# Zimmerman-Martin Trial - The Verdict is in! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 14, 2013, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445 "2013-07-14T01:58:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/21 "2013-07-14T08:21:16Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I think he’s a wannabe doofus with a gun who followed an unarmed kid for no reason. The kid, possibly scared for his life (for the rational reason of being followed by a stranger with a gun) might have lashed out in what he thought was defense of his own life. And he got shot. It looks like the jury disagreed. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/22 "2013-07-14T08:23:27Z")
> [@cotton](#): > > I’m happy that the jurors didn’t cave in to pressure fron racists like Al Sharpton and Co and liberals to find Zimmerman guilty. This case. was polluted by Obama and compromised by the obvious favoritism shown to the prosecution by the judge. It was an uphill battle for the defense but thankfully they arrived at the correct verdict. This is it, in a nutshell. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/23 "2013-07-14T08:24:28Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > So I’m this 17-year-old visiting my dad. I just went to the store to get some candy and a drink, and I’m headed back to my dad. I suddenly notice that there’s a dude following me. This guy could be a mugger, or worse. So I turn around and ask him why he’s following me. > > At this point, what can I do or say to keep this dude from harming me, or worse? What did you do, and, if he didn’t harm you, keep doing that. ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/24 "2013-07-14T08:26:22Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > Go inside the house? Refrain from sucker punching him and slamming his head against the sidewalk? Eschew reaching for his gun? Racist! ;)😃 ---
**Author:** ![A\_nice\_guy\_with\_an\_opinion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/76d3ee/32.png) [@A\_nice\_guy\_with\_an\_opinion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_nice_guy_with_an_opinion)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/25 "2013-07-14T08:37:30Z")
Today is a great day for freedom. Not so great for thug wannabees. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/26 "2013-07-14T08:45:00Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > So I’m this 17-year-old visiting my dad. I just went to the store to get some candy and a drink, and I’m headed back to my dad. I suddenly notice that there’s a dude following me. This guy could be a mugger, or worse. So I turn around and ask him why he’s following me. > > At this point, what can I do or say to keep this dude from harming me, or worse? You could say “Stop following me! I’m calling the police.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/27 "2013-07-14T08:48:19Z")
> [@A\_nice\_guy\_with\_an\_opinion](#): > > Today is a great day for freedom. > > Not so great for thug wannabees. I know I used to think that Zimmerman being not guilty would mean that Martin was guilty, but it’s not true. It starts coming off as racist with everyone insisting that Martin was a thug. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/28 "2013-07-14T08:50:36Z")
> [@Iggy](#): > > You could say “Stop following me! I’m calling the police.” Except Stand Your Ground means that calling the police is for wimps. You’ve got to defend yourself! EDIT: Legal pedants, I’m not saying SYG would allow this. I’m saying it comes from that type of culture. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/29 "2013-07-14T08:54:32Z")
No, Stand Your Ground simply means you don’t have to run away. Calling the police isn’t for wimps, it’s for people who can wait 10 minutes for help. You know who else it’s a bad day for? White Latinos. Apparently, they don’t get to be Latinos anymore. They only “refer to themselves as Latinos”, or have to be regarded specifically as white Latinos. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/30 "2013-07-14T09:45:28Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I know I used to think that Zimmerman being not guilty would mean that Martin was guilty, but it’s not true. It starts coming off as racist with everyone insisting that Martin was a thug. This. It’s quite possible for Zimmerman to have been entirely in the wrong from a moral/ethical standpoint and still be not guilty of murder. ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/31 "2013-07-14T09:54:46Z")
Apparently, the President is also at fault: > [@cotton](#): > > I’m happy that the jurors didn’t cave in to pressure fron racists like Al Sharpton and Co and liberals to find Zimmerman guilty. This case. was polluted by Obama and compromised by the obvious favoritism shown to the prosecution by the judge. It was an uphill battle for the defense but thankfully they arrived at the correct verdict. Wow. **cotton** really nailed it. I have no doubt whatsoever that he will be a part of our community for decades on. He/she will be a beacon of truth, light, and honesty for many many years. As a matter of fact, I’d like to take lessons from this exalted being. I’d like to start with grammar and spelling. I’d also like to audit a course on racism, just so I get it right. Am I at risk of being watched by other agencies? Let me know!! ---
**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:** [July 14, 2013, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/32 "2013-07-14T11:12:27Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > It looks like the jury disagreed. And they may have been right, legally speaking. I’m sad because I think Martin may have felt a “fight or flight” fear response to a stranger with a gun, chose to fight rather than run, and died for it. Zimmerman should feel terrible about the choices he made. And the law should be changed so that if you follow an unarmed, law-abiding stranger with a gun for no reason, and a fight starts and you shoot him, you should be held culpable by the justice system. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/33 "2013-07-14T11:39:19Z")
So in parts of the US you can attack somebody and then if they fight back you’re allowed to shoot them? Good system. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/34 "2013-07-14T12:03:01Z")
If Zimmerman had thrown the first punch, him shooting Martin would not have been self-defense. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/35 "2013-07-14T12:14:41Z")
> [@handsomeharry](#): > > It’s very much like this system: You are doing your job to protect your community. You decide to follow a suspicious character, decide to follow even though the police are nowhere around, and, geographically speaking, you are within your rights to be where you are, and then, the person you follow gets irritated and , he being a bad gangsta, and going to show the cracker a lesson, attacks you (did I say I have a gun, and cannot run away backwards as fast as an attacker can advance, and I do not feel the need to turn my back on an assailant who has already attacked me, he being not as fat, etc…) a confrontation is already in progress, and rather than be killed, you pull the trigger. Then, the government investigates, and clears you, but, the pressure comes so charges are filed, and then, a lot of pounds of flesh, and several hundred thousands of dollars later, you go free. Your interpretation is full of factual misgivings (lies) and unsubstantiated assessment of the situation (crazy talk): - a suspicious character (kid was there before on visit) - he being a bad gangsta (if he was, he’d have a gun, you know) - he being not as fat (GZ gained pounds afterwards) - rather than be killed, you pull the trigger (the most insane part) As I said, it’s not about the race - it’s about gun culture. If he was convicted, it would be a slap on the face for the whole country when it comes to gun control debate. Somewhat for that reason, I think, media has been paid to steer toward race issues in America and that’s so much more easier to deal with for both, political establishment and media. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/36 "2013-07-14T12:19:21Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > So I’m this 17-year-old visiting my dad. I just went to the store to get some candy and a drink, and I’m headed back to my dad. I suddenly notice that there’s a dude following me. This guy could be a mugger, or worse. So I turn around and ask him why he’s following me. > > At this point, what can I do or say to keep this dude from harming me, or worse? Kill him. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/37 "2013-07-14T12:24:51Z")
Nm ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/38 "2013-07-14T12:38:14Z")
Good verdict. TM was a thug (IMO) who wanted to inflict serious bodily harm to GZ. GZ successfully stopped him. Good for him. There’s no shortage of thugs out there. Which is why I carry my 9 mm wherever I’m legally allowed. If I believe my life is in danger, I will use it to stop the perpetrator. Some people just need to be shot. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/39 "2013-07-14T12:38:19Z")
So have the “No Justice, No Peace” riots started yet? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2013, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445/40 "2013-07-14T12:48:49Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > \ > > As I said, it’s not about the race - it’s about gun culture. If he was convicted, it would be a slap on the face for the whole country when it comes to gun control. > > Somewhat for that reason, I think, media has been paid to steer toward race issues in America and that’s so much more easier to deal with for both, political establishment and media. Agreed. And it’s not even necessarily so much about the opposing positions WRT gun laws. A lot of it is about something that both sides agree on: that if you DO carry a gun, you have to behave in a MORE cautious and thoughtful manner than otherwise. Most gun owners (from what I’ve read in this message board) know this well and apply it in their everyday lives. A few do not. Regarding this case, I think it’s simple: George Zimmerman should have clarified for himself what his role was in the neighborhood. If his priority was going to be “keep an eye out for suspicious individuals – and, without getting too close, try to keep their location known so I can relay that to the police right up until they show up,” okay, fine. Do that (yes, it’s creepy, but whatever – could prevent a crime or two occasionally, perhaps). But don’t carry a gun, then. Your job is to avoid direct interaction…and to remain far enough away that if the person turns around and chases you, you have a safe escape route. (If you would still feel unsafe about this, perhaps because the micro geography of your neighborhood makes it difficult, then forget it. Find another hobby. Stamp collecting can be fun, for example.) If, on the other hand, you decide that your role is one which necessitates your carrying a gun, then you have to modify your behavior. Mainly, DON’T MOVE AROUND much. Now, your role is more about deterrence. Hang out in a safe place that has a good view of a large area, where you can be seen as someone who is keeping an eye on things. Call in suspicious activity to the police, and do exactly what they told you to do…STAY PUT. I know it’s hard to let the “suspect”'s location slip from your grasp, but that’s too bad. You simply cannot do both jobs at once – unless you’re, you know, a _law enforcement official_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/zimmerman-martin-trial-the-verdict-is-in/663445.md?page=3)