"The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary." ~ H.L. Mencken
Colin Powell: Trayvon Martin Verdict 'Questionable'
While, indeed, this is a man quite familiar with 'questionable', I must disagree with his assessment, and with that of those still sniveling about the outcome. The jury spoke, whether or not they agree with it. And, despite political and media pressure, they found the man innocent. Let it go, move on to the next vehicle of pseudo-justification to try to enact laws to fulfill gun-grabbing fantasies. As though the people those in power really have to worry about would ever give them up. They may get them from the stupid or the weak, but those aren't really who they have to worry about, are they?
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I believe Powell just ran his mouth and just merely questioned the judgment the jury came down with. Personally, given the limited information, I believe the Zimmerman should have received something. My intuitive reasoning rests on the fact of the 911 call he made and he chose to disregard the operators advice of not getting out of his car. This seems to be exactly what he did not do. Zimmerman proceeded to dog Martin. I also believe that Zimmerman created the confrontation, yet it did not give Martin the right to attack Zimmerman. My puzzlement is who was the original aggressor? Was Martin really going for Zimmerman's firearm. As far as I can determine, with the limited information, Zimmerman broke every code of responsible firearm usage in such circumstances. There are too many unknowns for me regarding this event. My position rests on the fact that Zimmerman should never have gotten out of his vehicle and waited for the arrival of the police.
I also believe that the race issue is a sham. Racist foundation seems to spring more from the idea of black and white. Zimmerman was of Latino origins, however race does not seem to really be a fact in this case.
I would be interested in anyone else's point of view on this as I never followed it that hard. In conclusion I continue to believe Zimmerman should have been charged with depraved indifference because he violated every basic principle of responsible firearm usage and common sense. Most reasonable men would never have pursued Travon the way Zimmerman did.
Glock,
I must say that your thoughts mirror my own on this case. I think it is most unfortunate that Zimmerman has been given such blanket and unquestioning support: what he did was, at best, wildly irresponsible and markedly foolish. At worst, his actions were flat-out murder. Either way, his first critics should have been those who instead choose to be his most ardent advocates.
I, personally think that the way he was charged was contrived by prosecutors and politicians (but I repeat myself...) in order to reach the the very verdict that occurred. A verdict that will surely be used as a foil to impose new firearm restrictions and self-defense laws-all of which will place gun owners more squarely within the sites of prosecutors. He could have been charged with a multitude of crimes for which the evidence was incontrovertible-such as stalking and assault...for which a conviction would have been all but assured, but he wasn't. Cui bono?
Let no one misunderstand-I don't believe in the system at all, and think that "justice" can be, and is being in this case, better served without courts at all.
I have no idea why this manipulation was so easily achieved, but I'm forced to consider that there is a latent, and insidious, racist streak amongst too many in the "gun community", as well as political "conservatives" and "libertarians" that blinded too many of them to both the stark political manipulation as well as the irresponsible behavior of Mr. Zimmerman in this case.
It is difficult to stand in the face of such an ideological wind and speak your mind, and I applaud you for doing so.
Best,
Mike