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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
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
Spot Zimmerman's injuries if you can | |
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