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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:
This is all well and good...until YOU are on the other end of a social media witch hunt that COULD BE fueled with half-truths and conjecture.
So, are you an authority in witch hunts and conjectures? Give us some of your expertise?
I never said I was the "authority" stupid, but you more-or-less proved what I was trying to say. You took what I said COMPLETELY out of context...the underlying point of my message is that this type of hype is turning people into vigilante mode when they don't have all the facts. Neither side in this case will get a fair shake in this matter.
And if you want an example of half truths and conjecture then watch Anderson Cooper's interview with the New Black Panthers.
Oilman, you may call this a witch hunt if you like. I ask you to consider the other side of this case. Your son is shot to death under unclear circumstances. The admitted killer is not arrested or charged. Two weeks after the shooting the local police release the 911 recordings. It appears to your ears that the shooter targeted your son because of his clothing. He is told not to follow your son, but does so anyhow. He describes your son as a suspicious drug user. He claims that there have been burglaries and infers that your son may be up to no good. He ends up in a fight with your son and fatally shoots him. Given just that scenario, are you certain that you would be satisfied without an arrest or at least a grand jury proceeding?
NB820,
I have told my kids for years that if you dress like a gangster you'll get treated like a gangster (I don't know a thing about the kids clothing other than the "hoodie"). If you start a fight then someone else might finish it and most of all I've taught them to diffuse situations...don't escalate them! This was two people that shouldn't have met this evening...no different than what happens across the Country hundreds of times each year. But this one struck the left's and the press' "race" chord.
Stop with the Gangsta inference, already...Lot's of us wear hoodies, in Florida, in the winter, in the rain!
There isn't one drop of evidence that Trayvon started a fight. If you have some information that says this please post the link.
If you are repeating Zimmerman's story, please stop.
NB820, good recap!
...I believe in innocent until proven guilty, and what you have there is not even close enough to convict. Were you there? I wasn't so I won't pretend that I know a damn thing. Yet, it seems like everyone, "who is not even involved the the fin' case" is ready to convict, already. Which is silly, because they weren't there. Thus, they don't know a damn thing. Yeah, you guys might think you know everything about this case, but you don't. You guys know just about as much as I know...which is nothing! So, say that this guy is put on trial, but he is exonerated. Does that mean that the justice system just have it against all black people, is that what you guys are going to say? Are we gonna have another L.A. rights, again? Will another innocent hard working truck driver, who's only crime was to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, almost lose his life to thugs who all deserve to be shot dead for what they did?
Jo-An,
How about stopping with the righteous indignation :) I'm a 6'1" white guy and I've been stopped by police multiple times, in military uniform! They've even had me do sobriety tests, in uniform, driving off the base! I laugh and shake my head and go on with my day. When you wear something, such as a hoodie, that can help in masking your identity; which is then reasonable for people to suspect you of nefarious motives. Why doesn't that make sense? Guess what both bank-robbers wore when the bank I worked at was robbed (30 years ago when I was working as a teller) on two different occasions? I'll let you think about that for a second....,....,hoodies! I'll bet you guessed anyway :) A hoodie does not make you a criminal...but criminals frequently wear hoodies.
Verses the "story" that's being assumed and put together like a bad puzzle by others? As I've said, I don't have an opinion one way or the other. I do think that the lynch-mob mentality of the left is hilarious here ;)
The man doing the escalating was Zimmerman, by stalking.
Capt,
How be you give me some "facts" that support Zimmermans tale?
What a moron.
So how do you know what dressing like a gangster is?? Only hoodies are gangsta dress??
So how many actual signatures are needed to get someone arrested?
I don't know!! I always thought that justice is up to the people sworn to up hold the law. I know one thing it is not up to no 2,000,000 wannabe attorneys, judges and juror. Hell there mental is hangem high for we have decided he is guilty of murder. Under this president the USA is becoming a second rate society on equall to third world countries.
While I certainly feel for the parents and friends and family of Trayvon and think this is a tragic situation all around I wonder if those that would be so quick to lynch up Zimmerman are looking at the wrong person. What I mean is though we may never know what was going through Zimmerman's head at the time (was he racially profiling or not) what we can assume is that gang bangers that do dress in the same manner as Trayvon have perpetuated the stereotype that all black kids in hoodies are gang bangers or up to no good. We know this is not true however "perception is reality" and that is unfortunate that a large group of individuals in the black community would ruin the life of a boy who may have thought it was cool to dress in a way that would likely draw negative attention to himself.
Some of you may say..your a racist or you are racially profiling however everyone feeds into one stereotype of another. If you think that white people are the only ones that stereotype, you are wrong. By assuming that Zimmerman shot Trayvon because of the color of his skin and jumping on the racists band wagon you are in fact stereotyping whites as racists against all blacks.
People in Zimmermans community (black, white, and other) are standing behind him so why on earth would you presume to know what he was thinking the night he fired his weapon. If you choose to believe that he fired because of Trayvon's skin color than you truly are no better than those white's that are racist. How dare you presume to know what is in a man's head and heart. Your lose is unbearable yet Zimmerman will never be the same either ...but who are you to judge.
This case is bordering on ridiculous and it's time to stop making everything about race when a black shoots a white or a white shoots a black or hispanic shoots a white or black..blah blah blah....Stop allowing your kids to dress like gangsters and perhaps people won't mistake them for one.
Road Donkey, if only everyone could have your wisdom.
"Stop allowing your kids to dress like gangsters"
Wisdom at it's finest....... Are you the Jewish reporter that thinks he is Latino ?
Love the pic of the dude with the novelty facial hair...in red even.
he was wearing a hoodie and it was raining whats with that?
Well I don't know too many boys that worry about their hair in the rain, but ok we can run with that. Either way, the media is not the place to judge anyone or this incident. The parents are disgraceful garnering support from high profile black leaders....I mean really, typical for the black leaders to jump on board and run with this instead of standing their ground and reminding people that the court of public opinion is not the correct place to be judge and jury.
Im still wondering why a neiborhood watch guy was carrying a gun in the first place..there supposed to just call stuff in when they see it......
He was carrying a gun because he wanted to. Why else?
Is it that hard to really figure that out?
It was an unwise idea. If he didn't carry that gun, he would have just gotten a beat down instead of a witch hunt after him.
All the signatures in the world will not help if what the person did was to defend himself, can't you people get it through your head. ACCEPT IT GET OVER IT! Educated the young people the consequences of their actions SIMPLE.
We have a constitutional right to bear arms to protect ones self. That is a GOD given right according to our constitution. If you don't like. Change it. But not in our life time or certinly not in mine.
too many hypocrites wanting justice without due process. funny, these same people don't say a word when a black attacks a white. no cries of racial profiling, racism, hate crime. just swept under the rug. any attack should receive the same level of outrage, or apathy from the media and citizens of this country. quit sensationalizing one (white on black) and minimizing another (black on white). your hypocrisy decends your cause. my cause is ALL similar crimes should be treated similarly.
TAP, what part of no arrrest of the shooter have you conveniently forgotten? In any of the crimes you mention tell us when the known assailant is not arrested and prosecuted. Are you aware that someone's son is dead and Sanford police determined that no crime had taken place? Can you stick to the facts instead of throwing out hyperbole?
Zimmerman was handcuffed, placed into a police car and transported to police hq where he was read his rights and was interviewd/interrogated, He was arrested, Whenever a person is taken into police custody like this it is technically an arrest, Zimmerman was subsequently released without being charged, Zimmerman actually has a valid case for false arrest because he was not charged.
NB820,
I have to laugh. So many are completely ignoring that he was taken into custody. He was questioned. He was released. The evidence at hand did not warrant charging him. Is it possible that was a mistake? Concede. I know this may come as a shock to the left but the police may actually know the law and the circumstances of the case better than you may have gleaned from posts by the rocket-scientists on these sites.
i am George Zimmerman
justice for George Zimmerman
Okay, Andy/Zimmerman,
You are a coward. You made bad decisions and the consequences of those bad decisions is a dead, unarmed teenager.
If you were a real man, you would stand up and accept the consequences of YOUR decisions. Trashing the victim only shows you for what you are, a coward.
LOL...
I agree with Jo-An! LOL! Buttercup thinks that Z is trashing the victim...Pray tell, which poster is Z? Other than giving his account of what happened, has he said anything about the young-man? You lib's are hilarious!!
Capt,
Ahhhhhh....it's cause we are LIBS?
Who IS leaking information about Trayvon, trying to tarnish his reputation?
THIS guy is a RADICAL EX-SKINHEAD who was probly hired by the OBAMA Admin to KEEP the HOME FIRES BURNING..like the MAN said on HANNITY and we ALL know this..OBAe REASON for the UNREST...CONFUSION to forget about the @!$%# job he is doing...using DEAD PEOPLE to get votes..thats all it is...take the FOCUS off obama..and he wants a RACIAL PROBLEM and Spike Lee and all those SO CALLED leaders are here to IGNITE a FIRE..if you all want a RACE WAR ...come get it..the Latinos are READY...ViVA La Zimmerman..IF he is GUILTY..he will PAY but NO ONE will TRY HIM outside a COURTROOM.....this IS a JOB for PERRY MASON...maybe Superman will save him..News Blast...ZIMMERMAN..IS OUT OF THE COUNTRY..GAURANTEED. RUMERS say he has been seen in Mexico City!!!
Something doesn't make sense. If Zimmerman was supposedly the one on top and shot Trayvon while he was down, there would be Trayvons blood on him at least. The article says Zimmerman was cleaned up. Did he change his clothes? Do the police have the clothes he wore? The report only has people on it talking about what they see on the video. Did anyone bother to ask the police if he is seen in the video with the clothes worn at the scene? It's supposedly 4 hours later. Did he shoot him from a distance and not during a close struggle?
He's clearly wearing the same clothes (red jacket) and there is NO blood, they are saying they cleaned up his "gash" and "bloody nose"...
If he was having his head "pounded on concrete", wouldn't he actually have gashes? Or bandages?
They didn't count on this video surfacing, did they?
So Jo-An's now a medic, a lawyer and a policeman...where do you find the time? :)
Not that I'll be believed, but as a paramedic for 25 years I can tell you that there isn't a single inconsistency that I've seen on what's been "reported" regarding his injuries. I've seen (in the past) what were reported as knife wounds secondary to a kidnapping where I didn't even use a band-aid. The EMS personnel likely cleaned him up and in their triage decided it wasn't that bad. That doesn't mean that his head wasn't pounded, it just means that he didn't sustain that bad of a traumatic injury. It also doesn't mean that he wasn't in fear for his life. NONE of us were there. I make no assumption of his guilt or innocents...most are making assumptions of guilt solely because a young black kid died. Sad of any kid regardless of race, but that does not equate to the guilt or innocents of another young-man.
exactly..no more due process..no more journalistic integrity...any dolt with a keyboard...put the case to the grand jury and see if there is cause for an indictment...do we really want to start letting viral run our legal system? Hasnt worked out too well historically..see 1930's Germany......
All, I want is an arrest, and let the jury decide...
that wasn't gonna happen, was it?
All you want is an arrest? For what? and based on what evidence? But you just want an arrest? No one cares what you want. The DA will decide if there is sufficient evidence to place before a grand jury and the GJ will decide if the evidence is sufficient to charge Mr. Zimmerman with whatever crime the DA may or may not recommend. Your damn street corner, bull horn yelling mob justice third world idiot of the highest order.
DD,
Based on the fact that an unarmed child was shot and killed for no apparent reason.
NOTHING was being DONE, NO DA, NO Grand Jury, NOTHING...Until people got upset.
So, ya, I will shout it from the rooftops, until this guy is arrested and due process is accomplished.
Zimmerman was within his right under the present law in Florida and will most likely will not be charged as for an individual who has organized these protest and a demand for a Lynch mob mentality in this killing he could be charged with in-sighting an organizing unlawful protest against the laws of Florida as well as interfering with and investigation. We still do have a process of law in this country and very qualified personal to handle these situation the fact that things take time is due to the accumulating of facts and not fiction as we can see how many alternative stories have developed and only facts get convictions.You can not take a human life without an investigation and finding by a jury of ones peers.
YOU are CONFUSED, the Florida las would allow Trayvon to kill Zimmerman, not the other way around!
No, JoJo you are wrong. He was trespassing on PRIVATE property.
I doubt Zimmerman would have pursed him onto the public streets.
What is mine is NOT yours!
Jello Heads!
...retard, he was in the gated community HIS FATHER WAS STAYING AT..He was staying with his father!! He was NOT trespassing! Zimmerman THOUGHT he was and regardless how you try to SPIN this, Zimmerman was in the wrong from the beginning.
NO ONE has found him guilty of ANYTHING, what everyone wants is a THOROUGH INVESTIGATION... just like the LEAD DETECTIVE wanted when it all went down!
No Dave he was passing THROUGH the gated community to get to his fathers place as a shortcut. Its PRIVATE property. And no Dave, people want Zimmerman dead no matter how YOU spin this. Black panthers 10k hit on zimemrman? How come noone is protesting that huh?
Jeb Bush, the Governor who signed the bill into law, and the Republican Legislator who wrote the bill disagree with you, Harry.
As does the lead homicide detective who was in charge of the investigation.
Sloppy jo, get a clue!
Sloppy joe, he was not trespassing he was a guest.
butterflywings-508607.. I agree with Jeb Bush also , I believe it was a thrill killing, but as long as Mr. Zimmerman claims he was in fear for his safety he is not guilty under the present law. That is why the police and D.A. must now investigate the shooting.
HarryKid, Is a well informed person his post is right on. Well done HarryKid.
So Sloppy Joe you are saying , we can shoot trespassers in Gated Communities . I read my HOA rules and we dont have that one .I must bring it up at the next meeting . Here I thought we had to call the Sherrif to ask them to leave , damn I wish I knew we could just shoot them . Do you have to be the homeowner to shoot them or can my guests shoot them too . I live just inside the gate and myself and my buddies could pick them off easy as they wait for the gate to open . We could sit on my driveway drinking beer and eating pizza , watch the game and shoot trespassers when the ads are on. What happens if we shoot the Pizza guy by mistake because they dont always put the little sign on the roof ,how does that work?
BUT I agree 100%---dress like a thug and people will see you as one--how many of you -if in trouble- are going to ask someone in a hoodie for help? NO, you will seek out the nearest unifomed policeman! Too much credence is being given to a lifestyle that is unlawful, spreads misery through drugs and terror and mayhem.
Why weren't people this paasionate about protecting those long trench coats-like the ones worn by the 2 kids that shot up Columbine-where were the protest rallies to protect the rights of those to wear trench coats and not be "profiled" instead people were on the other side, making that article of clothing look so bad and anyone wearing it mmediately suspect!
hmmm...I never actually wore a trench coat, BUT I do wear hoodies, and so does my husband and 4 WHITE children....IN FLORIDA!
I don't want one of us being taken for a thug!
Oh, wait....we are white....
There is a big difference in how you wear your hooded sweatshirt and how some individuals wear their Hoodies, They are worn to conceal their faces and make the have a certain appearance, They wear an oversized hooded sweatshirt and have an even bigger coat over it, It is done for the purpose of concealment of their faces and to make them look bigger and badder,Of course you already knew that but you ignore that fact, I also have a hooded sweatshirt and on occasion wear it with the hood up, In my area we have a problem with kids/young adults in stores where they wear their hoodies and oversized jackets and use them to conceal the stuff they shoplift.
Now having said that, I have no idea what Trayvon Martins hooded sweatshirt looked like or his appearance when he was killed so I can not make any judgement as to his appearance being a contributing factor.
I can state that if I am in an area where I encounter a person wearing a hooded sweatshirt and they have the hood up that I may or may not feel my caution indicators going up and it all depends on the way the individual is wearing his/her other clothing and actions, It does not matter if they are black,white,hispanic or red green or purple, It is about what their appearnce telegraphs to me.
Yes, I do...I also know that YOU weren't there, and NEITHER was I, so we don't get to assume one way or the other.
He sounds like a typical teenager, not a thug, and Zimmerman sounds like a tough guy that was overzealous in his self appointed duties. I know the SPD, and they are good ole boys, with a record of racial injustices. Look it up.
Blaming a kid for dressing in a hoodie and getting killed is like blaming a girl with a short skirt for being raped. You may not think it is appropriate attire, but it isn't grounds for killing or rape!
Jo-An,
These are really getting absurd. Can you show me single post where the intent of a hoodie comment was that the young-man deserved to be killed for wearing a hoodie? Nobody that I have read is making that assertion...we are simply saying the hoodie made him more suspect. In any reasonable persons eyes this is a fact. Even the leeches on the left (e.g. the Rev's) are going after race as their hate-bait not the hoodie.
By-the-way...trench coats were banned in some schools for some period of time after Columbine. May still be, I don't know.
A guy saw something he felt might be unjust, and did something about it: “I decided to take the skills that I’ve been working on … and apply them to the situation." Isn't that when we, as Americans, are called to do?
Yes, it is!
Mr. Cunningham you had better hope what you started don't backfire for i wouldn't want to be in your shoes.
Ellie
Have you been transported from Birmingham AL in the 1960's, or what?
We don't want to give those Negroes any ideas, now do we?
Question- I read that Trayvon was in a gated community that he did not reside in...is this true and if so what was he doing there? I am looking to understand what led these two men to the moment we are all talking about.
From what I have read I think his father lives there or near there, I could be wrong but I seem to remember reading or hearing something to that affect.
Correct. He was on PRIVATE property and trespassing...
I doubt Zimmerman would have pursed him onto the public streets.
What is mine is NOT yours!
Jello Heads!
I believe the fathers new girlfriend lived there, Trayvon was there because he got suspended from school in MIAMI and was either send there to be with his dad by his mom or Trayvon went there to be with his dad. I do not know why he was in that city. I will not speculate like some on the other side of this story.
His father was staying with his girlfriend in the gated community. Trayvon went to get some snacks from a local 7-11 and on his walk back, it started raining so he pulled up his hood while chatting with his gf. That is when Zimmerman saw him and thought he looked "suspicious".
He was in a gated community as an invited guest. I don't give a crap whether your at an apartment complex (which are all gated anymore) or a subdivision, private citizens do not stalk and shoot people.
You did the right thing Mr. Cunningham.
No he did NOT. He needed to let the POLICE do there job.
He is trying incite a RIOT.
He is a worthless TOOL.
His petition calls for EXACTLY what you are asking for.
The petition is in response to an attempt to sweep all of this under the rug.
Perhaps you should go and sign it.
Well it seems we have local,county,state and federal agencies involved in this investigation and George Zimmerman still has not been charged, Maybe they had it right from the beginning...Go figure...What a waste of hate
I have a nephew that wears his pants sagging like his friend did in PRISON they call that PBS (Prison Bit ch Syndrome) Means they are ready for you, is what I have heard from others in the system.
When are they going to arrest Mr. Zimmerman?
Enough excuses!
Probably when/if they have enough evidence. FYI, Zimmerman was actually taken into custody,Handcuffed and transported to the police station where he was interviewed/interrogated.
harrykid- there is something missing in your analysis of the stand your ground law. It doesn't apply here. Experts from the state of Florida were on the news yesterday and said so. Once Zimmerman talked to police, told them the boy was getting away and he was instructed not to pursue, and he pursued anyway he negated any claim to self defense.
The law actually says if your life is threatened, you are not required to withdraw (run away). Hence the title stand your ground. If Zimmerman had stood his ground, he would still be standing where he was when he called the police and Trayvon would be home.
If Trayvon would NOT of came back and punch him in the face like he is some BIG BAD SOB then he would still be ALIVE.
Facts? Please show me some facts?
Trayvon was being followed, not the other way around, TRAYVON had the RIGHT TO KILL ZIMMERMAN, not the other way around!
If Zimmie was getting pounded, where are the injuries?
Keep talking, Really and Just.
Repeating the same non-facts over and over and over......won't' turn them into facts.
So it is your contention that Trayon had a right to kill Zimmerman because Zimmerman was following him, Since when is following someone justification for killing someone or even assaulting them. If I see a strange person in my neighborhood I have the right to follow them, I have the right to leave my vehicle and to follow them to see what they are doing, I have the right to do this even if I contacted the police and and reported it and the dispatcher said we do not need you to do that , Following someone is not a crime and if someone confronts me because I am following them because I am suspicious of their behavior in my neighborhood I most certainly have a right to defend myself and if I feel my life is in danger then I most certainly have a right to use whatever force is required including lethal force to protect myself.
The minute Zimmerman "attacked" Martin, he had the right.
There is no evidence EITHER WAY, that is MY POINT!
Just because Zimmerman "says" it's so, doesn't make it so....
That is why the police should have done some investigating!
Hmmmm, Let's see if the morons on the right can figure out something. Where was Zimmerman when he had said altercation with Trayvon? Did the 17yo youth come up to Zimmerman's SUV and have an altercation with him? No. Did Trayvon PULL Zimmerman out of his SUV? No.
Zimmerman LEFT the security of his SUV, and proceeded to perform actions COUNTER to what the dispatcher told him THE POLICE DID NOT NEED HIM TO DO. Follow the suspect.
Zimmerman changed from good guy, to bad guy as soon as he left his car. He became the instigator of WHATEVER would happen after that act.
He will be found guilty of aggravated assault and homicide. If he doesn't take his own life before trial.
He is guilty as sin.
Came right up to him...,. on PRIVATE property!
Jello heads!
And you know all of this because of what you read or heard in the news...Well , We can just get rid of the whole justice system and when we need to make a decision on someones guilt or innocence we can just ask you.
So according to you Zimmerman became the aggressor when he left his vehicle to follow a stranger in his gated community, Now ask yourself why he left the vehicle, Was it because the stranger had left the area where Zimmerman could still see him while driving his vehicle, I think I will just wait for the results of the investigation to be completed before I jump to any conclusion like you have done.
Zimmerman was returning to back to his truck when martin made a pre-emptive strike.
As the dispatcher is just a general helpdesk for emergency services, she/he cannot tell you what to offcially do..only advise. She can advise you to stay in a safe corner of a burning building until firefighters arrive, but you can feel free to jump out the window anytime.
He is guilty of self-defense. he was released, not charegd with the crime and has evidence on his side. Not sure what miracle evidence you all are waiting for. Tgheres lots of evidence now, and he was let go by the Police station and not charged by the DA.
facts are facts, he's not under arrest because he defended himself. no blood or bruises are necessary...
cry foul all ya want, even in podunk southern towns where racism has a heavy presence, the police do thier jobs and talk to witnesses, take statements, gather facts..... not liking the facts doesnt make zimmerman guilty of anything
YOU are QUAISY!
No "facts" back Zimmie's story up!
How about the witness that describes seeing Martin on top of Zimmerman(who is on his back on the ground) smashing Zimmermans head to the ground and Zimmerman crying out for help...Yep...Lets not let facts get in the way of things
JO AN already convicted him so put him in jail. I think she has a crystal ball she looked into, or she believes MSNBC all the time.
One witness that saw them fighting, albeit Zimmerman was LOSING THE FIGHT, but it doesn't PROVE who started the fight OR WHY!
There are THREE OTHER WITNESSES with different stories...
When the tape is examined it will NOT ONLY show it was Trayvon calling for help, it will also conclusively show that Zimmerman called Trayvon an F-ing COON!
get some facts and come back later!
So here is your argument, Zimmerman followed Martin, Zimmerman called him a deragatory name and Zimmerman started the fight but Trayvon was winning and since Zimmerman started it it is ok for Trayvon to smash Zimmermans head into the ground and Zimmerman must just lay back and allow himself to be physically and possibly fatally injured.
There is one witness who actually saw Martin on top of Zimmerman and heard Zimmerman crying out for help as Martin was smashing Zimmermans head into the ground.
Thats the facts
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Have you seen the video of Zimmerman, AFTER he had his head SMASHED on the ground?
No sign of injury, I'd call that a LIE!
Yes I have watched the video several times and to me there appears to be a spot on the back of Zimermans head, The video is very grainy and is not evidence of anything except speculation. You see or do not see what you want and I see what I want, I would suspect that if there is evidence of an injury/injuries to Zimmerman that there will be police photographs/documentation, Of course when they come out at trial they will be written off as being fabricated evidence.
LOL, that was his bald spot.
If the cops had been doing their jobs we would have a picture of the badly beaten Zimmie,
hmmmmm.....now where could those have gotten to...
And why, no blood? Or are you going to pull the "grainy" video on that too?
Why do you say "no blood"? The information clearly states that he was treated by the EMT people BEFORE going to the station. It's a red jacket...guess what color blood is??? The first two cops on the scene BOTH noted the blood and abrasions...there is also a report that he DID go to the hospital after leaving the police station....He said he was following the boy because he didn't want to lose track of him before the police arrived. He got out of the car, he stated because he could no longer see the boy. He stated he didn't see him anymore and was walking back to his vehicle when the boy attacked him from behind. I'm not trying to pass any sort of judgment on either Trayvon or Zimmerman...but you seem to like to distort what is written. I'm not saying that what Zimmerman said is the truth...but it has been written that is his explanation.
How do you know that there are not any photos, The police are not under any requirement to release evidence to you, the press or anyone else up until the point at which it goes to trial and they are then required to release discovery to the defense attorney, Please quit pretending you are some expert in police investigations.
gingerbean, Zimmermans jacket is WIDE OPEN, no BLOOD.....NOT even a bandage on that BEATEN HEAD of his!
Lost, If there were photos, we'd have seen them...these guys have a BIG mess, they are dusting and scrubbing as quick as they can! They aren't saving any photo's for later!
The lead detective didn't believe Zimmermans story either! He filed an affidavit saying just that!
i think trayvon was an angel.
we will find out in time who trayvon really is.
cunninham? just another freak in the world.
Skittles, AZ ice tea.......sounds like this kid was high on drugs. Who knows what happened.
as for said "riots" that answer is simple. how 'bout you idiots burn down your own neighborhoods this time? why in the hell do the powers that be let people run amok, destroy the city, then send Jimmy Carters saggy old ass in to rebuild? you wanna loot and burn stuff? do it at home. and that answer isn't good enough? hows this: the VERY second these "protests" go from being peaceful gathering, and become rape, pillage and plunder, start chucking bullets into the groud. fire at will. If you knowingly inbed yourself with people you think are going to commit a crime you are just as guilty as they are. eat a friggin bullet.
Hey Rick, wouldn't that be hilarious if they just ran home and lit their own house on fire. Then they could dance and protest all they want. Good post Rick
How is this NEWS? and who cares. Let's move on...
Kevin Cunningham should be cited for starting a Race riot.
That's BS...
Let the law take its course. I don't think the man should have killed the young man. the laws in Flordia are sometimes a little crazy. The people that want to change the law that killed the young man should look to the people they elect to change the law. This incident does not give anyone the right to riot or be lawless. The injection of the new black panthers does not help the situation . If this someone that was not of color you would not see sharpton jackson or the black panthers involved. To the young mans parents I understand how they feel but condoning lawlessness is wrong. Let the law take its course. By the way aren't we all AMERICANS first not ethnic . Until we all realize that we are AMERICANS FIRST we will never get along.
The law will clarify the rights of PRIVATE property owners over PUBLIC streets.
Does any one posting here remember how Blacks have been treated for hundreds of years? Did you think they would always stay in the place of slaves?
The addition of Black Panthers is not good but HOW LONG DO YOU THINK BLACK PEOPLE CAN BE MISTREATED FOR NO REASON ?
Apparently very few people know about how blacks have had to live in this country.
Either that or they don't care.