# 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:** 17
**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, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/321 "2014-08-04T19:14:26Z")
So far I’ve taught **Terr** about the concept of death and about idioms in language. You’re welcome, **Terr**. Boy, doing good really can make you feel good! ---
**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, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/322 "2014-08-04T19:15:09Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > …Then I’m starting a rival club. Phbthbhthbh Phbthbhthbh = Pontificating Home Bound Titans Hounding and Berating Healthy Terrestrials Having Big Heads? That sounds like quite a club. Can I join? ---
**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, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/323 "2014-08-04T19:15:59Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Phbthbhthbh = Pontificating Home Bound Titans Hounding and Berating Healthy Terrestrials Having Big Heads? That sounds like quite a club. Can I join? No, it’s Pontificating Home Bound Titans Hounding and Berating Healthy Terrestrials Having Big **Horses**. And you just failed the first test. ---
**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, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/324 "2014-08-04T19:16:17Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > 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. Of course. We don’t need to tell us that. ---
**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, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/325 "2014-08-04T19:17:15Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Of course. We don’t need to tell us that. Let me help you, friend **Terr**. I think you meant “We don’t need **you** to tell us that”. But you’re getting there! Way to go! ---
**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, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/326 "2014-08-04T19:19:39Z")
> [@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”? (post shortened) I don’t see the difference. Neither one is a lawful order. And you’re free to do as you wish. ---
**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, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/327 "2014-08-04T19:20:12Z")
> [@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? You are just being obtuse. The “guidance” given is clearly to stop following. ---
**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, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/328 "2014-08-04T19:21:51Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > No, it’s Pontificating Home Bound Titans Hounding and Berating Healthy Terrestrials Having Big **Horses**. And you just failed the first test. I don’t want to join a club that berates and hounds horse owners. But keep me in mind for your next club. 🙂 ---
**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, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/329 "2014-08-04T19:23:10Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > You are just being obtuse. The “guidance” given is clearly to stop following. No, it is not clear. ---
**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, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/330 "2014-08-04T19:24:05Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > No, it is not clear. There would be no reason for the operator to say “we don’t need you to do that” unless it was an implied instruction. ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/331 "2014-08-04T19:25:32Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Zimmerman told investigators he got out of the truck to try and see what direction Martin went. That’s disregarding the operator. Not exactly, he was already out of his truck by then. It was the sound of Zimmerman running that prompted the dispatcher to ask if he was following Martin. As to whether Zimmerman continued to pursue Martin after hanging up with NEN, that’s unclear; he claimed that he did not. We know he was stationary at that point, because the sound of his banging his inoperative flashlight on a pole is audible in the recording. After hanging up, either Martin came back to Zimmerman’s location, Zimmerman came to Martin’s location, or they met in the middle, there’s at least some evidence to support each of those theories. ---
**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, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/332 "2014-08-04T19:25:39Z")
Maybe the dispatcher should have added “bless your heart”. ---
**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, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/333 "2014-08-04T19:26:14Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I don’t want to join a club that berates and hounds horse owners. But keep me in mind for your next club. 🙂 Berates? I can get behind that. Hounds? Well, now sir, you have gone too far. ---
**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, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/334 "2014-08-04T19:27:30Z")
> [@Human\_Action](#): > > Not exactly, he was already out of his truck by then. It was the sound of Zimmerman running that prompted the dispatcher to ask if he was following Martin. He also, later, told investigators that he got out of the truck to try and see what direction Martin went. ---
**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, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/335 "2014-08-04T19:36:26Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > You are just being obtuse. The “guidance” given is clearly to stop following. Note that iiandyiii et al keep saying that Zimmernam “disregarded police instructions”. Instead of, more accurately, “ignoring the dispatcher’s statement that they didn’t need him to do that”. There is a reason for iiandyiii saying one instead of the other. Because it makes his argument looks better. And to hell with accuracy. ---
**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, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/336 "2014-08-04T19:37:36Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > There would be no reason for the operator to say “we don’t need you to do that” unless it was an implied instruction. Could it be that the reason the operator said that was because, you know, they didn’t need him to do that? ---
**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, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/337 "2014-08-04T19:37:44Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > Note that iiandyiii et al keep saying that Zimmernam “disregarded police instructions”. Instead of, more accurately, “ignoring the dispatcher’s statement that they didn’t need him to do that”. There is a reason for iiandyiii saying one instead of the other. Because it makes his argument looks better. And to hell with accuracy. I’ll take this as a tactical retreat. I applaud you! ---
**Author:** ![Human\_Action](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@Human\_Action](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Human_Action)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/338 "2014-08-04T19:38:18Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > He also, later, told investigators that he got out of the truck to try and see what direction Martin went. Indeed, that’s the flimsiest part of his narrative by far, the “exited my truck to look for street signs” bit, when it’s pretty plain from the recording that he exited his truck to follow Martin. Point was, he can’t be said to have disobeyed the dispatcher since he’d already begun following Martin on foot before the instruction\* was given, and claims to have ceased pursuit at that time. You could argue that he disobeyed it by continuing to search for Martin after hanging up, but again, it’s quite unclear that he did so, though it’s certainly possible. So, in sum: pursued Martin via truck and on foot; yes. Disobeyed instructions to that effect; probably not. - granting for the sake of discussion that it was an instruction. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/339 "2014-08-04T19:38:19Z")
Zimmerman already out of the truck when the dispatcher asked if he was following Martin. When Zimmerman said that he was the dispatcher said, “We don’t need you to do that” and Zimmerman said “ok”. Zimmerman didn’t ignore any order as far as anyone can tell from the 911 call and it has been already pointed out at least 100 times it wouldn’t have been illegal if he did. ---
**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, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480/340 "2014-08-04T19:39:38Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I’ll take this as a tactical retreat. I applaud you! See, in the context of this thread, it is reasonable to interpret “inaccurate” as “incorrect”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/george-zimmerman-in-the-news-again/694480.md?page=18)