# Zimmerman/Martin - how did this get to be about race? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 14, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487 "2013-07-14T16:34:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![NonaSequitur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f1d935/32.png) [@NonaSequitur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NonaSequitur)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/101 "2013-07-15T02:44:41Z")
One can nitpick at the specifics of this case. But I’m talking about a larger narrative. I know it’s hard, but just _try_ to imagine how it feels to be a black male in this country. You are despised, you are demonized, you are devalued, you are dehumanized. From slavery, to [slavery by another name](http://www.slaverybyanothername.com/), [the nadir of race relations](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadir_of_American_race_relations) and lynching, and [Jim Crow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws) and police brutality and the [the new Jim Crow](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/books/michelle-alexanders-new-jim-crow-raises-drug-law-debates.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) and on and on. This is the lens through which black people view this case… What really brought it home to me, the way black men are feared and dehumanized was the shooting of Oscar Grant. Captured right on [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0P8TSP2YJU). Shook me for a few days. Still not sure if I’m up to seeing the movie… ---
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/102 "2013-07-15T02:49:41Z")
> [@BlakeTyner](#): > > It’s poor form for the President to comment before or during a trial. Nixon got jumped for doing the same about the Manson trial, and rightfully so. > > They both should have kept their traps shut. Please…what’s ’ poor form ’ is for people of color to be denied their civil rights in the year 2013…maybe its time we get a little ‘worked up’ about it, ya think? ---
**Author:** ![Tracijo67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@Tracijo67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracijo67)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/103 "2013-07-15T02:54:22Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Why do you not also count the disturbance calls? > > Even your way, there’s 17 suspicious activity calls, and only seven involve black males. How is that “most?” > > Well? Seven involved black males when race was noted (i.e., he could see the suspects; it could also just be that he disclosed race only when asked). Also.there were 14 calls. Several were repeats of the same incident. I looked only at suspicious activity calls because this is the type of call that led to Trayvon’s death. I am not asserting that Zimmerman is a racist (we can’t know that just from calls he made to police, especially without knowing if he was always asked to disclose race). I was just refuting your assertion that race calls were statistically insignificant. One thing is clear to me. He must have been damn unpopular at police HQ. I can just imagine the exasperation at taking yet another “George is losing his shit again” call. ---
**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:** [July 15, 2013, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/104 "2013-07-15T03:04:05Z")
> [@NonaSequitur](#): > > One can nitpick at the specifics of this case. But I’m talking about a larger narrative. I know it’s hard, but just _try_ to imagine how it feels to be a black male in this country. You are despised, you are demonized, you are devalued, you are dehumanized. From slavery, to [slavery by another name](http://www.slaverybyanothername.com/), [the nadir of race relations](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadir_of_American_race_relations) and lynching, and [Jim Crow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws) and police brutality and the [the new Jim Crow](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/books/michelle-alexanders-new-jim-crow-raises-drug-law-debates.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) and on and on. This is the lens through which black people view this case… > > What really brought it home to me, the way black men are feared and dehumanized was the shooting of Oscar Grant. Captured right on [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0P8TSP2YJU). Shook me for a few days. Still not sure if I’m up to seeing the movie… That larger narrative should be discussed in the context of a case in which a black male was despised, demonized, devalued, or dehumanized. Just like Marissa Alexander’s case is an awful one to use to advance the idea of unequal application of Florida’s self-defense laws, _even if that happens_, Zimmerman’s case is an awful one to use to advance the idea of black men being unable to get justice from our legal system, _even though that happens_. The alleged victim being black and male isn’t enough to use this case as the fulcrum of some sort of historical narrative of injustice. Details matter. Using this case as a rallying cry for that narrative is actually counter-productive, because people who are willing to look at the details and consider them dispassionately won’t go along with it. Instead, an actual injustice should be used. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/105 "2013-07-15T03:28:28Z")
> [@brickbacon](#): > > How about before you start making ridiculous assumptions about what I was referring to, you give me a chance to answer. The comments I am talking about can be found [here](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/18/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman-evidence_n_1528268.html): > > Other evidence of his possible feelings on race are [here](http://www.businessinsider.com/george-zimmerman-racist-comments-2012-7): > > Those are the types of things I was talking about. Not what you alleged in latter posts. > > You generally should not do that unless there is some evidence that they share the same feelings. There is evidence that is the case, and given that both the brother and father were acting as unofficial spokespeople for him, the fact they couldn’t do so without outing themselves as unabashed racists is fairly incriminating. Either way, feel free to throw out their behavior. There is plenty of his own actions and comments that are questionable. So what’s the standard here? I notice the prosecution did not call this witness. Why? Are you fine with accepting as true any unsworn statement, not even subject to cross-examination? Does that also apply to statements about Martin? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/106 "2013-07-15T03:30:39Z")
> [@Tracijo67](#): > > Seven involved black males when race was noted (i.e., he could see the suspects; it could also just be that he disclosed race only when asked). Also.there were 14 calls. Several were repeats of the same incident. > > I looked only at suspicious activity calls because this is the type of call that led to Trayvon’s death. I am not asserting that Zimmerman is a racist (we can’t know that just from calls he made to police, especially without knowing if he was always asked to disclose race). I was just refuting your assertion that race calls were statistically insignificant. > > One thing is clear to me. He must have been damn unpopular at police HQ. I can just imagine the exasperation at taking yet another “George is losing his shit again” call. Ok, so even taking all your rules - multiple calls count as one, and only suspicious activity calls count – even granting you the most generous counting methods, in other words – it’s STILL not true that most of Zimmerman’s calls involved black males. Yet you said they did. Why? ---
**Author:** ![Tollhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e99b99/32.png) [@Tollhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tollhouse)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/107 "2013-07-15T03:31:04Z")
> [@NonaSequitur](#): > > One can nitpick at the specifics of this case. But I’m talking about a larger narrative. I know it’s hard, but just _try_ to imagine how it feels to be a black male in this country. You are despised, you are demonized, you are devalued, you are dehumanized. From slavery, to [slavery by another name](http://www.slaverybyanothername.com/), [the nadir of race relations](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadir_of_American_race_relations) and lynching, and [Jim Crow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws) and police brutality and the [the new Jim Crow](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/books/michelle-alexanders-new-jim-crow-raises-drug-law-debates.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) and on and on. This is the lens through which black people view this case… > > What really brought it home to me, the way black men are feared and dehumanized was the shooting of Oscar Grant. Captured right on [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0P8TSP2YJU). Shook me for a few days. Still not sure if I’m up to seeing the movie… Yes, agreed. Some cant see the forest through the trees, and some like to keep pointing out each branch in a bid of keeping one from seeing the forest. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/108 "2013-07-15T03:32:41Z")
> [@NonaSequitur](#): > > One can nitpick at the specifics of this case. But I’m talking about a larger narrative. I know it’s hard, but just _try_ to imagine how it feels to be a black male in this country. You are despised, you are demonized, you are devalued, you are dehumanized. From slavery, to [slavery by another name](http://www.slaverybyanothername.com/), [the nadir of race relations](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadir_of_American_race_relations) and lynching, and [Jim Crow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws) and police brutality and the [the new Jim Crow](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/07/books/michelle-alexanders-new-jim-crow-raises-drug-law-debates.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0) and on and on. This is the lens through which black people view this case.. Should a jury have convicted George Zimmerman because it serves to assist in reserving a “larger narrative?” ---
**Author:** ![Werekoala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7993a0/32.png) [@Werekoala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Werekoala)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/109 "2013-07-15T03:41:09Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > I think most of the people on this board will assert that they would not see this case differently if races were reversed. But I agree with you that, the majority of the country would see it differently. A black man stalking a ‘suspicious’ looking white boy, confronting him and ultimately shooting him? Yeah. It would be VERY different. I can imagine that all the people who call Treyvon a thug in what happened, would use the same word to describe the black man if he had been in Zimmerman’s position. We would never have heard about it if this were the case. ---
**Author:** ![Tracijo67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@Tracijo67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracijo67)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/110 "2013-07-15T03:46:39Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > Ok, so even taking all your rules - multiple calls count as one, and only suspicious activity calls count – even granting you the most generous counting methods, in other words – it’s STILL not true that most of Zimmerman’s calls involved black males. > > Yet you said they did. Why? Dude. You said that many of his calls involved non-black “suspicious” people. I bothered to, y’know, actually LOOK at the calls. Your assertion is incorrect. Many “suspicious” calls did involve black males – where race was noted (so the number could in fact be HIGHER than 50%). Race was not noted at all on other calls. So we do not KNOW the race of the so-called “suspicious” people. Thus, your assertion does not hold validity. Is that clear enough for you? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/111 "2013-07-15T04:16:20Z")
> [@NonaSequitur](#): > > Anyone who calls to report a suspicious black 7 year old just might be holding some biases… I asked you how “most” was used when the numbers didn’t support it. In what way does your response address that? It seems that you can’t admit any error whatsoever – when confronted with one, you seek to shift the goalposts. Suddenly it’s not about the numbers at all – it’s the willingness to see a seven year old as suspicious. We can certainly discuss that. But let’s close out the other point first, rather than leaving it abandoned and unresolved. Contrary to the claim made above, “most” of Zimmerman’s calls did NOT involve black males. True? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/112 "2013-07-15T04:20:07Z")
> [@Tracijo67](#): > > Dude. You said that many of his calls involved non-black “suspicious” people. I bothered to, y’know, actually LOOK at the calls. Your assertion is incorrect. Many “suspicious” calls did involve black males – where race was noted (so the number could in fact be HIGHER than 50%). Race was not noted at all on other calls. So we do not KNOW the race of the so-called “suspicious” people. Thus, your assertion does not hold validity. > > Is that clear enough for you? No. Because here are your words: > [@Tracijo67](#): > > I disagree. [Here](http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/22/george-zimmerman-s-history-of-911-calls-a-complete-log.html) is a list of all the calls he made. \*\*Most of the suspicious activity calls, \*\*when race was noted, were heavily coded “black male/s”. (Color emphasis added for clarity) You said “most.” That was untrue. Correct? ---
**Author:** ![Tracijo67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@Tracijo67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracijo67)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/113 "2013-07-15T04:24:53Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I asked you how “most” was used when the numbers didn’t support it. > > In what way does your response address that? > > It seems that you can’t admit any error whatsoever – when confronted with one, you seek to shift the goalposts. Suddenly it’s not about the numbers at all – it’s the willingness to see a seven year old as suspicious. > > We can certainly discuss that. But let’s close out the other point first, rather than leaving it abandoned and unresolved. > > Contrary to the claim made above, “most” of Zimmerman’s calls did NOT involve black males. True? Did you even LOOK at the list of calls? If you exclude the calls that weren’t about people (stray dogs, neighbor garage door open, his own butt-hurt about his landlord trying to collect rent on a foreclosed property), and THEN exclude the calls where race wouldn’t be a factor because he likely wouldn’t have been able to see the ‘perps’ driving through the neighborhood … And finally, exclude the calls where the dispatcher was probably just phoning it in to the log as “Yet another complaint from that nutball George” then you are left with a very, VERY statistically high number of calls about suspicious activity by black males. Either you aren’t reading the facts, or you are cherry-picking in an effort to support an unsustainable assertion. ---
**Author:** ![Tracijo67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@Tracijo67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracijo67)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/114 "2013-07-15T04:34:00Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > No. Because here are your words: > > (Color emphasis added for clarity) > > You said “most.” That was untrue. Correct? Are you on the spectrum, by any chance? I don’t otherwise understand why you won’t just concede my point. I have already acknowledged that I’m not making it as some way of “proving” that Zimmerman is a racist. The only conclusion I’d feel comfortable drawing is that he’s a nuisance. At least 50%. And several of the calls were related to the “suspicious activities” that had been phones in earlier. And it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that in some calls where race wasn’t noted, the ‘perps’ were black. And if I were wrong and it was in fact 49% of his calls, what am I losing exactly? Certainly not my credibility. A reasonable person could GLANCE through that call log and arrive at the same conclusion that I did, which is that he did make a lot of calls about suspicious black males. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/115 "2013-07-15T04:35:17Z")
> [@Tracijo67](#): > > Did you even LOOK at the list of calls? If you exclude the calls that weren’t about people (stray dogs, neighbor garage door open, his own butt-hurt about his landlord trying to collect rent on a foreclosed property), and THEN exclude the calls where race wouldn’t be a factor because he likely wouldn’t have been able to see the ‘perps’ driving through the neighborhood … And finally, exclude the calls where the dispatcher was probably just phoning it in to the log as “Yet another complaint from that nutball George” then you are left with a very, VERY statistically high number of calls about suspicious activity by black males. > > Either you aren’t reading the facts, or you are cherry-picking in an effort to support an unsustainable assertion. I counted each and every call that was categorized as “suspicious activity.” There were 17 of them. Seven specified black males. So, yes, I did look at the calls. In fact, this is the second time I did this exercise; I posted a detailed spreadsheet breakdown of these calls last year. I see that (without acknowledging error) you are quietly attempting to change from “most” to “… a very, VERY statistically high number…” Do you contest the fact there are seven calls, and no more, concerning black males? Do you contest the fact that there are seventeen suspicious activity calls? Do you contest that seven is not the major part of seventeen, or even of fourteen? ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/116 "2013-07-15T04:38:54Z")
> [@Tracijo67](#): > > Are you on the spectrum, by any chance? I don’t otherwise understand why you won’t just concede my point. I have already acknowledged that I’m not making it as some way of “proving” that Zimmerman is a racist. The only conclusion I’d feel comfortable drawing is that he’s a nuisance. > > At least 50%. And several of the calls were related to the “suspicious activities” that had been phones in earlier. And it wouldn’t be a stretch to assume that in some calls where race wasn’t noted, the ‘perps’ were black. > > And if I were wrong and it was in fact 49% of his calls, what am I losing exactly? Certainly not my credibility. A reasonable person could GLANCE through that call log and arrive at the same conclusion that I did, which is that he did make a lot of calls about suspicious black males. You’re losing any accountability about your claims. If you simply said, “OK, I was slightly off-base; it was less than half,” then we can continue. If you dodge without admitting any error, you’re not accountable for posting error. ---
**Author:** ![Tracijo67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@Tracijo67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracijo67)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/117 "2013-07-15T04:39:12Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > I counted each and every call that was categorized as “suspicious activity.” There were 17 of them. Seven specified black males. > > So, yes, I did look at the calls. In fact, this is the second time I did this exercise; I posted a detailed spreadsheet breakdown of these calls last year. > > I see that (without acknowledging error) you are quietly attempting to change from “most” to “… a very, VERY statistically high number…” > > Do you contest the fact there are seven calls, and no more, concerning black males? > > Do you contest the fact that there are seventeen suspicious activity calls? > > Do you contest that seven is not the major part of seventeen, or even of fourteen? Do you contest the fact that only 9 of those calls noted race AT ALL? One was a white male, another a probable Hispanic male. So where race was recorded, 7 of 9 were about black males. Seriously. What do you win if you’re right? ---
**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:** [July 15, 2013, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/118 "2013-07-15T12:26:40Z")
> [@Tracijo67](#): > > And finally, exclude the calls where the dispatcher was probably just phoning it in to the log as “Yet another complaint from that nutball George”… > [@Tracijo67](#): > > The only conclusion I’d feel comfortable drawing is that he’s a nuisance. About that…in case you were unaware, the Sanford Police Department asked Zimmerman to [join a program of theirs](http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57590939-504083/george-zimmerman-trial-man-who-shot-trayvon-martin-was-concerned-about-burglaries-police-volunteer-coordinator-says/), so it’s rather unlikely that the local police considered Zimmerman to be a “nutball” or a nuisance who made frivolous calls to them. > [@](#): > > Dorival [Sanford PD volunteer coordinator] said Zimmerman “seemed like he wanted to make changes in his community and make it better.” She asked him to join another program, Citizens on Patrol, a training program for citizens to patrol their neighborhoods, but he declined. She described Zimmerman’s role as a neighborhood watch volunteer as someone who would act as a liaison with police about community safety concerns, encourage citizens to act as “eyes and ears” for police and recruit “block captains.” ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/119 "2013-07-15T13:05:18Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And he can also, by doing so, instill a reasonable fear of dire bodily harm in someone by doing so, which can lead to a confrontation and death, for which his actions are responsible. Any reasonable person who’s just walking through the neighborhood who finds himself followed by a guy in a car, who then comes out of the car after him carrying a gun and who doesn’t immediately explain why, would reasonably believe they were being attacked, and respond accordingly. A concealed carry permit is not dispensation to be an idiot. This. It’s a gun culture in US protecting regular retards who, without a gun, would be jerking off in a basement. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487/120 "2013-07-15T13:53:33Z")
> [@Tracijo67](#): > > Do you contest the fact that only 9 of those calls noted race AT ALL? One was a white male, another a probable Hispanic male. So where race was recorded, 7 of 9 were about black males. That’s an accurate statement, but i disagree it has much, if any, probative value. > [@](#): > > Just three days after NBC’s April 3, 2012, apology, Savannah Guthrie told “Today” viewers that “Zimmerman called police on a nonemergency line seven times in prior separate occasions. Each time Zimmerman reported suspicious looking men in the Sanford neighborhood he patrols. However they say until he was asked, Zimmerman never mentioned anything about their race.” And that’s exactly what we see in Zimmerman’s call concerning Martin: > [@](#): > > Zimmerman: “This guy looks like he’s up to no good. Or he’s on drugs or something. It’s raining and he’s just walking around, looking about.” > > Dispatcher: “OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?” > > Zimmerman: “He looks black.” So – contrary to the inference you’d have us draw, Zimmerman didn’t mention race. The police asked about race. So perhaps you should ask the police department why they chose to identify the race on the dispatcher’s notes for only seven calls. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-how-did-this-get-to-be-about-race/663487.md?page=7)