# How is Mason1972's example worse than the Zimmerman shooting?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-mason1972s-example-worse-than-the-zimmerman-shooting/825614>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [December 5, 2018, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-mason1972s-example-worse-than-the-zimmerman-shooting/825614 "2018-12-05T15:42:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 206

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**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\
**Post date:** [December 6, 2018, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-is-mason1972s-example-worse-than-the-zimmerman-shooting/825614/206 "2018-12-06T21:36:08Z")

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> [@Babale](#):
>
> No, because if we require Trayvon to wait until the gun is drawn, then as you have pointed out numerous times, it would be ludicrous to expect Zimmerman to have suffered so many injuries, because he wouldn’t have allowed himself to be killed. …

Excellent! (Do you think you could explain this concept to **ElvisL1ves**?)

> [@Babale](#):
>
> … What likely happened is that Zimmerman and Trayvon got into an altercation. At this point Trayvon (or if you insist, Zimmerman) yelled “Get off!”. Then Zimmerman went for his gun, Trayvon tried to defend himself, but was killed.

Whether Martin was ‘defending himself’ or ‘attacking’ hinges on who started the physical altercation. Merely seeing a holstered gun does not justify assault (see open-carriers, for example).

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