Trayvon's Father and Neighbors on Dateline NBC Right Now..

[K Gardner]

The father just related the story he was told by police as to how Trayvon died - and it was something along the line of Trayvon had Zimmerman on the ground, Zimm unholstered his weapon and fired. The father then says the story was obviously not true.

Neighbors and friends of Zimmerman up next.

If I got that Police Story wrong, please correct me.

[K Gardner]

1. Oh, and they've brought out some of George's black friends, Frank

Taaffe and his attorney. And played a voice msg from Zimmerman.

I want to throw up.

[dballance]

2. If Trayvon were a white kid

If Trayvon were a white kid and Zimmerman was a black man and killed Trayvon there would be people marching in the streets. The police chief is a shit.

How can you possibly not arrest Zimmerman when all Trayvon had were skittles and tea in his pockets?

Not to mention Zimmerman was a chronic 911 caller. And his neighbors complained to the police about him.

Why the fuck did this douche have a permit for a gun? A vigilante police wanna be.

[SamG]

3. All in all, I think NBC didn't do a good job on this.

They were trying TOO HARD to be "balanced", which allowed for all sorts of hearsay on George Z's reputation... very few facts about Zimmerman.

Then they didn't bother to go into the FL law in much detail, which would have made it clear, Zimmerman is "hiding out" under that stand your ground law, and the blessing of incompetent police work.

[K Gardner]

4. You're right. It was a surprisingly shabby job. n/t

[Laurian]

5. MSM's unrelenting insistence on showing "both sides" of every issue drives me nuts!

It's like they're afraid to just report the facts and let the chips fall where they may. Allowing opposing sides to spin and reinterpret every situation only confuses the issue and prevents any meaningful resolution.

Broadcasting all these extraneous opinions about the Trayvon Martin case from spotlight seeking yahoos just clouds the facts.

The same thing happened in the lead up to the Iraq war. There are not always two sides to every story. Most times, there is right and there is wrong. If the media would just report the facts, most people would be able to ferret out the truth.

I'm getting too old for this nonsense! The murder of this child (and at 17, he was a child) has left me feeling totally defeated.

[coalition_unwilling]

8. Me too. I keep asking myself what if Martin

was our generation's Einstein or Jonas Salk? We'll never know now. Thanks a lot, Zimmerdouche.

[rustydog]

13. If you don't see both sides, you will never know the truth

[Laurian]

19. I would agree if the opposing arguments were fact based.

Too often, though, opposing arguments are just bullshit presented to confuse the issue and the media seems incapable of questioning or calling out the absurd.

[Quixote1818]

9. I think they are sitting on a lot of stuff right now. They want to stretch this case out and keep

people tuning in.

[JDPriestly]

6. Even if Trayvon was on top, it does not explain how

or why Zimmerman and Trayvon were in such close proximity when, during Zimmerman's call to the police, he stated that Trayvon was running (away, where else?) and the police told Zimmerman not to follow Trayvon but to wait for the police.

Zimmerman kept talking about another one getting away. Now whoever was on top in the end, the pursuit was initiated by Zimmerman. Thus, if these facts are true, and that is a big, big if, Zimmerman was the aggressor. Trayvon had the right to defend himself against a bigger man who, if these facts are true, chose to start a fight.

I have the impression that Zimmerman was operating under the illusion that he was authorized in the way a police officer would be authorized to follow a suspect. Problem is there was no indication in the phone call that Zimmerman felt threatened by Trayvon or that he seriously believed a felony was likely to be committed. He described Trayvon as staring at the houses, as approaching him and then running toward the back of the housing development.

http://audioboo.fm/boos/717340-george-zimmerman-call-to-police

It was not self-defense. Zimmerman followed Trayvon and then attacked him. How could the Sanford police have failed to follow through and collect evidence? Shades of the Jim Crow
South. Having lived in the South in the 1950s, I find this very troubling. Listen to that tape again.

[csziggy]

7. The police chief claimed that Zimmerman was attacked when he got out to check street signs

Which is completely bogus.

First, Zimmerman has lived in that subdivision for years. There are only THREE streets in the entire subdivision. How could Zimmerman NOT know every street in the neighborhood, especially since he's been 'patrolling' it for YEARS? If that is true, Zimmerman is mentally impaired, something that has not been alleged by anyone.

Where Zimmerman's SUV was parked was NOT at an intersection, it was where one of the streets bends. Where Trayvon's body was found is a pretty good distance off the road.

I posted a map above - it's pretty obvious that Zimmerman (or the police chief) have been inventing scenarios to blame the black kid for the entire incident.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. Good post. Zimmerman was obviously full of shit

Th fact that the cops bought his story hook, line and sinker says a lot about that police department.

The more I learn about this case, the angrier I get.

[csziggy]

11. You want to get more pissed - take a look at Sanford's racist history

In an older post of mine: http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=467233

[JDPriestly]

12. Where did you post the map? I'd like to see it. Thanks.

[csziggy]

15. Got confused - too many Zimmerman threads!

Google aerial:


Orlando Sentinel map showing where things happened:

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-gfx-trayvon-martin-sanford-shooting-20120313,0,5710580.graphic

Another map on this page shows where Zimmerman's SUV was parked:
http://marinadedave.com/journal/2012/3/22/the-tragedy-of-trayvon-martin.html

[K Gardner]

14. Got out to check street signage?! Are you kidding me? Zimmerman

CLEARLY told dispatch he was following the kid: "Are you following him" - Answer: "YES".

I had not heard the police chief said that. How absolutely atrocious. In addition to everything you said, it contradicts Zimmerman's own voice on the tape.

Their problem is this: they've invented too many stories. Can't keep them straight.

Oh, and Zimmerman "just happened" to call while the Dateline Crew was filming? Just coincidence?
Give me a break. That was so staged it was pathetic.

[csziggy]

16. I missed the Dateline - do they put it online so I can watch later?

[K Gardner]

17. Yeah, it should be up at the NBC website by tomorrow. They didn't

even devote the whole show to it.. just about 20 minutes.

It was laughable. Especially when Zimmerman just "happened" to call his good buddy, Frank Taaffe.

[csziggy]

18. If Taaffe is on, I probably won't bother

He uses too many 'dog whistle' phrases for me to listen to his BS. It reminds me why I moved out of Central Florida and up to this tiny patch of blue here in Leon COunty!

[JDPriestly]

20. Zimmerman's call to 911 makes this excuse of his pretty unbelievable.

He told the 911 operator the name of the street when he called.

[Saturday]

21. If Trayvon had GZ on the ground why was Trayvon yelling for HELP?