on your lawn and watch. Big deal. It’s your property. The person, who for all you know could have just gotten out of church, starts getting paranoid that you’re staring at them. They say something, or come towards you the neighbor, and suddenly both of your perceptions come into play. End result. Someone ends up dead. So whose to blame
^ call non emergency, report the suspicious person with a description, let law enforcement do their job while and sit your ass down on the couch and TV surf in your Snuggie. Problem solved.
Person was nowhere on YOUR property, you saw NO CRIME being committed, there is NO REASON to FOLLOW said person armed in your vechicle. NONE.
FUCK THAT FAG GEORGE ZIMMERMAN!!!! The system is going through great measures to protect this racist killer. Man fuck him and this damn system.
I agree, it’s more a class and prejudice issues – based on race – at play here.
Zimmerman wouldn’t of the police if the boy had of been wearing suit???
Race, clothing, age can play a part on Fox news, gated community living dwellers.
The police and investigators however – are racist – institutionally – and did not do a proper job due to the same mentality. The phone call alone warranted an immediate arrest.
No way this would happen to white boy.
Never.
Thats way I say – put Zimmerman to death as a warning – and give land to prominent black institution and lets build a black only a state “Watamelonia”
Who’s with me????
I was raped by Zinnerman’s father before the beating.
Also, I still they are planning to move my body next week to make highway over the grave site… just wondered if you would like to all help stop the construction.
Please send a cheque to 314 Fraud Lane, JumJa, NIGERIA SS2 890
All donations are appreciated.
Donations over $200 guarantee entry to Black Power heaven.
Cheers.
Dummy, that’s not the point, and more times than not, that’s not how it goes down. Pay attention. People “profile” others all the time, especially in quiet neighborhoods where older folk are apt to become more suspicious of somebody even if they aren’t doing anything wrong. I posed a question to you and as usual you failed. Whose to blame for Zimmerman’s perception that Trayvon was potentially dangerous? Are we to assume that in 28 years, Zimmerman has never been around an African American person? Seen someone with a hoodie on? Walking at night? You’re saying there was absolutely no reason for Z to be following Martin. Maybe, according to you, but that brings us back to the original post. People don’t need reasons to do anything. Whether it’s walking out of your house, or following somebody in a car. What does it matter? Everything up to the shooting was not a crime by Zimmerman.
You’re joking, right???
WHY DO YOU GUYS REMOVE COMMENTS THAT DON’T INVOLVE ADS?
OBVIOUSLY YA’LL READING EVERY COMMENT SO PLEASE COMMENT.
THANKS. ALTHOUGH NOT SURE HOW WE’LL KNOW IT’S SOMEONE OFFIAL
THIS IS SAD MY SON WAS SET ON FIRE GOOGLE IT
Big shock. You still can’t answer the original question. Find somebody else in your family to debate me, cause dude you suck.
WHAT QUESTION PUSSY?
Sadly, some are exploiting the Trayvon Martin shooting to target self-defense laws that protect innocent lives. These statutes safeguard law-abiding and peaceable citizens and are not a villain in the tragic Florida incident. Stand Your Ground laws did not apply in that situation, and statements to the contrary are irresponsible and misinformed.
In some states, the law imposes a duty to retreat from physical confrontations. Whether in your home or on the street, if you stand and fight, you might be prosecuted as a criminal.
This duty was terrible law. It required you to turn your back on an assailant. Even if he didnt have a gun to shoot you in the back, if he could run faster, he could attack you from behind, putting you at a serious disadvantage.
Some states did not impose this misguided rule. Instead, other states took a common-sense approach to self-defense, which the U.S. Supreme Court in Beard v. U.S. endorsed as early as 1895, when the Court unanimously declared that an innocent person under attack was not obliged to retreat, but was entitled to stand his ground, and meet any attack upon him with a deadly weapon, in such a way and with such force as [he] honestly believed, and had reasonable grounds to believe, was necessary to save his own life, or to protect himself from great bodily injury.
In recent years, legislatures have enacted statutes to address this situation. Many are states where the legal rule was good but legislators wanted to reinforce it; others were enacted in states where the judges had rejected this common-sense principle embraced by the Supreme Court.
One legislative response to the wrongheaded duty to retreat was the Castle Doctrine. The duty to retreat in some states required you to abandon your own home if confronted with an invader, leaving all your possessions to the invader and possibly endangering others.
The Castle Doctrine comes from the maxim that a mans home is his castle. The idea is that if someone breaks into your home, rather than worry about how much evidence there is that he intends you harm and whether you could prove it in a court of law, the law presumes you have a reasonable fear of death or bodily harm and can respond accordingly.
Castle Doctrine doesnt apply if youre in a public place, however. Instead, some states have created a lesser form of protection in public places called Stand Your Ground (SYG). This is the law that has been mentioned in connection with the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman shooting.
But the law is not what you have heard reported by the media. Floridas SYG law provides that a person under attack can use forceincluding deadly forceagainst his attacker if he reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.
Several key points must be highlighted for a proper understanding of the law. First, the threat must be deadly. Its not just that someone punched you in the face. You must be threatened with force sufficient to kill you or cause massive bodily harm or a similar forcible felony (such as rape).
Second, its not enough that the victim believes he is under a deadly threat. His belief must also be reasonable, meaning that under the circumstances an objective observer would likewise conclude the victim could be killed or severely injured.
Third, SYG only protects victims; it does not apply to attackers. If youre attacking someone, you cannot claim SYG as a defense for what follows.
And fourth, it doesnt apply if you cannot retreat. If retreat is not an option, then the situation is governed by ordinary self-defense laws, not SYG laws.
Under any version of the facts, Floridas Stand Your Ground law did not apply in the Trayvon Martin incident. If Zimmerman pursued a confrontation with Martin, then Zimmerman was an attacker and cannot claim SYG. If Zimmermans account is true that he was on the ground and Martin was on top of him, then retreat was impossible, so there would be no duty to retreat anyway. A victim in such a situation can use deadly force, but only if he reasonably believes he is being attacked with deadly force.
To our knowledge, that is the law in all fifty states. It was the law before SYG statutes were ever passed, and SYG did nothing to change it.
So why is this not common knowledge after all the reporting on the Martin shooting? Tragically, some gun control activists are misinforming the public. They are aided by media commentators who were either sympathetic to anti-gun leftists or failed the public trust by not researching and understanding the SYG issue before presuming to editorialize on it.
The police are usually not at hand when a person is attacked by a criminal. The Second Amendment guarantees the right of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. And laws like Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground reinforce that right, especially in states where it had been eroded–not to take innocent life, but instead to preserve it.
Ken Blackwell is the former Mayor of Cincinnati and Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Breitbart legal columnist Ken Klukowski is on faculty at Liberty University School of Law.
Sadly, some are exploiting the Trayvon Martin shooting to target self-defense laws that protect innocent lives. These statutes safeguard law-abiding and peaceable citizens, and are not to blame in the tragic Florida incident. Stand Your Ground laws did not apply in that situation, and statements to the contrary are irresponsible and misinformed.
In some states, the law imposes a duty to retreat from physical confrontations. Whether in your home or on the street, if you stand and fight, you might be prosecuted as a criminal.
This duty makes for terrible law. It requires you to turn your back on an assailant. Even if he does not have a gun to shoot you in the back, if he can run faster than you, he can attack you from behind, putting you at a serious disadvantage.
Some states have chosen not to impose this misguided rule. They took a common-sense approach to self-defense, which the U.S. Supreme Court in Beard v. U.S. endorsed as early as 1895, when the Court unanimously declared that an innocent person under attack was not obliged to retreat, but was entitled to stand his ground, and meet any attack upon him with a deadly weapon, in such a way and with such force as [he] honestly believed, and had reasonable grounds to believe, was necessary to save his own life, or to protect himself from great bodily injury.
In recent years legislatures have enacted new statutes to address this situation. Many are states where the legal rule was good but legislators wanted to reinforce it. Others were states where the judges had rejected thecommon-sense principle embraced by the Supreme Court.
One legislative response to the wrongheaded duty to retreat was the so-called Castle Doctrine. The duty to retreat in some states required you to abandon your own home if confronted with an invader, leaving all your possessions to the invader and possibly endangering others.
The Castle Doctrine comes from the maxim that a mans home is his castle. The idea is that if someone breaks into your home, rather than worry about how much evidence there is that he intends you harm and whether you could prove it in a court of law, the law presumes you have a reasonable fear of death or bodily harm and can respond accordingly.
The Castle Doctrine doesnt apply if youre in a public place, however. Instead, some states have created a lesser form of protection in public places, called Stand Your Ground (SYG). This is the law that has been mentioned in connection with the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman shooting.
But the law is not what you have heard reported by the media. Floridas SYG law provides that a person under attack can use forceincluding deadly forceagainst his attacker if he reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm…or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.
Several keys points. First, the threat must be deadly. Its not just that someone punched you in the face. You must be threatened with force sufficient to kill you or cause massive bodily harm, or a similar forcible felony (such as rape).
Second, its not enough that the victim believes he is under a deadly threat. His belief must also be reasonable, meaning that under the circumstances an objective observer would likewise conclude the victim could be killed or severely injured.
Third, SYG only protects victims; it does not apply to attackers. If youre attacking someone, you cannot claim SYG as a defense for what follows.
And fourth, it doesnt apply if you cannot retreat. If retreat is not an option, then the situation is governed by ordinary self-defense laws, not SYG laws.
Under any version of the facts, Floridas Stand Your Ground law did not apply in the Trayvon Martin incident. If Zimmerman pursued a confrontation with Martin, then Zimmerman was an attacker and cannot claim SYG. If Zimmermans account is true that he was on the ground and Martin was on top of him, then retreat was impossible, so there would be no duty to retreat anyway. A victim in such a situation can use deadly force, but only if he reasonably believes he is being attacked with deadly force.
To our knowledge, that is the law in all fifty states. It was the law before SYG statutes were ever passed, and SYG did nothing to change it.
So why is this not common knowledge after all the reporting on the Martin shooting? Tragically, some anti-gun activists are misinforming the public. They are aided by media commentators who were either sympathetic to the leftists or failed the public trust by not researching and understanding the SYG issue before presuming to editorialize on it.
The police are usually not at hand when you are attacked by a criminal. The Second Amendment guarantees the right of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves. And laws like Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground reinforce that right, especially in states where it had been eroded, not to take innocent life, but instead to preserve it.
Ken Blackwell is the former Mayor of Cincinnati and Undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Breitbart legal columnist Ken Klukowski is on faculty at Liberty University School of Law.
Go ahead and delete this again DX. I’ll just keep posting the truth to trully educate the uneducated. Instead you’d rather insitgate their ignorance and add fuel to this race war thats clear to anyone with a brain the media has started. You justify deleting posts of education but you allow continued spews of hate without any reprocussion or atleast call or civility.
Americans must ask themselves whether Eric Holder and black leaders indeed fear the New Black Panther Party, as they all refuse to condemn their rhetoric and tactics in the last few weeks.
The Trayvon Martin Case is the latest in a long list of incidents into which the New Black Panther Party has injected itself, but nothing has measured up to its latest tactics, which include placing a bounty on George Zimmermans head with the qualifier “dead or alive.”
It would seems to the most independent of observers that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, in his refusal to condemn this murder of hire scandal, approves the placement of bounties by private citizens on other private citizens. One would not have to wonder, if this had been a group of Americans connected with the Tea Party Movement offering up a bounty on a private citizen, what the reaction of the Justice Department would be.
From the very start of the Obama Administration, it has seemed that Mr. Holder believes and believes in giving a great deal of latitude to the New Black Panther Party, as his department refused to entertain the very thought of prosecuting two members of the Party on charges of voter intimidation after they were video-taped by independent observers standing outside a Philadelphia polling place with billy clubs in hand. One would not need to wonder what Mr. Holder actions would be if a black voter called the Department of Justice and reported an empty police car sitting alongside the road leading to a polling place in Florida; there would be calls for him to launch investigations into voter intimidation from political and media figures.
I also notice that none of the self-appointed black leaders such as Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton publicly condemned the hate-filled rhetoric and murder-for-hire tactics of the New Black Panther Party, yet they boasted in the past to be the Keepers of the Legacy of Martin Luther King, who actively preached against the very violence that the New Black Panther Party called for in the wake of the Trayvon Martin Shooting and the investigation that lead to the arrest of George Zimmerman. Al Sharpton even boasted about a possible increase in civil disobedience if Mr. Zimmerman was not arrested before the Special Prosecutor had a chance to investigation the case and file charges against him. It would seem that President Obamas calls for civility in the wake of the Gabby Gifford shooting seemed to be lost on his number one ally in the black community in this case.
Americans of all creeds should be concerned about the rhetoric and tactics coming from fringe groups like the New Black Panther Party, who claim its their main objective to use whatever resulting outcome in their tragic trial to foster racial discord. The question that most Americans need to be asking is, Does the Attorney General of our nation fear the New Black Panther Party, or does his silence along with those of the self-appointed black leaders indicate they approve of the group’s rhetoric and tactics?
Two days ago, Big Journalism reported on a published report by MSNBC staff and NBC News that contained an irresponsibly edited quote from George Zimmerman’s 911 call which misleadingly portrayed him as racist. It has now emerged that NBC actually aired an edited version of the call which matches the published report. In the NBC segment, Zimmerman says: This guy looks like hes up to no good. He looks black.
The full version, however, unfolds like this:
Zimmerman is heard saying, This guy looks like hes up to no good, or hes on drugs or something. Its raining and hes just walking around, looking about. 911 operator: Okay. And this guy, is he white, black, or Hispanic? Zimmerman: He looks black.
After playing both versions on his Fox News program, Sean Hannity said, They forgot the dispatchers question! How could NBC, in good conscience, do that? This isnt bias, this isnt distortion, this is an all-out falsehood by NBC News, answers Brent Bozell, who runs a conservative watchdog group called the Media Research Center.
Here’s more via NewsBusters. This appears to be getting beyond biased reporting by the media at this point. In effect, they are slandering George Zimmerman by misrepresenting what he said on a 911 call so outrageously as to be beyond any standard of ethical media. And still Obama remains silent, after stirring things up early on.
Reacting angrily to selective editing by NBC that suggested racial animus by George Zimmerman, NewsBusters publisher Brent Bozell complained to Fox News’ Sean Hannity last night that NBC News was engaged in an “all-out falsehood.” The story in question was a March 27 Ron Allen report on NBC’s ‘Today’ in which 911 audio was edited to make it sound like George Zimmerman said “he looks black” immediately after saying “this guy looks like he’s up to no good.”
According to a court affidavit revealed today, the state of Floridas case against George Zimmerman hinges in part on whether the screams for help heard on the 911 call were coming from Trayvon Martin, as well as evidence–possibly inadmissible–about what Martin told a friend on the phone.
Multiple eyewitnesses have claimed that they saw Martin on top of defendant George Zimmerman as Zimmerman was on the ground and one eyewitnesses claimed that Zimmerman was yelling for help.
Initially, Trayvon Martins father said that the screams heard were not from his son, but later recanted. Now, as the Orlando Sentinel reports, the state of Florida makes a number of claims in their affidavit that contradict Zimmermans story.
The document says Trayvon’s mother identified the screams for help heard in a 911 call as those of her son. It also reveals that investigators interviewed a “friend” of Trayvon’s who was talking to him in the leadup to the shooting.
Based on the description, it appears the friend was the girl described by Martin family attorneys as his girlfriend.
“During this time, Martin was on the phone with a friend and described to her what was happening,” the affidavit said. “The witness advised that Martin was scared because he was being followed through the complex by an unknown male and didn’t know why.”
The decision by the prosecution to include the information about the alleged cell phone conversation between Martin and his friend is an interesting one, because that conversation might not be allowed into court. Any attempt to introduce evidence about what Trayvon saidwould liklely be ruled inadmissible under the hearsay rule, unless it fit within one of several exceptions, such as one that applies when the defendant has made a witness unavailable.
If no exception applies, the most that Trayvons friend would likely be able to say in front of the jury is that she, in fact, had a conversation with Martin. But she likely could not testify about what he had told her.
The prosecution is certainly aware of this, which makes the inclusion in the affidavit of the information about the conversation Trayvon allegedly had with his friend puzzling, especially if the prosecutions goal is actually winning a criminal conviction against Zimmerman based on facts and the law.
Martin tried to run home, the affidavit says, but was followed by Zimmerman.
“Zimmerman got out of his vehicle and followed Martin.”
The affidavit goes on to say that “Zimmerman disregarded the police dispatcher” who told him to stop, and “continued to follow Martin who was trying to return to his home.”
Zimmerman, the affidavit says, “confronted Martin and a struggle ensued.”
According to the affidavit: “Trayvon Martin’s mother has reviewed the 911 calls and identified the voice crying for help as Trayvon Martin’s. Zimmerman shot Martin in the chest.”
If the voice on the 911 calls is Trayvon Martins, it would cast serious doubts on Zimmermans.entire story. If Zimmerman told investigators the truth, it would make no sense that Trayvon Martin would be yelling for help as he beat up Zimmerman.
No audio has yet been released of what Trayvon Martins voice sounds like.
The media dishonestly going after the president of the United States is wrong, but it goes with the territory, and the target in that case is the most powerful man in the world. That is something completely different from the media using lies and half-baked information to label as racist and a liar a private citizen while he’s in hiding for fear of his life.
In the final months leading up to the 2004 presidential election, the CBS program “60 Minutes Wednesday” aired a hit-job about then-President George W. Bush’s record in the Texas Air National Guard using documents that were quite easily exposed by new media as fraudulent. After this fraud was laid bare, for days the scandal became one of the biggest stories in the country, and as a result of an internal investigation, a number of CBS employees lost their jobs.
Not long afterwards, Dan Rather, who was then the long-time anchor of the “CBS Evening News” and the reporter who presented the phony story, would “retire” early under a cloud of scandal.
What Dan Rather and his cabal of left-wing media hit-men (and women) did eight years ago was serious, but not unprecedented. Every day of the week our corrupt media tells lies of commission and omission in order to damage Republicans and aid Democrats. What was different about Rathergate, though, is that the stakes were enormous. Dan Rather’s phony documents not only could have made the difference between Bush being re-elected or not (which was probably the idea), but CBS was caught red-handed. When a major network attempts to bluff a sitting president out of office, the story is impossible to ignore and the fallout inevitable.
While it might be a sexier story, that doesn’t mean, though, that Rathergate is a greater media sin than what’s become known as Editgate — which is shorthand for the duplicity and malicious behavior we’ve seen these past few weeks from ABC, NBC, and CNN with respect to the racially-charged story of George Zimmerman allegedly shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin
Up until now, I thought the worst thing I had ever seen the media do was in 2008, when Politico’s Jonathan Martin ran interference for His Precious One by publishing oppo-research against a private citizen whose only sin was asking then-candidate Obama a simple question that forever after ensured a President and his teleprompter would never part.
Editgate, however, is something much, much worse.
In the case of ABC News, even though the network knew it had the capability to eventually enhance surveillance video of Zimmerman’s arrest, the network still chose to release the un-enhanced video with this declarative headline: “Trayvon Martin Video Shows No Blood or Bruises on George Zimmerman.”
Translation: Zimmerman is a liar who hunted down and murdered an unarmed teenager.
What CNN did was even worse. “The Most Trusted Name In News” told America that, according to their audio expert, Zimmerman called Trayvon Martin a “fucking coon” just prior to shooting him. They’ve since backpedaled, but the gasoline had already been gleefully thrown on the racial fire. And like ABC News, here’s another situation where a major network shot their biased mouths off, knowing there was better technology at their disposal to report something closer to the truth later.
Translation: Zimmerman is a racist who killed an unarmed teenager because he was black.
But the Editgate gold medal goes to NBC News. The Peacock Network didn’t “misinterpret” what was in front of them and they didn’t jump the gun. What NBC did was ALTER what they had to make Zimmerman look racist.
On the storied “Today Show,” NBC News told America Zimmerman said this on the 911 call:
Zimmerman: This guy looks like hes up to no good. He looks black.
When the truth is that the unedited audio actually went like this:
Zimmerman: This guy looks like hes up to no good. Or hes on drugs or something. Its raining and hes just walking around, looking about.
Dispatcher: OK, and this guy is he black, white or Hispanic?
Zimmerman: He looks black.
TRANSLATION: George Zimmerman racially profiled the unarmed black teenager he shot.
When it came to Rathergate, CBS was targeting a powerful public figure with the resources to fight back. With Editgate, three major networks have targeted a private citizen, a man who does not appear to be wealthy, who has not been charged with a crime, who is innocent until proven guilty, and who is currently in hiding with a bounty on his head.
Worse still, these malicious attempts to paint Zimmerman as a liar and racist are not only attacks on Zimmerman, but through the intentional enflaming of racial divisions based on false and half-baked information, this is also an attack on the American people–especially the people currently sitting in the front row in Sanford, FL.
After the investigation we all want to see, it may very well be discovered that George Zimmerman committed a crime. But if it comes out that he in fact did act in justifiable self-defense, he’ll probably have lawyers beating down his door for a piece of ABC, CNN, and NBC.
Regardless, in their haste to see Obama re-elected and to aid and abet his divisive and cynical national community organizing, these three news outlets and the media watchdogs who refuse to hold them accountable (The Washington Post’s Erik Wemple being a notable exception), have hit a low that makes Rathergate look like just another piece of biased reporting.
Today’s front-page article in the New York Times on the Trayvon Martin case repeated NBC’s attempt to cast George Zimmerman as a racist by selectively editing his 911 call.
Here is the 911 call transcript:
ZIMMERMAN: This guy looks like he’s up to no good, or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.
911 DISPATCHER: Okay. And this guy, is he white, black, or Hispanic?
ZIMMERMAN: He looks black.
And here is what the Times reported:
Hey, weve had some break-ins in my neighborhood, Mr. Zimmerman said to start the conversation with the dispatcher. And theres a real suspicious guy.
This guy seemed to be up to no good; like he was on drugs or something; in a gray hoodie. Asked to describe him further, he said, He looks black.
The Times, like NBC and MSNBC, leaves out the fact that it was the dispatcher, not Zimmerman, who first raised the issue of race.
The one concrete piece of “evidence” used to prove George Zimmermann’s racist intent on the evening of the Trayvon Martin shooting was a racial slur that many in the media were sure they heard… until they didn’t. How did this episode of creative speculation become part of the “facts” of the Trayvon Martin story?
As Joel Pollak detailed in his overview of how the Trayvon Martin case ballooned from a local shooting to a national Rorschach Test on race in America, the conventional wisdom that the story had volatile racial elements was beginning to crystalize as early as March 13, the day after NBC News’ Al Sharpton issued a statement claiming [W]e are told that racial language was used when the young man reported his suspicions to police.
Four days later, police released the 911 call and almost immediately people heard George Zimmermann make two overtly racist statements.
The first was that Trayvon Martin “looked suspicious” because he was black. By now we all know that Zimmerman’s reference to Martin’s race was in direct response to a standard protocol question posed by the 911 dispatcher asking for a description of a person being reported to authorities– no matter how NBC News tried to paint it otherwise.
The second was an utterance that was almost impossible to hear with the naked ear. While talking on the phone to the 911 dispatcher that chilly February evening, Zimmerman was heard to say “F**king {inaudible}.” At least that is how a responsible news organization would have reported it. But not NBC News analyst Tour or Current TV’s “Young Turk” Cenk Uygur. They were confident that they heard “F**king C**ns.”
By Monday, the 19th, those benefitting most from stoking the racial flames of this tragic shooting were spreading the word far and wide. “Here’s the proof! We told you the shooting was racially motivated!”
It became the most prominent line of questioning employed by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and Lawrence O’Donnell when grilling George Zimmerman’s friend and key character witness in the court of public opinion, Joe Oliver. MSNBC’s Tour went back and forth with singer John Legend when Legend dared to suggest that he didn’t hear the racial slur that Tour had heard.
By Tuesday, March 20, activist journalists on the left were so certain of the racial slur that Current TV’s Uygur felt confident enough to play the video unedited on his Current TV program. Racial slur and obscenity for all the world to hear. Most instructive is seeing why Uygur and Current TV chose to air the audio uncensored and to freely interpret the unintelligible utterance as a volatile racial slur for their audience. Uygur told Mediaite’s Tommy Christopher:
“The racial insult on the call could be pivotal to the case, especially on the issue of whether the federal government gets involved.”
Uygur revealed that his motivation in running the uncensored audio with his creative discovery of a racial slur was based on keeping the racial narrative alive to help hand the Justice Department reasonable grounds for a federal civil rights prosecution. This is definitive advocacy journalism which, in and of itself, is not objectionable, except when you attempt to make up your audience’s mind for them instead of letting them reach their own conclusions. Note how Uygur told Christopher, “The racial insult on the call…”. Not the “alleged racial insult,” and not “the racial insult that I believe to hear”– no, in Uygur’s mind Zimmerman was a racist and it is proven by the racial insult that was so clear to any fair-minded listener.
Tour also used it as his key piece of evidence in his famous meltdown with Piers Morgan on CNN. CNN for their part brought in an audio expert to isolate the moment and play it over and over and over again for their viewers. And again, instead of leaving it to the viewers decide for themselves, reporter Gary Tuchman felt compelled to say “It sounds like this allegation could be accurate. I wouldn’t swear to it in court. But that’s what it sounds like to me.”
Fast forward to Wednesday, April 4. NBC News has already been caught deceptively editing the 911 call to make Zimmerman appear to find Martin suspicious because he was black. Now, CNN decides to re-visit the racial slur audio by using a different audio expert. Tuchman is in charge of this investigative report as well and this time, the results are different. This time, Tuchman and his audio expert are sure they hear Zimmerman saying “F**king COLD” instead of a racial slur.
And as if CNN didn’t look ridiculous enough with their embarrassing speculation and on-air interpretations of a one-syllable utterance that sounds more like a grunt than an actual word, the same network had yet a different audio expert on the very next day to assure viewers that what Zimmerman really said was “F**king PUNKS.”
Tour, one of the leading disseminators of the racial slur meme took to Twitter to acknowledge the CNN reports. With predictable hubris he declared that Zimmerman’s racism was already established beyond the racial slur that just two weeks ago he was sure he had heard:
Uygur, for his part, has been uncharacteristically silent about CNN’s audio enhancement. It’s possible he still feels a bit stung by his former colleague Keith Olbermann’s very public criticism of his show and his lack of journalistic credibility. NBC News’ Sharpton, O’Donnell and Matthews have also under-played the CNN story, as have most of the journalists who reported the supposed racial slur as one of the critical facts in this case that pointed to the obvious racist motivations of George Zimmermann.
When media personalities like Tour, Sharpton and Uygur reveal their prime motivation to be a political agenda rather than to reveal the truth, the consequences of their actions are irrelevant to the greater cause they are pursuing. For an activist and a political operative, that is generally accepted. But, as on-air television hosts and analysts attempting to project an air of credibility for themselves and their networks, the standard should be higher than that of a political hack. Unless, of course, the networks in question have thrown-away any pretense that their employees are anything but political hacks.