Saturday, July 13, 2013

George Zimmerman: Not Guilty. Now What?

     Started as a mess, ends in a mess.  Even unsympathetic TV pundits note that Mr. Zimmerman is facing an uncertain future, given the amount of hostility expressed towards him.

     Me, I think it was [based on the available facts] the right verdict -- even though I still question his judgement in following a guy he thought was sketchy.  Remember (as the outraged masses will not), the bar for conviction is set very high.  O. J. Simpson's case looked a lot worse, and he was found not guilty.  (Count on that to go unremembered, too.)

     The sun will come up tomorrow.  Will it rise above smoking wreckage?  Too soon to tell.  There are places where I wouldn't want to be right now.

     I hope you're not in one of them.  I hope I'm not, either.

     For those convinced George Zimmerman should have been found guilty, I offer Blackstone's Formulation.

     ETA: I am  proud of my fellow citizens.  Local TV had a series of short "man on the street" interviews and  the one common thread among respondents was the burden of proof: the prosecution hadn't shown beyond reasonable doubt that Zimmerman was guilty.  And it was people with opinions either way, persons of every hue, saying that.  Coverage from outside the courthouse was not lacking in "outraged masses," and they didn't engage in violence, either.  The media seem disappointed; me, I'm impressed.

14 comments:

Panamared said...

In Central Florida the police know where the problems are likely to start, and have done a good job of letting the usual suspects know that they will not put up with violence. It is my prayer that our problems do not effect any other part of our country.

Anonymous said...

Panamared, it looks to me as if your problems were at the least intensified, made worse, by the deliberate intervention of our federal government. Since government at the federal level is elected by the nation as a whole, the nation asawhole bears some small bit of responsibility for what you all are going to have to put up with, most especially the second rate tax ticks who voted for Trayvon's Special Guest Dad. Hope you're the forgiving type. Tonight's a good night to keep your loved ones close to the house. I presume you've already stripped and cleaned your weapons and have loaded all your magazines, if that's going to be necessary.

Roberta--Blackstone's formulation? You would try Blackstone's formulation? Once I remember that you live in the Indianapolis area, a greater hazard than my situation in the unmapped parts of the San Joaquin valley, the joke I would have attempted dies stillborn. I can only admire that sort of black humor. Gallows humor, sorry! Gallows humor.

Mike James

Keads said...

Ah. I have looked at this from afar for a long time. I personally think there was enough stupid for both parties involved. I really, really, preach to CCH students that clearing the holster is the LAST thing you need to do after all other options are exhausted.

Panamared said...

Mike James

My guns and magazines have been loaded for some time, and situational awareness should be part of all of our lives.

It's my heartfelt opinion that if the Federal DOJ had kept their nose out of this case this case is unlikely to have gotten off the ground.

If it is part of you belief system, I ask that you pray for healing for our country. We have lots of problems, and this case has shown a light on just some of them.
Loopill; the perfect summation of this whole situation.

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

This case was always about turning out the black vote for the bamster, pure and simple. It had no merit and should have been quashed at the outset.

We: dystice. Yeah, that.

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

Stupid spellcheck. "wv"

Comrade Misfit said...

Now comes the civil trial. Which has different standards of proof and which, just like OJ, Zimmerman will probably lose.

Anonymous said...

I would bet Eric Holder brings charges with in 30 day for Zimmerman violating young Mr. Martins civil rights.

Gerry

Roberta X said...

Time will tell.

Stranger said...

It is a little hard for a man whose back is on the ground and his head is being banged into a sidewalk to shoot in anything but self defense. And it's even harder for that man to pick a non-lethal point of aim.

Time will definitely tell about the outcome, but so far relative calm seems the order of the day after. Oakland seems to have done what Oakland does, but other than that it seems blessedly quiet. Hopefully, it will stay that way.

Stranger

Bubblehead Les. said...

Ditto Keads.

But I don't know about Mass Uprisings. Let's face it, despite the Best efforts of the Professional Racists like Sharpton and the NAACP, I don't think there's much support in certain Communities to get all riled up over the death of a 17 year old Thug being a Thug.

And yes, his Mother sent him to Sanford because he was turning into a Thug and she WAS trying to help him get squared away. That's in the Public Record.

Trayvon is NOT Martin Luther King.

Roberta X said...

Thug, scared, foolish... That really doesn't matter. All that matters is who did what, when.

Anonymous said...

Personally, with him being on the ground and having his head bashed into the pavement I'm amazed he got off such a clean shot, no self wound, no miss going God only knows where.

For that alone he should get a medal.

Roberta X said...

I'm petty sure the only "medal" for even the cleanest self-defense shooting is that you get to wake up alive the next day. Ain't that enough?