Zimmerman found NOT GUILTY

[cowgirlx]

What a tragic end to such a sad event. His family really needed that closure.

[yaayme]

Okay, sense you're putting yourself in the shoes of Zimmerman, try putting yourself in the shoe's of a 17 year old kid, not even a 17 year old black male. But just a 17 year old kid, if you can. I know it's hard, but just imagine...You're a kid walking home from the store and all of a sudden you are pursued in a car by a total stranger. This stranger who NEVER identified himself as Neighborhood Watch inquires you about who you are and where you're going IN YOUR OWN DAMN NEIGHBORHOOD! Just imagine that...Then the stranger gets out of his car WHEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO...and YES, "We don't need you to do that" was instructing him not to get out the car. For example...If someone asked you "Can I cut your lawn" and you say "I don't need you to do that" .Aren't you telling them in a NUANCE way, NOT TO CUT YOUR LAWN? If someone asked you "Can I water your plant" and you tell them "I don't need you to do that" and the person does it anyway and ends up knocking it over and breaking that pot. Didn't you tell them in a NUANCE way NOT to? Can you comprehend that?...Back to what I was saying...This unidentified HOSTILE stranger then GETS OUT OF HIS CAR! Wouldn't that incite fear in you that this person intends to do you harm? The creepy person was already following you in a car, now the person STEPS OUT, initiating a confrontation. Because stepping out of a car IS initiating a confrontation. You say Zimmerman was "defending himself" allegedly, okay. TRAYVON WAS DEFENDING HIMSELF TOO!! HELLLOOOOOO!!!....The point is, if Zimmerman would have stayed in his car LIKE HE WAS INSTRUCTED and just keep tailing Trayvon then he would have seen the kid walk to his house which wasn't that far away. But because of RACIAL profiling an innocent child is dead...Under those circumstances HE SHOULD AT LEAST GOT MANSLAUGHTER. I'm done with this whole conversation...believe what you want.

I am empathetic to your outrage, as the media has told you to be outraged and you complied. However, the evidence does not back up this version of the events.

The media told me to be outraged?!...That's so funny...I understand that you lack empathy for people who don't look like you, therefore you assume people who have genuine outrage over a child being racially profiled and murdered are somehow brainwashed...I get it...I wanna now how does evidence not back up what I say?! Wasn't Trayvon stalked in his own neighborhood? Didn't Zimmerman get out of his car, when he was told not to? Did a struggle ensue? Was Trayvon not killed?...Tell me this, what was the purpose of Zimmerman getting out of his car??...The reality of the situation is a innocent kid was racially profiled in his own neighborhood and killed blocks away from his home. What people like you and others are really saying is that Trayvon has no rights. He didn't have a right to walk the streets of his own neighborhood, didn't have a right to live in the neighborhood, didn't have a right to go to the store, he didn't have the right to assert himself to a complete stranger that was harassing him, didn't have a right to defend himself, didn't have a right to live and now you're saying I don't have a right to complain. Typical!...This story hits home because I have brothers who were racially profiled, but thank God they made it home safe. Trayvon wasn't so lucky. That could have easily been them. But you don't know a damn thing about that, do you?! People pretend it's not racial but imagine if BOTH WERE WHITE. Instead of Trayvon being black, say he was a white kid. I bet you all agree under those same circumstances that George Zimmerman would deserve manslaughter. Am I right? I know I am...I'M OFFICIALLY DONE!! BYE!!

[pwhittle1]

When will people learn to stop using their color? See each other as equal/all the same. Until this happens there will always be an issue of race.

[hawkeye3210]

Okay, sense you're putting yourself in the shoes of Zimmerman, try putting yourself in the shoe's of a 17 year old kid, not even a 17 year old black male. But just a 17 year old kid, if you can. I know it's hard, but just imagine...You're a kid walking home from the store and all of a sudden you are pursued in a car by a total stranger. This stranger who NEVER identified himself as Neighborhood Watch inquires you about who you are and where you're going IN YOUR OWN DAMN NEIGHBORHOOD! Just imagine that...Then the stranger gets out of his car WHEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO...and YES, "We don't need you to do that" was instructing him not to get out the car. For example...If someone asked you "Can I cut your lawn" and you say "I don't need you to do that" .Aren't you telling them in a NUANCE way, NOT TO CUT YOUR LAWN? If someone asked you "Can I water your plant" and you tell them "I don't need you to do that" and the person does it anyway and ends up knocking it over and breaking that pot. Didn't you tell them in a NUANCE way NOT to? Can you comprehend that?...Back to what I was saying...This unidentified HOSTILE stranger then GETS OUT OF HIS CAR! Wouldn't that incite fear in you that this person intends to do you harm? The creepy person was already following you in a car, now the person STEPS OUT, initiating a confrontation. Because stepping out of a car IS initiating a confrontation. You say Zimmerman was "defending himself" allegedly, okay. TRAYVON WAS DEFENDING HIMSELF TOO!! HELLLOOOOOO!!!....The point is, if Zimmerman would have stayed in his car LIKE HE WAS INSTRUCTED and just keep tailing Trayvon then he would have seen the kid walk to his house which wasn't that far away. But because of RACIAL profiling an innocent child is dead...Under those circumstances HE SHOULD AT LEAST GOT MANSLAUGHTER. I'm done with this whole conversation...believe what you want.

I am empathetic to your outrage, as the media has told you to be outraged and you complied. However, the evidence does not back up this version of the events.

The media told me to be outraged?!...That's so funny...I understand that you lack empathy for people who don't look like you, therefore you assume people who have genuine outrage over a child being racially profiled and murdered are somehow brainwashed...I get it...I wanna now how does evidence not back up what I say?! Wasn't Trayvon stalked in his own neighborhood? Didn't Zimmerman get out of his car, when he was told not to? Did a struggle ensue? Was Trayvon not killed?...Tell me this, what was the purpose of Zimmerman getting out of his car??...The reality of the situation is a innocent kid was racially profiled in his own neighborhood and killed blocks away from his home. What people like you and others are really saying is that Trayvon has no rights. He didn't have a right to walk the streets of his own neighborhood, didn't have a right to live in the neighborhood, didn't have a right to go to the store, he didn't have the right to assert himself to a complete stranger that was harassing him, didn't have a right to defend himself, didn't have a right to live and now you're saying I don't have a right to complain. Typical!...This story hits home because I have brothers who were racially profiled, but thank God they made it home safe. Trayvon wasn't so lucky. That could have easily been them. But you don't know a damn thing about that, do you?! People pretend it's not racial but imagine if BOTH WERE WHITE. Instead of Trayvon being black, say he was a white kid. I bet you all agree under those same circumstances that George Zimmerman would deserve manslaughter. Am I right? I know I am...I'M OFFICIALLY DONE!! BYE!!

Wait, who's the one racially profiling? If someone of another color believes the GZ was not guilty based on the evidence, that does not mean that person lacks empathy for those who don't look like them. That's a crazy and borderline racist accusation. No one is saying Trayvon didn't have any rights. That's another crazy accusation. This wasn't a racial issue, even though you, and the media are trying to make it be that.

[Falconer02]

I'm really sick and tired of everyone pointing out all the news stories of this. You've been duped by major news organizations so they get more attention and make money off of those oh so important ads. This is on par with highlighting the Swine flu-- every news station and everyone made a huge deal out of it when it was just another flu hovering around. The amount of racism on the internet is despicable right now. Some white-hispanic man killed some black 17-yr-old teen who was being an physically-abusive jerk and he was found innocent? 47 people got shot (9 killed) last month in Chicago and you probably can't name one victim. Get over it.

[jmccaskill]

I'm not surprised. I knew he wouldn't be convicted because the police refused to arrest him in the first place...They have a lot of nut jobs in Florida (no disrespect to some of the people who unfortunately live there). It's they same state that didn't convict Casey Anthony for killing her baby. Not to mention they can't even count ballots!

It's not really surprising...from the beginning it seemed kinda clear he wouldn't (and shouldn't) be convicted. Yes, this is the same state that allowed CA to go free, but they're not comparable. Same with OJ case - yes, similar results, but different issues at play.

I'm NOT saying that the cases are comparable! I am talking about the MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE in the state of Florida. The judge that presided over the Zimmerman trial is the same judge (Angela Corey) who sentenced a woman (Marrisa Alexander) to 20 years in prison for firing warning shots at her abusive husband. Do you see the irony!? This woman was actually defending herself, didn't kill anyone but got 20 years in prison! Zimmerman chased down an innocent CHILD, was told to stay in his car, but pursued him anyway and then killed him...And as far as the OJ trial...you can thank that racist cop Mark Fuhrman for planting false evidence, therefore planting reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors. That being said, I do believe that OJ did it and deserves to be in prison, but if people want to play tit for tat, then a certain group of people have a hell of a lot to pay for for centuries of injustice. Think about that.

1) Zimmerman was not instructed to stay in his vehicle. Specifically the dispatcher said: "We don't need you to do that"... which is not a command in any way at all. Zimmerman was 'doing his job' as a neighborhood watch person and was keeping tabs on Martin's whereabouts.

2) Zimmerman did NOT 'chase down' Martin in any way or fashion. The FACT is that Zimmerman followed the movements of Martin at a distance, and was constantly talking with the aforementioned dispatcher on the phone.

3) The last comment of Zimmerman to the dispatcher was that he had 'lost' Martin, and was RETURNING to his vehicle. Very shortly after this Martin CONFRONTED Zimmerman. Zimmerman's story is that this was immediately followed with Martin throwing a punch. Evidence presented is the dislocation of Zimmerman's nose. Regardless of this 'punch' it is known and undisputed that a fight ensued.

4) In said fight, Martin became situated atop Zimmerman and proceeded to pummel Zimmerman, this included forcing Zimmerman's head to contact a concrete sidewalk. This is not only the account of Zimmerman; it is the testimony of an eye witness. It is plausible that in the course of these two struggling that their bodies shifted positions in all manner of ways.

5) Zimmerman was being beaten to the point he was screaming or help, and though the fight was in progress and being seen as it happened, no assistance was forthcoming form anyone. Zimmerman's situation was perilous, this is without dispute. Zimmerman considered the situation he was in and in his mind felt he was in danger of being killed OR suffering severe bodily harm. Zimmerman, in interviews, claims that Martin noticed his sidearm and attempted to wrest it from its holster. At this juncture Zimmerman managed to control the weapon, drew it, and fired a single shot that resulted in stopping the assault and the subsequent death of Martin. Regardless of the validity of the claim that Martin attempted to grab the pistol, the assault and beating Zimmerman was receiving at the hands of Martin was sufficient cause for Zimmerman to exercise ANY and all remedies to defend himself.

6) Zimmerman shot Martin in self defense.

End of story, and should be the end of the matter entirely.

Okay, sense you're putting yourself in the shoes of Zimmerman, try putting yourself in the shoe's of a 17 year old kid, not even a 17 year old black male. But just a 17 year old kid, if you can. I know it's hard, but just imagine...You're a kid walking home from the store and all of a sudden you are pursued in a car by a total stranger. This stranger who NEVER identified himself as Neighborhood Watch inquires you about who you are and where you're going IN YOUR OWN DAMN NEIGHBORHOOD! Just imagine that...Then the stranger gets out of his car WHEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO...and YES, "We don't need you to do that" was instructing him not to get out the car. For example...If someone asked you "Can I cut your lawn" and you say "I don't need you to do that" .Aren't you telling them in a NUANCE way, NOT TO CUT YOUR LAWN? If someone asked you "Can I water your plant" and you tell them "I don't need you to do that" and the person does it anyway and ends up knocking it over and breaking that pot. Didn't you tell them in a NUANCE way NOT to? Can you comprehend that?...Back to what I was saying...This unidentified HOSTILE stranger then GETS OUT OF HIS CAR! Wouldn't that incite fear in you that this person intends to do you harm? The creepy person was already following you in a car, now the person STEPS OUT, initiating a confrontation. Because stepping out of a car IS initiating a confrontation. You say Zimmerman was "defending himself" allegedly, okay. TRAYVON WAS DEFENDING HIMSELF TOO!! HELLLOOOOOO!!!....The point is, if Zimmerman would have stayed in his car LIKE HE WAS INSTRUCTED and just keep tailing Trayvon then he would have seen the kid walk to his house which wasn't that far away. But because of RACIAL profiling an innocent child is dead...Under those circumstances HE SHOULD AT LEAST GOT MANSLAUGHTER. I'm done with this whole conversation...believe what you want.

[jmccaskill]

I'm not surprised. I knew he wouldn't be convicted because the police refused to arrest him in the first place...They have a lot of nut jobs in Florida (no disrespect to some of the people who unfortunately live there). It's they same state that didn't convict Casey Anthony for killing her baby. Not to mention they can't even count ballots!

It's not really surprising...from the beginning it seemed kinda clear he wouldn't (and shouldn't) be convicted. Yes, this is the same state that allowed CA to go free, but they're not comparable. Same with OJ case - yes, similar results, but different issues at play.

I'm NOT saying that the cases are comparable! I am talking about the MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE in the state of Florida. The judge that presided over the Zimmerman trial is the same judge (Angela Corey) who sentenced a woman (Marrisa Alexander) to 20 years in prison for firing warning shots at her abusive husband. Do you see the irony!? This woman was actually defending herself, didn't kill anyone but got 20 years in prison! Zimmerman chased down an innocent CHILD, was told to stay in his car, but pursued him anyway and then killed him...And as far as the OJ trial...you can thank that racist cop Mark Fuhrman for planting false evidence, therefore planting reasonable doubt in the minds of the jurors. That being said, I do believe that OJ did it and deserves to be in prison, but if people want to play tit for tat, then a certain group of people have a hell of a lot to pay for for centuries of injustice. Think about that.

1) Zimmerman was not instructed to stay in his vehicle. Specifically the dispatcher said: "We don't need you to do that"... which is not a command in any way at all. Zimmerman was 'doing his job' as a neighborhood watch person and was keeping tabs on Martin's whereabouts.

2) Zimmerman did NOT 'chase down' Martin in any way or fashion. The FACT is that Zimmerman followed the movements of Martin at a distance, and was constantly talking with the aforementioned dispatcher on the phone.

3) The last comment of Zimmerman to the dispatcher was that he had 'lost' Martin, and was RETURNING to his vehicle. Very shortly after this Martin CONFRONTED Zimmerman. Zimmerman's story is that this was immediately followed with Martin throwing a punch. Evidence presented is the dislocation of Zimmerman's nose. Regardless of this 'punch' it is known and undisputed that a fight ensued.

4) In said fight, Martin became situated atop Zimmerman and proceeded to pummel Zimmerman, this included forcing Zimmerman's head to contact a concrete sidewalk. This is not only the account of Zimmerman; it is the testimony of an eye witness. It is plausible that in the course of these two struggling that their bodies shifted positions in all manner of ways.

5) Zimmerman was being beaten to the point he was screaming or help, and though the fight was in progress and being seen as it happened, no assistance was forthcoming form anyone. Zimmerman's situation was perilous, this is without dispute. Zimmerman considered the situation he was in and in his mind felt he was in danger of being killed OR suffering severe bodily harm. Zimmerman, in interviews, claims that Martin noticed his sidearm and attempted to wrest it from its holster. At this juncture Zimmerman managed to control the weapon, drew it, and fired a single shot that resulted in stopping the assault and the subsequent death of Martin. Regardless of the validity of the claim that Martin attempted to grab the pistol, the assault and beating Zimmerman was receiving at the hands of Martin was sufficient cause for Zimmerman to exercise ANY and all remedies to defend himself.

6) Zimmerman shot Martin in self defense.

End of story, and should be the end of the matter entirely.

Okay, sense you're putting yourself in the shoes of Zimmerman, try putting yourself in the shoe's of a 17 year old kid, not even a 17 year old black male. But just a 17 year old kid, if you can. I know it's hard, but just imagine...You're a kid walking home from the store and all of a sudden you are pursued in a car by a total stranger. This stranger who NEVER identified himself as Neighborhood Watch inquires you about who you are and where you're going IN YOUR OWN DAMN NEIGHBORHOOD! Just imagine that...Then the stranger gets out of his car WHEN INSTRUCTED NOT TO...and YES, "We don't need you to do that" was instructing him not to get out the car. For example...If someone asked you "Can I cut your lawn" and you say "I don't need you to do that" .Aren't you telling them in a NUANCE way, NOT TO CUT YOUR LAWN? If someone asked you "Can I water your plant" and you tell them "I don't need you to do that" and the person does it anyway and ends up knocking it over and breaking that pot. Didn't you tell them in a NUANCE way NOT to? Can you comprehend that?...Back to what I was saying...This unidentified HOSTILE stranger then GETS OUT OF HIS CAR! Wouldn't that incite fear in you that this person intends to do you harm? The creepy person was already following you in a car, now the person STEPS OUT, initiating a confrontation. Because stepping out of a car IS initiating a confrontation. You say Zimmerman was "defending himself" allegedly, okay. TRAYVON WAS DEFENDING HIMSELF TOO!! HELLLOOOOOO!!!....The point is, if Zimmerman would have stayed in his car LIKE HE WAS INSTRUCTED and just keep tailing Trayvon then he would have seen the kid walk to his house which wasn't that far away. But because of RACIAL profiling an innocent child is dead...Under those circumstances HE SHOULD AT LEAST GOT MANSLAUGHTER. I'm done with this whole conversation...believe what you want.

No, you err in saying I am putting myself in Zimmerman's shoes. I am simply stating the facts that became evident in the course of the trial. There was no contact between Zimmerman and Martin until Martin confronted Zimmerman at a point in time that Zimmerman was returning to his car (evidenced by his phone conversation with the dispatcher). The fact of the matter is that Martin could have just continued on to his residence, but chose to make an issue of things with Zimmerman and a fight ensued.

Don't put words in others mouth. I am happy you are done with this, everyone should be.

Never let the facts interfere with your thinking...

[Ziffy]

95% of the people I've talked to and most of the commentators on the web and news shows didn't even watch the parts of the trial that were shown. I can tell by their comments because I did watch it. I'm surprised at all the politicians and even legal people commenting who think the trial was based on the stand your ground law. One lady in a game I play even said how could they find him innocent after he shot a kid in the back?  I just think people should watch the trial before commenting, that's if it's available to be seen, or at least read a transcript of the testimony.

[sigmapi1501]

The media told me to be outraged?!...That's so funny...I understand that you lack empathy for people who don't look like you, therefore you assume people who have genuine outrage over a child being racially profiled and murdered are somehow brainwashed...I get it...I wanna now how does evidence not back up what I say?! Wasn't Trayvon stalked in his own neighborhood? Didn't Zimmerman get out of his car, when he was told not to? Did a struggle ensue? Was Trayvon not killed?...Tell me this, what was the purpose of Zimmerman getting out of his car??...The reality of the situation is a innocent kid was racially profiled in his own neighborhood and killed blocks away from his home. What people like you and others are really saying is that Trayvon has no rights. He didn't have a right to walk the streets of his own neighborhood, didn't have a right to live in the neighborhood, didn't have a right to go to the store, he didn't have the right to assert himself to a complete stranger that was harassing him, didn't have a right to defend himself, didn't have a right to live and now you're saying I don't have a right to complain. Typical!...This story hits home because I have brothers who were racially profiled, but thank God they made it home safe. Trayvon wasn't so lucky. That could have easily been them. But you don't know a damn thing about that, do you?! People pretend it's not racial but imagine if BOTH WERE WHITE. Instead of Trayvon being black, say he was a white kid. I bet you all agree under those same circumstances that George Zimmerman would deserve manslaughter. Am I right? I know I am...I'M OFFICIALLY DONE!! BYE!!

If a white kid said "This cracka gonna die tonight" (this statement was entered in court as said by Tayvon) then punched Zimmerman in the face, mounted him MMA style and began to beat his head into the sidewalk and THEN Zimmerman pulled his gun and shot the White boy dead. Would I be outraged? NO! You wanna know why? Because I would have never heard about it. The media thought this story smelled delicious and sensationalized it. They painted the shooter as an overzealous racist and the gang banger athletic teen as an innocent "child". Trayvon wanted to be a tough guy. Instead of telling Zimmerman he lived in the neighborhood he mounted him. He got shot. This all could have been avoided if BOTH men would have acted differently.

[hawkeye3210]

Sort of like how little got reported of a white teenager, Marley Lion age 17, who was unarmed, but shot and killed by a 30 year old black man. You don't hear much about that (except for the comparisons with the Zimmerman-Martin case).

A better comparison would be of another white 17 year old named Christopher Cervini, who was unarmed, and shot a killed by Roderick Scott, a 42 year old black man. Scott claimed to have acted in self-defense after Cervini charged at him. The jury also found Scott not guilty. This happened in 2009, but the first I am hearing about it is today.

http://rochester.ynn.com/content/top_stories/490926/jury-finds-roderick-scott-not-guilty/

[bjohnson52]

 We need a miracle from God to stop all of this hate and racism and other
horrific crimes.  The truth of the matter is how we as humans are bought up
from childhood to accept or not accept the diversities of other humans.

Nothing will change for the best until we can be honest with each other about how we feel
towards each other without resorting to murder or violence.

If you are human, you know that there are people of your own race that you don't like but
it normally wouldn't lead to murder but it can some times lead to violence.

There's no excuse for either just know that this big world that God
made for us has has a whole lot of varieties and that's a beautiful thing.

[vp44]

Well to me I would say the media does not influence any one because if they said everyone's jumping off a bridge so you should to I do not think everyone reading or watching would do it. You watch the news and read articles and form your own opinion. I do think the media shines light on things that some fail to believe that is still going on in America and that is racism and also racial profiling. Plus a neighbor hood watch person is not allowed to carry a weapon because their only job is to observe and report and not confront but wait for the police. It was his right to carry a weapon but he did not follow rules of neighbor hood watch group. All this young man was doing was walking down the street headed for home. From a interview I read from one of the police detective asked him what was he doing for you to suspect him and Z said nothing I was just following him to make sure. Therefore this man stalked this young man, a altercation happened and now the young man is dead. A few neighbor hood watch groups have spoken out and said Z did not follow the rules that is set by the police them self. If he would have had a stun gun there would be 2 people alive and not 1 from this terrible incident. Now that is my opinion I formed on my own. 

[Falconer02]

Well to me I would say the media does not influence any one because if they said everyone's jumping off a bridge so you should to I do not think everyone reading or watching would do it.

You do realize that's used as a metaphor, right? People listen to major news organizations as factual news all the time. It's bull.

All this young man was doing was walking down the street headed for home.

...and slugging a dude in the head repeatedly.

Now that is my opinion I formed on my own.

Just like the major news organizations do! Nice job on learning from them!

[vp44]

Well to me I would say the media does not influence any one because if they said everyone's jumping off a bridge so you should to I do not think everyone reading or watching would do it.

You do realize that's used as a metaphor, right? People listen to major news organizations as factual news all the time. It's bull.

All this young man was doing was walking down the street headed for home.

...and slugging a dude in the head repeatedly.

Now that is my opinion I formed on my own.

Just like the major news organizations do! Nice job on learning from them!

Speak for yourself! You do not know me to say what I learn.

[nmsmith]

CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN WHY THERE WERE ONLY 6 JURORS ON THIS JURY?