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Courtesy of Kevin Cunningham
Kevin Cunningham started a petition on change.org calling for the prosecution of the man who shot Florida teen Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26.
When Kevin Cunningham read about the killing of teenager Trayvon Martin early this month, he turned to a platform he was just starting to experiment with – social media – to add his voice to the few that were expressing outrage about a Florida police department’s handling of the case.
Little did he know when he started an online petition demanding that authorities prosecute the shooter, that it would garner more than 2 million signatures and help draw international attention to the 17-year-old’s shooting death on Feb. 26.
“I decided to take the skills that I’ve been working on … and apply them to the situation and see how well it would work out, and it just went crazy on me,” said Cunningham, 31, of Washington, D.C., who created the petition on the Change.org website on March 8.
“What I’ve learned is that in social media, you don’t have to go through institutions anymore. … Any individual with any idea can make it work if they have (a) connection to the Internet,” he added.
Video shows Zimmerman shortly after Martin shooting
Cunningham, a red-head who describes himself as the “super Irish” son of activist parents, said he learned about the Martin case when he read a story posted on a listserv for Men of Howard, an informal, secretive fraternity that he joined while attending the historically black Howard University as a law student.
When he suggested starting an online appeal calling for prosecution of the shooter, neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, the proposal was met with both support and skepticism from other subscribers.
“At Howard, they tell us as soon as we get there, ‘If you’re going to be a lawyer, you’re either a social engineer or a parasite on society.’ … that’s how I think about life, is to be a social engineer, and that’s what my parents always were trying to be," he said.
When Cunningham launched the appeal, others in the fraternity posted it to their social networks. Later, current students and other alumni shared it, too.
Does surveillance video of George Zimmerman in police custody on the night of Trayvon Martin's death contradict claims that he was beaten and bloodied during an altercation with the Florida teen? NBC's Ron Allen reports.
'Made me feel very good'
On the first day, Cunningham believes the petition got 100 signatures. Then it quickly reached the 1,000 mark as it spread to Florida, California and beyond. Cunningham said he noticed that some of the signers identified themselves as family members or friends of Martin.
“You could tell there ... was a lot of people who knew him and liked him,” he said. “It definitely had an impact on me … it made me feel very good about what I had done, what we had done.”
Zimmerman has admitted to shooting Martin. His representatives have asserted he acted in self-defense, but the incident has sparked outrage in many quarters because Martin was unarmed and, according to critics of police handling of the case, may have been targeted because he was black.
When the number of signatures on Cunningham’s petition crested 10,000 after a few days, Change.org contacted him about transferring it to Martin’s parents, who had begun making media appearances to speak on behalf of their slain son.
Cunningham said he was happy to do so, noting several times in an interview with msnbc.com that he had wanted to remain behind the scenes.
He also played down his role in the petition’s explosive growth, saying the number of signers when he transferred it to Martin’s parents was “not even a rounding error” compared to where the number stands now.
“At the same time, I feel like I did kick the stone that turned into the snowball that caused the avalanche,” he said.
Grateful for a stranger's gesture
Martin's parents expressed gratitude.
"When we heard about the petition, we were overwhelmed that someone we didn't know would take the time and effort to raise awareness about our son," said his mother, Sybrina Fulton.
"From the beginning, our only goal has been getting simple justice for our son," added his father, Tracy Martin. "The fact that more than 2 million people have signed this petition shows there are still a lot of good people in this world."
Transferring a petition on Change.org is extremely rare, said Megan Lubin, a spokeswoman for the website, where nearly 100,000 petitions have been posted since it began operations in 2007.
“Trayvon’s parents were very quickly becoming the face of the national story. It was really their story that was speaking to folks … and I think the decision was made to reach out and see if they would be interested in leading the campaign,” she said.
Congressman escorted from House after wearing hoodie in Trayvon Martin tribute
Lubin noted that an average of 15,000 petitions are started on the site every month, “so for a petition to climb this fast and to grow to this size is truly remarkable.” She attributed the growth in part to “celebrities who have made it their sole mission over their social media pages …to call for folks to sign this petition.”
“It goes directly to the story and Trayvon’s parents,” she added, “but it also demonstrates … the incredible power of the platform and social media in general.”
Website's largest petition ever
The petition became the largest in the website’s history last week, surpassing the number of signatures on one launched last year calling for a law to make it a felony for a guardian not to notify authorities of a child disappearance within 24 hours, in the wake of the Casey Anthony case.
Cunningham’s effort was one of the dozens, if not hundreds, of efforts to publicize the case online that helped to keep the conversation going about Martin “even though there (weren't) a lot of big developments in the case” prior to the release of the 911 tapes, said Kelly McBride, senior faculty for ethics at The Poynter Institute.
The parents of Trayvon Martin, the 17-year-old student fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer in a gated Florida community, defend their son's reputation amid new reports that portray him as a teen often in trouble. NBC's Ron Allen reports.
“It gave all of those people who were motivated a place to point to and say, ‘Here do something, you know, sign this,’ and it also … became like a central blog for who was making interesting comments on the case,” said McBride, who spoke with Cunningham for a column tracing how the story evolved on social media.
Lubin said it’s up to Trayvon Martin’s parents to decide what to do with the petition.
“The point of Change.org is so that people feel empowered and able to start something at any time and it has to be their campaign,” she said. “ Our role is very much … helping people achieve that goal.”
Cunningham, who works as a social media coordinator for a Palestine children’s charity, KinderUSA, said he “fell in love” with social media during the Egyptian revolution and was inspired by the activists he encountered in the virtual world.
He was particularly moved by the story of Khaled Said, whose death at the hands of police was credited with helping trigger the Egyptian uprising that toppled the government of Hosni Mubarak.
“I thought that this could be a similar situation where the death of the one person could be the thing that triggers us to re-look at our society,” Cunningham said. “I think we need to revolutionize the justice system, for sure, and maybe our culture as well.”
Asked whether he thought people might be surprised to learn that a white man was responsible for the petition demanding justice for a black teenager he had never met, Cunningham said he didn’t “believe in black and white.”
“The only race I believe in is the human race,” he said.
Leave a Comment:
And who will look the part of a jackass if Zimmerman is not guilty?
I think the simple issue of someone being dead is a little more pressing and important to keep in mind than calling people names.
Hows 'bout we actually get him to TRIAL and then let the chips fall where the may. It goes without saying that he'd have to be, ya know, ARRESTED first!
What is important at this time when the case is being watched carefully - is to withhold judgement until al the evidence is in and has been evaluated.
If Zimmerman should be found "not guilty" that would be up to the trial jury; but, at least arrest him and have a trial. The point is his guilt or innocence should be decided by a court, not the police department.
Well, don't you have egg on your face this morning, now that the video has been released.
What video are you referring to?
And who will look the jackass with the white sheet on if he is guilty....
That's not material to them..........
You mean the grainy video that shows very little about facts concerning the night, Differnet? Are you expecting to know internal injuries? Psychic clues, perhaps? Is your CSI skills working overtime to conclude facts that have been overlooked by professionals?
And what if Dubya really won the 2000 elections?
And what if Saddam really had WMDs?
And what if Zimmerman didn't kill Martin?
...... too many "what ifs" ...
...... first arrest the damn killer and give him a fair trial.
No one cares if it is SELF DEFENSE it looks like he shot a 12 yr old kid with the pictures the media put on here and all the MISINFORMATION they are just trying to get people to think about something else besides how BAD this ECONOMY is.
Even if he is found not guilty doesn't mean he didn't do the crime. Ever heard of Casey Anthony?
There is a video out now showing Zimmerman at the police station after the incident happened with no injuries, things don't look good for him.
@Howmanybeers
FYP
Really? Riots? Agitate much? When there are no riots, and if they have not happened by by now, they aren't going to happen, then what are you going to whine about?
Kevin Cunningham, I salute you for a job well done! For you did “kick the stone that turned into the
snowball that caused the avalanche.”
I am so amazed that your genius galvanized more than 2 million people "have signed this petition shows there are still a lot of good people in this world."
Out of all of this darkness, light! Thank you....amazing, wow!
Wow, and i thought i was a pale redhead, jeeez...anyway, as people grasp at straws from both sides of the fence we just seem unable to think straight about the issues at hand. We forget that young black men are more likely to be the victim of violent crime than any other group, though usually at the hands of other young black men. Zimmerman was told by the 911 operator, who is a sworn office for the police, to not follow trayvon, and who was really feeling threatened? If you thought some large person was following you and you are at the point of fight or flight response, its one or the other. Would Trayvon knew that zimmerman had a gun would he have done anything but run? If Zimmerman confronted Trayvon then wouldn't it have been Trayvon trying to "Stand His Ground"? The landscape where everything happen had no real hiding places and was a short distance from his home, it doesn't make sense.
As for the mother "trademarking" his name and image, people were already making money off both, people who didn't care about respecting his memory, just making money off his memory, i think she is well within her rights to protect both and and have say so as to how both are used in relation to his death.
this wasn't a murder, but this sure as hell wasn't a "stand your ground" or self defense. Trayvon was walking home, regardless of how he may have been doing so, he wasn't breaking any law, nor actively trying seek a confrontation with anyone. This was someone stupid, with a gun over zealous to do their neighborhood watch, who followed this young man in a hoodie and forced a confrontation by disobeying direct orders from a 911 officer and his own watch's bilaws.
Manslaughter, yes, murder, no...and changing the laws to where this cannot happen again.
This is a classic case of someone taking action without knowing anything about the incident. All this started from a news release from the Martin family attorney after they got the 911 tapes released. It is obviously only one side of the story but everyone accepted it as true factual information and it has taken on a life of it's own. The media has, for the most part, fanned the flames without even entertaining the possibility that there may be another side to this. Everyone seems to think that they know more about this than the officers that were actually at the scene that evening because someone on tv says something different. It's sad that the public is so easily led by the media these days.
George Zimmerman doesn't have a prayer of getting a fair trial at this point.
As for the video released yesterday, the initial police report clearly stated that Zimmerman was treated for his injuries at the scene by EMS before he was transported. Doesn't anyone read this stuff?
Zimmerman was jumped from behind by a 6'3" thug. Facts are facts.
I think it will be those who support Zimmerman considering that once Zimmerman is let off, and it seems that he will, he will most likely do it again as people like him always do. The thrill of the hunt is too much for individuals like him to resist.
@Bluelake, no riots? Then what do you call a flash mob that looted a Miami Walgreens in support of Trayvon Martin? Please tell me what Walgreens did to deserve having one of their stores looted.
While it is a tragedy that this guy lost his life, I'm curious about the mentality that makes these people use this as an excuse to commit other crimes. Or to incite violence and issue a $1 million "dead or alive" reward for Zimmerman. Especially when the facts have not been made public and there has been a rush to judgement in the court of public opinion.
The vigilante justice mentality is the product of a bunch of really stupid people. Aided and abetted by the race baiters Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. Like Spike Lee tweeting the address of "Zimmerman"....except it turned out it was the address of an elderly couple that is now in fear for their lives.
When 90% of young black men are killed by other black men, I wonder where Sharpton, Jackson and Lee are then? Why aren't they out trying to lynch them like they are Zimmerman? They're racists, that's why.
Howmanyfingers Comment collapsed by the community
So you don't want to follow and demand the truth because you may "look like a jackass"?
You need to look in the mirror for that jackass.
You will!
I don't understand how people can pick & choose. Does this Cunningham guy know about the innocent people getting killed in Chicago? Why isn't he concerned about them?
IMO when people cover a story when it involves different races it tells me they are racists themselves.
Check & see what's happening in Chicago first but I guess since it involves black on black no one cares, (yes I'm talking to you Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, The Black Panthers, Spike Lee, Cunningham) and that is just wrong.
I tend to think that the internet has made things too easy - I admire someone to stand up for what they believe in but let's face it - anyone can do just about anything on the internet - It has made everything trivial...it seems they are equating an online petition with the civil rights protesters or some other cause that actually took some gumption.
Martin was 6'0" and 160lbs PER THE POLICE REPORT. So you got that fact wrong.
Second, how do you know Zimmerman was "jumped from behind?" Simply because he says so, because it would seem that Zimmerman has every damn reason to push that narrative even though there is plenty of evidence to put that narrative in doubt (e.g., Zimmerman's own 911 call, the location of the altercation/body in relation to the street and Zim's truck, testimony from Martin's girlfriend who claims to have heard the two exchange a series of questions, etc.)
At least arrest Zimmerman so the facts can play out in court, with all the evidence against him right now, it would seem that at least ARRESTING him and getting him to trial is warranted. Right?
@CEO2NV2
I agree, what haven't the leaders of The New Black Pussy Party been brought to justice for their '$1M Reward Dead or Alive' post? Couldn't hey be charged and arrested for incitement to murder?
As well the Three Stooges (Sharpton, Jackson and Lee) should also be charged with inciting rioting and disorderly conduct as well as incitement to looting (Walgreens - Miami). As well that midget clown Lee should be charged and thrown in jail for posting 'Zimmerman's address' which was entirely wrong and this clown is still out on the streets and they wonder why Zimmerman hasn't been charged. If I were that old couple I'd be suing Lee for Millions for being in fear of their lives, mental anguish, pain and suffering and may be forced to move because some stupid Blacks have taken it on themselves to mete out their own justice....Lee should be sued fior every penny he's worth.
So if you are over 6 foot, you are automatically the perpetrator? What other argument does Zimmerman have?? Oh yeah....almost forgot, he was wearing a hoodie! This world has more sick people than I ever thought!
laura you ignorant sl*t eye witnesses plural,saw the thug attack zimmerman,who had a broken nose,and abrasions on the back of his head,consistent with the WITNESS accounts of the attack.
i would attack a fat ass like zimmeran following me too. especially since he had a gun. he should have stayed inside like he was instructed and hang up the batman suit. vigilantism is illegal. call the police, stay inside. trayvon wasn't guilty of anything but walking down the street to a liquor store for skittles. he should have let the cops handle it although i see no reason why anyone should have called the cops in the first place. for all you saying only racists are pulling the race card, nice try. would this have happened to a cute lil blonde teenage boy? no. this kid was walking down the street and got followed by a crazy loon with a gun. i wouldn't want that guy in my neighborhood. he has no buisness walkn down the street with a gun. this isn't the gunslingn west anymore. he deserved to get his head beat in the concrete. how was trayvon supposed to know his intentions?
A.) Don't call people a slut, that'll bring out the ban hammer.
B.) Not a single eyewitness claims to have observed the beginning of the altercation. That is a fact. ONE eyewitness named "John" said he saw Martin on top of Zimmerman prior to the gunshot, but this is neither proof nor disproof of who actually took the first swing.
C.) It doesn't matter who took the first swing really, Zimmerman followed Martin nefariously enough (and through several backyards) to evoke a possibly violent response from Martin. This is nearly all that is necessary for Zimmerman to lose his "stand your ground" protections unless Martin had beat Zimmerman to within an inch of his life (per section 776.041 in the "stand your ground" law).
D.) The video evidence of Zimmerman getting out at the police station CLEARLY indicates that while an altercation did ensue, Zimmerman WAS NOT beat to a pulp and in fact, his injuries were relatively minor.
E.) Finally, why are there so many like you that are intent on covering for a trigger happy, vigilante, cop-wanna-be murderer?
We cleaned up the video... and there isn't one ounce of blood nor any scratches on Zimmerman. The funeral director even stated, there was not any other wounds on Trayvon outside of the bullet wound. These markings would have showed up on his hands.
The people are not reacting to the innocence or guilt of Zimmerman. That is for the courts to decide.
The people are reacting to the systems which allows someone to get away with shooting an unarmed Black teenager and not even get arrested for it.
Why does everyone keep threatening riots? We haven't had a good riot in several years. Time for a good one, only this time millions more are armed. Have you watched gun and ammo sales in the last few years? Out of sight. Bring on the riots.
@joann#1.25 you've got three fingers pointing back at you. Why don't YOU start a petition for the happenings going on in Chi-town? This conversation is about the death of the young Mr Martin and how Mr Cunningham started a petition. So you can stop being a hater & let your own light shine by being an advocate for the cause of your choice. Peace Out.
google trayvon thug and see what he really looked like, rather than the baby faced child in a white hoodie the family put out there to incite the public.
@Silverrob, how am I being a hater by showing concern about the non-media attention on innocent people getting killed in Chicago? Please don't put a spin on this.
I'm glad Cunningham did the petition but if you read my post what I was complaining about is the decision of Cunningham to petition one murder in Florida when several more murders were committed in Chicago over a period of 24 hours. It's the pick & choose scenario that's wrong.
If Sharpton, Jackson, S. Lee and Cunningham are so concerned about a black male getting murdered why don't they show the same concern about several black people, including children, getting murdered in Chicago?
Because, for about the millionth time, police are investigating those crimes. The outrage over this Zimmerman/Martin tragedy is not just because a black kid was killed, it's because A BLACK KID WAS KILLED, THE POLICE HARDLY INVESTIGATED, AND SET THE SHOOTER HOME FREE (WITH HIS WEAPON) AFTER A FEW HOURS OF QUESTIONING.
Hell, without the media/social attention, there STILL would be no investigation into this crime. This is why there is outrage.
So please (and this goes to all the others posting random links to random other crimes and asking "why no media attention, ha, gotcha!") shut up about these other crimes. They have NOTHING in common because the outrage here is about the police conduct and not the crime itself per se. Posts highlighting other crimes have no value in this discussion.
I am appaulled! From what appears to be a little over half the comments here it's as if the 1960s, 70s and 80s never happened! A tall black 17 year old is seen walking home in the rain "suspiciously" wearing the hood up on his sweat shirt to keep dry (Very threatening behaviour to be sure!). Unfortunately, his father's girlfriend lives in a gated community where a short stocky hispanic/white guy (adopted and raised by a white jewish couple) "Wannabe" cop who isn't even a true member of neighborhood watch and is carrying a gun, which is against neighborhood watch guidelines, calls the police to report his "Suspicious" behaviour and is told to stay away from the boy, do NOT follow the suspect! Several times no less but he's not going to let some "punk" as he refered to Trayvon in the 911 tape get away with whatever mischief Zimmerman's mind has him doing. He STALKS Trayvon. Most teenage males I have ever known are going to be unnerved being followed like that, in fact he WAS and called his girlfriend! Also, almost all teenage boys are going to choose "Fight" over "Flight", especially one as tall as Trayvon, rather than get ribbed by his peers as a scaredy cat (actually, more likely a different kind of kitty...).
Zimmerman claims that Trayvon jumped him and he had all these injuries. He shaves his head so IF he was injured it had to be next to nothing. A head wound bleeds like a stuck pig yet no blood on any white he was wearing and no signs of blood elsewhere. A struggle which requires a person to use deadly force on an unarmed person should leave a ton of evidence on BOTH participants. kThe security cameras were good enough that I could see the Chevy bow on the trunk of the cruiser even with the police markings nearly covering it. These are not 1985 black and white low definition cameras so the "fuzzy" survelance camera excuse doesn't fly here!
I know that for half I am preaching to the choir and the other half want nothing more than to beat my black ass. Unfortunately for the last half I am Swedish-Irish American, about as white as they come and what I see, outside of racial profiling by Zimmerman about Trayvon is a shport, stocky frustratedpolice reject with a Napoleon complex and a big gun looking to be a hero versus a tall gangly 17 year old spending the weekend with his father at his father's girlfriend's house in an unwelcoming gated community who gets bored and goes to get his snacks for the game and get a breath of fresh air on a gloomy, rainy day who attracts this Wannabe with a gun's attention. What should Trayvon have done differently? Well, if he were older than a 17 year old kid he would have RUN! If not home, then to a neighbor and banged on the door asking them to let him in or at least call the police! If he were older and more sure of himself that call to his girlfriend about Zimmerman should have been to the police to report a strange acting man stalking him.
Without this uproar the whole incident would have been swept under the rug be it because of prejudice due to race or cowardice in dealing with the "Stand Your Ground" law and it's part in this killing. Do Rev. Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Spike Lee speak up; and galvanize their communities? Hell yes! So does Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and Jan Brewer! I COMPLETELY disagree absolutely that Mr. Lee was so very totally out of line re-Tweeting what he thought was Zimmerman's address. That was irresponsible, it was ALREADY irresponsible when he READ the tweet but hen to re-post it? What were you thinking Mr. Lee? Even assuming Mr. Zimmerman is guilty, in fact let's stretch it to fiction, say there were reports of plans to kill Trayvon or just some other black punk comming into HIS turf it would be wrong, possibly even criminal because with emotions so high the man could be lynched before trial and also harm could come to his neighbors as well and very likely to police officers who would be called to break up the lynching and take Zimmerman into custody. All that said, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and Spike Lee have done many, many great things for their people and society in general.
To Trayvon's family and friends, you have my deepest sympathies and you are in my thoughts and prayers.
To Mr. Zimmerman's family, especially his parents, I sincerely hope that this wasn't done in racial or some other prejudiced hatred and your son learns from this and adjusts his ego so that he may rehabilitate the good name you gave him. I also would ask that the public not victimize the parents.
I'm sure I have left things I meant to address out but the bigotry which has again raised it's head in this country, and not just in this case, leaves me frustrated and exhausted.
May goodness and justice prevail.
There is more to this than Travon and Zimmerman, Travons parents want justice and that is understandable, but Sharpton and Jackson are in it for their own personal reasons not to support anything except their own agenda. some people are involved simply because they are just stupid! the liberals are there because they want that stand your ground law abolished (while self defence shootings have gone up overall crime has gone down) its bad for business. the list goes on but I wont bore you with a dozen side issues at work here, just take notice that someone wants to control you and to do so you have to be disarmed.
Looking at this from what ive seen so far, I know there is more. If Travon did hit Zimmerman then he did something stupid that led to his own death and only has himself to blame for his actions. and if Zimmerman is lying that will come out and he will be responsible for his actions, till then relax a little and let those people do their jobs, now on Morning Joe the broadcasters said Zimmerman chased and emphasised chased Travon Martin through the neighborhood waving a 9mm pistol then shot him, The media thinks they have the right to alter this case to meat their needs, its all BS.
Elfangel, very well said. You like some people seem to have grasped what may have happened in this case. In the end I think it would never have come up, if the police department had done a proper job of investing this case. They should have had medical proof of Zimmermans injuries, and photos of them as well. We will only get more of the facts of this case as they are given, and come up after the Grand Jury testimony. As for those people who are talking about their being riots, your full of it. To bring up crimes that have happened elsewhere, that have been investigated properly, with arrests, that are now going to trail, have nothing to do with this case. I applaude Mr. Cunningham, for trying to do some good in this country. This case is opening up a lot of white, americas eyes to what many African Americans, put up with every day.
.
@DrowningGrover, what about the beating death of Luis Torres? No investigation, no grand jury and the police officers responsible were taped doing the beating. In the video Mr. Torres did everything right and he followed the officers orders and he was still beaten to death. No one spoke for him and I don't think the national media even covered it. This is what I'm talking about in picking & choosing.
There are a lot more of Torres' out there from all races. It is sad and it is wrong.
Have you ever seen someone get a broken nose? I have and a broken nose bleeds profusely and there is blood all over the person with the broken nose. Both nostrils must be packed with gauze to staunch the flow of blood. In addition, when a nose is broken all of the tiny blood vessels in the immediate area of the nose break also. This leads to bleeding under the skin which causes severe swelling and bruising to that area, along with one or two black eyes.
I don't know how observant you are, but I did not see any of the following evidence on Zimmerman:
1) bloody shirt
2) gauze stuffed nostrils
3) facial swelling
4) black eyes
From emedicinehealth.com
Link:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/broken_nose/article_em.htm
Howmanyfingers Comment collapsed by the community
So True, at this point of media grand standing, it will take a grand jury to refer this to a trial or not based on real evidence, not public opinion.
However in the mean time the media will make bank on this whole sorted mess.
I am 100% Irishman and this POS is no Irishman, It was self defense, If you don't like it tough sh*t. I am making a contribution to Mr. Zimmermans defense. Dumbasses its been over a month and no charges, live with it and get on with life, get some counseling before in kills you with anguish.
@Tortcots: "If Zimmerman should be found "not guilty" that would be up to the trial jury; but, at least arrest him and have a trial. The point is his guilt or innocence should be decided by a court, not the police department."
Are you seriously saying police should arrest people even if there is no evidence of their guilt? Have you ever heard of false arrest? We are supposed to have a presumption of innocence in this country and only arrest people if there is compelling evidence of their guilt.
Juries do not exist to acquit the innocent, they exist to convict the guilty (fairly), it is a crime to prosecute innocent people!
DrowningGrover:
He was led, in handcuffs, into the police station. He was arrested. But they can't hold him forever without charge.
Well,with "stand your ground," the burden stays with the prosecution. You are basicly saying the prosecution can't meet the burden of proof.
Nefariously?! I don't think so. More to the point, the prosecution needs to prove it. Several of Martin's supporters here have said that if they were being followed (at a distance, to be identified to police) they would go up and deck the guy following them. My guess is that Martin's supporters have a problem with "snitches." But that does not invalidate "stand your ground."
His injuries were treated. But maybe you think he should have waited until he was dead before he fired?
I think the real question is why you are so eager to lynch someone who acted in self-defense.
Nunayafb
There WAS compelling evidence of George Zimmerman's guilt..............the dead body of a 17 year old teenager!
Do you even listen to yourself????
Bajangirl:
There was not compelling evidence that it was not self-defense.
Because they are no better than KKK or Nazi stormtroopers.
Howmanyfingers,
Hopefully, this man is convicted of the murder of Trayvon Martin.
If Zimmerman should slip through the system, a "nonconviction" ruling would not mean that this cowboy is truly "not guilty." What it would mean is that he is just another favored son who got away.
“At Howard, they tell us as soon as you get there, ‘If you’re going to be a lawyer, you’re either a social engineer or a parasite on the society.’
You're going to be some kind of social engineer when you work with no facts.
His point was to "get it to trial" not judge the facts...
Of course it looks like Zimmie's going down quick!
It will be a HATE CRIME with the words F-ing COON!
Good for Cunningham!
Actually, I am not sure it is a hate crime as much as it is a "bubba crime". This guy is a wanna be cop in the best of the bubba molds. Did he really mean to kill this child, I don't know. I do know that had he (Zimmerman) been black, in the bubba justice of Florida, he would be working on a plea deal right now for life in prison vs. the death chamber. There are a lot of these wanna be bubba cops working security at a lot of places here in Florida, private communities, hospitals, hotels/resorts. This kind of thing happens more than the folks nationally realize.
For better or worse, he got the story out there. If only we could get the same amount of attention and enthusiasm for our troops in Afghanistan. It is a lost cost, but President Obama and Congress don't care, nor do most Americans.
Kevin, if you read this, I need some help getting our troops out of Afghanistan. It is a noble cause.
http://www.change.org/petitions/bring-our-troops-home-from-afghanistan
phinephancy,
I actually think Zimmerman was probably only trying to "detain" Trayvon, till the police showed up! According to his girlfriend, who was talking to him at the time, he was SCARED, and she told him to run! He didn't have any idea who or why he was being followed, he probably fought like hell to get away!
No one saw how it started! Only that there was a fight and Zimmerman was losing! One witness says it was Zimmerman calling for help, yet TREE other witnesses say it was Trayvon calling for help.
Why no blood on Zimmerman, no gash visible on his shaved head? No blood on his clothes? No investigation period!
sorry, posted this in the wrong area originally..
Wow, and i thought i was a pale redhead, jeeez...anyway, as people grasp at straws from both sides of the fence we just seem unable to think straight about the issues at hand. We forget that young black men are more likely to be the victim of violent crime than any other group, though usually at the hands of other young black men. Zimmerman was told by the 911 operator, who is a sworn officer for the police, to not follow trayvon, and who was really feeling threatened? If you thought some large person was following you and you are at the point of fight or flight response, its one or the other. Would Trayvon knew that zimmerman had a gun would he have done anything but run? If Zimmerman confronted Trayvon then wouldn't it have been Trayvon trying to "Stand His Ground"? The landscape where everything happen had no real hiding places and was a short distance from his home, it doesn't make sense.
As for the mother "trademarking" his name and image, people were already making money off both, people who didn't care about respecting his memory, just making money off his memory, i think she is well within her rights to protect both and and have say so as to how both are used in relation to his death.
this wasn't a murder, but this sure as hell wasn't a "stand your ground" or self defense. Trayvon was walking home, regardless of how he may have been doing so, he wasn't breaking any law, nor actively trying seek a confrontation with anyone. This was someone stupid, with a gun over zealous to do their neighborhood watch, who followed this young man in a hoodie and forced a confrontation by disobeying direct orders from a 911 officer and his own watch's bilaws.
Manslaughter, yes, murder, no...and changing the laws to where this cannot happen again
Jake,
Seriously? I don't think this petition informed anyone who didn't already know about the case. Funny thing is, you probably condemn the media, which is where I heard about the case LONG before this online petition ever existed.
I am a Black male with three kids (two of them being boys). I do believe that Zimmerman crossed the line from watch to vigilante. I oppose of the handling of the police chief who was only on the job for 10 months. It has came out that the homicide officer wanted to press charges but the prosecutor balked at this. So he is the one the anger should be aimed at and justice would have been forthcoming for Zimmermen whether exoneration or guilty. I am saying this so that there is no dispute with where I stand on this issue.
However I do have a problem with OUR leaders and media who make this a racial issue. I am more likely to die at the hands of another Black man than I am at the hands of another race. Where is the outrage and the attention when we kill each other? Is every Black life not special or is it more special when we are killed by another race or a cop. Until we march on every death of our Black males we make ourselves look simple. Ask the mother who lost a son before or after Trayvon does she miss here child like his mom? Again I am truly sorry for her loss however we need to do better job of showing all of young men lives are valuable regardless of how they are lost.
G-Man, that is probably the most sensible post I have seen on this topic.
petitions online = mob mentality.
no one on this vine has the facts and the media, including social media is acting like a mob with little to no facts.
MSNBC is milking this for advertising dollars and no one here has the facts, especially MSNBC
that's exactly what I was thinking........ this guy is definately going to be a blood sucking leech for a lawyer, no facts, no evidence....... lets get some vigilante justice!!!! Kevin Cunningham should be ashamed, expelled or disbarred from ever practicing law anywhere.......... what a crock of crap
Yes lets all use vigilante justice to incite lynch mobs. As if this stupid idiots petition will have anything to do with justice in this case. The police have a job to do, they have facts to gather, and when and if they come to the conclusion that someone should be charged for a crime, it will happen. What this parasite did was begin a trend that will grow with intensity and hatred each and every time this type of tactic is used, and eventually innocent people will be harmed. What this idiot did has no place in a civilized society and should not be celebrated.
The petition is getting attention because it struck a cord of truth. We're asking ourselves "What's with this law?", "What's with the lack of due diligence by the cops?", "What's with the stalking business here?", "Why is this guy carrying a gun and why is he a neighborhood watch captain when he's got violence and tens of police calls in his past?... And "why did he shoot and kill this kid?
Guns sales are up because fear is up because gun sales are up because fear... get it? Add the false fears from the NRA political puppeteers and you have a perfect profit-making machine.
And we think it perfectly cool to put someone with violence in their record as a neighborhood watch block captain while packing a gun and emboldened by a "stand your ground" law. Think about how f*cking stupid that is. Maybe just pause a second or two... it'll come to you...
Put the above into play, add a young kid in a hoody, and subconscious and irrational fears pop up and BANG!, we have a young man dead on the ground... then we walk away with blood on our hands, ignoring all indications that something is terribly wrong saying "That damned Zimmerman".
We can criticize Zimmerman all day long for those subconscious and irrational fears, but they exist in us all in some form. Realizing this, we need to focus even more on how we let anyone, let alone Zimmerman, find their way to that situation... then call it legal and justified while that kid lay on the ground.
THAT's why the petition caught fire.
Bro- the petition is how I heard of it. And lots of cases are in the news, but not many get so much widespread, national coverage. I think the petition did spread the awareness of this case, especially in the sense of there being injustice with how it was handled. So no matter what this has turned in to, Cunningham is right, for better or worse he DID get the story out there and gave people a chance to let their voice be heard, even if they weren't given all the facts.
Tiff704
you described mob mentality perfectly...
yeah he got the word out alright and has damn near incited a national race riot in the process.
this guy is a idiot for using change.org for his racially biased petition. He had NO facts, he posted RACISM PERIOD
Shosyn - This is a democracy and justice denied has no place in our democracy. Zimmerman's father was a judge. When I heard of this, I thought of cover-up!!! Also, neighborhood watch is exactly that. you see something out of the ordinary, call those who are trained to deal with it. How much training has Zimmerman had as a first responder? What would people like you have said if Zimmerman had been black, and Trayvon white?
To those people siting black on black violence, please do the research. Most of these murderers are brought to trial. There is justice!!!
Mr Cunningham, thank you sir. It is people like you that continue to give me some hope in our country and society. Must say, all the contrarians on this site do their level best to destroy that hope!
There are enough facts to know this wasn't handled properly. There's no injusice in looking more closely at the situation. No law degree is necessary to understand that
@Shosyn - I didn't know there was almost a national race riot! When was this "almost" riot? What makes you think he was racially motivated in starting this petition? It seems like you are just making a number of assumptions with no factual basis to support your side. The petition wasn't calling for the lynching of Zimmerman, simply a investigagtion and trail. This is where facts and competing claims are presented to uncover the truth. Most people aren't calling for Zimmerman to just be thrown in jail, but rather that he be tried on the merits of the case by a jury of his peers. Then and only then can justice truly be served and absolute guilt or innocence be determined. You're a right that he had no facts, but that was the point of the petition. To highlight the fact that no convincing facts have been presented and since a child is dead we should all be damn well demanding that some are. Please explain to me how this petition was posting racism. It seems like you may be the one who is racist.
LMarcT,
No, you are wrong! Gun sales are up because crime rates are so high and our courts will not handle them correctly. The criminal has more rights in the 'Criminal Justice System' then the Victim. Judges will not clear there dockets of all these 'frivolous law suits' and handle the ones that need to be. Our jails are packed with people spending 30 or 60 days in them because they can not afford to pay traffic fines, instead of having these people do community service they do 'early outs' for 'real criminals'.
In this case everyone from what I read and hear has it wrong, the police did there job, but the DA will not file charges because the evidence isn't there. This happens all over the country, the DA will not waste time and money on a case he knows the evidence does not support at this time. If he did file and loose in court, Zimmerman could not be charged again if something new comes up. It is better to let Zimmerman roam around free hoping that piece of evidence will come along that will nail him.
Trials aren't cheap. They cost the counties and the state lots of money. Generally, a person is arrested because they broke a law. If there is no law broken, then arresting someone is, shall we say, rather draconian not to mention, against the law of the land, ie: The Constitution. In dictatorships a person can and is arrested for not committing a crime, so, for those of you demanding an arrest in an instance where no law was broken (if you don't like the law, BTW, you work to overturn it) perhaps you should rethink what you are demanding.
I have seen the ABC video of Zimmerman, interesting that the real Zimmerman person no more resembles the pics disseminated by the media than do the pics of Trayvon. Zimmerman is not huge and Trayvon is not twelve years old. The court of public opinion is easily swayed, and in the era of Photoshop that is a dangerous thing, If there needs to be more scrutiny into the events then do so, however, when the professional race baiters enter the sway, when you have members of Congress rushing to judgement and stating facts not in evidence, then you have a problem.
Spike Lee's tweets left an elderly couple in fear for their lives, Black Panthers putting hits out could get many people killed, especially Zimmerman, which is their intent. Seeking justice is one thing. Endangering lives, stirring up racist discord and vigilantism is wrong, regardless of who does the threatening. This case reveals some very dangerous behaviours that need to be addressed. Do you get 'justice' when you threaten the lives of innocent people>
no, the Sanford PD nearly incited a race riot when they did such a @!$%#ty job investigating this crime (for example, why was Zimmerman not drug/alcohol tested? WTF?).
Had they done their job properly, and given all the evidence we have now seen, Zimmerman would be under arrest awaiting trial and none of this outrage would currently exist.
Right or wrong, it wasn't a hate crime. I read Zimmerman tutored black kids. Why aren't we seeing more of that in the media? And Trayvon wasn't scared, why was Zimmerman the only one to make a 911 call? Why didn't Trayvon make a 911 call, yell, or run? I would venture to say because he wanted confrontation. And the video is so grainy you can't tell a thing about it, seriously, we're all grasping at straws. And the funeral direction telling the parents he had no other injuries doesn't contradict Zimmerman's story, he said HE (Zimmerman) was being beat up, not the he (Zimmerman) was beating up Trayvon. I don't know if he's guilty or innocent, and neither will any of you until there is a trial, but I'm certain this is NOT a race crime and I hope and pray the taxpayers of FL. aren't forced to pay a lawsuit from the parents. I'm very proud of the young people, black and white, they seem to be getting over these racial issues as it seems to be mostly the moronic middle aged racists who fuel these fires. Speaking of which, when will the black panther leader be arrested for offering a reward "dead or alive?" And the black panthers do seem to have muslim ties, is this what was meant by the muslim man who said he'd destroy from the inside out? We're just gonna turn on each other because people don't even bother to get all the facts about a crime because the primary goal is just to cause a civil unrest! If that's what any of you people want, no doubt it'll be a bloody war. Gun sales have increased and red, white, and blue don't run, no matter what the skin color!
Am reading "Revolution 2.0, The power of the people is greater than the people in power," by Wael Ghonim the young Egyptian who started the face book page dedicated to seeking justice for Khaled Said that eventually led to organizing the January 25th demonstration that started the revolution in Egypt. The power of the virtual world to mobilize people to action in the real world has been demonstrated on numerous occasions in the last 12 years and has created a world in which the possibility of "sweeping things under the rug" is simply no longer an option. And yes there is only one race--the human race.
First, the shooting of teenager Trayvon Martin was wrong. Even applying the current "stand your ground" law doesn't make it legal. Standing your ground, i.e. not running but shooting if you think you are in danger, is not chasing the kid down as he runs from you, the guy with the gun. When the person you feel threatened by turns and runs away, yoiu are no longer threatened. You should not shoot the person in the back.
But Jim C-1118355, I would like to believe the power of the people is stronger than the people in power, but after the Egypt "revolution", nothing has really changed there. It is in fact arguably worse. The radical muslims have won elections, and as far as I can tell the army is still running everything. I am female, and if I lived in Egypt (or any other muslim country for that matter) I would get out of there as fast as I possibly could.
I would point out one insidious item about the article. Cunningham is described as "red-headed." WTF Exactly what does the color of his hair (and apparently not his beard) have to do with the subject of the article? Well, among Irish and British people, "gingers" are considered to be hit-headed and of low intelligence. I can remember signs in London in the 60's that said, "Help Wanted. No Irish, Blacks or Gingers need apply." There was a famous skit on "The Worker", a TV show, about a red-headed Black man with an Irish accent in front of such a sign and the foreman is saying, "Can't read, eh?"
Many companies in Britain still will not hire red-headed people. It was a long-running gag in the Harry Potter books and movies.
So how did such a comment make its way into the article? It provided no information, especially since there was a picture of Mr. Cunningham right there. That is the way racism is. It is pervasive and sneaky and often in codewords. Some reporter was taight by his parents that gingers are bad and thought that people should know that Mr. Cunningham was red-headed so they would know that he was a hot-head and of lesser intelligence. Not a bad person, but a very bad reporter. And that's one of the things that an editor would have snagged immediately --- except that no one edits this stuff any more.
You might think it is a small point. But ask around. It isn't.
Social activism is a totallly appropriate response given that the problem is systemic - not just the malfeasance of a couple inept cops. It's unimaginabl;e that Zimmerman was allowed to walk after this terrible killling. You can bet a black man wouyldn't have been given the same treatment had he shot a white man.
right on.
I hope Mr. Cunningham has a VERY GOOD Attorney. When Mr. Zimmerman has his trial and is found NOT GUILTY, Cunningham will DEFINITELY NEED AN ATTORNEY. I believe Mr. Cunningham should be arrested and Charged with violating the Civil Rights of Mr. Zimmerman. Now apparently we charge people with crimes based on what appears on the Internet. Mr. Cunningham is looking to make a Profit just like Martin's parents. You people are going to look stupid when you find out you were duped by a Wigger.
It is a racist issue. The people of color made it a race issue as they did in getting the Half Breed Kenyan elected. The n$%%#r worshiping white women were right in there pitching also. This nation is slowly becoming a cesspool like Kenya, Somalia Haiti etc. Look at Detroit, MI, Shreveport, LA, Pinebluff, AR just to name a few. Watch what is happening on the TV shows. Our youth are being brainwashed to accept the downgrade as being political correct.
Actually Purnell - Black People are treated better than Mr. Zimmerman because the Feds. will charge everyone (except Blacks) with Racism. The Feds. are the only group that responds to the ever present cry of Racism, the rest of the World is tired of hearing about Black People crying Racism every time they get caught doing something illegal (like trespassing) and pay a price. I think what you are seeing happen to Mr. Zimmerman is RACISM by the Black Community. You should let the Court decide. Now people with comment that the Court keeps the Black Person down when in fact the Black Person keeps the Black Person down.
Um, white people fought the bloodies war in American history for black justice. Far more white people voted for our President than black. Someone is drinking kool aid.
with all the folks up in the air and seeking justice I don't think cunningham is safe to walk out of his house without reloading his gun and if I were him I sure wouldn't do it at night without an escort of such magnitude as to scare away the most hardened of the crowd that is seeking justice
I think he need more than an attorney
Chris-749391
It's not a small pointy. In fact you have pointed out the entire problem here. The freakin media is driving this, driving hate, fanning the flames. They use racism to get the public in an uproar. It was immediatly an effort to paint this as a pissed off white guy shooting an angelic black kid. Oh gee then they had to explain how the pissed off white guy just happened to be hispanic, oops. Now we got an article advertised as "Super-Irish Activist...blah, blah, blah." WTF people, Oh and by the way, he's a RED-Head. What the F?
Open your eyes people, the media is doing this. They will not be happy if we all remain civil. Holy crap
The local stories about Mabel's prized rose bushes are gone forever.....
Reading articles that describe the interest and willingness of people to get involved in righting what they perceive as a wrong is heartwarming. It is our civic duty, after all--which is what makes a democracy so powerful. The day we cede all our power to the police, elected officials, banks, corporations is the day we might as well call our country authoritarian or an oligarchy. If you believe you are right and that your view is compatible with the ideals and principles of this country and its constitution, then speak out about it--no matter what politically partisan view you hold. Public debate is a good thing.
Yes, the Irish knows full well what it's like to be discriminated against, to be occupied by another country, to be tortured and slaughtered by the English. I recall when the Queen's sister, Princess Margaret, visited Chicago and publicly called the Irish people "pigs." There ya' go, your 1%.
Diplomacy is built on respecting differences, not hating on people because of the color of their skin...or their hair.
There is no way you could possibly know that, stop making it worse than it is. Secondly, I didn't think Zimmerman was white, isn't he hispanic?
BlueBurner...Really, you "recall" that the Princess publically called the Irish "pigs"? I am assuming you were there. And this report or her statement appeared in ONE press report, written by a scorned journalist. He stated that she said it during a dinner, that he was not present at. No other sources agreed with his statements.
You are actually part of the problem. You "hear" things and not caring if they are true, make judgements. You call for public debate, but do not feel the need to arm yourself with facts. Therefore, you can "debate" all you want, you will not learn anything, as facts often get in the way of what people WANT to believe.
Lets address some of your arguments:
a) Irish know what it is like to be occupied by another country. Yes, they do, and every country that now exists occupied someone else's land/country at some point. Your point is?
b) Irish know what it is like to be tortured and slaughtered by the British. Yes, they do. And the English know what it is like to be tortured and slaughtered by the Irish, you know, that little IRA that plants bombs during public parades in England, killing kids?
c) Irish know how it feels to be discriminated against. I am assuming you are speaking about how they were treated in this country. They, as a whole, were often part of the problem. Keeping to themselves, commandeering stretches of neighborhoods and not allowing the "others" in, cretaing gangs, monopolies on fire service, security protection and assisting in the corruption of shipping industry, etc.
d) 1%...do you understand the simple fact that the English are the not the US? The 1% is an AMERICAN figure, not global.
Oh, and I forgot to mention, I am Irish. My father was born there from generations of Irishmen, and I am the first to be born in the United States. So no, I am not against the Irish, have a huge amount of Irish pride and have a broader understanding of the language and history than most who currently live there. So please feel free not to lable me a bigot or anything else that you will choose to call me. I just believe in actual facts, not the emotional rhetoric and biased arguments that people like you place out there. FACTS are a beutiful thing.
Mr. Cunningham, I salute you. As a proactive and very elder American, what you have accomplished is amazing. Wow, what a story to wake up to this morning!! You became the 'social engineer, and not the parasite'....giving those who work on behalf of others + having studied law, an A+ to lawyers who toil for the good of others, rather than pandering their craft.
You not only 'kicked the stone that turned into a snowball that turned into an avalanche', my dear young man, you kicked it out of the park and made it a field gold! You are my inspiration for today, for having done what few ever do and have brought light to this very dark time and tragedy for a young American teen and his family.
Both Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin have been showered with the support and love of more than 2.2 million people around the globe. So, as most of us seek peace and justice for Trayvon Martin, just know that you will be blessed for your effort to look beyond the egregious act that took place, to galvanize humanity and to simply help make it right, not only for Trayvon, but us all.
Yes Noelle, without a shred of actual information, he started all of this. He decided that the guy was guilty without any facts. Absolutely what we need in lawyers today.
Without facts and information, he has helped "socially engineer" a strain on race-relations, and helped cause, in his own way, the forced feeling of an innocent married couple who had nothing to do with this, becaus eothers followed Cunningham's lead in not bothering to wait for facts, but were led by anger fueled by ignorance. They were forced out of their homes because certain people decided to advertise their address as that of the accused.
Considering his statements, I believe it has more to do with him wanting to make a name for himself as a young attorney than anything else. The fact that he allowed an interview for this article helps prove that in my head. AKA, he is the parasite.
look at how they act when you call them out . what is so sad, is we live on the same planet with you dumb ass people . you don't have to have white skin to be a racist . you just have to be a dumb ass . There is only one race of people , just many different culture's of people . We live on one planet . why is that so hard . none of us is any better than the other . This country as well as others have a history of hatred for people of darker skin with nappy hair , because some @!$%# did not understand their culture and called them Savage's . What a price to pay , or if i look at it the biblical way , my culture of people are being punished because a son saw his farther drunk and naked, asked his brother to help get him dressed , by telling his brother of the situation , he broke some scarred rule and was condemned to a life of servitude , how jacked up is that ??? . So being pre-conditioned to hate others because they are not like yourself , or what you think is good is wrong , and things like this are what gave birth to people like yourself . look how your telling him to whatch his back and to hide because he has the ordascity , to point out the truth . And doesn't his friend feel like the wife who proclaims her husdand is good and pure untli you see the VIDEO TAPE !!! . Oh and by the way , I LIKE RED HAIRED PEOPLE , AND MY HAIR IS NAPPY . SO SUCK IT HARD ALL YOU A-HOLES .!!!!!!
Well, Cunningham, you need to do a lot more working on your so called skills because you obviously don't have any. All you did stir up the pot without presenting the correct facts! Now what do you do after you "set fire to the forest"?
It is unclear about the skills Cunningham is talking about here...The skill of liberal, race baiting diatribes, or that of his law skills?( innocent until proven guilty, gathering of evidence to build a case, ect ect) Objection your Honor, speculation!!?
Purnell - are you implying that anyone allegedly committing a crime be immediately jailed without due process? If so, I foresee our jail system becoming far more crowded as people await trial for alleged crimes.
I say alleged, because at this point the florida justice system has not determined what crime zimmerman should be tried for. Perhaps the pending grand jury will decide the crime.
It will be interesting to see how social media proceeds from this point going forward when it comes to crimes. Could be a lot of civil actions based on wrongful information. Perhaps civil and criminal law will be the next growth industry.
Yep, congratulations.....Mr. Cunningham....you fueled the fire for more diverson against the masses in America. You should be proud of yourself.
I have a question: Why did you do this when the facts of the "case" were unknown ?
Yeah, you need to sue your college for them NOT teaching you the PROPER SKILLS for being a lawyer.
Here,here,Cornfed.Don't confuse the liberals with objectivity and logic.But,an excellent comment.
Yes, that's what we do in almost every case. You shoot someone. You're arrested. You're put in jail. You may or may not get bail. Then, you go on trial where your sentence is determined.
If Zimmerman was a black man who shot an unarmed white teenager this is exactly what would have happened. He wouldn't have been sent home with a high five and a lollipop, especially when the lead detective wanted to recommend manslaughter charges and was overruled.
eric60watts - thank you for your respectful reply, which is incidentally a far cry from what we see on these threads/blogs. Although we disagree about Mr. Cunningham's motives, I believe the seed of his activism was planted by his parents, along with the fact that he studied law at Howard University, a traditionally Black university. Much of this, to include his belief system of right v. wrong, led him to act, to light the flame, to work toward justice for a young Black teen that he had just read about.
I believe that what he did was to open a forum and has expanded the dialog, the discussion, which in turn, has opened a huge dialog, not only about gun laws, but about racism and interolerance and prejudice. As I stood in the Seattle rain late yesterday at a rally to honor the memory of Trayvon Martin and looked at the sea of predominantly dark skinned faces of Americans of all ages, I looked at the little children and young people and Trayvon was in each of them.
My teenaged grandson is part African American and I would go to the ends of the Earth to make it right for him should this tragedy have happened to him. He is the reason I stood in the Seattle rain last night. My belief that we can have a more sane country with sane people.
Finally, what this young man did was to do something when law enforcement wouldn't, to step and see that justice would be done; that Mr. Zimmerman will get his day in court and address all the questions about how and why he took someone's life. Sanford FL and the entire state of FL will have to answer why a young Black teenager lay on a slab in the Sanford, FL morgue for three days before they even bothered to identify him or contact his parents.
Sadly, no one, to include Mr. Cunningham is responsible for what has followed. We are each responsible for what we do and how we treat others. It'll either be done with hatred or with love. No one wants to see the fury or hear the thunder, but that is all part of it. Mr. Cunningham could do no less for Trayvon and his parents. I can do no less for them. (An aside, if I needed an attorney, Cunningham would be my first choice; my first rule is that he would have to have a heart. And, that he does!)
The forest needed set fire to! Cunningham's petition ONLY lit the match to getting the proper attention by the government of Florida in order to obtain an arrest warrant and legitimate investigation into the unnecessary actions taken (proved by tapes and witnesses) by Zimmerman.
As long as Mr. Zimmerman walks the streets without facing the court system, stark injustice remains at large in this country! I can't help but quote MLK in situations where fair treatment of any kind is at issue. "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Now it is up to us all, as decent adults, to hope that our legal system will do the right thing, whatever that proves out to be.
another leach lawyer trying to make a name for himself.
title of the story should read:
Lawyer Cunningham uses media and death of a teenager to LAUNCH HIS CAREER.
Social media is a good way to get things done. However when you start something , you better know all the facts. So far this went form a little kid getting chased down and shot dead.
To watching some one who ran off and then came back after the watcher had stop chasing and was heading to a spot where he was to meet the police, and attacked him.
I did listen to the tape. Zim did do what the dispatcher ask. Stop flowing. TM came back and started some real S$%t which turned into some real S%^t for him. Zim did not hunt him down like the tiger did at the SF zoo. TM should have just ran home, He was a much faster runner then Zim . TM had all the advantage and looks like he was going to give Zim a a ss kicking.
Neither Florida or the FBI have arrested him yet. Doesn't that tell you something? If he was so arrestable at the time, wouldn't that hold true now. You're saying do the right thing as long as it matches your own ignorant thoughts. And I say ignorant because you are privy to nothing in this case just like the media. Soon The Florida state attorney will issue a response, everything else is just conjecture. My initial reaction to this was disgust but I'm not closed minded to the facts once they appear. If I was to guess, I would say they are having difficulty on what to charge him with. With so much public pressure, they are searching for the strongest charge the evidence can produce which might not be what people are demanding or expecting.
Uh oh, a quick "invitation" for Mr. Cunningham to be placed on NSA's tracking list when the Data Center in Bluffdale, Utah, is placed on-line. "Fell in Love", "Egyptian revolutions", and "inspired by activists".
Good for you, Mr. Cunningham.
This "super Irish" guy clearly has a problem with Hispanics and doesn't want Zimmerman on the streets.
I just wanted to introduce a white guy into the Hispanic-Black race melee.... or is the media still pretending that Zimmerman is white because everyone knows minorities can't possibly be racist themselves.
Am I surprised that a White man started this partition NO, there are way more NON-RACIST whites than RACIST white, and most RACIST whites are Republicans, guess they don't like the fact that the Blacks are gaining ground in everything the White used to dominate, Oh and I'm not Black if you're wondering just honest, I used to not have an opinion about the Republicans before because I did not really observe how they truly were but since I've taken the time I have to admit I don't like Republicans at all, They are selfish, greedy, arrogant, lack common sense and ignorant, and these are not the worst things that I've noticed, I can't can't post the really bad things I would probably be bared for life if I said what I really think of them but it is safe to say I now hate them with a passion.
Well i'm ever so happy ginger feels empowered but this has ramped up far past just a petition here in the US. It has gone as far as Black celebrity putting out an address that was supposed to be Zimmermans on twitter driving the family not Zimmermans out of their house in fear of their lives. So now a 70 something couple is in hiding in a hotell. How would ginger feel if that were his grandparents? I lived through the race riots of the 60's and I'm not going anywhere near a medium to large US city until this is all over. I remember the aftermath of the Rodney King case watching a young father get pulled from his car by a Black mob and beaten in front of his wife and kids on the evening news. His crime driving while White. He is safe would he like to trade places with me.
EricWatts you are way out of line. By not even arresting Zimmerman, there is no opportunity to try him and ascertain any documented facts. Although apparently the police and state's attorney did determine initially that Zimmerman was not guilty and this would have been a closed case had it not been for public protest.
As for the Irish planting bombs, what I know about the IRA is that it was formed due to the lawlessness of the Black & Tan who regarded the Irish as dogs and beat & killed them, burned their homes, whenever they felt like it and with impunity. You disrespect people, kill them and their children, and, yes, you might get some pushback of equal force.
Knowing what I know about Princess Margaret, I wouldn't doubt one second that she said that about the Irish as that was a pretty common English view at the time.
The 1% is indeed global and refers to the rich ruling classes in concert with banks/corporations to devalue people who must work for a living. It refers to plutocrats and oligarchs and is actually a Marxist perspective.
And for the 100th time...Hispanic is not a race!! There are both black and white Hispanics. Google it.
I'm not Irish, though married to one...who's a historian.
Look at the person who organized the online protest... then look at Zimmerman. WHO'S THE WHITEY!?!
Look, I'm tired of the race card being inappropriately played in this story. I don't think you'll find too many people who don't really feel that it's a tragedy that the rate of violent deaths is huge in the Black community. People are generally in this nation sad that Treyvon is gone. No matter what his past or what he may have done that night, he still had his life in front of him. I personally grieve for many friends that I had in High School who were of many different ethnicities. Many of the nicest individuals I have ever known were Black, and unfortunately a few just got sucked into a bad lifestyle of drug running and hold-ups which eventually led to their early deaths. Just because they were brought into mischief by peers did not make them any less friendly or kind. Maybe they would have hardened after time, who knows... but that is why we need to reach out to teens and change them from glorifying a criminal future. Take away that Lil' W. CD. Teach them to be responsible and not run out on baby mama... I mean, come on people. What we continue to glorify is a hopeless future for children not a bright future. And for people to say this is a racism issue is just fanning the fumes of fecal matter into the crowd. Give it up and get real.
To those who decry Cunningham's efforts as unjustified before all the facts of the incident become known:
Under the law of self-defense, the amount of force used to defend must be proportionate to the amount of force used to attack. There's an old saying that applies here: you don't bring a gun to a fist fight. Even if everything Mr. Zimmerman says is true, that he was attacked first, his admission that he had shot an unarmed man would have given rise to his arrest in most states of the union. He can use the doctrine of self-defense to defend against whatever charge or charges will ultimately be brought, but that happens in court after charges are brought, and certainly the possibility of raising self-defense as an affirmative defense is no basis for not placing him under arrest and requiring him to post bail to secure his freedom from incarceration prior to trial.
The Florida Attorney General who declined the suggestion of the case detectives that a manslaughter case be charged against Zimmerman and has stopped Zimmerman from being arrested is one villain here. He has used his prosecutorial authority to depart from the norms of criminal law--authorities always arrest a confessed killer who gunned down an unarmed man. And people who have protested against this injustice have every right to complain of disparate treatment.
However limited the known facts are, those facts that are not disputed demanded that an arrest be made. Moreover, this case shows how dangerous stand-your-ground laws are. There's a concept in constitutional law that says that some laws must be struck down as void for vagueness. In simple words, if a law fails to have clear standards to be applied, the law should not be applied. In Florida, the law allows a gun wielder on the streets to shoot dead anyone who the shooter believes is going to do "harm or commit a violent felony." As stated earlier, ordinary self-defense requires any that the person asserting the defense must show that lethal force was necessary to stop a lethal assault, which plainly wasn't the case here. Whether its NRA, the ALEC commission, Wal-mart, or gun manufacturers who pushed this Florida law and similar laws in 20 states intended this result of not, it was clearly a conceivable outcome of such a vaguely worded law and it substantially dilutes protections against the excessive use of force in self-defense. In fact, such laws are an abomination of classic self-defense principles that have governed Anglo-Saxon law for centuries.
The only exception of late to the use of lethal force as a defense is the allowance that people in their homes may use lethal force against burglars invading the home. By taking the principle of the use of force outside one's home, the purveyors of deadly weapons and their supporters have placed every citizen at risk of wrongful killing by wannabe John Waynes like Zimmerman. Stand-your-ground laws are legal abominations that should be eliminated wherever they have been adopted.
Michael L. Marowitz
J.D., J.S.M. (Master's in law with emphasis on constitutional law, Stanford Law School, 1981)
I just heard that the Sanford police were accusing Trayvon of stealing Zimmerman's bullet, the one he took to the undertaker at the funeral home. The theft charge will go with the main charge that Trayvon is guilty of, and that is, a teenaged male walking around while black. Good work Sanford police!!
Chris-749391--I am quite sure that everything you say about "gingers" is true in the UK.
This is not the UK.
In the United States, red hair is considered a good thing. People make more money here because they are red-headed. What "red-head" conveys in the US is that this person probably has no Native American, Hispanic, or African-American heritage. That is, this is a really, really European American. Not "mixed" at all.
While one can argue that trying to certify the person's "whiteness" by reference to his hair is a bad thing--and I wouldn't actually disagree--it is not a way of critiquing the man as "hot-headed." He went to a historically black college here in the US--though they do not tell us if he went under a diversity scholarship (he might have).
What is a critique in one country is not necessarily a critique in another--it's a good idea to understand what country you are talking about.
Your petition sucks and I am with drawing it after I found out the truth. It was self defense.. I am now making a contribution to defend Mr. Zimmerman. I am Irish and are ashamed of you POS Irish man.
Rick 3608408 I hate to tell you most if not all KKK is Democrap and most live in Florida. I should know most of my relatives are Democrat and KKK. Ha Ha Ha Republicans are racist my azz.
What sh't clan are you from @!$%#ingham, because you obviously don't know between your a's and a hole in the ground
I wished I could get the messeage out of a killing of our friends son one Corey Brooks a 20 years old that was shot here in Myrtle Beach during black bike week by a black gunman but I guess because he was white it didnt matter to the country , there was no outrage through out the country like this shooting in Sanford , there was no bounty put on the shooter by the KKK or ariean national because I guess his death didnt matter. I lived in Florida and the whites there are afarid of everyone else , they only fight with each other. They need to send the Black panthers to WV , we have a lot of crazy people there that just dont care.
I am glad G. Zimmerman was not allowed to be apart of the Sanfor Police! There seems to be too many eager do-gooders and not too swift people working for that police station. I don't know why Zimmerman, has to be some hero for his "gated community"?!! Why can't the cameras and security there, with the assistance of Sanford Police, be enough? Are they living in the HOOD? Also, why kill and not shoot legs or feet, hands, if you are not strong enough to subdue some like Zimmerman? What would he had done if there were more than one..@!$%# and piss his pants? I think people get lost in the police shows, games they play at home or Hollywood movies, and feel, think they can rule the world with a gun in hand!!
Yes this guy should be charged with incitement to riot.. So many arm chair prosecutors screaming for the execution.. Throw in a huge conspiracy, You have the several police officers and the paramedics and the coroner and the chief detective and the DA and the state prosecutor and last but not least George Z. ta boot.. They are under so much pressure now to find a charge they may have to invent one.. Think they are working the angle that he used profanity so he must be racist.. If they charge him as a racist then he can be passed to the Federal persecutors who have far more experience in creating criminal charges.. For all we know they will charge him with terrorism or tax evasion..
I would like to clarify something here. Zimmerman was arrested at the time. But he wasn't charged. As soon as the prosecutor said he couldn't charge him, they let Zimmerman go. So, it seems to me that people are saying that the normal course of action is to hold people for years without evidence of any crime. Well, despite the so-called "patriot act," that is still not normal procedure, thankfully. Normal procedure is that you charge him, or let him go.
BikeBoy... the KKK were SOUTHERN Democrats before they became Southern REPUBLICANS in the Days of Nixon and Reagan (both of whom promised to overturn Affirmative Action and other Racial Equality laws)... White Conservative CHRISTIAN Bigots. What party THEY belonged (or belong) to has no bearing on anything, they were (and are) hate filled hypocrites and bigots. And if their god does actually turn out to exist I hope he rewards them as they deserve. SOUTHERN Democrats were that simply because of their hatred of Northern Republicans due to losing the war AND the subsequent influx of northern Republican Carpetbagger "entrepeneurs" moving in and flexing their republican muscle as victors. (even though most didn't lift a finger to fight... pretty typical of many "patriots" in this world)
Does no one find it strange (and disturbing) that there was a man walking around a Florida subdivision with a 9mm pistol?
Or is this just "normal" in America now?
pjam09 -- First of all, you obviously have no clue about the nature of racism. You seem to think, like a lot of narrow-minded folks, that dark-skinned minorities can just as easily be racist as whites. What you should understand -- your idea of reverse racism is ludicrous because dark-skinned folks have not comprised the power structure in America for the last 300 years. Racism refers to the hostile acts and attitudes of a member (or members) of the power-wielding segment of society directed at historically oppressed members of society. Of course, having never been a member of an oppressed group, you may not be capable of grasping the significance of historical racism and the horrendous damage it still wreaks on the American landscape.
Let me get this right Randor.... so no matter how much voilence or hatred blacks and other minorities perpetrate against whites, it's not racist... because of coure, in your twisted Liberal head, only whites can be racist.... I have to admit, that's a great tactic to keep from having to hold minorities accountable for their actions... and from prison statistics you can tell that approach has worked so well... Hmmm, that's probably EXACTLY why, as RealAmericansFirst points out, that more and more people are carrying guns... to protect ourselves from those "non-racist" cretins who prey on whites because they're whites.... see, if you come skulking into my neighborhood in the middle of the night you'll likely encounter three or four ex-military types in our robes with our .45s at the ready... and we don't give a crap what color you are.... we adhere to the Politically Incorrect notion that what we've worked for is ours... because we earned it, and not yours, because you feel entitled to it... and that our safety and the safety of our families is more important than the lives of all of the "non-racist" cretins lumped together....
bravo Fed Up..well said
Stupid, red-headed stepchild.
Mhmmdsux - Oh my god, now you don't like red heads - who else is on your hate list? I would suggest some deep therapy my friend your hatred knows no bounds! Are blondes OK?
.
It would be nice if people could refrain from making comments which are not relevant and only serve to make the author look stupid. Try to follow this advice and you will elevate the discussion instead of making it
This is the reason Eric Holder said that we are a nation of cowards. We can get online and post whatever we want without revealing who we are. We can say what is truly in our hearts without any ramifications. We are allowed to say things to the world we would never say to a real person standing in our face. We become warriors behind a keyboard without any regard for someone's feelings. We become the all knowing and powerful person we wish we were. We do all of this behind a screen name that does not come back to us. When it does we offer the weak apology to "those offended by my remarks" or it was taken out of context. We are a nation of cowards that refuse to argue the issues face to face anymore so we hide behind computer screens to wage our verbal wars.
Esprit De Corps
G-man, you're very wise. You have made some of the most rational and honest comments on this topic. Cheers!
@FreeinNC. Thank you!
Eric Holder is not someone I would believe has a lot to say; until he, himself starts to tell the truth about the infamous Fast and Furious. I will say your post are well thought out before you speak and or you just have a natural ability to get the point across w/o to much trouble. They are respectful as well in good taste.
So what group do you belong to esprit de corps.
@darrell 11 Bravo for 6 years and 11 Mike for the last 4 years. And what of you?
Well, fortunately this is the United States of America, not Junior High Cheerleader try-outs.
This matter will be decided by FACTS, as the laws of the state of Florida and the U.S. Constitution apply to this situtation. It will NOT be decided as a popularity contest by a bunch of rabid morons.
Actually, Vern, we have taken it out of the hands of the 'rabid morons' who thought they could just sweep this under the rug.
Calling names is not helpful to your arguement.
I see Vern is up bright and early,
Still trying to defend the INDEFENSIBLE!
Zimmie's story is unraveling by the minute!
Funny that the people calling for justice have no such thought in their heads. I do want to see justice. When one human kills another then absent extremely clear evidence of self defense there should be a trial where, in the due process of the laws we have, the facts can be ascertained. The more that facts are coming out the more indefensible it appears Mr Zimmerman's position is.
Really??? Really??
The witness, never saw how it started, and Trayvon had every right to fight back! In fact, here in Florida, Trayvon had the "right" to KILL Zimmerman, NOT the other way around!
There are 3 witnesses that say it was Trayvon crying for help, and once the 911 tape is investigated, we will KNOW for sure!
No Really?-1739510,
The witness was not able to identify who he saw on top. I would wager to guess that you have not listened to the interview of the witnesses mother that was broadcast last night.
I recommend that you take some time to get up to speed with the latest information on this case and not try to defend yesterday's talking points that were released by the inept Sanford Police Department.
Really,
How it started is a THE most important thing here.
Why would an armed man be calling for help?
Oh, that's right...he suffered a broken nose and had his head bashed on the pavement and was in fear of his life. Srry, I forgot.
Perhaps the police should've taken close-up pictures of those wounds...it would've helped Georgie's case.
Maybe that's why Georgie wasn't arrested...Sanford PD would've had to have taken a booking photo (mug shot) and the lack of any facial injuries would not coincide with their 'official' report...but that's just a guess.
You aren't going to change the hatrers minds with logic. The new lynch mobs in the 21sr Century are now black. They wanf Z jailed even though there isn't evidence for a conviction.
There are white people attacked on a regular basis by young black men but the black community never says a word because it is so common.
Facts mean nothing to the blacks in America today. I'm waiting to see the first riot where they take to the street and burn and loot just like they always do.
Interesting how no one on these posts has any firsthand knowledge of any of the actions of that day, but many have determined who is guilty and who is not. You are all parrots spewing forth what you hear from the "public media" channels and the ever "unbiased" social networks. A bloody world full of experts. Best hope you never find yourself in a situation where you rely on the public to apply any reasonable, rational approach to your welfare.
This isn't a guessing game, try not convicting Zimmerman in the court of public opinion. What matters are facts and evidence which will all be presented during the Grand Jury hearing, it will be their call whether they find a True Bill or a No Bill.
really
So if someone attacks you, and you start to kick their a@s. Then they shoot you, they should be able to walk away free right?
Commonsense, a most apt name if there is one. You seem to lack ANY sense at all. Blacks are the new lynch mob? Facts mean nothing to "the Blacks"? What facts are you referring to that mean nothing to "the blacks"? Do you know something that the rest of America (including the whites) doesn't know? How do you know that ALL BLACK AMERICANS think alike? (First fact: they don't). Are you aware that the dead teens family has never called for anyone to be found guilty? They have consistently called for justice, meaning an arrest and judicial proceedings. (Fact two). Are you aware that the Sanford police did not file any charges or arrest anyone when this frist happened on 2/26/12? Perhaps you just learned something from an American, not "the black" or "the white", just a red blooded American...
"It will NOT be decided as a popularity contest by a bunch of rabid morons."
One day you may mature enough to respect opinions that differ from your own, although I seriously doubt it.
While I full-heartedly support prosecution and punishment if the things we are hearing in the media are true, I have a huge problem with this trial-by-social-media system. It seems to becoming a trend. Finger pointing is done without any investigation and if it fits some group's political point of view, they jump on it and spread their version of the story.
In this case, what are the circumstances surrounding the shooting? Not just what did Trayvon did and what Zimmerman did, but what has been happening in the neighborhood (i.e., have little old ladies been getting robbed? have their been home break ins or extreme tagging)? Has Zimmerman been the victim of violence in the past that would suggest this reaction?
We will never know the whole true story. There are 3 stories -- one side's, the second side's, and the truth. This why we trust not one person but 12 to decide on guilt or innocence.
It frightens me to no end that people are calling for this man's head without due process. What ever happened to his constitutional right of "innocent until proven guilty"? If Zimmerman is railroaded in this way (and believe me, I'd be happy to see them throw away the key if he really did simply gun this boy down), but if he didn't and he gets railroaded like this, who's next? You? Me? Seiously slippery slope, folks.
What some people won't do for their 15 minutes of fame. Where did he get his law degree to be Monday morning quarter backing on either side??
It's amazing how some on here are yelling that Zimmerman had every right under the Florida "Stand your Ground Law" to shoot and kill Martin.
But it sound they don't think Martin had the same right to "Stand his ground" and defend himself. Zimmerman was stalking Martin, Martin had every right to defend himself.
Or is it really a race issue, that "Stand Your Ground" only applies to white dudes and not blacks?
Just saying........
This "Irish" person started his petition on that site which appears to be just a platform for liberal lack of facts nutjobs. From the name I have to wonder who is behind the site. Either way, all we need is more places for people to cause trouble without having any idea what they are talking about.
@ Really?-1739510
Eyewitness testimony is THE SINGLE MOST UNRELIABLE component of any case, particularly when you add in the conditions of the time (rainy and dark) and the distance (over 30 yards) and the description of the clothing given to the person on top matched what Zimmerman was wearing. Regardless of THAT fact, is the obfuscation of Standard Operating Procedures on the part of the Sanford, FL PD (as given voice to by NUMEROUS police experts in various interviews); then there is also the conflict in the initial police reports filed by the first responders to the scene; the only report that mentions any injuries to Zimmerman or signs of a struggle was filed an hour after the first report and AFTER the State Attorney (who has since recused himself) came to the scene (a most unusual occurrence according to all sources) and made the decision (AGAINST the recommendations of the lead homicide detective who was a veteran officer familiar with the terms of Stand Your Ground and thought that the evidence disputed the story Zimmerman told) to release Zimmerman without booking him. As to the assertion of injuries, Zimmerman's account gives clear injuries (head wounds and broken nose) that would bleed profusely and swell, neither of which are visible on the tape (grainy though it may be blood stains -- especially in the copious amounts those wounds would produce -- would STILL be visible). Also no wounds were found on Trayvon's hands; a fight leaves marks on the body of both the victim and the aggressor. Those are all the facts that I need to know that this case was mishandled from the beginning and more comes to light DAILY to prove the lie that Zimmerman has attempted to sell to avoid MURDER charges.
This is about a "lawyer wannabe." Shows how well the colleges train their students. How about letting the LEGITIMATE AUTHORITIES do the work they are supposed to do. And as far as media, they are responsible, and just as reprehensible, if anything untoward happens to families touched by this tragedy.
This 'social engineering" has got to stop. Teach people how to earn an honest living, then get out of their way as they go about their daily lives. Calling each other insulting names, accusing people of crimes that have not been verified, again by the legitimate authorities, does not solve anything, and instead, creates more difficult, and dangerous, situations.
More and more information comes out about this case daily. Like the video of him at police headquarters with no bloody nose and no injuries at all. He did not even have any dirt or stains on his clothes since he advised he was on the ground and it was raining. But of course any person would make up information to save his own skin. My concern here is why the police lied. Clearly there are no injuries. Why is that in the police report? There should now be an investigation of the Sanford Police Department for filing fraudulent information on a police report. The officers involved should be fired. No one is out to get the innocent but we are out for the truth and it seems more and more everyday Zimmerman's story unravels. So what about his so called witness. Well Trayvon has several of those also who did not see Mr. Zimmerman on the ground. Should we discount them just so he will not be prosecuted. Everyone's desire in this should be the same. TO FIND OUT THE TRUTH. That is why scripture is so relevant. What is done in the dark always comes to the light. Hence the tape of Zimmerman with no injuries. Justice will prevail. But this exchange has shown America one thing. RACIAL HATRED IS ALIVE AND WELL!
Let's say you're right, and both followed the law syg, and went back and forth between them, ultimately one or both run, one or both arrested or in this case because as I know it, both don't let up and one dies. Unfortunately one died while standing their ground. Really a stupid law, don't think they thought that one through.
Hey Vern, they already tried settling this case without any facts. Now the case is seeing the light of day. He may be guilty, he may be innocent, but the facts are going to come out rather than be swept under the rug.
JOE D GLENN...while I agree with you, I find it slightly ironic and a tad bit hypocritical of you to make the statement about not calling people names, when I have reviewed your posts, and many address other people's lack of "intelligence". Your JUDGEMENTS on their intelligence is a form of bashing, and shows that you are incapable of accepting or understandings others views. You only doubt people's intelligence when their statements go against what you BELIEVE, and not what you KNOW. You are intollerant of others view points. Maybe you should take a look at yourself before pointing out the faults of others, especially when your biases are so publically on display.
This article is about one man who took it upon himself to bring what he saw as a grave injustice to light.
If certain individuals 40 years ago had not risked their lives trying to bring injustice to light, black people in this country would still be using the back door and drinking from separate water fountains, not to mention being hanged from trees while police looked the other way.
Judging by some of the comments, however, it seems that a lot of folks still miss those days.
Really?, you are hanging the entire case on one witness account, who has a reason to be biased. You are ignoring the FACTS that 1) there is a 16 year old girl who says she was on the phone with Trayvon and she heard Zimmerman confront Trayvon. Her and Trayvon's phone records prove they were talking at that time, 2) Zimmerman claims he was getting in his car when Trayvon came up from behind and attacked him. Yet Trayvon's body was found in the middle of the completx, away from road access, and not near Zimmerman's car, 3) there are at least two other witnesses who claim it was Zimmerman who was attacking Trayvon and it was Trayvon screaming for help 4) in the police tape that was released yesterday, Zimmerman's shirt is still tucked in, with no visible stains down the front of his light gray t-shirt. If he was in a physical fight with Trayvon and his nose had been broken, even after EMT treatment at the scene, his shirt would have blood on it because broken noses bleed, rather profusely, and when you tussle with someone, your shirt comes untucked, and someone dazed, rattled, with a broken nose, would most likely not stop to tuck in his shirt again on the way to the police station. The acount of Zimmerman getting jumped by Trayvon, having his arms pinned, getting beaten and his nose broken, but somehow managing to get his holstered gun, just doesn't add up when you look at ALL the facts, and not just the convenient facts that point to what you want to believe, like you seem to be doing.
Tina...what he did was jump on omething, dangerously, without having any facts.
I do not know of many people who do actually, as you state, "miss those days" (that sort of statement is as inflammatory as any).
But what he did was to a) convict someone based on no information, and doesn't that actually concern you a little since he is an attorney? b) assisted in spreading NO information, and only rumors, heresay and the like.
This issue may be biased-based. It may not be. The kid may have been innocent. He may not have been. But the sad fact is, people like you have already determined what the facts are, based on no facts at all.
To compare this shooting with the civil rights movement is rediculous at best, and fouls the memory of those who did fight for basic rights at that time. It is the un-informed public and media that has made this a civil-rights issue. None of the (very few) facts, support that.
@StupidQuestion I think you are misunderstanding what many people want. My take is I want the case taken to the grand jury and LET them hear the evidence and decide. However to not allow this to happen is a travesty within itself. Trayvon's family nor Zimmerman gets justice this way. Both are left with an incomplete feeling to this matter. All justice to run it's course and allow him his day in court. I have my OPINION but I will not be on the jury. My opinion is slanted based on my views and what I have read as with every blogger on here. Regardless of the outcome people will say he was either railroaded or he got away with murder i.e. O.J Simpson or the lady that was tried for her daughter's death (her name escapes me at the moment).
Honey Jo, while I applaud actually looking at FACTS instead of rumors, you are just as guilty. You do not have all the FACTS...they are still coming out. And yet you have already decided, based on what YOU want to believe (what you accuse another writer of doing), that the kid was innocent and Z is guilty. Wait for actual FACTS to come out, and not base it on what the media reports. They have reported many things that have already been proven false...about both sides of the issue. And you are also just as guilty as ignoring some "facts" that don't support what you believe. So follow your own advice. Wait for FACTS!
Really?-1739510
So what your saying is that if i am walking down the street in FL minding my own business and someone comes along and picks a fight with me and i start whipping his butt, he has the right to kill me? If i dont feel the need to answer his questions about what im doing on the street, because hes obviously not law enforcement, and i tell him to eff off because its none of his business. I have the right to end up dead? Fellow Philadelphians, we need to be real careful in FL.
eric60watts, I believe more people than you think "miss those days".
Just read half the comments on any subject having to do with this case.
And while I agree that the media has turned it into a civil rights issue, it does bring up memories of the way the police used to conveniently turn their backs whenever a black person was murdered by a white person, and no jury would ever convict.
Those memories are all too recent for some of us.
If you are walking around and a neighbor ask if you live there you should answer. Neighbors are just trying to look out for each other. This isn't like walking around on public streets. This is private property owned by the community. You don't tell a fellow owner to eff off. This whole thing was handled wrong by both. They are both responsible in this incident. One person paid with his life and that is a bad outcome. The other person blew it by not identifying himself and just merely asking if he lived there instead of trying to catch him doing something. Both people made mistakes.
S Jr
you are correct, my point was that the mistake made by the victim should never have cost him his life.
I think we should start something on Cunningham and see how he likes the media treating him unfairly. I believe the Martin case was blown way out of line. I believe all the celebrities were used for all the wrong reason. You think I will support their music, movies and everything they do now. For a pastor with derogatory remarks that doesn't say much about this man of God and someone to put a bounty on someone without all the facts should be shot themselves.
G-man,
Well stated and I concur. Whether I or yourself lean one way or the other we can still agree that due process needs to happen. I believe that there was more due process accomplished than is being accepted, so be it. It stands to benefit the entire community if it's investigated further. Z is innocent until proven guilty. Let the system work and prove (beyond a reasonable doubt) one way or the other.
But you are right in what I believe you alluded to...people are going to believe much as they believe now, regardless of due process and it's verdict.
You would think a lawyer would know better than to post something like that based on what little he knew about the case from the news at the time.
How the hell is this guy going to defend anyone if he believes whatever accusations he hears about them?
neckbone ur a duffus, umm u jackasses go after rev sharpton for stating his beliefs but are silent on the moronic hatemongering crap that comes out of pat robertson, franklin graham, etc mouths.....what about these so called men of god?
While bringing this out to the public in a fashion that depicts Martin as angelic, using outdated photos of him at a younger age, this allows hate mongers like Sharpton to climb on his soapbox again. We flat out do not have all the facts yet!!! I want to ask Mr Sharpton where his indignation is for the young white boy recently burned by two black youths in another crime that is clearly racially motivated?
We all need to not lose sight of the fact that this "due process" everyone is clamoring for would not have come about without the public outcry generated by Trayvon's family, Cummingham, Sharpton, the social media, et al. Without it, there would have been no further examination of the facts and/or evidence, nor any jury trial. Zimmerman would have been left free to live his merry life.
Hopefully, now there will be a full and thorough examination of the evidence by a jury of Zimmerman's peers - as it should be. That is the justice needed in this case. A verdict of guilty or not is the result of justice realized.
The only thing that I have to question about the boy is that, did he think this was a man that was trying to abduct him, don't we teach our children to fight back with all they have? Maybe he was scared, and fought for his life! I looked at the picture of Zimmerman, and didn't notice anything that would of made me think he was a policeman, or any law enforcement. Why did he have to kill him, he could of shot him in the leg, or arm, not killed him!
If your correct then why did the lead investigator tell the DA he should be prosecuted for man slaughter? Besides Zimmerman did not have a right to harass the boy If he just waited for the police no one would be dead. If Zimmerman was arrested and this went to trail this would not even be an issue It would not even be on front page news.
By documented you mean on paper, right? Where are the pictures? Why wasn't his clothing taken into custody? Why the hell didn't the police use even the most basic Standard Operating Procedures when investigating a shooting...any shooting?
Have you ever seen someone get a broken nose? I have and a broken nose bleeds profusely and there is blood all over the person with the broken nose. Both nostrils must be packed with gauze to staunch the flow of blood. In addition, when a nose is broken all of the tiny blood vessels in the immediate area of the nose break also. This leads to bleeding under the skin which causes severe swelling and bruising to that area, along with one or two black eyes.
I don't know how observant you are, but in the video I watched today from the SPD I did not see any of the following evidence on Zimmerman:
1) bloody shirt
2) gauze stuffed nostrils
3) facial swelling
4) black eyes
From emedicinehealth.com
Symptoms of a broken nose include swelling, bruising, a black eye, nosebleeds, pain, tenderness when touching the nose, or deformity of the nose.
Link:
http://www.emedicinehealth.com/broken_nose/article_em.htm
The video showed that Zimmerman suffered no such trauma to his face. If a person has a head injury from his head bashed into the concrete there would be blood all down the back of his jacket, even a small head wound bleeds a lot!!
Really?-1739510--one witness places Zimmerman under Martin. Another witness says it was too dark. Yet another witness says it was a younger voice calling for help. The witness accounts vary.
The first police report mentioned no injuries to Zimmerman. The second mentioned injuries, and a damp back, but little else. The person who embalmed Martin says there was no damage to his hands. The little data we have available does not all go in one direction.
We do know that the police did not take proper photographs to document Zimmerman's case (well, apparently not--as they'd have probably released it by now). There has been no discussion of Martin's blood on Zimmerman's clothing or Zimmerman's blood on Martin's clothing--if Martin were beating up Zimmerman, there would have been blood on his clothing--specifically, on the arm of the hoodie he was wearing. The police reports mention none of this.
If the police cleaned up Zimmerman without first taking proper photographs and noticing all relevant information, then the police tampered with evidence. That the police did so little to gather, and apparently something to destroy, evidence is really terribly interesting.
If Zimmerman claims that he was jumped near his vehicle, but the body was quite a bit further away from the vehicle than can be justified--and if there was no blood near the vehicle to demonstrate that the fight started there--then again, there's something of an issue.
It is not the evidence--but the conflicting evidence and absent evidence (the attorney has yet to produce that document from the hospital about this man's broken nose) that tells the tale. I am really hoping that there is a security camera somewhere that will be useful--but so far, it looks like the police either negligently or deliberately helped Zimmerman so that the needed evidence was never gathered. I expect Zimmerman will get off due to a lack of consistent evidence. The question is, why wasn't the evidence gathered?
In any case, the one person who claimed that Martin was beating up on Zimmerman--even if correct--proves only that Martin was beating up on Zimmerman at one point. Did Zimmerman have reason to fear for his life (remember that his back was grass-stained, so it sounds like he was not near something that he could have had his head beaten against)? It sounds just as likely that Zimmerman hit his own head at some point in order to create an alibi, or that he slipped and fell while pursuing Martin. Where is the bloodstained concrete that was DNA-tested to show that Zimmerman's head was hit? Isn't that missing too? Why was there no blood on Zimmerman if he shot Martin at close range? If he did not shoot at very close range (and this is one thing that the autopsy really can tell us)--why did Zimmerman fear for his life?
Please stop cherry-picking tiny details--the details conflict, and it is the missing details that are the most interesting to me. This sounds like intentional negligence on the part of the police department. What does Zimmerman's dad do for a living? I'd be very curious to know.
Why doesn't he do an article and that poor white kid in Kansas City that those 2 black kids lite on FIRE, Huh Huh huh huh huh, OBAMA, Jesse and Sharptounge need to go find out.
Cunningham is a disgrace to the Irish community, that I am so proud of.
@Ed Ryan Why are you mad at him for not doing anything about the little kid that got burned. A better question is why are you NOT doing anything about that kid that got burned. You can do the samething that he did and probably get a bigger and better audience than he did.
I agree that case needs some light shined on it however since this was a poor kid in a low income area they are forgotten about and not reported on. However, Ed you can do something. A revolution does not care who starts it, only the changes it accomplishes. Start one Ed and I will sign up the moment you do. It is like voting, if you don't vote don't complain. Do something.
beanathome, well said.
G-Man, Ed doesn't want justice for anyone else, he's just trying to deflect...
I'm not in anyway trying to sound heartless about what happened to this kid. It was a horrible and shameful waste of life, and devastating to the parents/family, but has anyone stopped to ask.. what makes this kid so much more important than any other.. to get all of this attention via protest and demand for justice? think about all of the other kids that have died at the hands of adults, peers, and neglectful idiots. the one little boy who was lured out of a department store, and beaten, defiled, and left dead. Those boys are now adults and free to roam after taking the life of another child. I won't even start on the Casey Anthony trial. Justice? Why demand it for one child and not all of them? Why rally and protest for a child rather than children as a whole? It's upsetting to see things like this in the news when the world as a whole has much more pressing issues to protest against. Again, I don't mean to sound heartless. I'm just trying to make a point about how the world tends to loose sight of the bigger picture.
Just what we need, another bleeding-heart libtard in training!
ADK DON - I'll take one caring individual for a thousand of your "let them die" for your so called human beings
Ever hear the expression "No man is an island"? Or maybe you left your compassion in your diapers at birth
Sickening - to call yourself human - my dogs have more grace and beauty and love than you could ever attain
Again, calling someone names decreases the force of your arguement. In an argument with little force name calling is a net negative because it just makes the author just look stupid.
Really? Liberals are much more skeptical. They do care, but is that a bad thing? Maybe you think caring is a bad thing but I don't care what you think. liberals care about humanity. Is that the wrong thing? California is not a basket case because of harbor seals notwithstanding what you think.
liberals tend to act by logical processes. You completely mistate the health care bill, that was effectively written by industry and hopefully will be declared unconstitutional in its entirity because the insurance and medical industries shuldn't write laws to enrich themselves.
Good for Cunningham!
We NEED more of HIM! Less Zimmermans!
You do understand that the individual mandate is a conservative idea from the Heritage Foundation? In fact in the 1990's most of the conservatives in congress believed in the individual mandate. The only reason why they are against it today is because they hate Obama so much they cant even agree when he gives them what they ask for.
Really? Your argument is just a string of assertions you leave unproven. It reaslly is no argument at all and mainly consists of calling Liberals names without more. this type of argument is only one small step up from lying.
The statements made by Really-#'s have nothing to do with this case and are typical of the ploy made by those who cannot defend the merits of their arguments when faced with FACTS that clearly contradict their viewpoint.
When people like Really?-#'s begin losing a discussion based upon FACTS they first name call their opponent and second they change the subject to something that is irrelevant to the discussion.
This blog is about how the public outcry over the Trayvon Martin shooting got into the national spotlight, not about the Individual Mandate, Liberals, nanny states or any other of Really?-#'s subject changing deflection tactics.
Really-1739510: I guess people like you can never be convinced that the truth is in the facts. The number one fact in this case is that Zimmerman had been told by the authorities NOT to follow Trayvon. The number two fact is that Trayvon was the person in fear of his death. And yes.. the number three fact is that Zimmerman was the person with the gun. RESULT- Zimmerman is in hiding for "defending" himself AND Trayvon is DEAD.
If people only get the "facts" from Fox they will never get all the truth. Try changing channels.
Zimmerman is alive and whining and Trayvon is dead because he wore a hoodie. Shame on you "Really". Shame shame shame.
"Just what we need, another bleeding-heart libtard in training!"
LOL; do you enjoy displaying your childishness and ignorance for all to see? There are countries you can immigrate to that share your philosophy that only one ideology can exist at the expense of all others. China, North Korea and Muslim governed countries come to mind. I suggest you leave the U.S. since you are intolerant of anyone who doesn't share your opinions.
Your post is simply an indication that you belong on my ignore list. I don't have the time to read comments that originate in a sewer.
Have I ever lowered myself to the childish act of name calling? Yes I have, and it's something I regret and publicly apologize for. Fair is fair, and I'm mature enough to admit my mistakes.
Thanks alot Mr. Cunningham. Last time I checked, this is a Florida issue, not a federal issue. I hope you are proud of yourself, who will they look to if the "Bubba effect" occurs? Had to stick your nose where it didn't belong.
@Really?-1739510
Answer to this: The facts. I have not assumed this mans guilt. The evidence right now is at best contradictory. Also, Trayvon's body was found a large distance away from the car. How, may I ask, did his body get that far away if, according to Zimmerman's statements, the fight happened at the car. This implies that ether A: He is lying, or B: He tampered with the body and then has committed a separate felony.
Also, your claim that we can only go by what he says is horrendously false. We can go by the evidence, such as body location, blood stains, plenty of visual evidence, and examination of the crime scene.
As of this time, he has not been legally accused or made to stand trial, so I will not say he is guilty. but to defend his innocence without proper facts and examination of all evidence (even the parts that contradict your own assumed opinion) you are merely making unfounded and false statements.
We definitely need to be prepared for when the negros come.
Big Al, you should keep quiet and you will look a lot more intelligent.
Talk smart if you wish, but soon you will be Tyrone's bitch.
I will talk smart because I can, You go ahead and talk the way you normally do and intelligent people will know just exactly who you are.
I don't much care for Big Al's choice of words, but as distasteful as you may find them, if the outcome of this event does not suit the masses, there will be violent repercussions. I won't make any predictions on the race of those who will riot, but if history is any guide...
“The only race I believe in is the human race." Well said Mr. Cunningham.
Indeed!
yes, Mr. Cunningham has identified the challenge to us all...humanize our thinking
it's what separates us from other lawless places we see on the news each day
He is full of it. I don't care who you are, there is a little racist and bigot in everyone in one form or another. Some are better at keeping it in the closet than others so that when a situation arises for them to "rise above the masses" and portray themselves as the "cool head" in the room, it isn't prevalent in their mannerisms or actions. They can play the heart bleed role with a little more convincing dramatization.
Talk to the hand
Yes, there is a little bit of everything bad in all of us. It is our conditioning, or 'civilization' that we use as a filter with which to view society. 1000 years ago my ancestors may have thought it great to wipe out entire villages in times of war, women and children included. But we do not behave like that today. That is the benefit of civilization and all that goes with it.
When I was in the Army we all had to go to race relations classes! During one class they asked a black soldier what he was proud of; he stated his family, his race and his country! When I was asked the same question I too stated that I was proud of family, race and country. The difference in the two questions was that I was pointed out as a racist for being proud of being white.
If I caught someone crossing my property and did not know the person, I would stop that person and ask the individual what they were doing, especially if there had been a rash of burglaries in my neighborhood! If at that time the individual gave me some sass I would probably develop an attitude in a hurry! If the individual left my property without answering it would piss me off but it would be the end of it. Unless of course that individual returned and again was on my property. At that time they would stop and explain to my satisfaction what it was they were doing. If not, well I would call the cops, but the condition the person would be in when the cops got there, would be entirely up to the individual! It would not matter race, color or creed! If there was a legitimate reason for a person to be on someone else’s property they would stop and ask!
As I understand it, that is the reason for gated communities. To keep people out and to let the people in these communities feel safe and secure!
I am sick sick sick of hearing this day after day. At this point, they can't arrest Zimmerman because of the law in Fla. I think this should be based on FACTS, and all the people ranting and raving DON'T KNOW ALL THE FACTS. I don't believe that Zimmerman could ever receive a fair trial if he were arrested. Guilty or innocent, you cannot convict him on a black/white issue, because that isn't the issue. The issue is a young black man was killed - was it self-defense? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FACTS ARE SO SHUT UP UNTIL EVERYTHING IS BROUGHT OUT. THIS IS THE LAW OF THE LAND - INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
Change the channel Pattie,
He will be charged, with a HATE CRIME! Too bad he called Trayvon an F-ing COON, on the 911 tapes!
SO sad, his story is unraveling by the minute, his lies are all coming out!
Of course it wasn't self defense, no witness to who started it, but plenty of proof that he was PURSUING Trayvon, not the other way around.
And now we have video, of Zimmie within 2 hours of the tragic "beat down" where he was being POUNDED ON concrete, screaming for help, with NO BLOOD ANYWHERE ON HIM! No gashes, NO bloody nose, NO Blood on his clothing....
come on now....
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/16/trayvon-martin-911-audio-_n_1354909.html
It's right here on his 911 call. He called him an F-ing COON, makes it a HATE CRIME!
I don't expect a Zimmie defender to "hear it" cause yu are clearly both blind AND deaf, but the tape will be, IS being examined as we speak!
Pattie,
Fmr. Gov Jeb Bush (who signed the bill) and the Republican Legislator who wrote the bill disagree with you.
Also, the lead homicide detective on this case.
Innocent until proven guilty? What rock have you been under lately? Sure you can say zimmerman's innocent. You can say it a thousand times, but that's not gonna make it true. Just because he has a daddy that's a retired judge with a bunch of good ole boys in his pocket doesn't make little georgie innocent. Just gets him off the hook.
"NO BLOOD ANYWHERE ON HIM! No gashes, NO bloody nose, NO Blood on his clothing...."
@Jo An... actually the article says it was four hours after the shooting not two and that he was given first aid and possibly cleaned up. The video is really too grainy to see any visible injuries.
This will most likely end up as a tragic accident... not an intentional murder.
Pattie...
accountablity is a necessary part of the justice system...& the internet is holding people accountable
go find something else to do if your nerves are unable to handle the stress
Patty, I am sick, sick, sick of the killing of blacks, and in some cases the killer goes FREE. I am not for giving the Blacks a free ride but, I am sure tired of the people who view the Blacks as guilty EVERY time.
Don't you realize that Whites can be guilty also?
patrick
Yes, they cleaned his wounds, but didn't badge them. They washed his cloths. All while they stood around on the sideway.
You have already convicted Zimmerman and you have little to NO facts of this case... you are basing your views off INFOTAINMENT.
You are not a lawyer or even remotely have REAL facts of this case.
Your comments scream of mob mentality and being STUPID for even saying the things you have in this thread without REAL evidence beyond what the media has given you.
You and SPIKE LEE are the same... you know, spike lee who tweeted the WRONG address, for Zimmerman, to 247,000 followers and the people had to leave there home out of fear???
Get off your soap box of ZERO FACTS and living off infotainment. You are not a lawyer, you have ZERO facts, and you have no idea what you are talking about. THat is ALL I read in ever post you made on this subject here.
It is people like YOU who promote racism and hatred
Really, apparently you haven't listend to the 911 recordeing. Zimmerman called him a suspicious person, indentified him as a Black male and probably on drugs. Oh yes, he also referred to him as an a-hole, as in "these a&&holes always get away". That is a direct quote, so do you still stand by your version of innocent Mr Zimmerman?
Precisely. Jo-An is all over the place. Call out for justice on the one hand and convict for a hate crime on the other. Take a position and stick with it. Jo-An goes along with Cunningham about belief in the human race. Well Jo-An, that's the human race in totality not just your pre-conceived wishes.
If Zimmerman is innocent until proven guilty, Martin should be as well. Martin never had a chance to prove his innocence and his punishment was death.
The tapes are being examined as we speak, I HEAR him say F-inf COONS, so does zimmies "token" black friend Joe Oliver, but he thinks he may be saying F-ing Goon....
None of us would even have heard of Trayvon Martin or George Zimmerman if the Sanford cops had down their job, arrested Zimmie and let the jury decide!
If Zimmerman is guilty or not guilty, it is still up to a judge and jury to decide, not an emotional public. This is the country that we live in, and we still have due process. As for punishment, I think the more appropriate term would be consequence. The consequence of ALL the actions taken that night with ALL the facts laid out.
Florida law may very well prevent a conviction under state law provisions. Martin's family is only asking that there be a trial. The threshhold for arrest and trial is the same as with any other criminal case, that there was probable cause to believe the action (the shooting in this case) was unlawful.
Since the blogosphere has already tried, convicted, hung, drawn & quatered, guillotened, burned at the stake, and sent to Mr. Zimmerman to hell there probably is enough evidence meet the probable cause standard. It would then be in a trial for Zimmerman prove that his actions were reasonable.
I don't blame the police. They have been informed of the Florida law about stand your ground. If they had even detained Zimmerman and it turned out they were wrong, the police could be sued for unlawful detention. Once the arrest or detention is done, it can't be undone.
The prosecutor is in the same position. The law clearly states that if Zimmerman's actions were what a reasonable person would do, then the prosecutor can't even try him. The prosecutor must go to the grand jury and present all of the evidence and, effectively, try the case just to get an indictment. If the prosecutor acts without the grand jury, he too risks being sued.
If the state of Florida does not prosecute, I don't think the US Justice Department will prosecute. If the actions of Zimmerman were reasonable, then he did have the right to shoot Martin. The grand jury investigation is essential. In today's litigation happy society, the police and prosecutors are justified in not wanting to waste scarce resources on a case where they very well might have to civilly defend themselves if they lose.
Question dirp... Grand juries function differently from state to state. For instance in some states both prosecution and defense can bring evidence. In others, it is just the prosecution. Do you know how Florida operates? Great post by the way.
No, I'm not sure how grand juries function in Florida. I would imagine, in this case, that the grand jury would try to get all of the evidence possible. Usually the testimony is sealed, but I believe that the prosecutor would want to be sure to present everything that is known. The prosecutor truly does not want to go to a trial, only to lose. He'll only want to go to trial if he believes he can win the case.
And thank you. I got tired of reading all the bloggers SAY what Florida law is and decided to read it. I was very surprised to read that the police could not even detain someone if they claimed self defense and there is the probability they are correct. No wonder police and prosecutors hate these laws. Other than normal investigatory questioning, the police have to let you go. This law truly is " shoot first, questions later."
Due process is what we are seeking Zimmerman was taken at his word it was self defense and let go. i dont think they did a good job investigating what happened. i would love to know why it took four hours for the police to take him into custody?
This wasn't a hate crime..shooting the kid was wrong, but I doubt he was out to shoot anyone that night.
Like others say..STFU.. and let the justice system do its job..if you don't like the way the justice system works ..then remember that next time you vote.
There won't be a grand jury. Per news reports:
Angela Corey, the crone-like special prosecutor, announced yesterday (March 28, 2012) that she would not take the case to the grand jury, that she would make the decision to prosecute by herself.
http://www.halfsigma.com/2012/03/no-grand-jury-for-george-zimmerman.html
You can’t really blame this type of law for this situation. You have to blame the police department and the prosecutors.
We have a similar law here in Oklahoma called the “Make My Day” law (Clint Eastwood anyone?). It has been used quite frequently by victims of home invasions, but also by businesses. However, in 2009 Pharmacist Jerome Ersland shot and killed 16 year-old Antwun Parker, a young black man who was attempting to rob his pharmacy. Ersland claimed self-defense under the “Make My Day” law (side note, Ersland is white). Oklahoma County DA David Prater decided Ersland used excessive force when he killed Parker. Ersland was charged with murder and arrested. In May 2011 a jury of Ersland’s peers agreed with the DA and found him guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced him to life. Apparently, in Oklahoma County the prosecutor and the jury know the right use from the wrong use of deadly force when it comes to claims of self-defense.
http://newsok.com/oklahoma-city-pharmacist-found-guilty-of-murder/article/3571542
Prater was not without his detractors and he was ridiculed for his decision to prosecute Ersland. The case turned into a similar Internet feeding frenzy dividing the nation just as the Martin case has.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/life-sentence-oklahoma-pharmacist-sparks-debate/story?id=13719078
Zimmerman was involved in a shooting which resulted in a death under suspicious circumstances. Therefore, he should have been arrested, charged and bail set. He could then have bonded out while a thorough investigation was being done. If the evidence gathered during the investigation was enough to validate the charges Zimmerman would then have his day in court. If not, charges are dropped and he’s a free man.
This is the way it should have happened, but it didn’t. This is what caused so much upset initially and righteously so because it’s not what we should expect from law enforcement and gave the case the appearance of a cover-up.
Did Trayvon Martin not deserve the type of professional police work each and every one of us deserves, have come to expect, and would demand were it our own child who was killed?
Due to the unavoidable Internet connection the case has unfortunately taken on a life of its’ own. Instead of the initial outrage at the behavior of the SPD we now have been reduced to infighting amongst the ranks.
Once again an immature (name calling), self-centered (I’m right and you’re wrong), fearful (we must have gun control and more laws) nation has divided itself down racial and political lines. You all should feel guilty about your behavior and should be embarrassed for yourselves.
Bottom line, it doesn’t matter what any one of us thinks. It matters what the evidence proves.
In my opinion* George Zimmerman is potentially guilty of the use of excessive force in the killing of Trayvon Martin. He should be charged, arrested, and tried by a jury of his peers. I would expect and demand no less if one of my children was buried in a graveyard because someone killed them.
*Based on the thoughts and actions of Oklahoma County DA David Prater and the outcome of the Ersland case.
Now TWO EXPERTS confirm, it was NOT Zimmerman screaming for help on the 911 tapes!
What could that mean?
I am also sick of hearing about it. They make such a big deal about him calling the kid black. What would you call a white person in a predominately black neighbor hood? Hello it was simply a reference. When you give a description to the police you say he was tall dark hair thin. what does that tell. But if say he was tall dark hair and Hispanic, white black the police have a reference to work with. lets say they go with just the description on the suspect tall dark hair and thin and it's a white man but they arrest an Hispanic. False arrest who's fault is that the witnesses becausehe didn't specify the suspect was white. So media sluts quite asking why he said the kid was black................ and that it was racial profiling get real Reverends crawl back in the hole you slithered out of.
Hardworkinggal: Im not sure where you get your information but you need to check your facts before posting. He called him a F******* C***. Then proceeded to blame the whole thing on the dead boy, saying he attacked him, broke his nose and beat his head in the cement a couple times before trying to grab for his gun, so he shot him. Now the video comes out and shows Zimmerman after he is taken to the police station, no broken nose, no injuries on the back of his head. So now that we have been lied to, are we still suppose to believe the one that lied?
He got out of that cop car with his hands cuffed behind him, pretty easily TOO!
hard,
It has NOTHING to do with him answering the question, "is he white, black, or hispanic" LOL, that is standard questioning to describe the "suspect'....
It's the fact that he was doing NOTHING SUSPICIOUS, other than "walking" with his hoodie up, in the rain!
It's become a racial issue, because he shot the kid, and didn't get arrested! If he shot a white child, he would be sitting in jail now, awaiting trial....
@Jo-An Really????? Because white kids get shot everyday by thugs in "Hoodies" and lots of them are never solved and no one ever goes to jail. Furthermore, I love how the media calls the suspect "White" even though his mom is Hispanic, yet the President is "Black" even though his mom is white.........
Roscoe2u...yes, lots of shootings are never solved...
but that's because police have no idea who the shooters were
in THIS particular case, we know who the shooter is...
so what's your point...?
or are you just spewing out comments that drift through your mind?
sheeesh Roscoe...
Chill....if this kid were white, Zimmie would be awaiting trial, not hiding out!
We are all part of the HUMAN RACE? Right?
Sylvia
Roscoe2u...yes, lots of shootings are never solved...
but that's because police have no idea who the shooters were
in THIS particular case, we know who the shooter is...
so what's your point...?
or are you just spewing out comments that drift through your mind
Absoloutly Sylvia, also you might want to add that the cops didn't arrest Zim because they believed him and or didn't have enough evidence too.
I suppose you and everybody else here who is flying off the handle, which is what the media wants, believes the Sanford police allow people to go around killing blacks and just lets them get away with it scott free all the time.
I'm going to go ahead and trust the cops on this one however if a grand jury is convened and he is found guilty or innocent that would be great, but you or noone else on this website is qualified to be judge jury and executioner.
Now get back to work!!!
Have you heard what the blacks call the whites? Listen sometimes. All the names are unfavorable like honkey. Do you hear the whites yelling raciest? Maybe we should because from what I can see there is one standard for black people and one standard for white people. Blacks are never in the wrong and whites are continually in the wrong.
When my children were little we had some African Americans, blacks, people of color (whichever is the correct term this week) living next door. The kids were calling my kids horrible names. This was 30 years ago. I went next door and spoke to their mother and told her I didn't appreciate it because my children who were 5 and 1/2 and 4 at the time did not know racism, had not been exposed it and did not hear it in my house. And I wanted to keep it that way. We got along after that. Those kids who were also 4 at the time had so much hate, and they were taking it out on kids their own age who only wanted to play with them. Sad. So yes listen to what they call the whites it is racists……………..
It ain't so funny when the shoe is on the other foot, is it, hardworkinggal?
Who the hell cares what Cunningham did. I may have signed that petition but WILL NOT as long as you have the Azzhole Black Panthers putting a bounty on a U.S. citizen and not having anything done about it. It is against the law.
Sylvia-4139336
Roscoe2u...yes, lots of shootings are never solved...
but that's because police have no idea who the shooters were
in THIS particular case, we know who the shooter is...
so what's your point...?
or are you just spewing out comments that drift through your mind
@Sylvia My point is those other cases barely get mentioned while this one has gotten non stop media coverage. If the roles had been reversed we would have never heard of it outside of Florida.
Now the FEDS are involved and if they haven't arrested the guy by now, chances are the evidence points towards self defense................
roscoe the "feds" just started investigating 2 days ago, and sanford pd is being nothing if not unhelpful when being asked for details....they are to busy trying to cover their own arses, instead of helping to get this case solved.....seeing how zimmeran has been arrested in the past for violent crimes its not to far a stretch to think maybe he got angry that this "uppity black kid" had the nerve to refuse to answer his questions as a self appointed watch captain......
Roscoe2u
speculation as to what MIGHT have happened if someone had another skin color has absolutely nothing to do with why "regular" people like this Irishman want this particular situation looked at in greater depth...
grass roots officers who do a good job and are thwarted by "the system" must be very happy that one of their own officers has gotten some vindication for being over-ruled in this case...
ongoing news coverage happens when there is controversy & you must admit that it is not every day that a neighborhood watch individual kills someone...
yes, I am sure there are many other news stories worthy of greater coverage...perhaps you could write some stories & get them published if you feel so pasionately about any one of them...the Irishman did just that & you can too...so DO something if this inequality you claim exists in the press bothers you so much
just an aside...
the multiple exclamation marks you used when you ordered me to "get back to work" made you look like a childish bully...
hissy fits are so weird coming from an adult...& I do assume you are over 21...
but hey, you could be 12 for all I know
@sylvia, Please show me where I told you to get back to work. I believe you have me confused with another poster (Matt) and now owe me an apology. It would be the ADULT thing for you to do.......
Roscoe2u
I owe you an apology...your name was printed at the top of the post I read & my words written to you were quoted in their entirety...I mistakenly thought you posted the remark...when it was actually Matt-1883244 (it's located about 8 messages prior to this one)
Matt was the one who told me to go back to work...with 3 exclamation marks...not you...I am pleased to know that it wasn't you who wrote that awful sentence because I did think you are a reasonable fellow
next time I shall be much more careful to avoid transposing names
just too bad Matt won't see what I said...too tired to chase anyone like him down right now & it is probably not worth my time to do so
I remain so very glad I took the time to check this message before deleting it tonight...
once again, please accept my sincere apology for mixing you up with Matt...you are light years apart !
Question ?
1. you live at 1130 Twin Tree Ln, Sanford florida.
2. You volunter for a neighbor watch program
3. Since 9/27/2011 228 crimes have been committed with in a 1 mile area surrounding this location
4. A number of Theft, burglary and vehicle break-ins in your develoment.
5. You observe a person walking in the gated community at 1:30 am
6. Person wearing Hood and carrying something, and person evades all response from security.
7. Was this person asking for trouble.????????????????
I'm certain I missed it in the article...but, did you state that "change.org", is a part of "MOVE ON.ORG". msnbc, you should be ashame of the propaganda you are spreading. You are about as transparent as this administration.
That is a ridiculous comment....
is it the DOT ORG that has you confused???
Please of back over to FAUX, catch up with Roge Ailes tool set!
Right on ghost!!! and the sheeple want to come back with ignorant comments such as faux and Ailes
ghost, Change.org was started in 2007 as a NON-PARTISAN organization to empower people ANYWHERE in the world to start a petition on issues. They are NOT affiliated to anything connected to President Obama or ANY Democratic sites. Reading expands the mind.
apparently moveon.org is significant to have u reich wing faux noose scumbags talking about them......duncecap
@hardworkinggal...The tape was edited. The police dispatcher asked Zimmerman, "if the person was white, black or hispanic". Zimmerman responded, "I think he is black". Go figure.
Are you really that thick???
He says F-ing COON clearly! Take a listen!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/16/trayvon-martin-911-audio-_n_1354909.html
listen to the tape...even Zimmie's defender Joe Oliver, admits he hears it! But he "thinks" it nmay be F-ing GOONS....
"There is no requirement that neighborhood watch "volunteers" identify themselves."
You seem to forget the word "WATCH" in all this. It is the Neighborhood WATCHs job to report and observe not to confront. Was Zimmerman wearing anything identifiable (a jacket/badge) or did he verbally identify himself as neighborhood watch. In any case...that is irrelevant. He is not a trained sworn police officer and is not supposed to engage suspects.
In my city, a Neighborhood Watchman, was told he could not carry gun, not even pepper spray. He was told, he was only supposed to observe and report.
Neighborhood watch is just that. Watch and Report.
Zimmerman responsed that way the second time he mentions that Treyon was black. Zimmerman actually says that he is black before 911 asks.
So what, he WAS black. What is your problem with that word? Would it make you feel better if he said Afro American? or whatever they want to be called this year.
man the racist reich wingers are out today....thats when you can tell they are "ascared' they herd together like scared sheep and run around spewing their faux noose or their man in hell brietbart bs thats still being spouted from his site......and confedkid get over it your people lost the civil war and ur only here because of the weakness of the politicians back then, since our Union Generals wanted to execute every last one of u traitors.....which this country would have been better off f we would have! so I am tired of these white trash reich wingers.....good luck truthseekers!
Wow I can not believe the hate and racism I am reading on this page. A kid was killed and there should be an inquiry into his death. It is that simple. I am glad one man took a stand to see that justice is done and the laws of this country followed.
Absolutely! Trying to turn an innocent kid into a thug, it's sickening!
Ahhh...but what if he was a thug? What then?
Why wasn't he charged?
Please, enlighten me?
@rob,
according to everyone that knew him, he WASN'T.
The fact that he had a bag of skittles, an iced tea, $22 and his cell phone on him, hardly point to a thug!
Funny, he doesn't look too roughed up in the police video, now does HE?
And the witness only saw a fight! Not who started it, not how it started, not even how it ended! The witness says he went upstairs to call 911 and heard the gunshot, and the screaming stopped and Trayvon was dead!
Where is the BLOOD? Why doesn't he have a GASH on his head??
They washed his shirt? You are desperately trying to defend the indefensible!
Zimmie's story is unravelling by the minute!
What do you call someone over 6' tall that attacks someone trying to look after his community. AN ANGEL? you are pathetic let the police do there job.
There had been alot of break-ins and theft in the area lately and this person looked out of the ORDINARY. NOT BEING BLACK BUT SOMEONE THAT HAS NOT BEEN AROUND THE AREA, then he puts his hoodie on like he did not want his face seen.
Where do you get your info?
And show me just once, where Zimmerman EVEN tells the 911 operator that HE IS with neighborhood watch?
He put his hoodie on because it was rainy and cold! Not a crime, last time I checked!
Really?? What does ANY OF THAT have to do with Trayvon?
This clown Zimmie should have just admitted he shot him accidentally after getting into a fight, the cover up will be a lot worse than the "possible" truth..
And yet Trayvon was gunned down 700 feet from the safety of his dads home!
He actually told the police, he wasn't ON WATCH that night, simply returning from store...
Check the weather that day and it was rainy and dropped into the 50's. I live 50 miles south of there and my son lives up there.
Here you go. Lying doesn't help your case!
http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/USFL0443?month=-1
Sanford Florida's weather for Feb 2012
it's a "fish bowl" society we have now & the world is watching & asking deeper questions
thankfully, it is becoming less likely that "blame the victim" defence will hold in this case
Really, don't confuse her with facts. She hates having to write things down rather than rant as her own words can be used against her later. Its hard being a liar as you have to remember everything you said in the past.
Liz, dear, I am STILL WAITING FOR SOME FACTS! I have asked where these facts are, and have gotten no answer. If you would like me to back up any statement I have made, I will gladly show you where I read it, and what the link is...
Instead of accusing me of having NO FACTS, show me YOURS!
I call bull@!$%#. I was in Altmonte Springs that night, having driven there in the evening from Daytona right thru Sanford. There was no rain anywhere and my car thermometer never dropped below the 60s.
just saying it like i see it,
Zimmerman's neighborhood is predominately minority (Black, Hispanic, Asian). So it is not unusual for a black person to be walking around. That's just common sense.
Unless Zimmerman knows ALL of his neighbors, their children, and relatives, who is he to determine who is "out of the ordinary"? How can you determine if someone is on drugs just by watching them walk down the street?
If he was that good at finding criminals, then he would've had no problem joining the police force as he apparently has a mental prowess that no one else does.
UDonnoBro, check the weather channel, cause UDonnoBro...
I'm sure your MEMORY beats out fact EVERYTIME!
UDunnoBro,
According to the weather channel and Sanford Police, it was raining. You do know that it can rain in one place and not another. Right? Hell, it can rain across the street and not a drop on the other.
So, what is your point?
me, please give us a link to these people that knew him, and said he wasn't...
Just some......ANY facts that point to him being ANYTHING, other than A GOOD KID??
You can't jus spew CRAP without back up links.
@Really?-1739510 Can you tell em what all three of those suspensions were for, what the context of them was, and where you got your information? I have also heard that he was suspended, though for what I cannot remember, but I have yet to see any context for those suspensions. So unless you have context, you are not capable of judging it.
Any bets on Jo-An-4354969's color or preference in color?
Still.....NO FACTS!
Being suspended from school does NOT mean he was a "gang banger"....
You people are really quite pathetic, no facts, not one drop of evidence, and Trayvon is a gang banger...
YET,
A TON of evidence showing Zimmerman as a lying, racist, rent a cop gone awry, and you think HE is INNOCENT!!
........
Rob, I'm white, married to a white man, but my children don't see color, they see people, so they date a variety of colors, do YOU have a problem with that?
That's right still no facts. Give it a rest and stop adding hyperbole. Your leader has already said if Florida doesn't arrest him he will call for civil unrest. You shouldn't let NBC news control you so much. Americans do not like lawlessness so your hysteria will backfire if your conjecture is not supported by the evidence. Sit back and take deep breaths and allow this to playout. Only until the state attorney releases her finding will we have the evidence in its complete form.
Nope, not at all. What I do have a problem with is you playing God. I'd love to know how you have all this "evidence" about this case. Are you a cop involved in the investigation or someone on the DA's staff privy to everything about case? No? Then stop acting like you are.
And good luck to you and your family when the black community riots. I'm sure that you and yours not seeing color will keep you safe.
Btw, good call on the weather info. We all know how accurate those predictions are. It was suppose to rain here today but it snowed then the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. Go figure.
Still NO Facts,
and TWO experts CONFIRM the voice SCREAMING for his life on the 911 tapes,
IS NOT ZIMMERMAN...
who could it be?
@Rob, check the weather "after" the fact, IT WAS RAINING! Not forecasted, but ACTUAL RAIN!
That's right Jo-An, you still have no facts, still haven't stated how you are privy to all this information you claim to be "fact". Still no answer about your position to have the facts. Cop? Asst. DA? What? Or is it possible that you are sitting on your a&&, reading stuff off the internet and claim that to be "fact"?
As for the rain, I think I'll believe people that live in the area stating there was no rain over someone who is what, 50 miles or so from the area?
Tell us, what was your son doing this past weekend when some of the shop owners boarded up windows while the black community marched, threatening violence? Did he march with them, hid in his home or leave town just to be safe? Where were you? I'm sure you felt safe not living in Sanford.
Rob, it is a "fact" that it rained the night Zimmerman MURDERED Trayvon....
http://www.weather.com/weather/monthly/USFL0443?month=-1
Yes, my son marched with them! As did MANY white college students.
What other "facts" are you suggesting I have misconstrued?
Lol Jo-An, I hope you are learning a lesson on your facts. Now everyone concedes he does have an abrasion on the back of his head. Experts are also questioning the validity of the two voice guys conclusions and methods. You have already made up your mind but stop trying to convince everyone else with your rants. The state attorney will release her evidence at some point and then we can all evaluate the evidence together. The narrative you presented seems to be going by the wayside. But there still might be a crime we just have to wait and let due process work. Even if he was arrested he would be out on bail.
A couple of scrapes, that required NO stitches do NOT add up to the "head pounding" That Zimmerman claimed! I would expect FAUX "experts" to question the validity of the voice testing.
What bothers me, is how many people give Zimmie a big THUMBS up for MURDERING an innocent person, and go out of their way to turn the victim into a gang banging thug, with no evidence of any wrong doing.
If, he had been arrested, he WOULD be out on bail, and none of us would even know his name!
You just don't get it, it's in your DNA. When the state's attorney releases her findings these marks will be explained. In respect to the experts, experts make a living using their abilities in court. As you can see from below article, the experts that say use caution in analysing the two's data are highly credible. I don't think the majority has given Zimmerman a pass but when the media does a hit job on the facts, people get mad. In a early comment I said do not let NBC stir you up. Now they are doing an internal investigation on themselves but everyone else already knows they have sensationalized the story but for whatever reason they need to investigate. Its obviously complicated or an arrest would have already been made. I believe the state has very little choice but to charge him with something. It is in the state's best interest to charge him but still no charge. I saw an amazing timeline on CNN(3rd link). It is only about 2 minutes in question. When Zimmerman says OK to not following him(07:15pm) and the police arriving(07:17pm).
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/02/analysts-questions-surround-911-call-analysis-in-trayvon-martin-case/?hpt=us_c1
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/03/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html?hpt=us_c1
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2012/04/02/nr-trayvon-martin-timeline.cnn
Suddenly she is quiet. Hmmmm...guess her "facts" just got washed away in the rain.
No, Jo An...maybe you should reseach things before you try and sound intelligent. Of course a good liberal never let facts get in the way. Before I had more facts, I almost signed it. If you had even seen the petition, you would have seen that. So, you go back to your Saul Alinsky tactics.
What FACTS???
Show ME some FACTS???
The fact is the kid was being followed by a gun toting moron, that has called 911 40 plus times in a year to report "suspicious" characters and children...
I could go on and on....
Anyone that throws "saul alinsky" into their post is MOST DEFINITELY an Obama HATER, so has no credibility anyway....
Sounds like you know this Zimmerman joan.
I hate OBAMA'S policies he is the worst president since CARTER, I do NOT HATE him as a person I do not know him as a person to HATE hime.
But I do know that if this kid attacked me and I had a gun I would of shot him also. I will not let some PUNK slam my head into the sidewalk trying to KILL me without trying to do something to defend MYSELF.
If you feel any different then go to the darkest alleys in the roughest neighborhood and start fighting with people. SEE WHAT HAPPENS see if you do NOT get shot. by someone that does NOT even have a permit to carry a GUN. Then let me know how it went IF YOU CAN.
Show me some "facts" that this kid attacked Zimmerman?
You can't! Cause only Zimmie and Trayvon know what really happened, and Trayvons DEAD!
So, we need to go with the evidence at hand, and it shows a wanna be cop, following an innocent child, possibly, trying to detain him, getting into a fight and shooting him!
just saying it like i see it
perhaps there ought to be laws governing Neighborhood WATCH
because seems Zimmerman ignored verbal instructions...& what a mess that has caused !
Jo - While I agree there should be an investigation to try and sort out what happened this child you refer to was 17. That isnt a child anymore. New media did run pictures of Trayvon that were years younger than he actually was - obviously to elicit peoples emotions and possibly to slant the story from the beginning probably for ratings. This so called evidence at hand seems to change each day. Until it is all gathered, looked at by the DA to determine if there is enough to go to trial, it is all speculation.
While I agree Zim was a wanna be cop you should look into Trayvon's background especially his twitter account which still has cached messages he sent/received. Seems he was a wanna be thug.
I have been reading your posts and have a question. Are you upset over his killing/murder because you see him as a child or because you see this as a racist killing/murder?
Fake info floating all over the place:
The most prominent piece of misinformation was a photo that alleged to be of Trayvon Martin. The photo showed a shirtless boy in sagging shorts, giving the finger to the camera. It was shared widely on social networks, but the most influential posting was on Twitchy, a Twitter aggregation project by conservative commentator Michelle Malkin.
Twitchy later retracted the photo, saying “The photo on the right is not Trayvon Martin.” It is unclear where the photo came from or who is actually shown in the picture — but it is no longer believed to be Martin.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/in-trayvon-martin-case-plenty-of-misinformation/2012/03/28/gIQAxaPhgS_blog.html?tid=pm_world_pop
Im not referring to the the photo of the shirtless guy. Im referring to the one posted on MSNBC and most news channels, depicting a boy ranging from 12-14 yrs old. Dont try to skew the facts that we know about. His photo on his actual twitter account show a real picture of Trayvon. Nice way to not answer my question.
What should outrage you more is the over the top unequal treatment in this case vs the KC teen who was set on fire in a real obvious hate crime case yet for some reason that case didnt warrant a call from the President to that (this was an actual child by the way - 13 yrs old) child's parents nor did it cause a national public outcry as Trayvon's case has. You want to talk about equality and justice, then start by being equal and just. Where is the petition by this leprechaun over the 13 yr old KC boy used as a human torch? What BS all the way around. All injustice should upset you regardless of race.
You are entitles to your opinion, and I am entitled to mine.
Perhaps the fact that he life was snuffed out while barely out of childhood, they felt those pictures were appropriate,
Maybe, they didn't have any more recent pictures handy, I don't know...
But it has been reported that the picture of him in the hoodie was taken 2 months before his death.
That was written in the article I linked you to, not my writing. Sorry...
It has been reported that there are fake twitter accounts, and fake FB accounts in Trayvons name, and they have inserted some real pictures into those accounts.
Regardless, NONE of this is relevant to the situation.
Jo Ann I will give U facts like the ones U make up. Pull your head out of your fat donkey azz. the punk was a gangbanger. He has been in more trouble than the KKK and Black Panthers all together. I am not saying he got what he deserved but if he would have minded his own business things would have turned out different. He should have walked away instead of following Zimmerman to his car.
flex ind u r a moron he was never in any trouble other than being suspended fro school for having an empty baggie with weed remnants in it.....most kids his age has experimented with weed......he didn't follow that dick zimmeran to his car talk about pulling facts out of ur ass......just another white trash piece of @!$%#.....oh wait I for got he had a hispanic parent, which by the way is white.....bunch of uneducated morons....
the poor little kid bo who should have been shot he was awanta be thug
I see Hanes has got hoodies on sale. I'd like to buy some for my family, but apparently its enough to get you shot just to be wearing one. Who knew? Hanes apparently is the outfitter for the criminal class?!?
When the black community takes to the streets rioting, as they will because they always do, I hope this guy gets arrested for, at minimum, inciting a riot. If Zimmerman is found to be innocent I hope he sues this guy and anyone who has painted him as a villain. But, if he's found guilty, I'll apologize for thinking we shouldn't jump the gun on this until all the facts are in, not just opinions.
You should NEVR jump the gun, it is always better for the COURTS to make the decision that way they are not based on EMOTIONS.
Oh you mean like what the Black Panther did.
Rob
what do you mean, they always riot...
it is as though you have missed a whole big chuck of life
Nope Sylvia, just lived long enough to have seen most of it. Let's do a little review, shall we?
Belleville, Illinois, Riot of 1903 Harlem, Memphis, Tennessee, Riot of 1866, Southwest Missouri Riots 1894-1906, Red Summer Race Riots of 1919, the Tulsa Riots of 1921, New York, Riot of 1943, 1968 after the assination of Martin Luthor King Jr; Howard Beach Incident, 1986, Jackson State University Incident, 1970 Los Angeles, California, Riot of 1992, the Los Angeles Riots of 1965 and 1992. Is that enough random listings for you? If not, read The Encyclopedia of American Race Riots and find more. Then take your head out of the sand and quit trying to be so politically correct.
As usuall the media drives the machine that clouds the truth whatever that maybe since none of are privledged to the police report and the facts of the entire case. I'm not saying that Zimmermann is not to blame here I don't have the facts of the event that evening. And just maybe a stupid question but unless it is cold or windy why do people what to conceal themselves under a hoodie? It sends out a message and not a good one. Too many times (which we see them in the news everyday) where someone committing a crime has their hootie up. Evidently it's not cool if throws suspicion onto yourself. Com'on parents a little guidance here!
just lived long enough to have seen most of it. Let's do a little review, shall we?
1903, 1866, 1896-1906, 1919, 1921...
How old are you again?
Rob
You forgot to mention that the race riot in Tulsa was WHITES rioting, as were the draft riots in New York in the 1860's and the Springfield IL race riot of 1908 in which many innocent black people were killed. In the Springfield riot a white woman falsely accused a black man of rape and was so brutal that it led to the founding of the NAACP.
You conveniently left out those facts.
Rob...my point is linguistic & not political
you used the word "always" when you waid "always riot"
if it were the case that blacks ALWAYS riot (implying of course that whites never do riot), there would have been an almost daily occurance
Sylvia, look back through recent history. Anytime there has been an occasion where the black community didn't like the way something happened, they either threatened violence or started it. It's that simple. My point is that's why there's so much pussy footing around over this. People know how the black community will respond if they don't get their way. While you may think I've missed a whole chunk of life, I assure you I haven't. As I said, I've just lived long enough to see how things work and aren't really afraid of saying so. Anyone that knows me would tell you that being PC has never been, and will never be, how I am.
Of course whites riot, that's why I included some of those references in my post Tina. My mistake was not posting that. Sorry, I was in a hurry. However, looking back I think we'd have to agree that blacks riot much more than whites, usually because they didn't like the way something happened. A white cop shoots a black guy - he's racist! Riot! Black guy kills a black guy. Eh. They never riot over that.
dat crazy bok - if you,re too lazy to click on my name and see how old I am, I'm certainly not going to do it for you.
I remember that being innocent until proven guilty is the way it's suppose to be in the US. That's a joke. Zimmerman has been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion, all without the benefit of proof given in a court of law and is now to be executed. I for one would rather not jump on any bandwagon and start calling for him to lynched until I know for sure he's guilty. Just because people that weren't there to witness what happened say he's guilty doesn't mean it's true.
I'm not asking for anyone to be lynched, I'm not asking for anyone to be found guilty. I'm asking for a trial. That's it. I'm asking that what the lead investigator recommended be followed.
You say that people are up in arms wanting to lynch hima nd that they know he is guilty. I disagree with this every bit as much as you do. But, the fact of the matter is, there was never going to be any trial. There was never going to be a second-look, until people started raising their voices. People of all colors.
Now, I agree that there are people who are ready to lynch the guy, and like I said, I disagree with it every bit as much as you do. But, I don't disagree with the outrage that arises from the fact that he was never even going to be tried. This was just going to be swept under the rug, and I feel that is cause for outrage.
Now, with regards to my point, you listed 5 riots you were alive for, and only three you were possibly old enough to remember. I feel as if it is a bit of a stretch to claim "they always riot" when, in fact, riots by blacks, or any other race, don't occur in this country often enough to claim that anyone "always riots.
I agree that people are rushing to judgement. I just want a trial. If they find him not-guilty, I will move quietly on with my life. I don't think this will be the case with those you mentioned, and that's sad in a way. You think there is an uproar now? Wiat until he's found not-guilty, if that is the case.
OK Mr. DA let's bring it to trial. And what is your evidence, and please don't say Nancy Grace conjecture. You seem to know more about this than anyone else besides the authorities so please give us the evidence. But not the video of him getting out of the cop car and the conjecture he is not hurt. What if an x-ray and a EMT both say he had injuries, would the video even be evidence? There are many conflicting eye witnesses with varying degrees of observation. What if there is one that had a birdseye view, would someone hearing it through windows be more important?
I'm asking for a trial. That's it. I'm asking that what the lead investigator recommended be followed.
As I mentioned, I don't have all of the evidence. However, safe to say, the lead investigator did, and he wanted him tried. I feel as if this is a fair standard. Do you have any evidence to say he shouldn't be tried, as the lead investigator recommended?
Mr DA, lol. Are you 12 years old?
I'm not really in the mood to play what if. What if we had a trial to, you know, decide guilt? Wouldn't that suffice to, you know, decide guilt? As I mentioned, I am certainly in no position to do so.
Well the 'what if' is what gets my goat. First you have to drown out NBC and Nancy Grace because if this was Texas hold em, they are all in. The state attorney will soon reach a conclusion. If she feels there is a charge here she will charge him. If the grand jury indicts him for trial then it will go to court. Everything else is just noise and a lot of the first reporting on this story seems to be untrue that is why fair minded people are upset because they made conclusion based upon sources they thought they could trust.
I'm with you on all of that. I get a bit tired of hearing all of the "Breaking News" on this story... "Breaking News: Trayvon had gas on the night of the incident..." Well... Thanks a lot, there, NBC or Nancy Grace, or all the other hacks out there covering this story. Throw Sharpton, Jackson, and a few others in with Nancy Grace and NBC. They are all pitiful. They should be ashamed to call themselves journalists.
I agree that people calling for his head, or things of that sort, are wrong. Where I stand is that we will never know what happened without a trial, and probably not even then. But definitely not without one. We were not going to get one, and I felt that was wrong. A grand jury was only involved because the police didn't do the right thing in the beginning, in my opinion. If he had been tried and got off on the "stand your ground" law, I wouldn't have a problem with that. But, to not even try him? It seems the trial by public opinion was the catalyst for the uproar behind the event, and I can't fault people for being in an uproar over him not being tried at all.
Fair enough?
dat, I never said I was old enough to have seen the riots listed. A comment had been made that I "...missed a whole big chuck of life" to which I replied "just lived long enough to have seen most of it". That comment was made referring to life, not riots. Considering I'm closer to the end of life than the beginning I figure it's an accurate statement. Like most people posting about this situation you jumped to a conclusion with no knowledge.
You mentioned that if there was an uproar now, what if he's found not guilty. Are you referring to the black community rioting by chance? Think back to the OJ trial. In reality, with all the evidence produced, why do you think he was acquitted? Yet later a civil trail found there was enough evidence to hold him liable and a L.A. court later upheld that finding. Ya, the black community never gets it's way when one of them is killed by a white, or in this case an Hispanic, person.
You also mentioned, correctly, that you don't have all the evidence. I think it's safe to say you have none of it, unless you are a police officer involved in the case. Nor do any of the people calling for Zimmerman's blood. It's foolishness. As you stated, even with a trial, we'll probably never know what really happened. I do know that when this is over, however it goes, it will cost more money than it's worth - and I don't mean in terms of the loss of life so don't bother going there.
Thank you, Kevin Cunningham, thank you.
For what MOLLY wanting to take justice in his own hands, That is for the court to determine.
Let them investigate and when they come back with a self defense verdict. THEN SHUT THE FRONT DOOR of your face.
just, a retired magistrate judge who you know would be pulling strings to get his son out of trouble on numerous ocassions and is the 'norm' in America AND around the world is 'justice?' A police chief taking the word of a person's lone testimony, who shot someone to death as FACT is 'justice?' Someone posting a petition (on a NON-PARTISAN website) on how the circumstances of a shooting looks covered up and attracts WORLD attention, that ISN'T 'justice?' When you go by 'just saying it like i see it,' you miss everything else wearing those blinders and only show your own weak resolve.
why does everything have to be about race now we got polticians giving hoodie examples wow this country is going to hell i would probably give a large sum of money to the parents before we have riots like rodney king thank god i bear arms
So you got signatures. Now whats the evidence? People sign these petitions on emotion, then comes the facts. It seems like waiting for an investigation yields to the emotional need for justice. But on what facts? Yours?
For all you IDIOT that have no clue how the system works.
IF they feel there is no chance to get the charges to stick they will not arrest him have him stand trial and be found not guilty.
they will try to get a better case against him if that is possible and then they will charge him if and when they have enough EVIDENCE against him.
There's NO evidence BECAUSE it wasn't COLLECTED!
The lead Detective wanted him CHARGED! With Manslaughter at least, but Zimmie's Daddy the judge called the Chief of Police (the one that has now stepped down) and HE made the call, NOT to charge him!
And you have that recorded so they can prosecute the FATHER for interfereing in a crimminal investigation.
The police take there jobs seriously. JUST BECAUSE YOU DO NOT THINK THEY DO.
The evidence showed that Trayvon attacked Zimmerman after he was told by 911 that they did not need him to follow the person so he was heading back to his SUV and that is when Trayvon came back and attacked Zimmerman.
Some of you people really need to get the FACTS.
ABC news, yesterday!
The State attorney made the call. Not the police chief.
Jo-An,
It's the District Attorney who makes the call on whether to make the charge or not. If the DA will not take it, then the police have to release or not arrest because there is nothing to be done with them. The police gather the reports (case), take to the DA and then it is in his or her hands.
I can't speak to Florida, but in the places I've lived the normal procedure would be to arrest him on suspicion (especially when he admits to the act), get the mug shot and official statement, and either release him (with warning not to leave the area) or put him in a holding cell for the night while it is decided whether or not to initiate prosecution with the existing evidence.
That this procedure (or the appropriate local variation) wasn't followed is what triggered a lot of the initial indignation.
Is Z innocent or guilty, I am not in a position to say. If the DA there decides not to prosecute, then I think a solid summary of the evidence and legal precedent leading to that decision (rather than the snippits leaking to different press outlets) will be needed to calm the rhetoric. I suspect that it will end up going to court, if for no other reason than put the evidence and legal wrangling out in the public eye, even if the DA doesn't think they can get a conviction.
This clown CUNNINGHAM is so far off base, jumping to conclusions, and just plain ignorant.
Lets call for his ARREST for inciting HATRED.
Oh please, You would be applauding this same man if your loved one was killed and you fought for bringing the assailant to justice. Now wouldn't you?? Let's call your statement a lapse of judgment and full of subjective emotion due to being on your monthly period.
just saying, How did you reach that conclusion? Where does anythiing linked to Cunningham lead you to infer that he jumped to conclusions or is ignorant? What indicates that he incited hatred? In fact, he is quoted as saying that he didn't ascribe to the politics of race. He refused to be drawn into a "Black/White" conversation.
Since when does calling for an arrest and trial equal "jumping to conclusions, ignorance and inciting hatred"? It seems that you have already decided that there shouldn't be an investigation. Who has jumped to conclusions? Who is it that is promoting ignorance?
Nothing like actual facts to expose a hate mongerer like you.
just saying it like i see it - the hatred is already present; it's only being demonstrated by those who habror ill feelings of racial intolerance and prejudice. Sadly, it is coming from all sides and a collision is already in the making. It's been a long time coming and in the making for more than 200 years.
Mr. Cunningham did not incite the racial hatred in our country, he only heightened the awareness surrounding the circumstances of Trayvon Martin's killing; to seek justice for this young man. Mr. Zimmerman must be held accountable and that will be sorted out!
So this idiot helped create a lynch mob and is proud of it. He's intentionally set out to ruin a person who voluntarily served his community (whether wrong or right in his actions of that night) with no knowledge of any of the circumstances other than that a black was killed by a white. And he's proud of it. He'd prefer we handle these things in the street rather in the courts and with our laws. And he's proud of it. I hope he'll be equally proud when race riots once again break out in our streets a families are pulled from their vehicles and beaten to death simply because they appear to be white and drove down the wrong street. The Boods and the Crypts and the rest of thos gangs are going to love him. At this point it appears that the black community has decided that they want a seperate and different justice system than the rest of our country uses. Be careful what you wish for, you might get it. I for one am a lot more suspect of the black community since this happened. I marched for civil rights. I remember the riots of the 60's. Now I'm seeing a very different side of the black community, one where they've decided that they don't want equality but instead want to rule with impunity. I've been stopped and questioned by police and community patrols because for whatever reason they were suspicious of me. I was polite, answered their questions and was on my way a moment later. I didn't wise off or try to beat them like this punk did. So the blacks now want to be treated differently. I'll have to remember that. And this gentleman is proud that he brought this about. Every company in America should put his picture on their wall, because this is a guy you definitely do not want working for your company. Hope he enjoys his 15 minutes of fame and the bloodshed it will undoubtedly cause.
You must be an expert in spreading garbage and rubbage because you try to make others think you have some type of credibility on being in this website. But, you're a Moron. Move on!
EdMcT.
Can you prove that you marched for civil rights? I highly doubt that you did. I always find it quite suspect when someone makes claims like your claim of formerly being a civil rights activist and that you've been stopped multiple times by police and neighborhood watch programs to try and make it look like you are not racially biased. This kid had every right to be walking through any neighborhood he wanted to. As long as you're not trespassing on other peoples property and walking on a sidewalk, you have every right to be in that community. George Zimmerman was a self appointed neighborhood watch person, he had no right to be questioning or following anyone just walking back to the home that his father was residing.
You are criticizing this person for starting a lynch mob without any knowledge of the circumstances of what actually occurred that night. He read the initial news reports and had just as much knowledge as you, except somehow you have decided that George Zimmerman is a victim, interesting. I agree that no person in the general public knows all the facts, so we cannot rush to any definitive judgements in this case, that is what an investigation and trial is for. This individual only brought awareness to an extremely suspect case of an armed, self appointed neighborhood watch individual that decided to follow an unarmed 17 year old kid that was walking home from the store and ultimately killed shot and killed him. That warrants alot more investigation then just taking George Zimmerman's word that this kid made an unprovoked attack on him and he had to kill him in self defense. The 911 calls and other evidence contradict a true self defense claim and this case, and specifically Trayvon deserve more investigation of what actually occurred.
I applaud this individual for bringing more awareness to this case, because there needs to be alot more investigation and probably a charge of murder against George Zimmerman. You can't always trust that a small local police department was equipped to handle a homicide investigation. Let's see what the FBI finds and then make our judgements of whether George Zimmerman or Trayvon is the victim in this case.
The one positive I can take from your comment is that you are most likely advanced in age and hopefully as your generation passes on, the preponderance of bigots in american society will continue to decrease over time, younger generations are much more open to being color blind and just interested in accepting all people equally.
Well done ED.
Matt,
I applaud a reasonably restrained critique although I disagree with some points. We can learn from disagreement.
I find it fascinating, from both perspectives, the "facts" that people allude to on both sides of the argument in these posts...most of them ludicrous, e.g.
1) It appears the police did do their job...just not to the liking of posters.
2) It appears neither individual is snow white..."people in glass houses" anyone(?)
3) The appearance of someone to have (or not have) injuries, in a poor video, is laughable. Especially 4 hours post triage and clean-up by EMS.
4) BOTH parties are equally culpable (give or take) in this case. It's a sad day when people don't recognize that "bad" happens when people don't think about the consequences of their actions (that's for both parties). A sign of the times.
Let the system work instead of the "lynch" mentality of the left.
If the police were doing their job, they would have taken pictures of this badly beaten, poor soul, zimmerman.
And they should be "leaked" out...
chirp...chirp..
...and Matt,
I do find it interesting that you're defending a lynch mob. Seems to me that's frowned on in the South and on the left. I would definitively denounce any lynch mob, interesting to me also.
EdMcT - It's simply a matter of justice in the Trayvon Martin killing, along with Mr. Zimmerman having his day in court. That is why we have a justice system! Would you and others not expect an investigation at all? That becomes 'vigilante justice' and we're not living in the Wild West anymore, it's 2012! We are each responsible for our actions which is indicative of what is in our hearts and minds.
From the sound of some of the comments, old habits of racial prejudice and hatred die hard and are alive and well in the USofA.
Thank you Mr. Cunningham. Looking back on our Black history God for centries always used a person of the same race that worked so hard to destroy our humanity to play an instrumrntal role in our overcoming racism, bigotry, and hatred towards African Americans. I applaud your courage. The rest of these folks (ignorant white people) will always be the nay slayers. Some day this group group of outcast will die off and no longer will people of color have listen or read their hate-fill rhetoric. The day for this group of people (ignorant racist white people) is nearing fast as their race is marrying and having children by African American, Latinos, other races, and homosexuals. Soon and very soon this group of people will be the minority and their voice will be drown out by the majority of brown people. So rant all your hatred against African Americans all you want but your day is fast approaching when you will get to feel how it feels to be the minority. Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus' that your justice and righteousness will prevail! 0-o
you better get that tin hat realigned.. what you spew will never happen and your a racist.
commonsenz
I think you have it backwards.
Those things will never happen because of racists like YOU..
WOW, he created a poll, he's just SO SUPER - give me an effin' break - in this day and age an eight year old could do that with his iphone. He's just a dork who created a poll. Tell him to take a poll on how many people think he looks like an ugly red-headed douche... I vote YES!
Zimmerman should have just stayed in the car if he did he wouldn't have to claim self-defense in the first place. That's why they told him to stay put to avoid situations like this. He got himself in this mess trying to be superman.
Is it even remotely possible, even a little bit, that this man who is known as a volunteer in his community (not just as a neighborhood patrol) was trying to do the right thing? Is it even plausible that instead of trying to be "superman" he was trying to help his neighbors? Just a little possible or plausible? Give the guy a break! He'd take back every minute of the day if he could. He didn't want to kill a kid...he wanted to help people!!! He screwed up and now he's paying the price. He's got a bounty on his head by one of the most racist organizations in the Country and you people are championing their cause to hunt his head! You people are pathetic...
Moral of the story is, tell the truth...
I agree Zimmerman, may have had all the best of intentions, and he may have shot him accidentally...
His cover up story is falling apart, and the tapes are being investigated as we speak...
Zimmie would have been much better off saying he got in a fight, trying to detain Trayvon, and the gun went off....accidentally!
Jo-An,
Wholeheartedly agree with the moral. What if he is telling the truth? I don't have a horse in the race because I'm a bigot according to the left and hate everyone of color other than myself :) I, objectively, see more credence on the side of Z's "story" than on the fabricated story of the "left" (since the young man doesn't have a story). I also see more evidence, such as it is, for his story. Again, I don't have a dog in this fight.
Jo-An-4354969 - are you suggesting that he should have lied about murdering Trayvon; that it was accidental? You said: Zimmie would have been much better off saying he got in a fight, trying to detain Trayvon, and the gun went off....accidentally!
Apparently, almost everything he's said is unravelling. Couldn't get much worse could it? In light of the fact that his friend and attorney have been speaking on his behalf!
This is all too unconscionable; the mere suggestion that fabricating a story about killing a teenaged Black kid would be alright! Does everyone get that it is equivalent to = murder! Very scary!
Sorry, Capt,
Zimmerman's "facts" aren't leaning toward TRUTH, What "evidence" do you have that suggests, ANY TRUTH to his tale??
Zimmie is a LIAR!
Noelle, I have NO idea, how you got that out of what I wrote, but if it WERE an "accident" he should have said so! I wasn't there, but his facts aren't lining up, and I really don't think he was out to find a kid and kill him. I think his "wanna be a cop" game got out of hand....
The believe 99% of you people out there making comment don't know what the second amendment is so read it CAREFULLY.