Zimmerman in the Dallas News: "Who Was the Real Thug?"

[Voice for Peace]

http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/latest-columns/20131124-who-was-the-real-thug--trayvon-martin-or-george-zimmerman.ece

But here’s the thing: Why did some of us need Trayvon to be an angel in the first place? Why did they feel such a pressing urgency to magnify — and manufacture — his failings? Why was it so important to them to make him unworthy of sympathy?

It is a question that assumes new potency the more we see of George Zimmerman. On the day he shot Trayvon, this hero of the conservative noise machine, this righteous white Hispanic man who was, they say, just standing his ground, already had a record that included an accusation he attacked an undercover police officer. That same year — 2005 — a woman sought a restraining order against him, alleging domestic violence.

In September, Zimmerman had a fresh run-in with police over a domestic violence accusation by his estranged wife. In this latest episode, a girlfriend said he pulled a gun on her. In court, she said that once, he even tried to choke her.

Granted, none of these charges has been adjudicated, but there is certainly a pattern here. It ought to give decent people pause and the conservative noise machine shame — assuming it is capable of that emotion. That pattern paints in neon the machine’s willful blindness, the reflexive alacrity with which it assigns the thug label to the black kid — and innocence to the white man.

[AtheistCrusader]

1. Sadly the Justice System doesn't always work.

The wheels turn slow, and in cases like this, can be won or lost in jury selection (voir dire) before the case is even presented.
Though, for an example case like Zimmerman that might make us question no double jeopardy, there are other cases that suggest we keep that concept.


On the upside, people like Zimmerman just apparently can't help themselves... He'll be back, again and again, until he cannot escape the law.

I just hope he doesn't cause too much damage in the meantime.

[DallasNE]

5. And The Justice System Will Not Work Again

Jayne Weintraub is an attorney that is not used to losing cases. Her first order of business will be to Judge shop to get a friendly Judge. Next she will go after the girlfriend, airing any dirty laundry she can dig up. I doubt she will even plea bargain for a guilty plea on a misdemeanor that lets Zimmerman off with community service and a fine. She will be looking for all charges to be dropped or she will take it to jury trial and acquittal. And with "discovery" she will have plenty of dirt to present. That is what passes as justice today. And it is no accident that his attorney this time is a woman as that is all part of the game plan.

[AtheistCrusader]

10. He presents a steep problem, that's for sure.

And a prosecutor might be gunshy after the last debacle.

I tend to agree with your assessment, but I still hold out hope Justice will eventually be done here.

[Voice for Peace]

6. When he is out of the limelight, he suffers from depression and anger and who knows what else

He truly has no future. The best that may happen to him is ending up in prison with a therapeutic program to teach him something good.

[PCIntern]

15. Therapy for a sociopath...

let me know how that's done.

[Voice for Peace]

18. The Strange Past and Promising Future of the Lobotomy

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/03/lobotomy-history/

Rise of the Lobectomy
These days, lobotomies are no longer performed on the mentally ill. The rise of drugs like thorazine make it easier to chemically lobotomize patients — no more messy ice picks. Though many doctors protest that these anti-psychotic drugs are just as bad as lobotomies once were, the justification for their use continues for the same reasons lobotomies were embraced 70 years ago. The patients often seem happier and more calm. Plus, they are less trouble to their families and caretakers.

[Rex]

2. People either don't notice or willfully try not to notice

these types of behaviors in others is my guess.

A cop in SAPD (San Antonio) was arrested for raping a 19 year old girl in his squad car, turns out this is his THIRD disciplinary action against him. My question is how can trained professionals let the monsters walk right by them without noticing anything?

Cops sure are very acute in noticing the very weak smell of pot in a drivers car, why can't they catch the monsters right in front of their faces?

[Logical]

7. They don't want to catch them. Brothers bullshit, and police "unions"....

Protect bad cops!

[Rex]

20. They have to stop protecting and pretending it doesn't happen.

Same with the military imo.

[tblue]

3. If Zimmerman was black...

Need I say more?

[Threedifferentones]

4. These latest revelations about GZ's life and character only reinforce my certainty

that he is a murderer.

Zimmerman chased down Martin and picked a fight. Whether he was in danger or not is thus immaterial to the self defense claim, because it was in fact Martin who was standing his ground and fighting for self defense.

In a just world ending a fight that you started with a gun would be punished as MURDER every time, but then again GZ seems like such an abusive control freak that in a just world he likely would have been incarcerated long before that fateful night.

[DallasNE]

12. As I Posted During The Trial

There was a 4 minute gap between when Trayvon Martin took of running after the first encounter at Zimmerman's truck and when the attack took place. The first 1 1/2 minutes Zimmerman was on the phone with the dispatcher and this included the conversation about whether Zimmerman was following Martin and the dispatcher telling Zimmerman we don't need you doing that and Zimmerman hung up. That left a full 2 1/2 minutes that has always been unaccounted for. Zimmerman was less than 100 feet from his truck and never made it there. Why? My theory was always that Zimmerman was lurking in the darkness waiting for Martin to think the coast was clear and come out of hiding, which is exactly what happened. Zimmerman's account had Martin jumping out from behind bushes, blocking his way back to the truck (not sure how Martin could have gotten past Zimmerman to get into that position) and Jeantel's testimony that Martin told her "he's back" and coming up behind me -- which would support the lurking theory. One wonder why the prosecution never once attempted to flesh out that 2 1/2 minute gap and what Zimmerman was doing during that time. Another thing the prosecution failed to pursue was how Martin could talk to Zimmerman as his statement claims when both lungs collapsed from the gunshot wound. I'm not an expert but it doesn't sound plausible that someone with two collapsed lungs could utter a single word. Indeed, the scream that ended the millisecond the shot rang out is exactly what I would expect to happen.

[Enthusiast]

24. I like your account. It sounds plausible to me.

When we puncture the lungs it is like letting the air out of two balloons. There is no air remaining to make sounds. That's just basic anatomy.

[Starry Messenger]

8. Trayvon's character should never have been an issue.

He's not the one who provoked a circumstance and then killed someone.

There seems to be some unwritten rule that anyone can accost a black person for any reason and if something happens, oh well. They must have done *something* or had something in their past.

Last time I checked we don't do "pre-crime" in this country.

If someone is minding their own business and you aren't law enforcement, than MYOFB.

[DonCoquixote]

19. Last time I checked we don't do "pre-crime" in this country.

Sadly, for black people, we do

[Enthusiast]

26. +1 a whole bunch.......nt

[Enthusiast]

25. +1 a whole bunch.......nt

[Vattel]

9. Idk, maybe neither or both or one or the other.

[Tikki]

11. I repeat..there was no way those jurors were going to return to their homes, neighborhoods,...

communities with a guilty verdict.
The media and it's stand your ground hype can be blamed to a certain point…but it is more likely to
be the consensus of a community think then anything.

And asses like rivera blame the attire…hoodie is code for: young black male.

zimmerman is ridiculously dangerous..you couldn't pay me to go into that community and I am an old white lady.



Tikki

[7962]

13. And who the hell wants to be his next girlfriend????

[Baitball Blogger]

14. People are asking all the right questions.

[Chakab]

16. FINALLY. Somebody in the media frames this story properly. It only took a year and a half.

N/T.

[bvar22]

17. DURec!

[Liberal_in_LA]

21. kick

[malaise]

22. This +1,000

That pattern paints in neon the machine’s willful blindness, the reflexive alacrity with which it assigns the thug label to the black kid — and innocence to the white man.

[Blue_Tires]

33. exactly...

[pokerfan]

23. Forward to Geraldo... (nt)

[Enthusiast]

27. Kicked and recommended a whole bunch.....nt

[Voice for Peace]

29. I like your enthusiasm.. then I saw your name. LOL

[Enthusiast]

31. That's me.

[lark]

28. The conservative white folks will just ignore the truth.

Same as they did before, during and after the trial. If they cared about the truth, they wouldn't be conservative Repugs to begin with.

[mnmoderatedem]

30. yeah but...

was he ever convicted of posessing concealed Skittles and Ice Tea?

[Blue_Tires]

32. kick for truth