Mar 24 2012
Attempts To Make Trayvon Martin’s Murder A Race Issue Will Destroy Obama’s 2012 Election Chances
Update: The news of an eye witness does not change my assessment below.
But one man’s testimony could be key for the police.
“The guy on the bottom who had a red sweater on was yelling to me: ‘help, help…and I told him to stop and I was calling 911,” he said.
Trayvon Martin was in a hoodie; Zimmerman was in red.
The witness only wanted to be identified as “John,” and didn’t not want to be shown on camera.
His statements to police were instrumental, because police backed up Zimmerman’s claims, saying those screams on the 911 call are those of Zimmerman.
Yes, but… Here’s the problem. What if the gun had been drawn and that led to the scuffle? Or what if Zimmerman confronted Trayvon and patted his side where the gun hid as an arrogant gesture dominance? Whose actions initiated the physical confrontation? Just because Trayvon was winning the fight (no surprise there, being a young football player) does not make him the instigator. As we know, the instigator was the one who refused to keep his distance until police arrived.
The point is, Trayvon had NO IDEA who this nut was stalking him, confronting him. For all he knew Zimmerman wanted to rob him. And that is why the self defense claim is also Trayvon’s – and why Zimmerman is still at fault for causing the incident to escalate. Zimmerman had to have pushed Trayvon into a fight or flight decision. There is no other reason for the attack on Zimmerman. – end update.
Bottom line 1: The man who shot Trayvon Martin needs to be charged and prosecuted with manslaughter
Bottom line 2: If liberals run around in a form of mob madness over this, they will lose the White House for Obama
I strongly agree with Newt Gingrich on this matter. What the political left is doing over this situation is repulsive to the rest of the country. Repulsive because they are turning this tragedy into a political football:
“It’s not a question of who that young man looked like. Any young American of any ethnic background should be safe, period. We should all be horrified no matter what the ethnic background,” Gingrich said.
Absolutely. And we are horrified for this young man and his family. Our prayers go out to them all.
But to answer one of the left’s most notorious “Wolf!” criers, it will take time for justice to work its way through this tragedy:
Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson said Friday that he’s grateful the rest of the country has sat up and taken notice of the tragic slaying of Trayvon Martin. But he can’t help but wonder: Why has it taken so long for everyone else to recognize the chronic injustices that African Americans face?
As someone who can’t shut up about race and obsesses over barriers that some can’t get past, Jackson has himself to blame for this as much as anyone who takes a human tragedy and tries to turn it into a race war. George Zimmerman, the man who should be charged by now, is colored (Hispanic). This is not about race, but about one egotistical, small little man. We don’t need to take one fool’s mistake and light up 100’s more. Jackson is just trying to regain some of his media attention – nothing more.
What happened is clear. George Zimmerman was playing cop. He was a self anointed vigilante – with a gun. He wanted to play Rambo. He stalked young Trayvon – against direction from the police. He instigated any confrontation that ensued by coming to the victim and not keeping his distance. He did this knowing full well he was armed with a loaded gun.
Zimmerman went looking for trouble, went looking for a confrontation. He had hundreds of opportunities to stay back and stay clear of Trayvon. Whatever ensued that ended with Trayvon dead, the simple fact is it would not have happened if Zimmerman had just kept his distance. That is all you need to know about this. If Zimmerman stayed back Trayvon would be alive. And that makes it Zimmerman’s fault.
Trayvon has the same right to self defense as Zimmerman. Trayvon was the one being stalked. We have no idea if the gun had been pulled and never will. If Zimmerman kept pushing Trayvon to the point he felt he had to defend himself, then Zimmerman is the guilty one. In my mind there is only a question of whether it was deliberate or accidental manslaughter. Beyond that this case is not complex.
Just tragic and sad. And we don’t need more Zimmerman’s popping up confronting others in anger and fear. That is not what Trayvon Martin deserves as the final epitaph for his too short life.
If the President or his supporters continue to poison this tragedy further, they will lose the support of every family who wants justice in this case. And justice does not come from the lynch mob, nor the misguided vigilante.
More information is coming out. I think that what really happened is not in the media account yet. We need to be patient. “Wanted dead or alive”, is NOT justice that Americans can be proud of.
Revenge feels good in the moment; revenge for slavery, revenge for humiliation, revenge for justice never done, but chaos that revenge ends in is worse in the long run. It takes statesmanship to move beyond the “feel good” of revenge, it is a shame we have little in Obama.
We have worked for years, not enough obviously, to equalize justice for all no matter the color. I find the President’s words so discouraging. Maybe the past injustices can never be overcome, but for the President of the United States to say, that that child looked like him as if what he looked like was justification for any action is a very disappointing statement from a leader. Does Obama want to lead as if he were Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton?
The President of the United States looks like a very small man, and he could have been a giant. Words matter!
There is an old saying: If you don’t know what to do, do what you know how to do. The president, and his ideological allies, only know how to play the race card.
Well said, an excellent analysis, AJ. The true tragedy here is that even before the results of an investigation are released, the left chooses to use supposition and rhetoric to advance their racial divide agenda. To use a young mans’ death, no matter what the facts, for political purposes is both shameless and despicable.
10 dead, at least 39 others wounded in weekend violence
March 24, 2012 8:45:53 AM MDT
Chicago Sun Times ^ | March 19, 2012 | Media Wire
Would Obama please comment.
AJ: again you show your moderation by calling the charge manslaughter. I think with what we know that is the extent of the charges.
One thing that does bother me is why call 911 before you go to murder someone and then call 911 repeatedly, unless the police are in on the racism.
I wouldn’t call it stalking but botched surveillance then foolish panic. The man seemed to be a reliable watchman and that is why the police did not arrest him at the scene. In this case he could have horribly botched the pursuit or we could have another left-wing Duke case.
In this case we have physical evidence that we seem to be ignorant of. All I know is what I read in the newspapers and they are lying left wing rags.
AJ: has your website gone to central time or are you soooooo busy you haven’t changed to eastern daylight time???
MarkN,
A man has died. Manslaughter is the right charge for someone causing the death of another, even through negligence.
Look up the definition”:
The law generally differentiates between levels of criminal culpability based on the mens rea, or state of mind. This is particularly true within the law of homicide, where murder requires either the intent to kill – a state of mind called malice, or malice aforethought – or the knowledge that one’s actions are likely to result in death; manslaughter, on the other hand, requires a lack of any prior intention to kill or create a deadly situation.
Manslaughter is usually broken down into two distinct categories: voluntary manslaughter and involuntary manslaughter. In states such as Florida, manslaughter is not broken down this way. In Florida, manslaughter, defined as: The killing of a human being by the act, procurement, or culpable negligence of another, without lawful justification …
Pretty clear here what the “charge” is. Remove Zommerman’s actions and there is no death.
Lazy Mark? Not too lazy to cut you off.
It is called ‘busy’. I do this for free and at a significant financial loss. But I will take the time to deal with lazy thinkers like you.
First and last warning,
You have a paypal account so we can all hit the tip jar. I apologize for the time comment.
There are no witnesses except Zimmerman. I don’t think the forensic evidence would take this long to analyze. Unless Zimmerman took the fifth the DA should know by now if his testimony is contradicted by the physical evidence.
With the President getting into this case, all that does is taint the jury pool. The physical evidence will be all the DA has to go on and that may be inconclusive.
Like I said the media coverage of this is malpractice as usual. All we know is what we read and the producers of the info are lying bums. I say give the DA a chance to do his job unless he or she is in on the racism also.
Critical race theory at its ugly best. The legal system is racist and everyone is in on the racism.
Thanks Mark. It’s been crazy and that stung more than it probably should.
Cheers, AJStrata
This is likely to cause an even bigger rift between the black and the hispanic communities. It already seethes in California in some places. The black and latino gangs are often at each others throats in the jails and in the streets in the bigger cities.
Jackson should be doing what he can to calm the rhetoric. From what I have read so far the shooter called the police. The shooter looked like he had been assaulted by someone (looked beat up and bloodied).
One thing I find interesting is how they are playing the guy up as “white” rather than “latino”. So this looks more politically racial oriented, in other words a bit “orchestrated” more than spontaneous.
He has a name (George Zimmerman) which would not be immediately identified as hispanic, but he is. He and his family consider themselves latino and they speak Spanish in the house. If his last name was Jimenez we would see a completely different or no reaction from Jackson.
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-03-15/news/os-trayvon-martin-shooting-zimmerman-letter-20120315_1_robert-zimmerman-letter-unarmed-black-teenager
And there is now this:
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/dpp/news/state/witness-martin-attacked-zimmerman-03232012
The shooting death of Trayvon Martin was a terrible tragedy, which has now turned into racial exploitation brought to you by Sharpton, Obama, and now Jesse Jackson. All three are self-serving racist-politicians who are doing nothing to bring any sense of justice to this boy’s death, only confusion, misplaced anger, and more chaos to the growing racial divide in this country.
And, these are supposed to be our leaders?
As a side note: I tend to think there must have been some form of vigilante foreplay going on here. escalating events and leading to a conclusion involving the death of this unarmed teen. Zimmerman apparently was a frequent caller of 911 in the past. However, none of his fears ever panned out to be anything worthy of his concerns. That’s what makes this incident subject to questions about who or what the real catalyst of this shooting (or murder) really was.
crosspatch says:
One thing I find interesting is how they are playing the guy up as “white” rather than “latino”. So this looks more politically racial oriented, in other words a bit “orchestrated” more than spontaneous.
Zimmerman is White and so is every Latino because Latino is not a Race. What I find interesting is how the left uses the correct designation for Zimmerman’s race which is White, but in most other situations uses Latino and claims that to be a Race which it is not.
There are plenty of Hispanics that are Black, Asian, and White. None of them have changed their Race simply because they were born in a Latin American Country.
The word Hispanic is defined as “Of or relating to Spain or to Spanish-speaking countries, esp. those of Latin America.” Are not people from Spain still considered White?
SBD
Well, I live in California. Here we have a huge distinction between latino and “white”. Apparently the kid was on top of Zimmerman beating him. Zimmerman was wrong in a common sense meaning for following the kid when the police advised against it but following someone on foot in a public neighborhood isn’t against the law.
If someone attacks you, knocks you to the ground, and is beating you and you are armed, what do you do? And apparently there is a witness that saw the whole thing.
I don’t pretend to know exactly what happened here but Zimmerman should not be treated any differently just because of his or the kid’s race.
The Sanford Police recommended charging him with manslaughter; but, the prosecutor had not done it yet. That could also mean he was still gathering evidence to be sure he had the best case possible for conviction.
I think people are rushing to judgement, and racist opportunist like Al Sharpton are stoking the flames of division. Not only that…the media has been playing a political game with this.
When I first heard the screams on the 911 tape…..I heard someone who sounded terrified. At that time I thought it was Trayvon. Doesn’t make it any less terrified sounding to find out it was Zimmerman.
In the 911 tape when you hear the operator tell Zimmerman not to follow the guy……Zimmerman says “okay”. They then discuss where he will go to meet the police who are on their way (over by some mailboxes near where his truck was parked). Zimmerman then says that Trayvon is coming towards him ……and, you hear a scuffle.
I’d like to know how much that eyewitness of the actual fight saw. Another eyewitness (after Trayvon was shot) said it looked like Zimmerman was trying to help him (stop the bleeding, etc) so she didn’t even think he was the shooter. When she asked if everything was ok, Zimmerman told her to call 911.
We don’t know the facts yet; but, we do know that Media has been corrupt in its reporting.
Yes, of course, he should be charged. I think he will be. Let the evidence be heard and the punishment fit the crime after the facts are known.
This outrage by the Liberals and their agenda drivers the Presstitutes is ALL about ginning up hard feelings and negative connotations to concealed carry laws and castle doctrine laws. They hate the idea of an Informed citizenry and an armed citizenry as it is only through lies, tricks, distortions and altering perceptions that the S-o-c-i-a-l-i-s-t- democrat party can maintain control and drive their proven failed policies.
Do you ever hear such outrage at illegally carrying gang bangers gunning down innocents.
Any ginned up marching in the streets when gangs of any color murder innocents caught in the crossfire?
NO! Because this is ALL about gun control.
If you have the ability and would be able to use one in defense of your home, family, or innocent neighbors it is your duty as a citizen to legally arm yourself in defense of your country else the lawless will rule. Obama and Holder plan on it!
Fellow Citizens:
There has been a lot of media attention to the recent incident where George
Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. This is indeed a tragic situation and has
caused a flood of questions and strong emotions from within our community, the region
and nation. On behalf of the employees of the City of Sanford, Our deepest sympathy
and prayers go out to the family and friends of Trayvon Martin. As a father, I can only
image the pain Trayvon’s family must be going through. The City of Sanford is
committed to insuring that justice is served and, therefore, the City of Sanford has
contacted the United States Attorney General’s Office for assistance in this matter.
In an effort to continue to be as responsive as possible to the public seeking information on
the incident, I have asked Chief Lee to provide answers to some of the most frequently
asked questions regarding this matter. Below are his responses. Please understand that
since this is still an ongoing investigation, the Police Department is limited in what
information it can publicly release.
The men and women of the Sanford Police Department extend our heartfelt
sympathies to the Martin family. This is indeed a tragic situation. The death of
anyone due to violence, especially a 17 year old young man, is morally appalling. As
this incident has generated a lot of media attention, we wanted to provide answers to
some of the most frequently asked questions.
Why was George Zimmerman not arrested the night of the shooting?
When the Sanford Police Department arrived at the scene of the incident, Mr.
Zimmerman provided a statement claiming he acted in self defense which at the time
was supported by physical evidence and testimony. By Florida Statute, law
enforcement was PROHIBITED from making an arrest based on the facts and
circumstances they had at the time. Additionally, when any police officer makes an
arrest for any reason, the officer MUST swear and affirm that he/she is making the
arrest in good faith and with probable cause. If the arrest is done maliciously and in
bad faith, the officer and the City may be held liable.
According to Florida Statute 776.032 :
776.032 Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justifiable use
of force.—
(1) A person who uses force as permitted in s. 776.012, s. 776.013, or s. 776.031 is
justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action
for the use of such force, unless the person against whom force was used is a law
enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who was acting in the performance
of his or her official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in accordance
with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have
known that the person was a law enforcement officer. As used in this subsection, the
term “criminal prosecution” includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or
prosecuting the defendant.
(2) A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures for investigating the
use of force as described in subsection (1), but the agency may not arrest the
person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the
force that was used was unlawful.
Why weren’t the 911 tapes initially released?
There are exemptions to the public records laws for active criminal intelligence and
for ongoing investigations. In this instance, the 911 calls made by neighbors in the
subdivision, and the non-emergency call made by Mr. Zimmerman are all key to the
investigation by Sanford Police Department. In consultation with the Office of the
State Attorney, the Sanford police department had decided not to release the audio
recordings of the 911 calls due to the ongoing investigation. Many times, specific
information is contained in those recordings which is vital to the integrity of the
investigation. At the time, it was determined that if revealed, the information may
compromise the integrity of the investigation prior to its completion. The 911 tapes
have since been released.
Why did Mr. Zimmerman have a firearm in his possession while acting in the
role of a neighborhood watch member?
Mr. Zimmerman holds a concealed weapon permit issued from the State of Florida.
He is authorized to carry the weapon in a concealed manner wherever Florida
Statute dictates. Neighborhood Watch programs are designed for members of a
neighborhood to be “eyes and ears” for police and to watch out for their neighbors.
They are not members of the Police Department nor are they vigilantes. Training
provided by law enforcement agencies to Neighborhood Watch organizations
stresses non-contact surveillance of suspicious situations and notifying police of
those situations so that law enforcement can respond and take control of the
situation.
Mr. Zimmerman was not acting outside the legal boundaries of Florida Statute by
carrying his weapon when this incident occurred. He was in fact on a personal
errand in his vehicle when he observed Mr. Martin in the community and called the
Sanford Police Department.
If Zimmerman was told not to continue to follow Trayvon, can that be
considered in this investigation?
Yes it will; however, the telecommunications call taker asked Zimmerman “are you
following him”. Zimmerman replied, “yes”. The call taker stated “you don’t need to do
that”. The call taker’s suggestion is not a lawful order that Mr. Zimmerman would be
required to follow. Zimmerman’s statement was that he had lost sight of Trayvon and
was returning to his truck to meet the police officer when he says he was attacked by
Trayvon.
Why was George Zimmerman labeled as “squeaky clean” when in fact he has
a prior arrest history?
In one of the initial meetings with the father of the victim the investigator related to
him the account that Mr. Zimmerman provided of the incident. At that time the
investigator said that Mr. Zimmerman portrayed himself to be “squeaky clean”. We
are aware of the background information regarding both individuals involved in this
event. We believe Mr. Martin may have misconstrued this information.
What about media reenactments of the shooting incident?
Any media reenactments of the shooting incident are purely speculation. To date the
Sanford Police Department has not released any rendition of the events of the
evening to anyone other than the Office of the State Attorney. The renditions we
have seen are not consistent with the evidence in this case.
The Sanford Police Department has conducted a complete and fair investigation of
this incident. We have provided the results of our investigation to the Office of the
State Attorney for their review and consideration for possible criminal prosecution.
Although the Police Department is the target of the troubling questions, let me
assure you we too feel the pain of this senseless tragedy that has dramatically
affected our community. Therefore, as we move forward and strive to answer the
questions that are a point of controversy in the community, we ask for your patience,
understanding and assistance in getting the correct information to the community
We trust that this information is helpful to you.
Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr., ICMA-CM
City Manager
March 23, 2012