Manassas, VA –-(Ammoland.com)- It didn’t take long after George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin for the event to be portrayed as the act of a vigilante, or a one-man lynching party.
A mug shot of a surly, mentally detached-looking Zimmerman juxtaposed to a 9th grade yearbook photo of bright-eyed, smiling, young Martin became staples of reports on the story, and, in a way, became the story itself.
The President of the United States weighed in with a comment that if he had a son, he “would look like Trayvon.” And that was the story that was reported for the next year and a half – and which continues to be reported today, even after Zimmerman’s acquittal.
The story is spun of a dissatisfied, Walter Mitty, police wannabe, pudgy, white guy (who parenthetically identifies himself as Hispanic), who saw an opportunity to take out his frustration and racist hatred on a helpless, hapless, young African-American child innocently walking home from the local convenience market one evening.
In this story, Zimmerman – whose mother is inconveniently Peruvian with a black grandmother, and who has a decidedly non-racist history (but luckily enough for the storytellers has a white-sounding name) and a Florida license to carry a concealed handgun (which proves he has self-esteem issues and probably a small penis). As a self-appointed “neighborhood watch commander,” (never mind that he was elected by his neighbors), he is patrolling the streets in search of a victim when he spots young, innocent, Trayvon Martin, an African-American youth in a hoodie, walking alone so he draws his gun and confronts the youth…
No wait, he’s too clever for that. First he calls the police to report a “suspicious person” in the neighborhood. This was obviously a way of building a cover story and establishing himself as just a concerned citizen. Then he draws his gun and confronts his victim…
No, still too obvious. Instead, he keeps his gun concealed and stalks his victim – while still talking to the police on the phone. When the police order him to stay in his truck and not follow the “suspect” who has run and disappeared down a sidewalk between houses, Zimmerman ignores them and continues stalking his prey…
Wait, wrong again, Zimmerman had already gotten out of his truck and walked a short way up the sidewalk looking for a house number so he could tell police exactly where the suspect had disappeared when the officer on the phone told him he “didn’t need” to follow the suspect. So Zimmerman obeyed the officer and began heading back to his truck, ending the call, but asking that police contact him when they arrived so he could direct them to where the suspect had disappeared.
That’s when the murderer’s plan really came together. Moments after hanging up with police, Zimmerman cleverly managed to lure the innocent black youth out of hiding and instigate a violent confrontation in which he, the pudgy 5’8” white guy, sustained significant injuries to his face and the back of his head before cold-bloodedly executing the unarmed, 5’11”, 160-pound African-American child with a single shot from his hidden 9mm pistol.
Police arrived moments later. They noted Zimmerman’s injuries, rendered first aid to the wounded teenager, and transported the handcuffed killer to police headquarters where they interrogated him for 5 hours before releasing him on a bizarre technicality in Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law which says that when a killer claims self-defense, he can only be arrested if there is some evidence indicating he is lying.
The next day, Zimmerman returned with police to the scene, where he took them through a moment-by-moment reenactment of the incident, and where police interviewed various witnesses who corroborated Zimmerman’s story, and Zimmerman was allowed to remain free, but ordered not to go far in case some new evidence surfaced that might put his story in doubt.
That evidence soon arrived in the form of [Racists] Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and the media who rallied mobs of angry citizens – and the President of the United States – demanding “Justice for Trayvon,” meaning of course, the heads of Zimmerman and the police officers who refused to arrest him.
A Special Prosecutor was appointed who eschewed the traditional Grand Jury process and instead had Zimmerman arrested and charged with second degree murder – in spite of the lack of evidence. Famous attorney and law professor, Alan Dershowitz, described the indictment as “thin,” and called it ”irresponsible and unethical.” He suggested that the prosecutor had acted out of political motivations.
On July 13, 2013, a jury of 6 women, 5 white, and one “non-white,” – all but one of them mothers – found George Zimmerman not guilty both of second degree murder and of the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The verdict was immediately criticized by the media and politicians. Predicted widespread rioting and violence did not materialize, though there were a few isolated incidents of vandalism, looting, and violence in the name of retribution for the verdict. The possibility of federal civil rights charges has not been ruled out by Attorney General Eric Holder, who took the opportunity of an address to the NAACP to challenge so-called “stand your ground” laws.
In the end, those who accuse George Zimmerman of being a one-man lynch mob, and who continue to call for an actual lynching of Zimmerman – both by mobs and by the authorities – are now calling for the lynching of a self-defense standard which has been settled law in the US since the 1920s.
Today’s state Stand Your Ground laws like Florida’s are based in the US Supreme Court decision of Brown v. US in which Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. stated;
“The right of a man to stand his ground and defend himself when attacked with a deadly weapon, even to the extent of taking his assailant’s life, depends upon whether he reasonably believes that he is in immediate danger of death or grievous bodily harm from his assailant, and not upon the detached test whether a man of reasonable prudence, so situated, might not think it possible to fly with safety or to disable his assailant, rather than kill him.…”
Justice Holmes went on to say;
“Detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife.” Or, it could be reasonably added, an uplifted fist or conveniently located slab of sidewalk.
George Zimmerman will live the rest of his life with the memory of that evening. He still faces the possibility of federal prosecution and civil litigation, as well as the very real threat of someone taking personal retribution. Only he will ever know what was in his mind and heart in that terrible moment when he pulled the trigger. For the rest of us, we must not allow some doubt about George Zimmerman’s motivations leave us with no option if we’re ever faced with a similar choice of our own.
Stand Your Ground must continue to stand as the law of the land.
About:
The Firearms Coalition is a loose-knit coalition of individual Second Amendment activists, clubs and civil rights organizations. Founded by Neal Knox in 1984, the organization provides support to grassroots activists in the form of education, analysis of current issues, and with a historical perspective of the gun rights movement. The Firearms Coalition is a project of Neal Knox Associates, Manassas, VA. Visit: www.FirearmsCoalition.org
IT IS REALLY BAD THESE PEOPLE LIKE TO KEEP PEOPLE STIRRED UP.THAT BOY IS DEAD, AND THERE IS NOTHING GOING TO BRING HIM BACK. MR ZIMMERMAN WAS FOUND NOT GUILTY BY A JURY, AND THAT IS THE WAY IT IS. IF OBAMA WANTS TO DO SOMETHING FOR THIS COUNTRY, START WORKING ON ALL THESE SCANDAL’S. THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO PUT TO THE SIDE AND DRAW ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING ELSE. ERIC HOLDER AND OBAMA HAVE DONE NOTHING TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE BORDER PATROL AGENTS THAT WERE KILLED WITH OUR WEAPONS.AND THE PEOPLE KILLED IN BENGAZI, THE IRS SCANDAL. I DON’T… Read more »
The Zimmerman trial is clearly an attempt to subvert Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine. If you can’t use your gun for fear of litigation and prosecution, then why have it? THAT is the theory, that is the plan.
It appears that the current administration is deliberately creating a racial issue where one does not exist. Yet another diversion to take attention away from all of the scandals, evil and corruption that dominates Washington.
The “Race Hustlers and Poverty Pimps”, Sharpton and Jackson et.al. are now reinforced by Obama and Holder. They continue to divide the citizens of this country along every possible avenue. If they can divide the populance of our country they will prevail in their vision of a new world order. Even Julius Caeser practiced “divide and conquer” warfare. When we are at each others throats we are easier to control and that is the ultimate goal. Be Warned: They appear to be winning!
“Stand your ground” is irrelevant here. George was on his back “lying his ground” on the sidewalk getting his head bashed in. This is way past “standing your ground”, and followed him retreating as far as he was able, right up until he was attacked. Also, “stand your ground” was not mentioned or relied on in George’s defense. Again, the ruling class are attempting to redefine the dialog. Worse, John Q. Public, now cleansed of what was formerly called “common sense”, is buying it. Perhaps the elite who would protect us from ourselves are correct: the public is not smart… Read more »
When holder and the rest of the trash that wants to get rid of stand your ground laws is saying is,..you dont have a right to self defence esp.against african thugs like trayvon martin.
Unfortunatly my state doesnt have that law but I support it. The blacks inciting these riots r blaming all the ” gang killings” on stand your ground! How fracking retarded !! Al sharpton is au racist bigoted a- hole trying to relive the 60s racial tensions! Jessi J is at the UN wanting them to investigate the USAu for human rights violations!! alot of blacks r pissed at the racist bigoted a- holes fanning the flaes of racism!! Obama is a Racist Bigot but to smart to jump in with both feet!! How many black youths will be killed by… Read more »
Feds out of Florida NOW ! ! !
The federal union must be replaced with a voluntary confederacy of sovereign states.
As thorough as this article seems there is even more to the story. Zimmerman was a volunteer who was trying to protect his neighborhood from robberies. Zimmerman had already thwarted one robbery on Feb 2. That neighborhood had 8 burglaries in the previous year. All committed by young black men. After one robbery Zimmerman visited the home of the victim, offered his phone number and helped install a new lock. Unfortunately because martin looks like the son of our president none of these details are important. Our race dividing presidents mind was already made up the day the incident happened.