By now, most of you have probably heard of Trayvon Martin, the 17 year old, African American boy who was fatally shot by George Zimmerman on February 26th. By all accounts, Martin was walking to the store, when he was spotted by Zimmerman, the community watch coordinator. Zimmerman called police to report suspicious behavior by Martin which he described as, “just walking around, looking about” in the rain. He also reported that Martin looked like, “he is up to no good, on drugs or something”. When Zimmerman told the police dispatcher that Martin had begun running and that he was following him, the dispatcher said, “we don’t need you to do that”. You can hear the full audio of Zimmerman’s 9-1-1 call here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/videogallery/68871920/News/George-Zimmerman-911-call-reporting-Trayvon-Martin
What happened next is disputed, but what we do know is that whatever happened resulted in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman claimed self-defense under Florida
Since that time, public outrage over the handling of the case has resulted in numerous protests and demonstrations across the country. The FBI opened an investigation to determine if Martin’s rights had been violated. Many are calling it a racially motivated hate crime. On Wednesday, 45 days after Martin’s death, Zimmerman was charged with 2nd degree murder.
My question to you this week is two-fold. “Do you think race had anything to do with the shooting, or the way police handled the case? Do you agree with Florida
After listening and watching the video about George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin regarding Trayvon's death. I don't think it had anything to do with race, but I don't condone the violent way Zimmerman handled the situation. He was told by the officer on the phone not to follow him. The police themselves did everything they could to stop Zimmerman before he acted. If it is true I do agree with the stand your ground provision, but if Zimmerman did attack Trayvon he deserves everything that he did to that boy. Race doesn't seem to have that much affect in this country. I would have been worse if Zimmerman had been pure white and not hispanic. But people of different races and cultures hate each other for as many reasons as they can find. Zimmerman should have though just stayed in his house. It was raining outside, most normal people would not have gone out chasing after random people in the middle of a thunderstorm.
ReplyDeleteI believe race plays a part, yes. If zimmerman felt that trayvon was a threat to the neighborhood, he should have left the police handle it from the phone call on. The pursuit of trayvon, and the following was unnecessary. He should have been arrested on the spot. Why did it take so long to arrest this individual. He did not listen to authorities when they said they did not need him to follow trayvon. I believe the stand your ground provision to a certain extent, but in this case, when trouble was sought out and a life was taken,there should be an exception.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about this story until now, but I do not think that the shooting had to deal with race. Zimmerman said that Trayvon approached him and assaulted him so he was just defending himself. Although this would have never happened if Zimmerman would have waited for the police to come to handle the situation. I think there was a different reason for Zimmerman's need to follow him. I agree with the "stand your ground" provision any person should be a loud to protect themselves and if someone comes after you and is hurting you, you should do what you need to do to stay safe to a certain extent that is.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if race had anything to do with it because Zimmerman is also a person of color. It very well could be, though. Zimmerman had no reason to approach Martin especially since he was instructed otherwise. I personally don't believe Tray von attacked him. It's very suspicious to me that reports of him being attacked didn't come about until recently. I think the Stand your Ground law has good intentions, it's just sad when people try to use it for evil instead of good.
ReplyDeleteI've heard about this for a while now. I believe that race had something to do with it. As already stated Zimmerman had no reason to follow Trayvon. He made the call to 911 and that's all he had to do. Whatever it was that compelled him to follow, chase, then shoot this kid is beyond anyone. Although considering it was raining out and the kid was only walking around which in my opinion doesn't hold any grounds as suspicious activity. Even if he was looking around in an area that he doesn't belong in. There could of been a number of reasons why he was there. Maybe he dropped something walking by? Regardless though at least from where i'm from kids walk around town all the time regardless of the weather because they don't have any other means of transportation and when your a 17 year old kid who really wants to hang out at home. It seems like a pretty blatant call of Zimmerman not only sought and chased after trouble on his own accord, but shot and murdered a 17 year old kid and called it self defense. Trayvon's girlfriend said that he had called her saying he was scared and that a man was following and chasing him. If anything he probably felt provoked and when Zimmerman finally caught up with him defended himself. Why does Zimmerman even have a gun while following this kid if he's just a civilian? Somewhere in between his 911 phone call and keeping an eye on Trayvon he decided it was a good idea to go grab his gun then follow the kid? I agree with Florida's Stand Your Ground provision a person should be able to defend himself in a serious situation whether its a matter of life or death or just defending ones self period, but by all means was Zimmerman not the one that was defending himself. He went looking for trouble, i don't think that counts towards self defense when your the one picking up the gun and following 17 year olds down the street and if you have no reason to follow this kid let alone murder him what other reason is there for your actions other than racism.
ReplyDeleteSome political forces in the country need their be to racism to justify their existence. Sadly, some of them see this is as an easy way to unnecessarily fan the flames of racism. Black on black crime happens everyday, but since that doesn't cause racial strife it is never talked about.
ReplyDeleteJon -
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point about crime in the Afircan American community, however the question here also pertains to the way the police handled the case. Why wasn't Zimmerman charged with something until 45 days later? WAs that racially motivated? I'm not saying it was, I'm just asking you to think about it. Also, do agree with the Sand Your Ground provision?
Stephanie
I think this is what we call racial profiling to the highest. Zimmerman saw a little black boy walking thru his predominantly white neighborhood and felt he was up to something. I do not feel that he was wrong for following him but to pursue and be aggressive when dispatch told him to standby he should have been very calm. The cops stood behind the murder of a child who is more then a 100 lbs least then Zimmerman which makes me wonder why... I can only assume that they did not care because it was a little black boy... What are the other possibilities?
ReplyDeleteI agree but disagree with the Florida law. I believe that people need to protect themselves and able to stand their ground. On the other hand no because you have those who are not psychologically able to know when they should not pursue and when they have they adrenaline rush they should then allow our maturity and adult training come in place. If people can not over come this, they should not have this law.
I believe he wasn't charged for 45 days because it wasn't clear what had happened. Between the 911 call and reports from neighbors their were conflicting reports. I don't think him not being charged was racially motivated. I do agree with the stand your ground provision. Like all laws, it won't always work out in the best way, but its still a good law. Plus, I keep hearing this guy referred to as a white Hispanic. I've never heard that term before. I guess that means he's of mixed heritage.
ReplyDeleteI've heard this story on the radio with my mom and she told me the guy had connects with higher up in court of local law that prevented him from getting into major trouble with the law and arrested. I don't think race had to do with it, I just think the guy was taking his role WAY too seriously and took matter into his own hand, but since what really happened is really clear what happened.
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that race played a part. When this first happened I heard the uneditied 911 call, in which Zimmerman was droppiing the "N" word all over the place. I realized that the version we were listening to is an edited version. My family and I discussed this when it first aired, my father heard that other people saw Trayvon trying to hide under a carport of a house, as if trying to get out of the rain. I feel that Zimmerman tried to hide behind the "stand your ground" law after he performed his hate crime.
ReplyDeleteAs for the "Stand your ground" law, I'm torn on it. I feel that in order for it to be justified, you need to have taken serious bodily damage in order for it to be justified. If the person is just aggressively approaching you then you have no right to use deadly force. however once you are struck, which has to be a documented injury. Not just putting you hands on someone.
I agree with Walter. I believe this was plain and simple racial profiling. I don't want to take sides or claim who was in the right or who was in the wrong. I strongly believe that no one will know the true story or what really happened, simply because we were not there. I do know that this situation ended in death, which I do feel was wrong. Why did Zimmerman feel the need to follow Martin? If he had just left him alone and not followed him, (Like the 911 dispatcher had said) this whole matter could have been avoided. Even if Martin had "attacked" Zimmerman he could have avoided the whole situation by not following him in the first place. I think he did his part by calling 911 and reporting suspicious behavior. He should have left it at that.
ReplyDeleteAs far as Florida's "Stand your ground" provision, I completely disagree. I think that every person should have the right to defend themselves, but killing someone is still illegal. I think that physically defending yourself if you are assaulted is completely acceptable, but I think that every other option should be exhausted before causing a death. I think it's wrong to ever make murder legal in any form.
I do believe that racial factors or a form of profiling played a major part in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman was responsible for watching over the neighborhood by looking out for criminal or dangerous activity and calling it in to the authorities. He crossed the line by making any moves towards the Martin. Zimmerman was told to stay put and he disobeyed and began following the Martin, putting his life and possibly others lives in danger. Whether or not Martin began hitting Zimmerman does not make what he did justifiable. If he would have let the cops handle it i don't think it would have ended a life. Martin was clearly spooked after speaking to his girlfriend about being followed by Zimmerman. It was not Zimmerman's responsibility as the neighborhood crime watcher to shoot anyone.
ReplyDeleteI think the provision leaves too much room for misunderstanding. Some people may interpret this in different ways than what it was intended to mean. They may also not be able to make good judgement when deciding if they are in danger and when and how they need to take action to defend themselves. Obviously everyone should have the right to defend themselves but Zimmerman in this situation was in no danger until he put himself in harms way.
It’s hard not to say that it was racial profiling, because in this day and age it is easy to just say it was race because you have no other explanation for why a full grown man would act so heinously. I believe that Zimmerman was completely in the wrong though. There is no way he should have ever followed him, and as a result there was a death. I believe that Florida’s stand your ground law has some parts that make sense, but as with all laws there are flaws. A young presumably innocent, to the nations eyes at least, man is now dead. In a situation that could have easily been avoided if Zimmerman would have listened to the dispatcher in the first place. I believe Zimmerman should be punished for what he did.
ReplyDeleteThings like these are so sensitive and have so many variables that I personally find it impossible to know. Especially if the only information you can get is from the media (because they're sooooo trustworthy *sarcasm in high dosage*) If Zimmerman has a history of being predigest or racists then odds are it's a racial hate crime, if he doesn't, while it could still be possible, the odds move more to NO. He should still deal with the consequences of his actions but I really wouldn't know what would be adequate for such an action.
ReplyDeleteRace has everything to do with the chasing down, confrontation, and eventual death of Trayvon. The case was slightly mishandled but not really about race. Investigators got it right. I believe the "Stand your Ground" provision was implemented because it has come up in the past and innocent people have been convicted. That being said, it is there to provide innocent people protection. Zimmerman is not innocent. He is a cold-blooded killer! How can someone follow a man and confront him face to face and say he was standing his ground. I am WHITE and I am OUTRAGED!
ReplyDeleteI dont agree with Florida's stand your ground act because this is something that never would have happen this way without it. i think the Zimmerman was wrong for doing something like this to a young boy. Martin may have not even been completely inicent but there were other ways Zimmerman could have took action. I do think that race had a major deal in how the police decided to go about handling this situation i feel like if Zimmerman was a black man he would have more than likely been put into prison for a life time sentence or got some sort of death penalty for killing Treyvon Martin. Instead of different people donating money to the shooter.Or he would have not been still getting paid from his job he would have been fired right alway.
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