A vigilante’s murderous actions almost went unpunished.
Luckily, 45 days after the murder of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin, prosecutors buckled under public pressure and announced they would try Martin’s shooter, George Zimmerman, for second degree murder.
His case relies on Florida’s kill or be killed “Stand Your Ground” law that allows people who fear death or great bodily harm to use deadly force against someone.
Seeming to be rooted in the rules of the wild west, the law has made it difficult for police and courts to determine the victim from the aggressor, even in cases of domestic abuse.
From the beginning, Zimmerman has painted himself as an unfortunate victim of the situation. Bemoaning his hardship, Zimmerman wrote on his website, “As a result of the incident and subsequent media coverage, I have been forced to leave my home, my school, my employer, my family and ultimately, my entire life.”
Through a Paypal account on his website, Zimmerman has collected more than $200,000 to support his case.
Prior to his hearing, Zimmerman made no move to publicly apologize for gunning down Martin, and has continued to act as the victim. In fact, Zimmerman apologized to the Martin family only recently, during his bond hearing.
But in reality, Zimmerman is the vigilante aggressor.
It was Zimmerman who followed Martin, provoked him and then pulled out a gun and shot him. Zimmerman had already called police, but ignored instructions by the dispatcher to stop following Martin.
He made a conscious decision to arm himself, and pursue Martin. He isn’t the victim, he’s a neighborhood watch vigilante who decided to confront a perceived problem and protect himself and neighborhood at the expensive of another’s life.
With the publicity the media has generated around Martin’s death, and Florida’s “Stand Your Ground Law,” some of the 23 states with a similar law should re-evaluate their statutes.
In no state should a law allow someone to kill another without defending their actions before a judge. Every case should be evaluated individually, allowing evidence to prove the shooter’s innocence.
Matthew • May 14, 2012 at 11:55 am
Ms. Rosen,
This is America, if you want socialism go to Europe.
Stand your ground is a proper law that protects potential victims from death. You want crimnals to have greater protections than law abiding citizens, your reasoning is flawed.
Matthew • May 14, 2012 at 11:55 am
Ms. Rosen,
This is America, if you want socialism go to Europe.
Stand your ground is a proper law that protects potential victims from death. You want crimnals to have greater protections than law abiding citizens, your reasoning is flawed.
Bryan • May 14, 2012 at 10:13 am
You’re an idiot! If you are going to write and article how bout you read more about the evidence and also the law. Zimmerman lost Martin. He was heading back to his car when Martin came out of nowhere and attacked Zimmerman. Martin had every chance to call the police if he felt threatened by Zimmerman. Instead he attacked him and Zimmerman was acting in self defense when he shot Martin.
A Critic • May 14, 2012 at 9:43 am
“In no state should a law allow someone to kill another without defending their actions before a judge.”
Is there a single state that requires all citizens who kill someone defend their actions before a judge?
Stranger • May 14, 2012 at 7:34 am
And the Inquirer was getting a reputation for journalism! This is not journalism in any sense of the word.
If Ms Rose had bothered to actually check out the full timeline of the Martin-Zimmerman encounter she surely would not have written what she did. Her story is essentially that of the heavily edited NBC trash piece that has gotten a half dozen editors fired.
At the moment, there is only one issue at question. Who threw the first punch? And since Zimmerman had the broken nose, and witnesses say he was on the bottom of the pileup, absent other evidence the answer is the 6’3″ 180 to 190 pound former football player, Trayvon Martin. A man who was five inches taller and ten to twenty pounds heavier than Zimmerman.
Since this piece of trash talk does not live up to the inquirers new standards it should be pulled. Immediately.
Stranger
robert • May 14, 2012 at 7:10 am
You wrote: “It was Zimmerman who followed Martin, provoked him and then pulled out a gun and shot him”
Do you have ANY evidence to support this assertion?
I think you should read the ENTIRE transcript of the 911 call – the one where just after the police dispatch said “We don’t need you to do that” he said “OK” and returned to his car, discussing that he had lost sight of Travon, and where the police were to meet Zimmerman (that is by his car, near the club house).
Read the transcript. Do some “investigating”.
There are too many witnesses that saw him on his back being beaten by Travon. Should he have retreated further into the grass?
He doesn’t need the “stand your ground” law – basic common law self-defense gets him off this.
Brian • May 14, 2012 at 6:39 am
This writer has a bright future in journalism. Already convicting people before the trial because it makes you feel good. The problem is your opinion is based on emotion, not fact. If Zimmerman was the aggressor how is it his nose was broken and grass stained the back of his shirt? Or the gash on the back of his head? And you need to stop getting your history lessons from Hollywood. You know nothing about the so-called wild west if you think it was just one gun fight after another.
Jaime Pretell • May 13, 2012 at 8:17 pm
Usual BS. No evidence of aggression in Zimmerman’s acts. Following at a distance is not aggression. Nor did he ever disobey dispatch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9A-gp8mrdw
1:31 The Dispatcher tells him to notify him if he does something else (read: keep observing)
2:06 He says Martin is running.
2:09 He gets out of the car as the Dispatch asks him which way is he running. (only way he can respond to that is if he tries to follow to see which way he goes)
You hear him breathing hard as he follows.
2:23 Dispatcher asks if he is following him.
2:26 Dispatcher says he doesn’t need him to follow.
2:28 Zimmerman responds OK. (this is about a 20 second dash by now into the cut through. After that he is walking and not breathing hard)
2:39 Zimmerman states that Martin ran away.
2:59 Dispatch asks where he will be at. (At this time he has walked past the T in the cut through, no address is visible)
3:22 He has been talking this whole time to Dispatch. He hasn’t been running. He informs Dispatch he doesn’t know the address because he is in the cut through.
3:36 Dispatch asks for his home address instead and he states that he doesn’t want to give his address because he doesn’t know where Martin is and he doesn’t know if he is within hearing distance.
3:45 First he accepts to go meet at the mailboxes, but then decides to ask for the police to have them call him for an address. By his words later and by the position of the fight, he is walking back to his car at this time.
4:06 Call ends, He hasn’t been running this whole time but talking to the Dispatch.
That is 1 minute and a half that Martin had to run down one block to his house. About five houses down. Yet a minute later the fight occurs between Martin And Zimmerman right at the T of the cut through. Where Zimmerman was just a moment ago and he could not see Martin. That means Martin was free and clear and he turned back.
Furthermore. Zimmerman was mounted.
http://youtu.be/zHuqB4W-McU
That means he couldn’t escape. This isn’t even Stand Your Ground, this regular self defense laws. That applies in all 50 states. Go to law school before you make an opinion on law.
JT • May 13, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Fortunately the state of Florida doesn’t agree with the naive position of Ashley Rose.No person under attack, should ever be forced to flee and risk their life by doing so. People like Ashley want to put the burden on the victim, that is wrong and misguided and that is why the Stand Your Ground law was created.
Her entire comment is riddled with false statements, such as when Zimmerman was told by the dispatcher we don’t need you to do that. Zimmerman replied, Okay and stop following martin. She also fails to acknowledge that only Zimmerman was bleeding from the head and nose, consistent with someone being assaulted. Don’t let the facts cloud your fantasy Ashley!