The Murder of Trayvon Martin

[AOII Angel]

Dr. Phil, I have watched very little of the coverage because I never do watch any of these high profile trials and the hoopla that accompanies them. Appreciate your thought on this matter and agree. I am saddened by this unnecessary event. It hurts my brain to think about how this spiraled into such a moronic showdown all because of a gun and GZ's vigilante sense of justice. I agree that Trayvon Martin had every right to kick his ass and didn't deserve a gunshot through the heart for the effort. If GZ'S was so scared that he needed that gun, he should have kept his scared ass in his car or his house.

The only thing that comforts me in all of this, since no verdict will bring a 17 yo back, is that GZ will never live a normal life again. He's not employable. He is a pariah. And he deserves it.

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

If GZ'S was so scared that he needed that gun, he should have kept his scared ass in his car or his house.

Quoted for truth.

There is more that I can say about this, including personal experience, but this isn't one of THOSE threads.

Originally Posted by AOII Angel

The only thing that comforts me in all of this, since no verdict will bring a 17 yo back, is that GZ will never live a normal life again. He's not employable. He is a pariah. And he deserves it.

That remains to be seen. Joe Horn in Texas is a retiree and some of the public (especially in Texas) loved him before and after he was cleared by a grand jury. Zimmerman isn't a retiree but may find work because 1) there are some people who think he did the right thing; 2) there are jobs where his name and face will not be revealed...becoming a 911 Dispatcher would be ironic; 3) time can heal some wounds; and 4) George Zimmerman's father, Robert Zimmerman, knows people. Random Sidebar: "George Zimmerman" and "Robert Zimmerman" are not completely uncommon names. Robert Zimmerman is also the name of a CNN contributor and Bob Dylan's birthname.

***
I believe they up-played their Hispanic roots for this case but the Zimmermans claimed they downplayed their Hispanic roots. I believe up-playing would have a more desired outcome than downplaying. It would be the difference between it being Black-and-white versus Black-and-nonwhite Hispanic. Race and potential racial tension doesn't disappear when it is Black-and-nonwhite Hispanic but it doesn't have the same history and present day race relations.

Fox News Latino article published today:
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2013/07/12/george-zimmerman-family-deliberately-downplayed-his-latino-roots/

Do I believe Zimmerman would have done what he did if he assumed the hooded person was white? NO and he wouldn't be the first or last person to respond to people based on appearances and assumptions. Do I believe Zimmerman would have been arrested and treated like an offender if he had done this to a white 17 year old? YES. That includes a white 17 year old who was smoking a blunt and putting up graffiti rather than walking in the rain with a hoodie and Skittles. Do I believe Zimmerman would have been treated like an offender if his Hispanic identity was more highlighted or if he was a Black man? YES, especially if Martin was white. There would be less public outrage, angst, and urgency if it was a Black or nonwhite Hispanic 17 year old.

Now we wait for the jury.