I just learned of this whole Zimmerman case and the verdict and I have seen a lot of controversial conversations and arguments on it. So, naturally I decided to blog about my thoughts on this verdict and case after reading a few articles and the backgrounds of both parties. I have also seen a lot of pictures on social media sites comparing this case to several others such as the Casey Anthony's not guilty verdict and the Andrea Yates case with her being not guilty then the Marissa Alexander case with her being found GUILTY without killing anyone.
Lets start by looking at the victim's background and side of this situation. Trayvon Martin was an 17 year old junior in High school. His parents are divorced and his fathers new fiance lived in the neighborhood that he was shot in. He was visiting his father and his fathers fiance when he was shot down in the street. Martin's background might sound sketchy and he did seem like a troubled youth but he was never found to be violent. Martin had been suspended from school twice due to truancy and writing graffiti on the school grounds. Martin had also been in possession of a marijuana pipe and some jewelry that the police automatically thought to be stolen. On the night he was killed, the last anyone saw of him was when he bought candy and an Arazona Tea from a 7-11 store.
Now lets look at the defendants background and side of the situation. George Zimmerman is an insurance underwriter and was going to collage. He is a 200lb man (aprox) at 30 years old with several acts of violence in his past. At age 21 he was arrested for the assault of a police officer and resisting arrest. Then in 2005 Zimmerman was charged with domestic violence and has a restraining order from his ex-fiance. Zimmerman had called the non-emergency police several times in 18 months, five of those were reports of suspicious looking men around the neighborhood. To me, Zimmerman seemed to be of the paranoid sort that took matters into his own hands when he shouldn't. On the night of the killing, Zimmerman had called the police about a suspicious looking man walking around at night. He thought he was suspicious due to the fact that he was walking around at night in the rain just looking at houses. Now if you think about it, if you where depressed because your parents had taken you away from your friends and home what would you be doing? Martin was most likely only out walking around because he was upset.
Zimmerman blatantly disobeyed what the police dispatcher had told him while he was running after Martin that night. The police dispatcher told him NOT to follow or chase the 'suspect' but Zimmerman did so anyway. Zimmerman eventually shot and killed Martin who was unarmed, and only 70 yards from where he was staying.
Many different scenarios could have taken place but one seems to pull to my mind. From looking over the backgrounds of both persons and reading through articles of the trial what plays out in my mind is this:
Martin was walking home from the store after buying some snacks and was wearing a hooded sweatshirt due to the rain. He was probably upset about being away from his family and friends and from being suspended from school. Zimmerman, who already had a violent history, was part of neighborhood watch and from having so many break ins and robberies in his area saw Martin and automatically thought he was a bad person. Zimmerman's defenses were up and alert due to this and he wanted to take action thinking the police would arrive too late so he took matters into his own hands. He chased after Martin who was unarmed and probably startled him. Martin begins to run seeing someone is chasing him and then turns to defend himself against the mysterious man coming for him. Martin and Zimmerman have a scuffle and both attack one another leaving cuts and bruises. Zimmerman gets even more defensive and worries for his life thinking this young man might have a gun or knife and pulls out his own. Zimmerman (not thinking rationally) shoots Martin who was unarmed and fighting for his own life.
To me this seems like the most realistic situation. I mean if you think about it, Martin was a young boy who was walking home at night in the rain and is being followed by a strange vehicle. Martin gets scared and starts to run, Zimmerman, thinking he is high and mighty, chases after him. A fight breaks out from both scared men and one gets shot. I'm not saying Zimmerman's verdict is right but it should make you think. Both parties where standing their ground.
Now, lets take a look at the other case where the verdict ends differently. A 31 year old Florida woman was found guilty of aggravated assault and attempted murder when she fired warning shots at her abusive husband. She had already filed an order of protection against him and claims she was protecting herself from another beating. Marissa Alexander has never been in trouble with the law before yet when she tries to defend herself against a brutally abusive husband she gets charged and convicted.
Here is a quote from Wikipidia on this case:
Alexander had a restraining order issued against her ex husband at the time and, during the day of the incident, had returned to their old home to collect clothes and some possessions thinking he was not there. Her ex husband was there, with their children, and they began to argue. After the argument became heated, Marissa Alexander returned to her car, picked up her firearm, and returned inside the house where she threatened him with the handgun before firing a warning shot into the wall. She was charged with reckless endangerment of children and threatening with a deadly weapon.
The stand your ground law-
In the United States, stand-your-ground law states that a person may justifiably use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of an unlawful threat, without an obligation to retreat first. The concept sometimes exists in statutory law and sometimes through common law precedents.
So what do you think about these cases? Who was in the right or wrong? Or was anyone right?
Sources: Zimmerman verdict and Alexander case Alexander Case2
Other source: wikipedia
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