On February 26, 2012, George Zimmermen shot and killed Trayvon Martin. Trayvon was 17-years-old and visiting the area. He had been to the store and had in his possession a bag of skittles. George Zimmerman was a voluntary security guard aged 28 and he had in his possession a gun.

Trayvon Martin ended up dead from a single gunshot wound after meeting with Mr Zimmerman. What exactly happened appears to be the crux of this case in Florida in the US.

The pro gun lobby support Zimmerman who it is claimed simply followed the "stand your ground" law of the State. Supporters of Zimmerman have been quick to ask for time to assess the case and did not want a rush to convict Zimmerman. That is fine and dandy but as June draws to a close the case is no further along.

You can claim that both sides have tried to discredit the other but on the whole it has been Zimmerman and his supporters attempting to paint Trayvon as the villain of the piece. Right minded individuals though must be able to see that it was George who was at fault. He was the person carrying the gun. If he had not been the scenario would have been different. Both or either could have ended up with physical injuries but probably neither would have died. 

If Zimmerman had not laid chase to a young black man the outcome would have been so different. Mentioning that Trayvon was black has to be done as that plays a crucial part in this case. That will probably be one reason why he was followed. It is also probably one reason why initially the police involved with this crime failed to act. If he had been a white skinned boy there is no doubt that much to do with this case would have been done differently.

The latest news on the case is that Mr Zimmerman has been re-enacting the events of that tragic night in February 2012.

The footage was allegedly from the day following the murder. It was released on Thursday June 21, 2012. Zimmerman is shown with "two large plasters on the back of his head and with a black eye and cuts to his nose."  These injuries he claims were from his altercation with Trayon. That does not however mean that they necessarily were, just that is what Mr Zimmerman claims. Unless there is hard medical evidence plasters on his head prove nothing. Neither do his injuries without firm proof of who was responsible. Even if they were from the night in question could it not have been Trayvon acting in self defence as he was followed by Zimmerman.? Is it only Zimmerman who can claim he acted in self defence?

Zimmerman's version of events portrays Mr Martin as a thug. He claims that Martin began the events which led to his death. The Guardian has a full report on the video released yesterday and Zimmerman's police interviews. His evidence is consistent with his supporters stance. 

The problem is that there are no witnesses. There is the initial recording of the police call when Zimmerman was told not to follow Martin. There are his statements that a black suspect was thought to have been responsible for unsolved burglaries in the area and that Martin could have been the suspect. There is his conflicting statements which are more than a little suspicious.

Opinion: Reading the latest reports online has not changed our view. Zimmerman was the antagonist in this murder. He was wearing a gun and prepared to use it. Had Trayvon Martin been any old black kid from the wrong side of the tracks by now Zimmerman would be home free. What a sorry justice system. 

However he was not. He was a kid with prospects and a loving family. He lost his life for being in the wrong place and at the wrong time. You may believe that this young man was the aggressor that Zimmerman paints but even then what right had he to murder him? None.

Till there is a fair trial there will be no justice for the Martin family. There remain questions to be answered and answered they must be. RIP

Related reading:
http://www.tekjournalismuk.com/1/post/2012/3/wrongful-murder-of-trayvon-martin-becomes-a-cause.html
http://www.tekjournalismuk.com/1/post/2012/4/trayvon-martin-killer-to-face-second-degree-murder-charges.html

It has been announced that George Zimmerman, the killer of Trayvon Martin is to stand trial charged with second degree murder. The death of 17-year-old Mr Martin has caused outrage in the US and further afield. Killed in Februaruy 2012, this case barely made a headline especailly outside of the US, for some time. It seemed as if some simply wanted to sweep the death under the carpet. In doing so it was as if they were sweeping away Trayvon Martin.

As has been said and written so many times in the past few weeks, with reference to this case, there are two sides to any story. Whilst the "race card" should not be brought into the matter it is inevitable that it will be. People will of course wonder what would have happened had the skin colours been reversed. That is what if the killer was black and the deceased white. Sadly that is perhaps too easy to answer or even guess.

Mr Zimmerman claims that he felt threatened by Trayvon and responded accordingly. There are reports that he was physically attacked by Trayvon and so he claims he acted in self defence. Under Florida's "stand your ground law" this could mean his reaction was satisfactory. Of course it was not.

Mr Zimmerman may have been a voluntary security guard but what does that mean? A hired vigilante, a helper or what? US gun laws also presumably make it acceptable for such a man to carry a weapon.

We should of course remember that George Zimmerman chased Trayvon after he thought he was acting suspiciously. If iin the event he became injured many would say "so what?" Perhaps he should have followed police instructions not to give chase.

The reports that George Zimmerman was physically injured and left mentally shattered following the death of Trayvon may be true. Pleas to stop a media trial and witch hunt of George were understandable but so was the public's reaction. In the face of what seems to be a cover up people will make up their own minds. They will assume that all is not well if the police feel a need to hide the facts and shy away from an investigation.

Now at least the facts may be revealed. As the family of Trayvon have said, there is still a long way to go. Charging Mr Zimmerman and bringing him to trial are the first few steps. Mr Zimmerman was in hiding for weeks following the killing and has now handed himself into police. According to his attorneys he will enter a plea of not guilty to second degree murder. If convicted he could face a life sentence in jail.

Whether or not he is found guilty will depend on if it is proven that he acted with "malice". Justice should now take its course. Hopefully he will get the fair trial which Mr Martin never received. Trayvon was accused of acting in a suspicious way and for that he lost his life. RIP


Tags:  Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, second degree murder charge, Florida law, stand your ground