<p>The debate about Zimmerman’s race is irrelevant, statistically speaking. Studies show that the it’s the race of the victim which predicts arrest rates, not the race of the killer. When the victim is black, the shooter is far less likely to be arrested, tried, convicted, or sent to death row – regardless of the shooter’s race.</p>
<p>Well then, if Zimmerman is not arrested/charged/convicted, it must be because the victim is Black.</p>
<p>I have no way to know what was in Z’s head at the time of the shooting, which is why this law is ridiculous, frankly.</p>
<p>I find it challenging, however, to believe that a white 17 year old, who was shot on the street, would not have had his/her parent’s contacted before 72 hours had passed, in fact, before the drug testing was authorized on the victim of the shooting. Seriously.</p>
<p>But, okay, let’s just say it wasn’t a black youth, but a white youth, and his parents were not contacted for several days and his shooter was let go, but their son was drug tested, the shooter not drug tested? I can’t imagine we would consider this to be excellent police work.</p>
<p>I don’t disagree with those who are complaining about the bias in the media, it’s a ridiculous situation, anymore, with the media yammering and hammering away on one false side of any issue or the other false side.</p>
<p>However, I do not believe reasonable people can disagree this situation warrants an outside investigation into police practices. I just cannot.</p>
<p>Criticize the media, minimize the apparent racial issues, shout how everyone should wait to pass judgment. But please explain why you think its acceptable to malign this dead teenager. </p>
<p>Sent from my MB860 using CC</p>
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<p>So it’s okay to bring up the negative aspect of everybody else involved but not the alleged victim?</p>
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<p>I think it’s a question that must be asked. If Trayvon had been a rich, well-connected white guy, do we seriously think that would Zimmerman still be running around free? </p>
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<p>It’s OK to bring up relevant negative aspects on both sides. So, yes, the Sanford Police Department’s checkered history of treatment of white-on-black violence is quite relevant to the question of why Zimmerman was released after shooting a black boy. </p>
<p>But what are Trayvon’s “negative aspects”? He was walking in a place he was allowed to walk? He was breaking no law and bothering no one? He was wearing clothing that some cop-wannabe considered to be “suspicious”? I don’t see how any of that is relevant to the fact that he was killed by the neighborhood vigilante.</p>
<p>alleged victim?</p>
<p>LOLOLOLOLOL.</p>
<p>Even when a police officer shoots someone in a clean shooting, the party in question is accorded more respect than you are according a dead 17 year old boy.</p>
<p>I’m wondering how old your children are.</p>
<p>To most of us, 17 is very young to die for wearing a hoodie.</p>
<p>And, now that it has been confirmed by two separate audio experts, using two separate analysis techniques, that the voice of the “victim” screaming for help on the 911 tapes was not Zimmerman, I really wonder what the heck you are complaining about.</p>
<p>I mean, it wasn’t that tough to look into that. Why didn’t the police do so?</p>
<p>Hopscout-- “alleged victim?”</p>
<p>Seriously? Alleged? This young man will never get to post here about his SAT scores, or college choices, acceptances, rejections. Never hug his mother or watch football with his dad. His young life is over.</p>
<p>He IS a shooting victim. Even if you believe he punched Z (and I do not based on apparent info) he IS still a shooting victim. How can you possibly think your comment is appropriate? </p>
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<p>Do we have a verified documented timeline of events? If not, then it is still “alleged” that he was the victim and not an instigator.</p>
<p>Please read poetgrl’s post too.</p>
<p>Trayvon was a shooting victim. Period.</p>
<p>Please explain why YOU choose to minimize Zimmerman’s actions, shooting to kill, along with three arrests, two including violence, while maximizing, or creating supposed history on Trayvon’s part? Hmmm???</p>
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<p>Two voice experts say no way it’s Zimmermans voice screaming in tape. It was a teen voice. Asthey have no comparison for trayvons voice yet, they can’t say it was his, but they both agree ot was not zimmermans. Using to different methods.</p>
<p>So killer and a liar</p>
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<p>This Z guy got out of the car and followed him on foot.</p>
<p>I really don’t even understand how someone carrying a gun and following you on foot for “looking suspicious,” which is not even a crime the last time I checked, can be considered instigating anything.</p>
<p>Not anything.</p>
<p>Instigating? Really? Even though two audio experts have now testified that the screaming for help was not Zimmerman, that it was the voice of a boy not a man? </p>
<p>Well, at least we’re getting some insight into how we got these laws.</p>
<p>Imagine what Trayvon’s mother must feel, she “knew” it was her child’s scream and she had to hear the shooter claim it was him, and that he screamed because of her son’s alleged violence. I don’t think I could hold it together as she and Trayvon’s father have. </p>
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<p>hops, just curious. What would it take for you to believe that Zimmerman – who decided on no evidence that Trayvon was a threat, who left his car and pursued against the dispatcher’s order, who shot and killed an unarmed child, who shows little evidence of the life-and-death struggle that he claims – committed a crime?</p>
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<p>Unfortunately…there are many people who seem really invested in believing Sanford PD and local officials can do wrong…,or that Martin’s death was his own fault…despite prior dubious history and increasingly mounting evidence that Zimmerman’s & supporters’ accounts aren’t adding up…</p>
<p>cobrat, unquestioning identification with authority, including law enforcement, is a predominant trait of the authoritarian personality.</p>
<p>[Authoritarian</a> personality](<a href=“Authoritarian+personality]Authoritarian Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com”>Authoritarian+personality Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com)</p>
<p>[Traits</a> of authoritarian personalities.](<a href=“http://francoistremblay.■■■■■■■■■■■■■/2008/09/05/traits-of-authoritarian-personalities/]Traits”>Traits of authoritarian personalities. | The Prime Directive)</p>
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<p>Miami Herald has attempted to create a timelne:</p>
<p>[What</a> is known, what isn’t about Trayvon Martin’s death - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com](<a href=“http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/31/2725442_p3/what-is-known-what-isnt-about.html]What”>http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/31/2725442_p3/what-is-known-what-isnt-about.html)</p>
<p>They wrote another interesting article with some personal background on Zimmerman a week ago, including mention of his prior arrests:</p>
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<p>And, in connection with a restraining order against him:</p>
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<p>[George</a> Zimmerman: Self-appointed watchman or racist killer? - Trayvon Martin - MiamiHerald.com](<a href=“http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/23/2712299/george-zimmerman-self-appointed.html]George”>http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/23/2712299/george-zimmerman-self-appointed.html)</p>
<p>In Dec. 2008, Zimmerman applied to a 14-hour, once-a-week Citizens Law Enforcement Academy. The actual application can be viewed from a link in this Examiner article; in the application, he explains these two previous arrests (although no mention of the restraining order issues with his ex-fiance):</p>
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<p>[George</a> Zimmerman arrested for assaulting officer, charges dropped - National US Headlines | Examiner.com](<a href=“Examiner is back - Examiner.com”>Examiner is back - Examiner.com)</p>
<p>This is a very different picture of Zimmerman than his family and friends have portrayed. And perhaps more relevant to his actions on the night Martin was shot than Martin’s suspension from high school was…</p>
<p>Thanks Scansmom, interesting to note that Zimmerman placed blame on the police officer and fiancee in each respective legal entanglement, claiming they harmed him, just as I believe he did with Trayvon. He never acknowledges any poor judgment or mistep of his own. </p>
<p>And for his father to make those claims that Trayvon threatened to kill him. This from a former judge? Is he supposed to be believed as an unbiased party? Love how he threw in the word “homey”. </p>
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<p>We actually covered that when we studied the rise and fall of Fascist societies and Marxist-Leninist-Maoist ones in some high school and college classes. </p>
<p>It’s a reason why I find it eerie so many Americans…including a few commenters here fall into that mentality…especially considering how our society used to criticize and lampoon those who had such mentalities decades ago.</p>
<p>“So it’s okay to bring up the negative aspect of everybody else involved but not the alleged victim?”</p>
<p>Trayvon’s character would be relevant only if Zimmerman knew about it when taking action. Otherwise, even if he was a convicted axe murderer out on parole, it wouldn’t be relevant.</p>
<p>(And, from what we know, Trayvon Martin never killed anyone - Black, white, or green.)</p>