Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeRedskin
Assuming Zimmerman initiated the physical confrontation, it certainly would.
I am glad there are some many people gifted with retroactive telepathy and can clear up, beyond any reasonable doubt, what Zimmerman's thought processes were as this confrontation unfolded. ... I was just guessing about it.
Prove Zimmerman wouldn't have done the same thing to a tattoed, white (hispanic, asian blah blah blah) kid dressed and acting in the same manner as Martin and I'll buy the profiling argument as a factual conclusion that can be stated with certainty. Otherwise everyone is just speculating about Zimmerman's state of mind.
Again, so my position is clear, although legally allowed to do so, Zimmerman was wrong to be toting a gun around while on a Neighbor Watch patrol. He exercised bad judgment in following when the dispatcher said it was unneeded. The law as written is letting a potential illegal and unjust action go unpunished. ... and most importantly, even if he started the physical altercation, Martin's death is a tragic event and the law's failure to provide for a satisfactory and just result compounds the tragedy.
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He called police to report "a suspicious black male, 7-9 years old, skinny build." I think we have passed the realm of speculating about his state of mind.
What you are basically saying Stand Your Ground Law allows me to stalk you and your family and if you were to ever approach me I would be at liberty to shoot you dead and vice versa. Am I to understand that so long as I feel threatened the Stand Your Ground Law trumps all other laws regarding what constitutes murder? What constitutes self-defense and retreat? Can anyone ever be liable for murder in the state of Florida in any confrontational situation? Would it matter who approached who first? If you and I were to get into a bar fight because I uttered fighting words and I ended up gunning you down should I be held liable for murder? How would this situation be different than what happened here?
Your logic matrix is twisted because the implication of what you are saying are very serious and quite frankly antithesis of the letter as well as the spirit of the law. At worst Zimmerman is guilty of 2nd degree murder and if you were on the jury I would hope you would have the sensibility to realize this.