# Pitting the Zimmerman trial circus **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 13, 2013, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419 "2013-07-13T19:53:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 47
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/921 "2013-07-22T13:21:37Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > He could have pulled out that gun, held it on Martin, Martin tried to wrest it from him, failed, then Zimmerman held it to his chest and HE was the one who said “You’re going to die tonight, motherfucker.” and blew away a 17 year old boy just because he wanted to. I love your ‘_IFS_’ and ‘_COULDS_’. At last Hollywood can now have a run on Evil Peruvians instead of Evil South Africans. You should write for them. > [@](#): > > The jury finding him not guilty wouldn’t change the reality of him being genuinely guilty of murder. He would have (and did, in my opinion) just gotten away with it. Those Pesky Kids on the jury ! ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/922 "2013-07-22T18:47:35Z")
[http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2013/07/22/zimmerman-helps-save-family-of-four-from-overturned-vehicle/](http://tampa.cbslocal.com/2013/07/22/zimmerman-helps-save-family-of-four-from-overturned-vehicle/) George Zimmerman helped save the lives of a family of four that were involved in a single-car accident. According to a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office report, the family was driving in a Ford Explorer SUV when it went off the road and rolled over in Sanford last week. A responding deputy reported that when he arrived Zimmerman and another man helped the two parents and two children out of the vehicle. ======================================================= That man just doesn’t learn. He should have stayed in his truck! ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/923 "2013-07-22T18:49:56Z")
Terrific, he helped out in an accident. That’s great. I’m glad he did it. What does that prove about his basic character, or about what happened between him and Martin? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Herdsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@Cat\_Herdsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Herdsman)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/924 "2013-07-22T23:53:31Z")
NM ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Herdsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@Cat\_Herdsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Herdsman)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2013, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/925 "2013-07-22T23:54:41Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > I dont’ believe anyone is not “living with it”. He was found not guilty under the law. But I hope you don’t think that the legal verdict has any impact on reality itself, that it somehow transforms someone’s act into something other than what it genuinely was … > > The jury finding him not guilty wouldn’t change the reality of him being genuinely guilty of murder. He would have (and did, in my opinion) just gotten away with it. Murder is just a social construct. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Herdsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@Cat\_Herdsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Herdsman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/926 "2013-07-23T00:01:50Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Terrific, he helped out in an accident. That’s great. I’m glad he did it. > > What does that prove about his basic character, or about what happened between him and Martin? Apparently nothing whatsoever can be proven about his basic character, seeing as the Justice Department interviewed forty eight people trying to find the slightest hint of racism in Zimmerman and came up with zero, nada, nichts, zilch – like, _nothin’_, man, – and you still don’t believe we have any kind of solid foundation for judging his character. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Herdsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@Cat\_Herdsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Herdsman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/927 "2013-07-23T00:08:36Z")
> [@Stoid](#): > > Don’t get too carried away there, son, with the effect of a trial and acquittal. And remember what you’ve been reminded of many times already: the verdict only means that the jury did not think there was sufficient evidence offered to convict him. It doesn’t mean they don’t believe he did it. Enormous difference. > > Also, even if the jury did believe him to be genuinely innocent of wrongdoing, even that wouldn’t matter. They are rendering an opinion based on very limited information within an artificial framework. Their opinion will certainly have meaningful consequences, but it’s still and always an opinion, it does not operate to actually alter the nature of the reality that has already happened. So I guess there’s just no way to determine what objective reality is, and we should send people to prison just because Obama and Al Sharpton say we should. After all, we can certainly trust them not to wreck people’s lives just because they see some political advantage in it for themselves, right? Surely they are honorable men! ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/928 "2013-07-23T00:15:03Z")
> [@Cat\_Herdsman](#): > > So I guess there’s just no way to determine what objective reality is, and we should send people to prison just because Obama and Al Sharpton say we should. After all, we can certainly trust them not to wreck people’s lives just because they see some political advantage in it for themselves, right? Surely they are honorable men! Yes, we all think Zimmerman shouldn’t have killed that kid because of what Al Sharpton had to say on the matter. Your parody of what a stupid person might say on the issue is wonderful! ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/929 "2013-07-23T00:25:43Z")
Then again, if Obama can gain just one more vote for the 2016 elections, that he’ll declare himself eligible for, it would be worth it. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/930 "2013-07-23T00:44:53Z")
Well, a lot of us are still hoping that the President for Life Amendment will set aside such minor annoyances. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/931 "2013-07-23T00:49:42Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Well, a lot of us are still hoping that the President for Life Amendment will set aside such minor annoyances. You’re just jealous that we’ve just had a new one born. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/932 "2013-07-23T00:56:38Z")
Great, another buck tooth inbred hemophiliac to preside over what used to be Great Britain. Lost America and kept Australia? What were you _thinking_? ---
**Author:** ![Acewiza](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f475e1/32.png) [@Acewiza](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acewiza)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/933 "2013-07-23T01:00:24Z")
> [@Cat\_Herdsman](#): > > Apparently nothing whatsoever can be proven about his basic character… News reports had him pulling children out of a car accident today. Dunno. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Herdsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@Cat\_Herdsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Herdsman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/934 "2013-07-23T01:12:50Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Well, a lot of us are still hoping that the President for Life Amendment will set aside such minor annoyances. But why bother with an amendment? The Constitution is a living document, remember? That means we can interpret it anyway we please without any concern for its clear meaning or what the men who wrote the document intended. Whenever you want something contradictory to the whole concept of constitutional government, declare the Constitution to be a living document, and then proceed to ignore it. You can then direct the government along whatever Stalinesque path you desire, and the Great Leader can declare himself El Presidente for life–all without any of that vexatious democracy crap like fair trials, majority rule, term limits, privacy, restrictions on police powers, and whatever. Then you can send Zimmerman and anyone else you please off to the labor camps, and El Presidente can rule his banana republic forever! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/935 "2013-07-23T01:21:23Z")
What are you, the AntiChrist of funny? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/936 "2013-07-23T01:26:57Z")
> [@Cat\_Herdsman](#): > > Apparently nothing whatsoever can be proven about his basic character, seeing as the Justice Department interviewed forty eight people trying to find the slightest hint of racism in Zimmerman and came up with zero, nada, nichts, zilch – like, _nothin’_, man, --. I’m sorry but that’s an absurd statement. Leaving aside the comments from his ex-fiancee, his cousin said he and the rest of the family had always been hardcore racists who liked “blacks who acted white but didn’t like blacks who acted black”, and of course Chris Serino said that Zimmerman suspected Martin because some other robberies had been committed by blacks. Sorry, but when you suspect that Trayvon Martin is a prowler because he’s black then you are a racist. Similarly, anyone who assumes I’m a terrorist or deserving of extra scrutiny because I’m of Middle Eastern descent is a racist. To deny otherwise is moronic. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/937 "2013-07-23T01:45:30Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’m sorry but that’s an absurd statement. Leaving aside the comments from his ex-fiancee, his cousin said he and the rest of the family had always been hardcore racists who liked “blacks who acted white but didn’t like blacks who acted black”, and of course Chris Serino said that Zimmerman suspected Martin because some other robberies had been committed by blacks. > > Sorry, but when you suspect that Trayvon Martin is a prowler because he’s black then you are a racist. Sorry, but Chris Serino was a prosecution witness. He was a police officer trying to convict Zimmerman. And he didn’t report that Zimmerman said any such thing. In fact, no one did. Except the Today show, by airing the police call in which Zimmerman is heard to ay, “this guy looks like he’s up to no good. He looks black.” That may be why people believe he suspected Martin because Martin was black. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Herdsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@Cat\_Herdsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Herdsman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/938 "2013-07-23T03:06:33Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > What are you, the AntiChrist of funny? What are you, the Czar of witless sarcasm? ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Herdsman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@Cat\_Herdsman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Herdsman)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/939 "2013-07-23T03:10:53Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’m sorry but that’s an absurd statement. Leaving aside the comments from his ex-fiancee, his cousin said he and the rest of the family had always been hardcore racists who liked “blacks who acted white but didn’t like blacks who acted black”, and of course Chris Serino said that Zimmerman suspected Martin because some other robberies had been committed by blacks. > > Sorry, but when you suspect that Trayvon Martin is a prowler because he’s black then you are a racist. > > Similarly, anyone who assumes I’m a terrorist or deserving of extra scrutiny because I’m of Middle Eastern descent is a racist. > > To deny otherwise is moronic. Did you pull that information out of a camel’s ass or something? I don’t know why it’s so important for you to believe that Zimmerman is a racist ogre, and I don’t really care, but anyone who thinks Trayvon was an innocent victim is lost to common sense. But being an Arab, I guess you wouldn’t really care much about an Hispanic being sacrificed on the altar of political correctness. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419/940 "2013-07-23T03:14:00Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Sorry, but Chris Serino was a prosecution witness. He was a police officer trying to convict Zimmerman. And he didn’t report that Zimmerman said any such thing. In fact, no one did. > > Except the Today show, by airing the police call in which Zimmerman is heard to ay, “this guy looks like he’s up to no good. He looks black.” > > That may be why people believe he suspected Martin because Martin was black. What is your point, was it lost in translation? Z didn’t say it to Serino, but to the dispatcher, and this changes what, exactly? And because Serino was a witness for the prosecution, you say “He was a police officer trying to convict Zimmerman”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419.md?page=46) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-zimmerman-trial-circus/663419.md?page=48)