Neighborhood Watch guy chases down a kid, shoots him, charged with 2nd-degree murder

[micmac1369]

The problem with the Stand your Ground law as a defense in this case is that he (Zimmerman) was not standing his ground. He was the pursuer. And he was told by the police dispatcher to stop chasing the guy. I don't believe that law will help Zimmerman. That law says you can defend yourself, and do not have to retreat. Zimmerman was well beyond that point.

It depends. Did Zimmerman just walk up and shoot the kid? For no reason? Just because? If he is claiming self defense, is that tossed out the window because a dispatcher advised him against pursuing the young man? If he was attacked, it does not matter what the dispatcher told him. The dispatcher angle is irrelevant to me.

There just seems to be some facts missing from the case. If Z just walked up and shot him, he is a monster but my experience is that people do things for reasons. Is Z just stupid? A racist fool? Has to be more.

[sseelhoff]

It depends. Did Zimmerman just walk up and shoot the kid? For no reason? Just because? If he is claiming self defense, is that tossed out the window because a dispatcher advised him against pursuing the young man? If he was attacked, it does not matter what the dispatcher told him. The dispatcher angle is irrelevant to me.

There just seems to be some facts missing from the case. If Z just walked up and shot him, he is a monster but my experience is that people do things for reasons. Is Z just stupid? A racist fool? Has to be more.

Read the story, and read the timeline D2O posted.

[SportsFromA2]

It depends. Did Zimmerman just walk up and shoot the kid? For no reason? Just because? If he is claiming self defense, is that tossed out the window because a dispatcher advised him against pursuing the young man? If he was attacked, it does not matter what the dispatcher told him. The dispatcher angle is irrelevant to me.

There just seems to be some facts missing from the case. If Z just walked up and shot him, he is a monster but my experience is that people do things for reasons. Is Z just stupid? A racist fool? Has to be more.

Read the story, and read the timeline D2O posted.

and more importantly, listen to Zimmerman & the 911 tapes

[The_Real_Right_Way]

This guy had run-ins with the calling 911 before. He was looking to be a cowboy and that poor kid paid the price.
I hope he does life.

I hope he gets a shiv.

[The_Real_Right_Way]

Either way, it's going to inflame the black community. The fact is, regardless of the racial background of the shooter, the young man was targeted because of his skin color. And the police appear to have helped the shooter out of a tight spot either because the shooter was not black or because the victim was black. It is little solace to the black community that the shooter was white or Hispanic; it appears from what we know that this kid was largely targeted because of his race, and no other significant reason. That ought to give everyone reason to be inflamed. This is 2012. We should not tolerate as a society vigilantes targeting people because of their skin color.

I think everyone here is familiar enough with my postings that I don't see racism at every turn. But when it is present, as I believe it is here (based on what I have read), it needs to be thoroughly investigated and exposed.

We finally agree on something.

With regard to, "not seeing racism at every turn," this happens to be so blatant that even those that typically don't want to acknowledge that racism still impacts the lives of many on a daily basis, can't even ignore it.

[The_Real_Right_Way]

I'm leary of some of the stuff from ThinkProgress.

They list him as white, while only making a notation that he is also Hispanic at the very end of the article.

Trying to enflame the racial aspect a bit much?

It's a tragedy enough as is without trying to turn it into a white on black crime.

Hispanics can be of different races. Some consider themselves white. Just for the sake of clarification.

[The_Real_Right_Way]

Yes I read the whole thing.

No his being Hispanic doesn't change the tragedy.

I just read it as trying to turn it into a racial white on black crime when every other report I've heard on it has referred to him as being Hispanic. ThinkProgress is the first place I have heard him referred to as white.
Taking that into account, can't you see why I meant come to the conclusion that there just might be a bit of race baiting in there?

Look, I am all for this being investigated FULLY and fairly by an outside agency.
Find out the truth, arrest and charge those who deserve it.

What I don't want to see is it become fully racially charged against folks who had nothing to do with it.

I've read reports on the net about some militant groups deciding they will exact revenge in this case since the law won't.

Not really....the aspect of race baiting is just a over used distraction particularly in this case. Race is a central issue because the young man was targeted because of his race. The race of the perp. doesn't change that.

[det2orl]

Sanford PD Chief is "temporarily" stepping down.

[det2orl]

There is a huge rally in Sanford today/tonight.

[joeking1978]

I wonder if any "white" folk will attend to support the rally due to the potential for mob rioting and racial tension

[motorcityjoe611]

I wonder if any "white" folk will attend to support the rally due to the potential for mob rioting and racial tension

Maybe Reginald Denny?
Doubtful. First and foremost to me, what really sucks about this whole thing is that a kid who wasn't doing anything wrong got killed.
If another black guy did it, the only difference is some perceived question of whether it was a hate crime could be removed.
But who really knows? It would be nice to think that races from all backgrounds could peacefully protest without anger and violence. The issue is now so racially charged, it would be cruelly ironic to see some type of hate crime break out at a rally protesting a hate crime.

What's up in the air, is what really happened.
Everyone, me included, can hope that the fact that Zimmerman was following the poor kid removes the Stand Your Ground defense, but it's going to be up to a jury (I'd imagine it won't go to a judge) to decide beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman wasn't protecting himself because he felt that his life was in danger. No eyewitnesses. A reasonably prudent man would put it all together and badabing, send him to be shivved in a holding cell, but not before a night of suffering.

Do I think dude tried to be a hard guy because he was not only in Neighborhood Watch, but because was carrying? Hell yeah.
Do I think he finally got confronted by the kid and panic ensued, where he shot the kid unnecessarily? Hell yeah.
Sadly that doesn't mean I think he'll get justice. A defense lawyer will ring that bell all night long.
This is going to get uglier before it gets better.
People can be so fukcing awful can't they?