Martin/Zimmerman Case - One Last Time

The George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case is by far the one topic I’ve written about the most.  I’m going to post one more article then leave it alone – unless, of course, Eric Holder goes for a criminal civil rights violation charge.  Then I’ll be back.

For those of you who have followed my blog for any period of time, you may remember that based on the stories in the media in March of last year, I blamed George Zimmerman for the incident for the most part.  That was based on several things but mostly dishonest reporting by the mainstream media.

From the beginning the media made Zimmerman out to be a racist, cold-blooded killer who was playing cop in his neighborhood, while making Martin out to be an innocent, almost pre-pubescent kid who was simply eating candy.  Neither personification was accurate. 

George Zimmerman, while not always a model citizen, performed volunteer neighborhood watch duties.  There had been numerous break-ins in the neighborhood recently, many allegedly committed by black teenagers.  So he was alert and suspicious when Martin strolled through the neighborhood, head covered with a hood.  He called the police to report a suspicious person.  The mainstream media, particularly MSNBC, edited the audio soundbytes to make it seem that Zimmerman told the dispatcher “This guy looks like he’s up to no good … he looks black.”

They played that edited soundbyte over and over, drilling into some people’s heads the fact that Zimmerman was racially profiling Martin because of his skin color.  In reality, the audio bytes of Zimmerman’s conversation with the police dispatcher were as follows:

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.”

911 DISPATCHER:  “Okay, is this guy… is he white, black, or Hispanic?”

ZIMMERMAN:  “He looks black.”

Zimmerman never mentioned skin color or race until specifically asked and even then didn’t come out and say “He’s black,” or “He’s African-American.”  He said “He looks black,” as if he wasn’t positive.

That same media made Trayvon Martin out to be an innocent young kid, repeatedly showing a picture of him at about age 12 when in reality he stood six feet tall and had trouble with the police, his school in Miami, and his mother.  (She had sent him to live with his father because he was in trouble and she couldn’t manage him anymore.)  They kept talking about how Martin was simply walking home with a bag of Skittles and an iced tea but there is no evidence that Zimmerman’s description of his actions weren’t accurate.  Martin had various Facebook posts containing drug and gun references.  He apparently liked to fight and he wasn’t afraid of much.

As time went on and more and more facts came to light I realized that my first impression of what happened, based on the untruths told by the mainstream media and racial activists like Al Sharpton, was most likely wrong.  George Zimmerman did some stupid things but did he hunt down Martin and kill him in cold blood?  It was becoming more and more evident that was not the case.  As the story came out about Martin being on top of Zimmerman and beating him, verified by a witness, it became more and more understandable that the case might be about self-defense after all.

The only question I had that was not answered during the trial was what actually happened when Martin and Zimmerman made physical contact and who initiated it.  Was it as Zimmerman said – that Martin jumped out of the darkness and assaulted him?  Or was it Zimmerman who attacked Martin then began losing the altercation and used the gun to save himself?  Zimmerman’s injuries, according to most of the expert witnesses, are consistent with what he said.  But in reality only he now knows the truth.

While many on the one side will continue to use the misinformation put out by the mainstream media to spread hatred and disparity among the people of the United States, I think those of us who are appalled by their dishonesty should file a class action suit against the mainstream media, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and others for spreading said false information and creating a hostile and even volatile situation in the country.  Whites, Hispanics or police officers who are attacked “in the name of Trayvon” should get attorneys and sue MSNBC for reckless endangerment, for starters.  Then go from there.  Jamie Foxx last week called for rioting in the streets.  If people are injured or killed because of a riot that he encouraged – he’s got lots of money. 

Peaceful protests of the verdict are not only understandable but the right of every American.  Encouraging racism, hatred and violence is not.  And those who encourage said behavior should be held accountable.