(no subject)
1. Reflection
Wow. The Zimmerman verdict was really anti-climactic. I was expecting the jurors to convict Zimmerman of manslaughter, so I was expecting a longer display where Zimmerman would be dragged out of the court in cuffs. But when they read the not guilty verdict, that was it. Trial over. It was such a short end to an event I've been keeping up with for over a year now. Ha, I can't believe that it's been over a year already. Time really does fly by.
So my gut feeling that Zimmerman was going to be convicted of manslaughter was wrong. I guess the reason I thought he would be convicted was because I listened to so many people who were certain that the jury would give a compromised verdict. I also saw a few ways that the jury could decide to discount Zimmerman's self-defense claim, if they were inclined to do so. For example, if they were just so emotional or pissed off at Zimmerman or alarmed by his inconsistencies, they could decide that they didn't think that he was really in fear of great bodily injury at the moment he shot Martin. But that would be ridiculous because all of the evidence made it clear that Zimmerman was on the back on the ground, possibly getting punched or hit at the time that he shot Martin. I think that you would almost have to be calloused to say that Zimmerman was just exaggerating his fear under those conditions. But I think that's really the only way they could return a guilty verdict because it really doesn't matter whether Zimmerman was following Martin and there isn't any real evidence that Zimmerman started the fight.
So the jury applied the law the way I would've, and I'm happy with the decision. I was one of the people with absolutely no life who spent hours carefully reviewing all of the discovery for this case that was made available online. So by the time this came to trial, I had a strong belief, based on the evidence I saw, that Zimmerman's actions were not illegal. I was actually extremely disappointed by the state's case, and it showed me that they never should have charged him in the first place. I entertained the idea that maybe the state has some sort of smoking gun evidence that wasn't released to the public that justified their second degree murder charge. But there really wasn't anything new at the trial. And I found it ridiculous that Zimmerman muttering some swear words under his breath was their basis for charging him with second degree murder.
I really do think that people overlook what a complete travesty this entire trial was. This is something that should never happen to any American citizen. If you forget about what Zimmerman allegedly did to Martin for a second, the prosecution's actions were very disturbing. They did not have very good evidence to back up a second degree murder conviction, but they went with it anyways to appease the public. And during this whole trial, the defendant was sweating that he just might be locked up for the rest of his life for second degree murder based on the emotions of the jurors, but not the evidence. The prosecution basically resorted to laying on the emotion thick in their opening and closing arguments in an attempt to manipulate the jurors. That is just incredibly improper in my opinion. They shouldn't get to make up for their lack of evidence with manipulative appeals to the jury. I really felt that the prosecutors abused their power. Imagine if this wasn't Zimmerman but someone else charged with some other crime who couldn't afford top-notch attorneys to poke through the prosecution's exaggerated claims. I understand that prosecutors are only compelled to present evidence that is favorable to their side, but these guys distorted everything! Ironically, they exaggerated their case more than they accused Zimmerman of exaggerating his story. Of course, the more disturbing thought is that I'll bet that this is probably what those prosecutors do every day. It's pretty disgusting. And I found it absurd that minorities are hooraying this garbage. Statistically, they're the ones who are likely to go to prison, be wrongfully convicted, or be overcharged because of tactics like this. If Martin had survived that fight with Zimmerman, I bet those same prosecutors would use the exact same evidence and have a field day trying Martin as an adult for assault and battery and throwing his butt in prison for a very long time.
I also think it's outrageous that the NAACP is now calling for the federal government to get involved. I've looked at what many people who are "anti-Zimmerman," I'll call them, have to say about the conviction. When I read their comments, I feel like I'm in an alternative universe where none of the evidence clearing Zimmerman's name was ever presented in a trial. It's just amazing how much these people can overlook anything favorable to Zimmerman in their desire to uphold the narrative they've created in their minds about this incident. I think that the totality of the evidence presented in trial really confirmed Zimmerman's story. Further, the prosecution even put an attorney on the stand, a former professor of Zimmerman's, who taught the jury and everyone watching the trial about self-defense laws. I think that was one of the many pivotal moments for the defense in the trial because it pounded home the point that Zimmerman did have a right to self-defense at the moment that he was pinned down and trapped underneath Martin. The other key piece of testimony, IMO, was Di Maio's confirmation that Martin was leaning over someone at the time that he was shot. I also think that Zimmerman got a lot of good character evidence in that really gave me a better idea of who he is as a person. Sure, he could have some dark side that even his friends are unaware of. But after getting a feel for Zimmerman's personality, I do not see him as the type who would hostily chase after someone he doesn't know. One other thing I found very interesting in Zimmerman's statements is that I could hear the tears and underlying pain in his voice when he described how Martin attacked him. It just came off as very genuine to me.
But the unfortunate thing is that many people seem to be dismissing anything favorable to Zimmerman that was revealed, and they want to stir up all of this anger and hatred over the verdict. I think that it's pitiful. I especially find it despicable that political activists, who have a greater responsibility to the public, are choosing to be one-sided in their analysis of this case. As a result, they're stirring up the less-educated members of the community the represent and encouraging them to believe that this case was some sort of travesty for all blacks in this country. One thing I found interesting is that not one black commentator on TV, besides the Fox News contributors, seemed to even understand Florida's self defense laws. If they did, then they would stop dwelling on the fact that Zimmerman left his car to (allegedly) follow Martin. And then during the whole trial, these talking heads went on TV and pretended like this was a slam dunk for the prosecution because they couldn't bring themselves to admit that the defense was doing a good job. So now you have all of these crying members of the public who truly believe that this verdict was delivered for racist reasons because they mistakingly believe that Zimmerman's actions were unlawful. And not one "leader" has the guts to just tell people the truth about the case and show them that it's a complex issue. I liken this to trying to explain to folks that even though you're mad about 9/11, Saddam Hussein is not responsible for the attacks and we do not need to invade Iraq in retaliation to terrorism. But once people make false connections, it's pointless trying to undo them.
I guess all I can say is that this incident confirms my decision to back away from the progressive movement. As a former political activist, I've targeted elected officials, and I think that's okay. Public officials are fair game. But the way that people have fixated their anger on Zimmerman is very disturbing to me. If I were working for a progressive organization, and I were asked to work on a campaign that directly or indirectly smeared a private citizen I would quit. I still think that this anti-Zimmerman stuff that is fueled by well-funded political organizations is crazy! There are people at rallies with shirts that have Zimmerman's face under cross hairs. And now you have the NAACP using their resources to have Zimmerman prosecuted at the federal level too! I really think that people in the media have been far too polite to the anti-Zimmerman crowd. They've allowed the Martin family attorneys to go on TV and spread lie after lie about Zimmerman without ever challenging them. MSNBC ripped a friend of Zimmerman's in half in an interview when he was trying to stick up for Zimmerman and get his side of the story out. Yet I've noticed that very few people ask the Martin family attorneys challenging questions about anything. They've allowed the family to go on TV making the claim that the prosecution was doing an awesome job and they all expect a conviction. Someone needs to cut off the free pass that these guys seem to be getting whenever they're on TV. It's clear to me that they deliberately stirred up a frenzy for reasons that have nothing to do with Zimmerman or this case, and the media needs to stop being complicit in this by allowing them to run their mouths and say the most asinine things unchallenged. Of course, everyone is afraid of being called a racist these days, so I can see why Fox News is the only place where you see a pushback against the lies that have been put out there. It's pretty sad to say that Fox News is the network that is really doing a good job reporting the Zimmerman case. Everyone else is a shill for the progressive movement and whatever message they want to pump out.
But the jury's verdict is making me feel optimistic that maybe some good will come out of this. I notice that a lot of people are finally starting to realize how ridiculous racial politics has become in our country. There are real injustices and real acts of racism, but it seems that we always get caught up in these divisive circuses, which causes even those with good intentions to lose credibility and turn off people who may have been receptive to their message. I think that if the NAACP or any other group continues to harass Zimmerman, it's going to create a huge backlash. A lot of people saw the trial and saw that Zimmerman was mostly exonerated by the evidence. I think that Florida's sunshine laws are great because it allowed all of to see what was really going on, and we didn't have to rely on the lying media to form our opinions of the trial. So I just hope that now that Zimmerman was acquitted, people who were baffled by the media lynching and the manipulative practices of the "civil rights" leaders will speak and and vigorously take them to task on this. We can't just have these one-sided talks where the people who are purporting to be against racism get to run around and do and say whatever they want and everyone else just smiles and nods for fear of being labeled as a racist. The status quo is not beneficial to anyone.
Wow. The Zimmerman verdict was really anti-climactic. I was expecting the jurors to convict Zimmerman of manslaughter, so I was expecting a longer display where Zimmerman would be dragged out of the court in cuffs. But when they read the not guilty verdict, that was it. Trial over. It was such a short end to an event I've been keeping up with for over a year now. Ha, I can't believe that it's been over a year already. Time really does fly by.
So my gut feeling that Zimmerman was going to be convicted of manslaughter was wrong. I guess the reason I thought he would be convicted was because I listened to so many people who were certain that the jury would give a compromised verdict. I also saw a few ways that the jury could decide to discount Zimmerman's self-defense claim, if they were inclined to do so. For example, if they were just so emotional or pissed off at Zimmerman or alarmed by his inconsistencies, they could decide that they didn't think that he was really in fear of great bodily injury at the moment he shot Martin. But that would be ridiculous because all of the evidence made it clear that Zimmerman was on the back on the ground, possibly getting punched or hit at the time that he shot Martin. I think that you would almost have to be calloused to say that Zimmerman was just exaggerating his fear under those conditions. But I think that's really the only way they could return a guilty verdict because it really doesn't matter whether Zimmerman was following Martin and there isn't any real evidence that Zimmerman started the fight.
So the jury applied the law the way I would've, and I'm happy with the decision. I was one of the people with absolutely no life who spent hours carefully reviewing all of the discovery for this case that was made available online. So by the time this came to trial, I had a strong belief, based on the evidence I saw, that Zimmerman's actions were not illegal. I was actually extremely disappointed by the state's case, and it showed me that they never should have charged him in the first place. I entertained the idea that maybe the state has some sort of smoking gun evidence that wasn't released to the public that justified their second degree murder charge. But there really wasn't anything new at the trial. And I found it ridiculous that Zimmerman muttering some swear words under his breath was their basis for charging him with second degree murder.
I really do think that people overlook what a complete travesty this entire trial was. This is something that should never happen to any American citizen. If you forget about what Zimmerman allegedly did to Martin for a second, the prosecution's actions were very disturbing. They did not have very good evidence to back up a second degree murder conviction, but they went with it anyways to appease the public. And during this whole trial, the defendant was sweating that he just might be locked up for the rest of his life for second degree murder based on the emotions of the jurors, but not the evidence. The prosecution basically resorted to laying on the emotion thick in their opening and closing arguments in an attempt to manipulate the jurors. That is just incredibly improper in my opinion. They shouldn't get to make up for their lack of evidence with manipulative appeals to the jury. I really felt that the prosecutors abused their power. Imagine if this wasn't Zimmerman but someone else charged with some other crime who couldn't afford top-notch attorneys to poke through the prosecution's exaggerated claims. I understand that prosecutors are only compelled to present evidence that is favorable to their side, but these guys distorted everything! Ironically, they exaggerated their case more than they accused Zimmerman of exaggerating his story. Of course, the more disturbing thought is that I'll bet that this is probably what those prosecutors do every day. It's pretty disgusting. And I found it absurd that minorities are hooraying this garbage. Statistically, they're the ones who are likely to go to prison, be wrongfully convicted, or be overcharged because of tactics like this. If Martin had survived that fight with Zimmerman, I bet those same prosecutors would use the exact same evidence and have a field day trying Martin as an adult for assault and battery and throwing his butt in prison for a very long time.
I also think it's outrageous that the NAACP is now calling for the federal government to get involved. I've looked at what many people who are "anti-Zimmerman," I'll call them, have to say about the conviction. When I read their comments, I feel like I'm in an alternative universe where none of the evidence clearing Zimmerman's name was ever presented in a trial. It's just amazing how much these people can overlook anything favorable to Zimmerman in their desire to uphold the narrative they've created in their minds about this incident. I think that the totality of the evidence presented in trial really confirmed Zimmerman's story. Further, the prosecution even put an attorney on the stand, a former professor of Zimmerman's, who taught the jury and everyone watching the trial about self-defense laws. I think that was one of the many pivotal moments for the defense in the trial because it pounded home the point that Zimmerman did have a right to self-defense at the moment that he was pinned down and trapped underneath Martin. The other key piece of testimony, IMO, was Di Maio's confirmation that Martin was leaning over someone at the time that he was shot. I also think that Zimmerman got a lot of good character evidence in that really gave me a better idea of who he is as a person. Sure, he could have some dark side that even his friends are unaware of. But after getting a feel for Zimmerman's personality, I do not see him as the type who would hostily chase after someone he doesn't know. One other thing I found very interesting in Zimmerman's statements is that I could hear the tears and underlying pain in his voice when he described how Martin attacked him. It just came off as very genuine to me.
But the unfortunate thing is that many people seem to be dismissing anything favorable to Zimmerman that was revealed, and they want to stir up all of this anger and hatred over the verdict. I think that it's pitiful. I especially find it despicable that political activists, who have a greater responsibility to the public, are choosing to be one-sided in their analysis of this case. As a result, they're stirring up the less-educated members of the community the represent and encouraging them to believe that this case was some sort of travesty for all blacks in this country. One thing I found interesting is that not one black commentator on TV, besides the Fox News contributors, seemed to even understand Florida's self defense laws. If they did, then they would stop dwelling on the fact that Zimmerman left his car to (allegedly) follow Martin. And then during the whole trial, these talking heads went on TV and pretended like this was a slam dunk for the prosecution because they couldn't bring themselves to admit that the defense was doing a good job. So now you have all of these crying members of the public who truly believe that this verdict was delivered for racist reasons because they mistakingly believe that Zimmerman's actions were unlawful. And not one "leader" has the guts to just tell people the truth about the case and show them that it's a complex issue. I liken this to trying to explain to folks that even though you're mad about 9/11, Saddam Hussein is not responsible for the attacks and we do not need to invade Iraq in retaliation to terrorism. But once people make false connections, it's pointless trying to undo them.
I guess all I can say is that this incident confirms my decision to back away from the progressive movement. As a former political activist, I've targeted elected officials, and I think that's okay. Public officials are fair game. But the way that people have fixated their anger on Zimmerman is very disturbing to me. If I were working for a progressive organization, and I were asked to work on a campaign that directly or indirectly smeared a private citizen I would quit. I still think that this anti-Zimmerman stuff that is fueled by well-funded political organizations is crazy! There are people at rallies with shirts that have Zimmerman's face under cross hairs. And now you have the NAACP using their resources to have Zimmerman prosecuted at the federal level too! I really think that people in the media have been far too polite to the anti-Zimmerman crowd. They've allowed the Martin family attorneys to go on TV and spread lie after lie about Zimmerman without ever challenging them. MSNBC ripped a friend of Zimmerman's in half in an interview when he was trying to stick up for Zimmerman and get his side of the story out. Yet I've noticed that very few people ask the Martin family attorneys challenging questions about anything. They've allowed the family to go on TV making the claim that the prosecution was doing an awesome job and they all expect a conviction. Someone needs to cut off the free pass that these guys seem to be getting whenever they're on TV. It's clear to me that they deliberately stirred up a frenzy for reasons that have nothing to do with Zimmerman or this case, and the media needs to stop being complicit in this by allowing them to run their mouths and say the most asinine things unchallenged. Of course, everyone is afraid of being called a racist these days, so I can see why Fox News is the only place where you see a pushback against the lies that have been put out there. It's pretty sad to say that Fox News is the network that is really doing a good job reporting the Zimmerman case. Everyone else is a shill for the progressive movement and whatever message they want to pump out.
But the jury's verdict is making me feel optimistic that maybe some good will come out of this. I notice that a lot of people are finally starting to realize how ridiculous racial politics has become in our country. There are real injustices and real acts of racism, but it seems that we always get caught up in these divisive circuses, which causes even those with good intentions to lose credibility and turn off people who may have been receptive to their message. I think that if the NAACP or any other group continues to harass Zimmerman, it's going to create a huge backlash. A lot of people saw the trial and saw that Zimmerman was mostly exonerated by the evidence. I think that Florida's sunshine laws are great because it allowed all of to see what was really going on, and we didn't have to rely on the lying media to form our opinions of the trial. So I just hope that now that Zimmerman was acquitted, people who were baffled by the media lynching and the manipulative practices of the "civil rights" leaders will speak and and vigorously take them to task on this. We can't just have these one-sided talks where the people who are purporting to be against racism get to run around and do and say whatever they want and everyone else just smiles and nods for fear of being labeled as a racist. The status quo is not beneficial to anyone.