Let's talk about Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, and how unbelievably fucked up this all is

Gawker commenters showing a good bit of charm themselves:

Clementine Rountree
And, you know, the thing about a Shellie... she's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. 10 minutes ago

EOTxx
And she's fat!!! 8 minutes ago

Their commenters are pretty terrible in general.

I cant work out how to read the gawker comments anymore, on a complete aside. do they scroll sideways now instead of drill down?

they drill right into your brain iirc

My company's web filter seems to block a lot of comments sections. I should write someone an email, thanking them.

They should really advertise that as a perk in all job postings, tbh.

That reenactment video that was just released, when was it recorded? Because if it happened right after, Zimmerman sounds reasonable, including why he didn't just stay in the car (he was looking for a house number to give to the police; apparently not only was it raining, but he had a flashlight - out of batteries - and since he was behind a house there was no street name or house number visible). Obviously if the video is a lot more recent it is more suspect, but he's clearly beat up in the video - face, back of head - and he's calm. If what he says is at all accurate, I can totally see why he might shoot. Now, let off the hook? That's a different argument.

"reenactment video"??

I saw it here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/os-george-zimmerman-video-reenactment-20120621,0,822087.story

I'm not sure that "a reenactment video" can be considered evidence of anything much, as compared to having Zimmerman give his testimony in court, which amounts to the same thing, except for taking the oath and knowing the consequences of perjury.

longer description here

http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/21/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html

And the investigator expresses doubt that Zimmerman, who had lived in the neighborhood for three years and described himself as head of the neighborhood watch, did not know the names of the three streets in the subdivision.

"To be honest with you, I have a bad memory anyway," Zimmerman said, adding that he has attention-deficit (hyperactivity) disorder and takes medication for it.

I don't know the names of several streets right by me, and I live on a city grid. Ever tried to navigate a gated subdivision? Shit is hard.

Of course, this could all be post fact bs. But the context he provIdes and shows helps.

devil's advocacy at its finest

tbf i don't like the idea of you declaring yourself neighborhood watch captain and stalking kids with a gun either

Me? Just saying. I do believe he should be in jail for killing him. The irony is that if he did not have a gun,.Zimmerman would have had a case to get Martin arrested for assault.

if you believe his story

The way he describes it it hardly sounds like he stalked him with a gun. But I don't know who to believe. It's a mess,.and largely the fault of Florida on several levels.

again, if you believe his story, that he merely noticed a kid, called the police, had no idea which of the three streets in the neighborhood he watches is, went to find out, and the kid decided to beat him to death with his fists en route to deliver skittles

The irony is that if he did not have a gun,.Zimmerman would have had a case to get Martin arrested for assault.

I . . . do not think that is "irony."

"emotionally troubled vigilante suggests victim was the violent stalker, not him"

Again, the story here is not the stuff that we don't, and probably never will, know - the story is weeks of no arrest and coverup.

Zimmerman sounds reasonable, including why he didn't just stay in the car (he was looking for a house number to give to the police

this is the least reasonable claim imaginable if you're saying you've seen a suspicious person in your neighborhood. "I didn't want to get out of the car, he seemed dangerous, but I needed to get an address, so I left the car, placing me in the direct path of the person I'm claiming I thought might be dangerous." "Doesn't pass the smell test," as they say on Law & Order.

it's possible martin did react violently to being stalked, though in zimmerman's version the teenager is on a roid rage while he screams "like 50 times" for help. no neighbor is backing that up.

but, you know, he doesn't have that great a memory anyway

It's all a mess. But according to dude - who might be or is a total liar and is a murderer - he thought the guy was gone and got out of the car to get an address. Would I do that? No. Would I carry a gun? No. Could I shoot someone? No. Could a defense like Zimmerman's prevent a jury from convicting him? Probably.

Florida's fault: 1) Allowing the stupid law (concealed carry and stand your ground) 2) Not arresting Zimmerman way back when 3) taking forever to eventually arrest him 4) giving in to pressure and launching a prosecution that seems very unlikely to succeed.

Honestly, I'm not sure why I should be prone to believe or disbelieve him, one way or the other. Regardless, he should have been arrested, and before that, Martin should not have been killed.

if he's found innocent, i'm definitely blaming the Stand Your Ground law for making it apparently ok to stalk people with a violent weapon as long as you think you're a cop, and as long as you kill the person who has a problem with you stalking them. however, to be "huh who knows his story makes sense kind of maybe not but who knows" requires exactly the kind of mushy head that makes the whole "shadow of a doubt" thing a little regrettable at times.

Honestly, I'm not sure why I should be prone to believe or disbelieve him, one way or the other.

You should be inclined to doubt his word very seriously because he shot and killed an unarmed teenager. His claim that he feared for his life amounts to an extraordinary claim, which, as we know, requires extraordinary evidence.

I totally agree. But it's evidence we (they) do not have and may never have, and to outright discount even the possibility that he was (in the legally if not morally defensible) right is as bad to me as the assailing Martin ad hominem for having smoked pot and getting suspended. Again, blame the law for being a piece of shit, but in light of said piece of shit law, Zimmerman's description sounds more nuanced than "I hopped out of the car, gun out, chased the punk down and shot him." The law is one of the all time pieces of shit because it gives a legal advantage to the last man standing.

Anyway, did anyone else catch when that video was made? If it was made right after, before the shit hit the fan, I'd be more inclined to find his description plausible. Though clearly the guy is in CYA mode.

(And I've said all along Zimmerman murdered him and should have been arrested. It's just a matter of what degree.)

Right, and if "doubt his word very seriously" meant the same as "outright discount", then you'd have a good point.

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god this trial is just going to go on FOREVER isn't it

these fuckin assholes are holding out for a judge who dogwhistles "I am actually racist," and they'll probably get it, too

dickheads imo

aaaaand it gets weirder!

This is turning into an episode of SVU.

This might eliminate him from the running as Romney's choice for veep.

what in the fuck

did... not see that coming

also that picture makes it look like he just heard about it himself

Getting stupider by the second:

Earlier tonight, George Zimmerman gave his first televised interview to Sean Hannity on Fox News. Zimmerman offered an apology of sorts to Martin's parents, but refused to express regret for what happened. He also gave his account of Martin's killing.

The apology came at the end of the interview, with Zimmerman telling Hannity what he'd say to Martin's family.

"I would tell them again that I'm sorry. I am sorry they buried their child. I can't imagine what it must feel like, and I pray for them daily."

Despite the apology, Zimmerman made it clear that he didn't regret any of his actions, because it was all divinely pre-ordained. "It was all God's plan, and for me to second guess it or judge it...," he said before trailing off. When Hannity asked if there was anything he'd do differently in retrospect, Zimmerman answered, "No, sir." Later he added, "I do wish there was something, anything, I could have done that wouldn't have put me in the position where I had to take his life."

This fucking guy, ugh.

"I do wish there was something, anything, I could have done that wouldn't have put me in the position where I had to take his life."

he should've pleaded insanity, because this is a convincing case for it. what a creep.

dude is going to jail for forever

It is God's plan that he go to jail forever, so i'm sure he's cool w it.

hoooly wow

is it wrong to hope that bad things happen to him?

it is but that is not stopping me

fox news' writeup on the interview sidestepping all the crazy/damning shit in gross non-shocker

idk...why i read it tbh

I don't think it's wrong to wish justice on someone who killed somebody and feels like it was totally an ok thing to do.