Saturday, March 24, 2012

George Zimmerman vs. Trayvon Martin: No Winners

On Sunday, February 26, 2012 at around 19:17 hours George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin to death.  Relying on the commercial news media for something bearing a close resemblance to unbiased reporting in this case is every bit as futile as Mad Jack trying out for the US Navy SEAL Team.  Carefully picking out facts among the garbage yields a few clues to the incident as it happened, most of which is being ignored by commercial media in favor of racist outrage, screeds about police cover-up and sensationalism at its finest.  Adding fuel to the fire is the omnipresent, opportunistic Brady Bunch (spit spit) and aided by Al Sharpton.  What a field day for commercial new media.

The question isn't whether or not Zimmerman shot Martin.  Ostensibly, the real question deals with the justification for the shooting, but I think the real question is: What are the ramifications of the fallout?


From what little I was able to glean from commercial media coverage, Trayvon was discovered dead right there and Zimmerman made no bones about shooting him.  Zimmerman had injuries to his face and head.

From Trayvon Martin Case: Timeline of Events
According to the Sanford police report, George Zimmerman, 28, a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, is found armed with a handgun, standing over Martin. He has a bloody nose and a wound in the back of his head.
Note the news media's condescending tone here: a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain.  George Zimmerman volunteered for the neighborhood watch and was well known by police for calling in things he observed during his patrol of the neighborhood.  Like all of us, Zimmerman undoubtedly had things he'd rather be doing instead of patrolling the neighborhood in his own car as an unpaid neighborhood watch volunteer.  When Zimmerman saw Martin, Zimmerman called the police.

From George Zimmerman: 7 Things To Know About Trayvon Martin Florida Shooting
"Hey, we've had some break-ins in my neighborhood, and there's a real suspicious guy at Retreat View Circle. This guy looks like he's up to no good or on drugs or something," Zimmerman told the dispatcher in his first call.
"It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about," Zimmerman, who is white and Hispanic, continued. "He's here now just looking at all the houses. Now he's just staring at me. ... He's coming to check me out. He's got something in his hands. I don't know what his deal is. Can you get an officer over here?"

Note the racial reference who is white and Hispanic.  They really need help to barbeque this guy?  Dispatch told Zimmerman not to follow Martin.  Zimmerman agreed at first, then changed his mind and followed.  My point is that a dispatcher can tell anyone whatever they want, but dispatchers are not police officers, are not at the scene (like the caller is) and have their own agenda and list of priorities.  If you call 9-1-1 you may want to remember that your own well-being is not at the top of that priority list.  In fact, it may not appear on the list at all.

So Zimmerman followed along in his car and caught up to Martin.  Then Zimmerman got out of his car with his pistol in his hand and confronted Martin.  A fight ensued during which Zimmerman was injured and knocked to the ground.  One shot was fired and Martin was killed.  Here are a couple points that commercial media is studiously ignoring.

  • As I said, 9-1-1 dispatch are not police and have no authority to order anyone to do anything.  Telling Zimmerman that "We don't need you to do that," could easily elicit the response, "So what?"
  • By his own testimony, Zimmerman's pistol was not concealed when he confronted Martin, which means Martin attacked an armed man larger than himself - not a terribly bright move.  Martin could have ignored Zimmerman, or he could have called the police and let them deal with Zimmerman.  Instead, he decided to attack Zimmerman.
  • Zimmerman's pistol used in the shooting is a Kel-Tec PF-9, a 9mm double action only (DAO) autoloader.  Being a DAO it is very unlikely that the pistol discharged by accident as the trigger pull is long and strenuous.  Moreover, it's a very small pocket pistol and not the kind of sidearm anyone would take to a gunfight.  It holds 7 rounds in the magazine, as compared to the 14 or more in pistols carried by the police.  By his choice of weapons, Zimmerman was not spoiling for a gun fight.
  • Zimmerman fired one shot.  Had he been trying to kill Trayvon, Zimmerman would have emptied the entire clip.  He didn't.  From the media:  Gun that killed Florida teen was fired once not twice by crime watch volunteer
    The handgun that killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black 17-year-old, was fired once — not twice — by a neighborhood crime watch volunteer, according to new information obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
  • Police are accused of not investigating the shooting (here's the Police Report), but the facts are that George Zimmerman was questioned thoroughly, there were no eyewitnesses or video of the event, George was injured and claims self-defense.  Florida law clearly states that in the case of self defense, those who can walk away may do so.  Here's the link: The 2011 Florida Statutes: 776.013 Home protection; use of deadly force; presumption of fear of death or great bodily harm.

Is this a justified shoot?  Let's say that Moose gets into an argument with Bubba.  Bubba hauls off and lands the traditional haymaker to snot locker.  Moose measures his length on the barroom floor, injuring his fat head on a spittoon.  What is Moose supposed to do?

The anti-freedom moonbats would have us all agree that Moose should get up and run away to a place of safety, then call the police.  These same moonbats actually believe that the police will show up at the bar, arrest Bubba and put him in jail until he's learned that violence never solved anything - which may take a little time, Bubba being somewhat intellectually differently-abled. 

Needless to say, these people don't know Bubba.  Actually, these people don't know much of anything, never having been in a fist fight since fourth grade, never having confronted a piece of vermin like Bubba over anything and never, ever having had the living crap stomped out of them by Bubba until such time as Bubba decides he's had enough fun for the night.  Nor have they had to call the police about someone like Bubba, only to discover that Bubba has a whole host of friends at the bar and each and every one of these pillars of society will swear that Bubba never did anything to Moose.

So believing, and that with good reason, that Bubba is going to stomp the piss out of him Moose pulls his pistol and dings Bubba, thus escaping a severe head injury that will turn him into a taxpayer liability for the rest of his life.  Then the police arrive and the law kicks in.

Under the old Florida law Moose is going straight to jail even though everyone will agree later on that being mentally disabled (okay, more mentally disabled) makes this a justifiable homicide.  Under the old law, the objection was that a person who was defending themselves or their family from someone like Bubba shouldn't even spend one single night in the lock up, so in a heart stopping burst of uncommonly good sense, the Florida legislature passed a nice new law that, essentially, said he shouldn't.  So now, once he's explained what happened at the bar, Moose is free to go home - no worries, Moose has a designated driver; Moose would never drive while inebriated or under the influence of a controlled substance.  And, not that it matters, but all twenty-seven bar patrons, the bartender and both bar maids were in the Men's room when it happened, so there are no witnesses - but there is evidence.

In this case it isn't Moose versus Bubba, and it isn't George Zimmerman versus Trayvon Martin; it's white man kills unarmed, harmless black youth and if the evidence does not conform to the current screed, dispose of the evidence.  The real problem is that this lynch mob has gone past Shaniqua Theater with the speed of an ambulance chaser in hot pursuit of a Rodney King special complete with professionally shot video, and has put us right square in the middle of a fully choreographed Shaniqua Opera.  All we can do is wait for the fat lady to sing.

This would bother me a whole lot less if it were not for a few items.  One, The Anointed One is still calling the double-wide on Pennsylvania Avenue his crib, and if Himself doesn't get served with an eviction notice in November this gives him another card to play in His anti-freedom crusade.  November isn't all that far off; he can resurrect this whole sordid business and try passing some kind of Federal disarmament law.

Other people that are listening to this anti-freedom racket are the elected officials in Florida, who may not have the common sense to see this for what it is; one incident.  One solitary incident.  You should never make a law that adversely affects an entire State population because of one single incident, but just try and tell Al Sharpton that, then try telling that to an elected official who is up for re-election in November.  Try to make yourself heard over the howls of the moonbats clamoring for blood justice revenge.

I don't believe George Zimmerman is guilty of anything more than bad judgement that led to a worse ending.  Moreover, I don't think George Zimmerman will ever be charged with a crime.  That said, I truly believe George Zimmerman and his family will very likely have to relocate to another State and change their name.  Smith, maybe.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

THis is why we need Obamacare, so teabaggers can get the mandatory psychiatric care they need. We also need to psychiatrically regulate the preachers and teachers that create such creatures! And we should put lithium in the water supply.

Mad Jack said...

Right. Just like pencil sharpeners should be substituted for One A Day Multivitamins.