# George Zimmerman - In the news again **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 31, 2014, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480 "2014-07-31T13:26:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 16
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/301 "2014-08-04T18:41:34Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Since Martin said he had lost the guy following him, Zimmerman had no one to follow. Maybe you’re thinking Zimmerman was “reconnoitering” the area? I’m comparing “trying to see what direction he went” to “following”. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/302 "2014-08-04T18:42:38Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Why are you disregarding my “instruction”? A junior mod is not a law-enforcement authority. > [@](#): > > And yes, if the police told me that they don’t need me to do something, and I wanted to do it, I’d still do it. Is that what you’d tell the officers when they got there? ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/303 "2014-08-04T18:43:44Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Is that what you’d tell the officers when they got there? Yes. I should care what the police need me to do. I don’t really care what they don’t need me to do. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/304 "2014-08-04T18:43:50Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > And unfortunately for your opinion, there is even more evidence that Zimmerman ceased following Martin and did what the operator said. Zimmerman told investigators he got out of the truck to try and see what direction Martin went. That’s disregarding the operator. > [@](#): > > Following someone in a vehicle is not illegal, especially when you are the neighborhood watch in a high-crime area. Disregarding a police operator is not illegal, especially when you don’t disregard her. Getting out of a vehicle to look for someone is not illegal, especially when there is evidence that you are looking for a house number and not a suspect. Getting into a fight is not illegal, when you are attacked, and shooting a guy is not illegal when he puts you in a reasonable fear of death or serious injury by breaking your nose, blackening your eyes, knocking you down, spraining your back, and then sitting on your chest pounding your head against the ground because you asked him what he was doing. Perhaps these things are not illegal now, but I was talking about the way I think it should be in the future. Collectively, these actions should be considered reckless and the laws should be written to reflect this. And yet your ideal laws punishes someone, because he did all these legal things. > [@](#): > > Sorry, but you are out of the club. Then I’m starting a rival club. Phbthbhthbh ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/305 "2014-08-04T18:46:27Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Yes. Say the guy who’s stuck in the corner and can say either that or “Oops, guess I was wrong”. You’re leaving out the part about how you’d give them that explanation while face down on the ground, hands cuffed, and a boot on your back, and then again in the interrogation room. Would that prospect have affected your decision? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/306 "2014-08-04T18:46:47Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > So, no answer, huh? :dubious: Are you ignoring a lawfully issued request by a non-police-type person? How udder-ly reckless of you. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/307 "2014-08-04T18:47:41Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > a non-police-type person Not a good description of a 911 dispatcher there. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/308 "2014-08-04T18:48:34Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Say the guy who’s stuck in the corner and can say either that or “Oops, guess I was wrong”. > > You’re leaving out the part about how you’d give them that explanation while face down on the ground, hands cuffed, and a boot on your back, and then again in the interrogation room. Would that prospect have affected your decision? :dubious: Please try to keep your bondage fantasies out of this thread. TMI, dude. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/309 "2014-08-04T18:49:22Z")
“Fantasy”? Try something like that yourself sometime and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/310 "2014-08-04T18:50:06Z")
While on watch as the engineering duty officer in the engine room of the submarine late one night, I recall coming across a bored watchstander fiddling with an air compressor. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was taking apart the compressor to see the fan blades. I said “You don’t need to be taking apart the boat, petty officer so-and-so”. He said “aye sir”, and he put it back together. ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/311 "2014-08-04T18:53:04Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > We don’t need you to keep posting in this thread. Terr, can you agree that there is a contextual difference between you telling another poster “we don’t need you posting this thread”, and Zimmerman being told by a police dispatcher “we don’t need you to do that”? Although perhaps not a police officer in a technical sense (do we know that, for sure?), the dispatcher represented a credible authority acting on behalf of the Police Dept. I think many (most?) people would have interpreted that as being told to back off. You instructions in your quoted post here have no such implied authority here, unless you are a mod? Or pretending to be a mod. Which is frowned upon, you know. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/312 "2014-08-04T18:53:26Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > You’re leaving out the part about how you’d give them that explanation while face down on the ground, hands cuffed, and a boot on your back, and then again in the interrogation room. Would that prospect have affected your decision? :dubious: Oh yes. I am sure the police will be telling me “We don’t need you to stand up.” instead of “Lay down on the ground, now.” ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/313 "2014-08-04T18:54:33Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Terr, can you agree that there is a contextual difference between you telling another poster “we don’t need you posting this thread”, and Zimmerman being told by a police dispatcher “we don’t need you to do that”? I don’t have the authority to tell him to stop posting. The police dispatcher has no authority to tell Zimmerman to stop following. What is the difference? ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/314 "2014-08-04T18:54:45Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I’m comparing “trying to see what direction he went” to “following”. Basically following means “I see him, and I’m following him.” “Trying to see what direction he went” means “I suck at following, so now I’m looking for him.” ---
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/315 "2014-08-04T19:01:05Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I don’t have the authority to tell him to stop posting. The police dispatcher has no authority to tell Zimmerman to stop following. What is the difference? Only the fact that most rational people would accept the guidance given to them by a police dispatcher. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/316 "2014-08-04T19:01:15Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I’m a Hispanic guy – what rules should I follow? Immediately and firmly engage the officer in a discussion of the precise semantic meaning of his instructions. They love that. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/317 "2014-08-04T19:03:44Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Oh yes. I am sure the police will be telling me “We don’t need you to stand up.” instead of “Lay down on the ground, now.” They’ll be telling you the latter because you will have shown yourself to be too thickheaded to have gotten the message the first time, yes. You’re not helping yourself here. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/318 "2014-08-04T19:04:11Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > Only the fact that most rational people would accept the guidance given to them by a police dispatcher. Except there was no “guidance” to stop following. There was a statement that the police didn’t need him to follow. The police don’t need me to do almost anything (if not everything) I do throughout the day. Does that mean I should stop doing it? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/319 "2014-08-04T19:09:20Z")
_W-a-a-a-y_ too thickheaded … ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/320 "2014-08-04T19:13:22Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Except there was no “guidance” to stop following. There was a statement that the police didn’t need him to follow. The police don’t need me to do almost anything (if not everything) I do throughout the day. Does that mean I should stop doing it? Human language sometimes contains idioms and turns of phrases that are not literal interpretations of the words within. For example, the phrase “we don’t need you to…” (and variations) doesn’t only mean the literal translation, it also can mean “you should not…”, depending on the context. Human language is a wonderful and fascinating subject, with many interesting sub-topics. You can learn more on idioms [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Idiom). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480.md?page=15) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480.md?page=17)