A Florida jury of six women acquitted George Zimmerman on Saturday night in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.
I’ve been reluctant to comment on the case while it was being pursued, and it might be because I was raised by lawyers and have enormous respect for the law. It might also be because there was nothing funny about a black kid being gunned down by a white slob for the crime of being a black kid.
My better angels tell me to do nothing and that the system is working, even if I disagree with the verdict. My smarter angels tell me that we need to work on changing the Stand Your Ground (and other ALEC-sponsored) laws that would allow such a cowardly and disgraceful thing to be legal, and we must name the repeal after Trayvon, just as we named hate crime laws after Matthew Shepard. I think it is the best thing we can do to honor and remember Trayvon.
Never Forget.
Mock Paper Scissors 
I’m for repealing this insane law. However, I don’t think the Stand Your Ground law was submitted to the jury in this case.
In any event, it’s appalling that a punch in the nose and a throw-down are grounds for justifiable homicide. I have a reserved respect for our legal system. Too many innocent people are convicted and too many wrong-doers are set free to warrant a GREAT RESPECT.
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Regardless who said or did what or when throughout the Zimmerman/Martin encounter, the fact is that an unarmed black kid is dead because he was profiled by an armed vigilante. If Zimmerman would have reacted to his suspicions in the proper manner, i.e. stay out of it and involve the police, Martin would still be alive.
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A jury of five white women and one hispanic woman. Inept prosecutors (they did not present a good case). A country that worships guns. A country briming over with racism. Florida. A state run by the NRA.
This was sadly inevitable. This is not a justice system that is working
Ie. Florida woman in prison for 20 yrs because she shot a ceiling
The fla atty general press conf after the verdict was a travesty. She almost seemed proud of the verdict.
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As Charles Pierce pointed out, there wasn’t even supposed to be a trial. Period.
Let the Goopers wear their judicial and moral skid marks proudly. Someday the look in the mirror will slay them.
A different country? Tell that to the Scalito Five.
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I saw this status update by a young man named Alex Fraser on Facebook, and I think it’s spot on:
“Dear George Zimmerman,
For the rest of your life you are now going to feel what its like to be a black man in America.
You will feel people stare at you. Judging you for what you think are unfair reasons. You will lose out on getting jobs for something you feel is outside of your control. You will believe yourself to be an upstanding citizen and wonder why people choose to not see that.
People will cross the street when they see you coming. They will call you hurtful names. It will drive you so insane some days that you’ll want to scream at the top of your lungs. But you will have to wake up the next day, put on firm look and push through life.
I bet you never thought that by shooting a black male you’d end up inheriting all of his struggles.
Enjoy your “freedom.”
Sincerely,
A black male who could’ve been Trayvon Martin”
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yeah, the difference is that as a hero figure for the aggrieved white male demographic, he’s going to be able to jump the Wingnut Welfare Grift-Train, at least for a little while.
If he doesn’t come across as a completely stumble-tongued goof (or a bit too tan for comfort, if you know what I mean) he may be able to stretch it out.
He doesn’t strike me as if he’s as cunning as Griftzilla, though, so it’s probably Joe the Plumber treatment for him!
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if you saw his brother’s press conf – you are seeing the future
the brother is STILL trashing trayvon martin and called him a drug dealer
george zimmerman will be coddled and protected by the rush limbaughs of this world – he may not be able to walk alone, but he will never have to worry — he is the new folk hero to the victimized whites of america.
(GZ who is hispanic says he is not hispanic, but white)
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Zimmerman must be pissed that he can’t kill again. Really, that’s probably a concern. Best thing the rest of us can do is boycott Florida and donate money to an organization that helps black families from that state move somewhere a bit saner. I mean no state is perfect, but 49 of them are not Florida. If I were Trayvon’s mother, I would want to get my other kid and move the hell out of this country.
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@Axel grease: Completely agree. I was struck by FL Atty Gen Corey’s apparent happiness with the verdict and her full on endorsement of FL’s shoot first and explain later laws. I thought to myself that she might as well just come out and say you can do anything you want with a gun especially if it’s pointed at a (n-word). She comes across as some trailerpark tea party dipshit and it turns out she’s a statewide elected official. What does that tell you about Florida?
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Corey is not the FL AG, but a special prosecutor. My error.
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