Killer George Zimmerman Acts Out Again

(UPDATED -- see below)

Killer George Zimmerman just can’t keep from getting into trouble.  He’s volatile and dangerous.  The same aggressive and confrontational behavior that led him to stalk and kill unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin has, in the past, and led him to domestic violence. Now he's in trouble with his guns again.  Thankfully, no one is shot... this time.

The last time was back in September, when he was accused by his ex-wife of threatening her and her father with a gun and physically attacking her, as I posted about.  She had called 911 at the time, and Zimmerman was taken into custody, but like so many other abused domestic partners, she abruptly changed her story and dropped the charges.

In that last post, I also listed all Zimmerman’s screw ups since the trial (during which he had lied about his funds and conspired to hide them using his wife), including a faked “rescue” of a family in a car crash, being pulled over one time and then another time for speeding.  At the end of October, he apparently also posted a bullet-riddled target on the home of his ex-wife's parents.

Zimmerman's police chief described him as a “ticking time bomb.” 

At the end of my last post on him, I stated “I have a feeling we haven’t heard the last of Zimmerman’s screw ups.  Eventually, he and his guns will be involved in yet another scandal.”

Well, now Killer George has gone and done it again, and it’s a doozy. 

Apparently, a lady named Samantha Scheibe wasn’t significantly creeped out by Zimmerman’s violent and murderous past, and actually became his girlfriend. 

But then, this Monday, the two of them got into an argument.  According to Scheibe, in a call to 911, Zimmerman began smashing her furniture, then threatened her with a long-barreled shotgun, pushing her out the door.  He then barricaded himself in the home until police arrived and pushed their way in.  He then surrendered peacefully.

He countered by saying that he wasn’t armed, and that it was Scheibe who smashed the furniture.  Interestingly, he also said that she was pregnant with his child (which she disputes, apparently)!  In his words, she was “going crazy.”  He also said that Scheibe also owns a .9mm handgun.  He said she started the fight because she didn’t want him to leave her, and that his gun was “locked in a bag” (he didn’t explain how one can lock a bag, but I digress).

According to a CNN article, regarding the reason for the fight:

"Though Zimmerman says the argument erupted after he tried to leave because Scheibe was pregnant and wanted to raise their child by herself, police say that Scheibe disputed the account. 

"She told me it was better if we co-parented and she raised the child on her own," Zimmerman said to a 911 dispatcher in a separate call. "I said, 'Are you sure this is what you want to do?' She said, 'Yes.'"

You can hear both his and her 911 calls at THIS LINK.

From an article:

The victim, identified as Samantha Scheibe, indicated she and Zimmerman were having a verbal dispute where she alleged he broke a table before pointing a shotgun at her. Zimmerman was unarmed when police arrived. However, he had barricaded the door and the police had to move furniture out of the way to get to Zimmerman. Ms. Scheibe told police that she was “in fear of her life.” The investigators are still meeting with her to get more information about the incident, while they obtain a search warrant to locate the shotgun.  There might be another gun in the house, according to the police.

Zimmerman was arrested and booked at 1pm EST, charged with aggravated assault, battery domestic violence, and criminal mischief. There is no bond set until he sees the judge tomorrow morning. The aggravated assault charge with a firearm is a felony punishable up to 5 years in prison. If a gun is used, there is a 3 years minimum mandatory.

According to Scheibe, Zimmerman had in his possession an AF-15 rifle (no pro-gun extremist would be without one!), two handguns, and the KelTec shotgun that he threatened her with.  He also has a conceal carry permit.

Zimmerman has also been accused of choking his girlfriend a week before, though it wasn’t reported at the time by his girlfriend.  From an article:

"The victim had indicated that there was a prior domestic violence incident that had occurred approximately a week and half ago that involved a choking that she did not report to the police," the prosecutor said. "He has also has mentioned suicide in the recent past." 

He is now free on bail, but has to wear a GPS tracker.  At least his weapons have been confiscated, but as far as I know he still retains his conceal carry permit.  He is not allowed to have contact with Scheibe or leave the state of Florida.

Then, just to add a whole new level of weird, and another potential crime, there’s even an accusation that Zimmerman sent a sexually explicit photo of himself to Scheibe’s young daughter!  Ew!  But then, we shouldn’t be surprised at this, since Zimmerman has already been accused by a cousin of having molested her in her youth – for a decade!

Naturally, the same pro-gun extremists who rushed to protect, and even fund, Zimmerman during the Trayvon Martin trial are coming again to his defense and push Zimmerman's side of things, like this blogger, for instance.  Zimmerman is their poster boy, after all.  But I believe a significant number are ducking down this time, more than a little embarrassed that he just keeps on screwing up.  This political cartoon says it all.

I'd hate to be one of the jurors who acquitted this loser, or any of the pundits and pro-gun extremists who supported Zimmerman.  I'm sure they're banging their heads against a wall right now, wondering how they could justify yet another incident.

This guy is a serious creep with a violent and murderous streak.  It’s time to lock him up for good before he kills again!


UPDATE (11/25/13):  A search warrant revealed the weapons and ammo that were recovered from Zimmerman's home.  From a CNN article:

A search of the home turned up three handguns, a 12-gauge shotgun, a rifle and 106 rounds of ammunition, including two AR-15 magazines, according to a search warrant.

UPDATE (11/25/13):  Zimmerman, despite being broke and heavily in debt, is nontheless being represented by TWO lawyers, including one that is highly-experienced, due to some rather interesting peculiarities.  It's sickening that such a thug could be given such exceptional representation.  See HERE for an interested expose from ThinkProgress.org.  From the article:

For George Zimmerman, landing an experienced attorney like Dowdy was a big break. According to an affidavit filed with the court, Zimmerman said he had total assets of $149 in cash, no bank account and $2.5 million in debt. His previous attorney, Mark O’Mara, will no longer represent him in any matters. (On Armed American Radio, Dowdy describes O’Mara as “an old friend.”) 

Still, George Zimmerman is armed with the services of two attorneys, including one with more than 20 years of criminal defense experience. For an indigent defendant in Florida, that is hardly typical.

UPDATE (12/10/13):  Zimmerman's girlfriend, Samantha Sheibe, who had made the accusation of being threatened by Zimmerman at gunpoint, is now recanting the accusation and wants to be with him again.  It's a pattern which is all-too-common for victims of domestic violence, and has an eerie similarity to the last time Zimmerman was accused, by his last girlfriend.

UPDATE (12/12/13):  Well, Zimmerman's off the hook again. After his girlfriend, Samantha Sheibe, inexplicably changed her story and recanted how she had been threatened at gunpoint by Zimmerman, prosecutors are now dropping the case against him.  All I can say is "good luck" to Sheibe, or any other girlfriends Zimmerman may have in the future.

Killer George Zimmerman Just Keeps Screwing Up

(UPDATED -- see below)

I’m mildly entertained by the massive FAIL that defines the ongoing, and still prison-free (for now), life of George Zimmerman, the man who stalked and shot to death unarmed teen Trayvon Martin.  It’s the same sort of mild entertainment I feel when I can’t help but watch idiots on those home-video TV shows who jump off of roofs onto trampolines and wind up racking themselves on their kids’ bike.

Since being acquitted of Trayvon’s murder, George can’t seem to stay out of trouble.  Shocking, since he’s such an upstanding, law-abiding citizen who was only defending himself, so says his gun nut supporters who continue to send him money for his defense, numerous times (examples HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE). 

Oops, but he’s been mis-spending that money.  Turns out he didn’t actually use it for his defense, and hasn’t paid his attorneys.  Instead, he’s mainly using it on his personal expenses.  So much so, in fact, that his lawyer, Mark O’Mara, has demanded he pay up, and has stopped representing him.  From the article:

It appears that George Zimmerman may have conned the cons. After his recent altercation with his wife, his attorney, Mark O’Mara told ABC News in a September 10^th  interview that he would no longer be representing Zimmerman. 

…. 

During the ABC interview, when O’Mara was asked if he had any advice for his former client, he said this: 

“Pay me.” 

Wait, Zimmerman never paid his defense attorney? What happened to all of the money he raised for his “legal defense fund?” It’s interesting, actually. If you visit Zimmerman’s Legal Defense fund web-site you can get a pretty good idea where the majority of the money was spent. 

…. 

Leaving that page, and moving to one titled “Moving Forward” which addresses how future donations will be spent, it gets even more interesting. The predicted future expenses include the Zimmerman’s living expenses and private security as the first two items on the page. A bit further down the page, under the heading “Case Related Expenses” it clearly says “Mr. O’Mara and Mr. West have not been paid for their services. Money has been used to pay rent on office space, for IT support, for staff dedicated to the case.” 

So by his own admission Zimmerman did not use the Legal Defense Fund donations to pay his attorneys. He spent the majority of the money on living expenses for himself and his wife, who was just paid more than $4,000 for one months living expenses out of the defense fund money. Wow. 

Wow is right. But should anyone really be surprised that he’s conning the gun guys out of their money?  After all, he and his wife plotted to hide their money from the judge to the tune of $85,500, for which his wife, Shellie, was convicted of perjury.

And he has the gall to demand that the State of Florida pays his legal fees!

But even if he had paid his attorney, who can blame O’Mara for dumping George?  Zimmerman just keeps screwing up and acting irresponsibly!

Consider the following screw-ups….

• July:  George fakes a rescue of a family in a car crash. Alerted to the crash by a sympathetic (pathetic?) officer, he zooms in to ask if they are alright, but then takes credit for rescuing them from a burning vehicle (the family was out of the vehicle and walking around when he arrived).  National news sites ran stories about his valiant rescue without investigating whether they were true.
• July:  George was pulled over for speeding in Texas, with a gun in his glove compartment.  He got off with a warning.  Said the officer to George: "Just take it easy. Go ahead and shut your glove compartment. Don't play with your firearm."
• August:  George visits a gun manufacturer, Kel-Tec, and poses for pics like some sort of celebrity.  If you just killed an unarmed teen, legal or not, would you be making celebrity visits and posing for cameras?  Sick.  His lawyer thought so.
• September:  George was pulled over for speeding again, this time in Florida.  This time he was given a ticket.
• September:  Finally, George was involved in a domestic violence call to police. 

That’s right, George got into a fight with his wife when, once again, she tried to leave him.  Then she called 911, saying that he was threatening her with a gun:

On the 911 call, Shellie Zimmerman is sobbing and repeating "Oh my God" as she talks to a police dispatcher. She yells at her father to get inside the house, saying Zimmerman may start shooting at them. 

"He's threatening all of us with a firearm ... He punched my dad in the nose," Shellie Zimmerman said on the call. "I don't know what he's capable of. I'm really scared." 

She also said he grabbed an iPad from her hand and smashed it.

She’s also quoted as saying on the 911 call, “I don’t know what he’s capable of. I’m really, really scared.”

But then, abruptly, Shellie changed her story, saying that no firearm was involved, and both she and her father, who was also attacked, refused to press charges.  It’s not unusual for women in domestic assaults to change their story, out of fear of the abuser.  That’s why police can still investigate the alleged abuser even if charges aren’t pressed by the spouse.  Now the police are trying to piece together footage from the damaged iPad, to see what the truth is, but the task may take months and may not work at all.

Perhaps George can claim he was just standing his ground?  Worked once before....

This recent violent behavior of George’s, too, isn’t shocking, given that George already has a history of domestic violence, not to mention other violent behavior and even allegations of child abuse!

The police chief of the town where Zimmerman now resides considers George a “ticking time bomb” and another “Sandy Hook” waiting to happen! 

But even beyond George’s bad behavior, questions continue to arise about Trayvon’s killing.  The medical examiner in the Trayvon Martin shooting case, Dr. Shiping Bao, has recently come out with some bombshell information that he says was squelched by the police at the time of the trial who were biased against the victim, and told Bao to “shut up” about the facts in the case.  Bao, who was fired from the job over this issue, is suing the state of Florida over it, as a matter of fact.

What facts were covered up?  According to Bao, Trayvon was actually shot in the back, so there’s no way he could have been on top of Zimmerman.  Also, the amount of marijuana in Trayvon at the time of the shooting was too little to have led to any change in his behavior.  These facts came to light between the time Bao made his initial investigation of Trayvon and the time he was actually on the stand testifying.  This, among the many other ways that prosecutors threw the case.

Is Dr. Bao lying because he lost his job?  Or did he lose his job because the prosecutors didn’t like what he had to say, as he claims?  Time will tell, but I’m guessing Bao has evidence to back up his claims.

I have a feeling we haven’t heard the last of Zimmerman’s screw ups.  Eventually, he and his guns will be involved in yet another scandal.


UPDATE (9/14/13):  The Zimmermans claimed during the trial that they were living like "Gypsies" in a trailer.  Turns out it was a lie.  They were actually living in a two story, $240,000 home with a pool and spa, thanks to the generous donations given to them for their "legal defense" by the gun nuts.  From an article:

Shellie Zimmerman recently recalled living like gypsies during her husband’s trial for the shooting death of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin. According to GPS records at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, the couple moved for the last time into a two-story $240,000 home on a landscaped cul-de-sac — wait there’s more — with a 2-tier pool and spa with four water jets shaped like lions’ heads in the backyard. A patio sits in backyard with a second-story deck. The Zimmermans had 2,500 square feet of living space to stretch their legs.  .... 

The Orlando Sentinel reports, “The house where George and Shellie Zimmerman lived during his trial – and for nearly a year leading up to it – was no trailer in the woods.”
If it is, I want to live in a trailer too. 

The house is not even 10 minutes from the Seminole County criminal courthouse where Zimmerman stood trial. 

In an interview with ABC News two weeks ago, Shellie Zimmerman said, “We lived in a 20-foot trailer in the woods.” 

But that was for a short period of time, according to the Orlando Sentinel. 

The home is reportedly owned by Shellie Zimmerman’s parents and it’s the same house where police took George Zimmerman into custody Monday after Ms. Zimmerman called police saying her estranged husband had threatened her and her father with a gun.

UPDATE (Breaking!) (11/18/13): Yep, Zimmerman has been arrested AGAIN, this time for allegedly assaulting his pregnant girlfriend and possibly threatening her with his shotgun.  Didn't I say this would happen??  From an article:

Victim, identified as Samantha Scheibe, indicated she and Zimmerman were having a verbal dispute where she alleged he broke a table before pointing a shotgun at her. Zimmerman was unarmed when police arrived.  However, he had barricaded the door and the police had to move furniture out of the way to get to Zimmerman.  Ms. Scheibe told police that she was “in fear of her life.”  The investigators are still meeting with her to get more information about the incident, while they obtain a search warrant to locate the shotgun.  There might be another gun in the house, according to the police. 

Zimmerman was arrested and booked at 1pm EST, charged with aggravated assault, battery domestic violence, and criminal mischief. There is no bond set until he sees the judge tomorrow morning.  The aggravated assault charge with a firearm is a felony punishable up to 5 years in prison. If gun is used there is a 3 years minimum mandatory.

.

Pro-Gun Extremists Crash A Remembrance Ceremony For The Aurora Shooting

(UPDATED -- see below)

Today, July 20, is the one-year anniversary of the Aurora, Colorado, mass shooting. 17 people were shot dead, and another 70 were injured, including children.  20 minutes into the movie, a mentally ill man, James Eagan Holmes, burst in and opened fire.  As with so many other mass shootings, Holmes was heavily armed with a semi-assault rifle with an extended ammo clip (holding 100 rounds!), a shotgun, and handgun, and armored with a ballistics vest and helmet.  It was the single largest shooting by a lone gunman in American history, when you include both dead and injured.

What followed were statements from those of us calling, once again, for common sense gun laws to curtail such shootings, a statement from the President, and the burials and memorial services across the nation.  Since then, the state of Colorado has enacted sensible reforms. 

And what did the pro-gun side try do after the slaughter?  Did they propose anything to reduce availability of guns to lunatics?  Of course not.  Instead, they pounded their chests about how, if only they could have been there with concealed handguns, they would have saved the day.  They tried to ignore the shooting.  They opposed any reforms (even to the point of attempting a recall on politicians that supported reforms there).  And, of course, there were the inevitable wacko pro-gun conspiracy theories that there was an unseen accomplice helping Holmes, that the “Illuminati” were behind it, or even that the government had staged the whole thing to promote “gun control,” all of which were really attempts to sidetrack the debate about what should really be done. 

Given the trauma suffered by Aurora, and the sheer number of dead and injured, it is only fitting and proper to have a remembrance ceremony to remember the event one year later and those who, living and dead, experienced the horror of it.  Naturally there will be a reading of names of victims, words about them, and statements about what people feel should be done to prevent another madman from carrying out such a deed again.

One remembrance ceremony will be held at the Cherry Creek State Park in Aurora, sponsored by Mayors Against Illegal Guns (MAIG), and will include the reading of names, not just of Aurora victims, but all victims who have died to gun violence since the Sandy Hook shooting, too.  It’s a chance for the community to come together in remembrance and to discuss what can be done to stop it from happening again.  It is one stop on a trip with multiple stops for a MAIG bus.

And what is the gun lobby doing?  Are they joining in the remembrance?  Holding one of their own?  Of course not.  Acknowledging the deaths of innocents is too inconvenient for their “more guns in more places” argument.  Instead, they’re staging a protest within sight of the remembrance ceremony.  Rude and offensive!  And it’s complements of a pro-gun extremist group, Rocky Mountain Gun Owners (which bills itself as "Colorado's only no-compromise gun rights organization"), and advertised by Ammoland.com. 

From an article:

Dudley Brown, executive director of Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, denied his group was being insensitive and said his members would be respectful. 

He accused Mayors Against Illegal Guns and its founder, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, of politicizing the Aurora massacre to promote gun control. 

"Mayor Bloomberg is using this tragedy and walking all over graves to get to the microphone," Brown said.

Nevermind that Mayor Bloomberg won’t be there.

And how, exactly, is this “walking all over graves” when victims and their families are taking part in the ceremony?

Stephen Barton is one of those survivors from the Aurora shooting who will be attending.  He is now part of MAIG.  In an email to supporters, he wrote about the Aurora remembrance ceremony:

One year ago today, I stopped in Aurora, Colorado on a cross-country bike trip with my best friend. We decided to go to a midnight showing of the new Batman movie, and that's how I became a survivor of gun violence. 

I was shot with more than two dozen shotgun pellets in the face, neck, hands, chest, shoulder, and forearm. But I was lucky. I survived, and I've spent the past year working to keep what happened to me from happening to other Americans. 

In that year, Colorado has led the way by passing common-sense public safety laws. Sadly, our leaders in Washington have done nothing to follow that lead and keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. Today, I'm asking you to remember those who died in Aurora and demand action from our members of Congress.

The pro-gunners responded to Barton with rude and offensive statements.  Here is what one had to say to Barton on a pro-gun online forum:

Your first mistake was going to a theater in a “Gun Free Zone” where only criminals will be carrying. Plus, what does getting shot with a shotgun have to do with semi-auto rifles? Your problem is you don’t have a man card.

Said another there:

Sweet. If someone takes a shot at me, Stephen Barton will be there to jump in front of the bullet. 

Sounds like a win for everybody.

Comments on the bus tour at another pro-gun online forum were equally as rude and offensive.  Said one:

Ya know....roofing nails have this uncanny habit of landing "point-up" when they fall off your back tail gate.....just saying

Said another:

People outta egg the SOBs bus as it drives by, followed by a Brooklyn salute. 

Sadly, the gun lobby has suggested throwing eggs at the MAIG bus as it arrives.  Just check out the banner

they are passing around online from Ammoland (see picture, at right).  Just another example of their rudeness and confrontational behavior.

It’s increasingly common for the pro-gun lobby and their extremist supporters to engage in such thoughtless behavior.  The public is turning against their failed and dangerous philosophy.  Naturally that makes them feel threatened, leading to increasingly confrontational behavior.  Showing up with openly-carried guns at state capitals and gun violence prevention rallies.  So their attempt the throw the remembrance ceremony in Aurora comes as no surprise.  After all, it is hardly surprising that people who carry guns around and prepare themselves to kill people with them would be willing to rudely confront those who think it’s a bad idea.

I think a Colorado state representative from Aurora, and mother of a shooting victim, sums it up best when she talked about the pro-gun plan to crash the remembrance ceremony:

"I think it's a slap in the face of the people who are suffering the loss of a loved one," said state Rep. Rhonda Fields, a Democrat from Aurora. Fields' district includes the theater where 12 people were killed and 70 injured one year ago Saturday, and she plans to participate in the remembrance ceremony. 

Fields' son was shot and killed in 2005 to keep him from testifying in a murder trial.

The gun guys only hurt their own cause.  Personally, I hope they continue to do so.  It puts on exhibit to the public the reprehensible behavior I see from them online every day.


UPDATE (7/20/13):  Both the remembrance ceremony and the pro-gun protest occurred as planned.  At one point, one of the pro-gun protesters stood behind the ceremony podium with a protest sign until rangers made him move.  Naturally, some of the pro-gun guys had their guns with them, including the protest organizer, and wore shirts that read "We will not comply" (implying that they would be willing to break any gun-related law if they don't agree with it, since they are pro-criminal).  

Many survivors and victims' family members spoke.  Their statements, from the article:

"I think that Coloradans get it, that something must change," said Tom Sullivan, whose son Alex was killed in the theater. ...  

For his part, Stephen Barton, who was wounded in Aurora, said, "You shouldn't wait until it affects you to start caring about it." 

"I never thought I would ever be affected by gun violence personally," Barton added.  ... 

"Why wait any longer?" asked Carlee Soto, whose sister was killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School rampage in Newtown, Conn. "The time for change is now."  ...

More statements, from another article and video of the event, which has further comments from survivors and families of victims:

Barton was joined at the remembrance event by Coni Sanders, a daughter of teacher Dave Sanders, who was one of 13 people who died when two teenaged gunmen opened fire at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999.

"Today, my father stands with me," she said. "He died saving hundreds of students and saving other families from the horror we experience every day."  ... 

Tom Sullivan, whose son, Alex, was killed last year in Aurora, wondered aloud how long the debate about unrestricted access to guns must continue. "There must be common-sense solutions to these issues."

HERE is video of Aurora survivor Stephen Barton telling his story:

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Reactions To Zimmerman's Not Guilty Verdict

(UPDATED -- see below)

Reactions to the Zimmerman verdict run the gamut from sad acceptance and calls for calm to angry outrage.  But, with the exception of some minor vandalism during a protest in Oakland (no injuries or arrests), there has been no violence.  Many peaceful demonstrations are occurring. HERE is a good news video on those.

See excerpts, below, of some statements from others:


Tweeted by Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin (via CNN):

Even though I am broken hearted my faith is unshattered I WILL ALWAYS LOVE MY BABY TRAY.

Tweeted by Trayvon's mother, Sybrina Fulton:

Lord during my darkest hour I lean on you. You are all that I have. At the end of the day, GOD is still in control. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I will love you forever Trayvon!!! In the name of Jesus!!!

From the Martin Family attorney, Ben Crump:

"We are very saddened by the jury's verdict. The family is heartbroken. Sabrina Fulton and Tracy Martin would like to thank people around the world for their support. To everybody that put their hoodies up. To everybody that said, "I am Trayvon. 

To Tracy and Sabrina, your tireless work. We know Trayvon is up there, proud. This morning, Martin Luther King's daughter Tweeted me that this was a defining moment for the progress of her father's dream. He would want us to conduct ourselves on the higher plane of dignity and discipline. 

For Trayvon to rest in peace, we must all be peaceful."

From the Prosecutor, Bernie de la Rionda:

I am disappointed, as we are, with the verdict, but we accept it.  We respect the jury's verdict.

From President Barack Obama (via CNN):

The president, in a written statement, acknowledged an emotionally charged climate but concluded that "we are a nation of laws, and a jury has spoken." 

Obama called Martin's death a tragedy for America. 

"I know this case has elicited strong passions. And in the wake of the verdict, I know those passions may be running even higher," he said. 

"I now ask every American to respect the call for calm reflection from two parents who lost their young son. And as we do, we should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to widen the circle of compassion and understanding in our own communities. 

"We should ask ourselves if we're doing all we can to stem the tide of gun violence that claims too many lives across this country on a daily basis," Obama said.

From The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence:

The Brady Campaign has been one of the leaders in fighting against “Stand Your Ground” or so called, “shoot first” laws like the one in Florida.  As evidenced by the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin, these laws have deadly consequences.  They promote a dangerous mentality and misperception about weapons, by overemphasizing their value in self-defense relative to the other dangers that they pose.  

In the end, George Zimmerman's mentality, and what emboldened him to approach Trayvon, may be debatable.  What is not debatable, though, is the fact that Trayvon Martin is dead because Zimmerman had a gun.  Zimmerman was given a concealed carry permit by the state of Florida despite an arrest record and a history of violence, as a direct result of the influence of the gun lobby, and if it weren’t for that, this tragedy never would have happened.  

From the NAACP (via CNN):

"When you look at (Zimmerman's) comments, when you look at his comments about young black men in that neighborhood, about how they felt specially targeted by him, there is reason to be concerned that race was a factor in why he targeted young Trayvon," NAACP president and CEO Benjamin Jealous said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

From the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence:

Turning the other cheek is supposed to be a sacred virtue. But by removing the duty to retreat from a confrontation in public when one can safely do so, the “Stand Your Ground” law allowed George Zimmerman to stalk and kill an unarmed teenager and walk away a free man. That’s a tragedy, because there can be no doubt that Zimmerman could have avoided a confrontation with Trayvon Martin on the evening of February 26, 2012. 

The NRA’s law represents a dangerous and unprecedented escalation in the use of force in the public space, allowing individuals to kill when they merely fear “great bodily harm” (i.e., a fistfight, shoving match, etc.). The concept of responding with proportional force has been obliterated. In this case, the “harm” done to Zimmerman, by whatever source, was so minor that EMTs didn’t even offer him treatment minutes after the shooting. 

Americans should also question why Zimmerman was allowed to carry a loaded gun in public in the first place. He had been previously arrested for assaulting a police officer and placed under a restraining order for a domestic battery involving a former fiancee. Again, Zimmerman has the NRA to thank. Their “Shall Issue” law in Florida awards concealed carry permits to individuals with minimal screening/training and removes any discretion law enforcement might have in approving applicants. 

The message to would-be killers is now clear. You need not fear carrying your gun in public, or using it. If you do, just make sure you are the only one remaining to testify about the nature of the confrontation in question.

From Moms Demand Action:

The shooting death of Trayvon underscores the growing danger of increasingly lenient gun policies across the United States. Stand Your Ground laws, which give everyday citizens more leeway to shoot than the U.S. military gives to our soldiers in war zones, endanger our children, families and communities. These laws grow even more dangerous when coupled with some states’ permissive concealed carry policies that empower untrained, average citizens to carry a gun, and turn everyday conflicts into deadly tragedies.

ADDENDUM (7/15/13):

From The Southern Poverty Law Center:

"They always get away." These were the words George Zimmerman uttered as he followed and later shot Trayvon Martin -- words that reflected his belief that Trayvon was one of "them," the kind of person about to get away with something.  How ironic these words sound now in light of the jury verdict acquitting Zimmerman.  

Trayvon is dead, and Zimmerman is free.  Who was the one who got away?

From Trayvon's pastor, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Arthur Jackson III :

“I believe that this situation has not paralyzed us, has not traumatized us, but is mobilizing us,” Jackson said. “It’s going to be a call to rally at the polls to vote. If we’ve never voted before, we’re definitely going to rally to change these unjust laws.” 

“For us in this generation, this is our Medgar Evers moment,” he went on, comparing Trayvon’s killing to the assassination of Evers, the World War II hero and civil rights leader. 

“This is the moment that we’re not going to forget. We’re going to keep this in the forefront of our minds. This is going to continue to live. It will be something that we talk to our children about, now and forever.”

UPDATE (7/18/13):  

Trayvon's parents, Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, gave an interview for the first time since the verdict, on CBS This Morning.  See HERE for video and article from HuffPost:

"I was in a bit of shock," [Fulton] said. "I thought surely that he would be found guilty of second-degree murder, manslaughter at the least. But I just knew that they would see that this was a teenager just trying to get home. This was no burglar. This was somebody's son that was trying to get home." 

When asked about the prospect of racial profiling, Fulton revealed that neither of them knew the details of the case, including George Zimmerman's previous 911 calls and the fact that authorities were looking for a young black male. 

"Trayvon was simply not that person," she said. "Trayvon was not a burglar, he was not doing anything wrong. He simply went to the store and was headed back home. And for somebody to look at him and perceive that he was a burglar, that was the problem that initiated everything."

UPDATE (7/19/13):

Trayvon's parents, in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper:

"It came as a complete shock for me," Fulton said about the verdict. 

"And the reason I say that is because I just look at people as people, and I thought for sure that the jury looked at Trayvon as an average teenager that was minding his own business, that wasn't committing any crime."   .... 

"They knew he was a teenager. They knew he was on his way home. They knew he ran," she said. "... How much do you need to know?" .... 

n spite of his son's death, Tracy Martin said he has faith in the legal system. 

"The state did all they could with what they had" given the poor quality of the investigation, he said. 

"Does the system work? It didn't work for us. We remain prayerful that through this injustice, we can close that gap and hopefully the system can start working for everyone equally." .... 

Martin's mother said that she hoped that a foundation started in her son's name would allow for something good to come out of his death. 

"The change that we hope to affect is with the law," Fulton said. "We want to make sure any teenager who is walking down the street wont' be killed, that they will make it home safe." 

"Hopefully, we can find some positive, some bright side out of all of this," she said.

.

Trayvon Doesn't Get Justice

George Zimmerman was found not guilty today of any wrongdoing, proving, beyond a shadow of doubt, that it is perfectly legal in Florida for someone to stalk an unarmed, black boy through a neighborhood at night, confront him, and shoot him dead, and be able to claim self-defense.

The fact that he stalked the boy through his neighborhood, against 911 advice, without so much as identifying himself, was never in question.  The fact that Zimmerman confronted the boy and fought with him was never in question.  The fact that he shot and killed that unarmed boy was never in question.  The only real question was how lenient Florida law was for this to happen and get away with it.  Once again, the "Gunshine State" came through for the shooter.

Zimmerman is free, once more, to carry as many loaded guns as he wishes, anywhere it's legal to do so, and jump to whatever conclusions he wishes about the people he considers suspicious.  And so is anyone else, for that matter, who can then use this case as a precedent.  Mothers, don't let your kids walk alone at night in Florida.

Zimmerman will now have to live with what he's done.  Just like O.J. Simpson, he'll forever be considered guilty by the public.  He will forevermore be known as a killer of an unarmed child.  He'll forever be looking over his shoulder, wondering just how angry those people are.  I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves the country to find relief.  But, as Confucius said, "No matter where you go, there you are."  He'll never escape himself.

50 Damning Questions That George Zimmerman Never Answered

One drizzly night in March, 2012, George Zimmerman, the self-appointed "neighborhood watch"

guy, stalked an unarmed 17-year old Trayvon Martin through an apartment complex against the advice of a 911 operator, confronted the boy, and shot him to death after a tussle.  

If the gun guys who so ardently support Zimmerman were to have been in Trayvon's shoes that night, I wonder how they would have reacted to being chased through the apartments?  I can imagine it would be a lot like this.

The court case finally came, and today the case will go to jury.

We'll see how it ends.  If justice is served, Zimmerman will go to prison for life for his murderous deed.  I have changed my Facebook profile in memory of Trayvon, for this occasion (click image to the left to save it to your profile image, too).

Suggested FB profile pic

If Zimmerman truly considered himself a "neighborhood watch captain", then why did he break most of the instructions given by the Office of the Sheriff of Charlotte County to every Neighborhood Watch Captain (see image, below).  Instructions broken by Zimmerman: "patrol unarmed", "patrol with a partner", "affix magnetic car sign to vehicle", "if walking wear a reflective vest to identify yourself", "avoid verbal or physical encounters", "unnecessary heroics are out of place".

Zimmerman chose not to go on the witness stand.  I don't blame him.  There are some very important questions that he would like to avoid answering.  In fact, John M. Philips had 50 such questions that he would ask of Zimmerman.  Phillips is the family attorney for Jordan Davis' family (the unarmed teen who was murdered just nine months after Trayvon Martin).

I urge you to read all 50 of the questions.  But THIS article summarized ten of the most important:

1. Why get out of the vehicle? 

Instructions for Charlotte County Neighborhood Watch

2. Why not roll down the window and actually talk to Trayvon, say, “hey man, what’s up? You okay? I am neighborhood watch?" 

3. Why didn’t George follow the police operator’s instructions to not follow Trayvon? 

4. How did George, as the neighborhood watch captain, who had made 40-plus prior reports, who was right near his best friend’s house who had gone door-to-door and knew that area, claim to not know that area that night? 

5. How did Trayvon jump him at the T but every piece of evidence and witness testimony is dozens of yards from there, including the phone that fell to the ground when the initial confrontation happened. 

6. How did Trayvon come out of bushes when there were no bushes? 

7. How did George lose a fight to a kid he outweighed, when George paid over $100 per month for MMA classes for a year before this fight (which was subsequently named as the “George Zimmerman Training Program”) and he was the aggressor coming towards Trayvon? 

8. Why did you tell the detective you spread out Trayvon’s hands, yet his body was found with them on the interior of his body? 

9. You have been portrayed as a docile guy who couldn’t fight, but didn’t you attack a cop? Weren’t you arrested for fighting? Didn’t your ex get a restraining order for stalking and allege verbal and physical abuse?  

AND.... 

10. Why did he need to load an extra bullet in the chamber to go to Target?

I'll be watching, Florida.  Will the "Gunshine State" live up to its name as a home for pro-gun "stand your ground" extremism?  Or will Zimmerman be held accountable for the murder of Trayvon?

George Zimmerman Says That Targeting And Shooting Trayvon Martin Was "God's Plan"

George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin's shooter, was interviewed by conservative right-wing FOX pundit Sean Hannity yesterday, along with Zimmerman's lawyer.  It's highly unusual for a suspect in a high-profile murder case to be interviewed on live TV.

In the past, Zimmerman has made a public apology to Trayvon's parents.  Well, not really an apology, since he didn't express regret for his action.  He said, "I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son."  That's the sort of thing an acquaintance would say to the grieving parents upon meeting them in the hallway.  There's no "I'm sorry I killed him" in there anywhere.

But tonight he was much more defiant and tried to distance himself from any decision-making leading to the shooting.  He said "it was God's plan" that the shooting happened, that he regretted nothing, and, at the end, stated, "I do wish there was something, anything I could have done that would have put me in the position where I didn’t have to take his life. And I do want to tell everyone…that I’m sorry that this happened.”

Here's a revealing clip:

Interesting.  Apparently he doesn't feel he had a choice about arming himself that night.  He feels it was "God's plan" that he defy the advice of 911 and get out of his car, stalking the teen through the apartment complex.  Apparently he does not regret shooting to death an unarmed 17-year old.  These are choices that most people would not have made.  I'd say that the other choices are "something, anything" that he could have done to keep from being in the "position where he didn't have to take a life." 

Zimmerman said in the interview, "I feel that it was all God's plan.  And for me to second guess it, or judge it, um... " [here he shakes his head]

After the interview, Trayvon's father, Tracy Martin, issued a statement: "We must worship a different God, because there’s no way my God would have wanted George Zimmerman to kill my son.”

Hannity asked Zimmerman, "Is there anything you would have done differently, in retrospect, now that time has passed a little bit?" 

"No sir," Zimmerman said, shaking his head.

Really??  If I had to kill someone in what I felt was self-defense, I would be incredibly remorseful, particularly if it were an unarmed teenager, and I would be second-guessing every step that led to it.  Even if my attacker were a giant of a man with a felony murder record, blasting an assault rifle at me, I'd still be questioning the steps that led me to be in the situation.

But not George Zimmerman, a man who used his wife to hide money from the court, who mayhave been preparing to leave the country while on bail, who is accused of molesting his cousin as a child, and who has had a number of previous violent behavior incidents, including with police and his ex-fiáncée.  He said, "I'm sorry that this happened."  But is he, really?

UPDATE (7/20/12):  A statement from Trayvon's mother, Sybrina Fulton:

"I think it's absolutely ridiculous. God did not have a plan for Trayvon to die and for George Zimmerman to shoot Trayvon for no reason," she told CNN's Soledad O'Brien on Thursday.

Should we blame shooting victims for wearing hoodies?

Trayvon Martin's hoodie, after evidence collection

Geraldo Rivera became notorious for blaming teen shooting victim, Trayvon Martin, for wearing the wrong clothing, saying that the hoodie he was wearing was what led George Zimmerman to stalk and shoot to death the unarmed boy.  Said Rivera, "I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin's death as George Zimmerman was"

He now repeats the accusation, saying that he was right about the shooting, and that Trayvon was shot because he wore "thug wear," according to an article:

I was right about the hoodie, wasn't I? I hate to brag, but I got criticized by every pundit in America when I said that Trayvon Martin would be alive today but for the fact that he was wearing thug wear. He was wearing the hoodie.

This came up during an interview about the recent surge in Chicago shootings, wherein Rivera also criticizes black leaders for paying too much attention to the Trayvon Martin shooting and not enough attention to the Chicago shootings.

What do you think?  Should a shooting victim be blamed for the shooting because they wore the wrong clothes?

Of course not.  This argument is analogous to blaming rape victims for wearing revealing clothing.  It doesn't matter whether the shooting victims wear hoodies or khakis, black leather and chains or choir boy robes, the clothing doesn't make the victim.  It's solely the responsibility of the shooter.  And Rivera's statements are shameful and apologetic to murderers.

(image of Trayvon's hoodie taken from HERE)