And even had Mr. Zimmerman walked right up to Mr. Martin and asked what the hell he was up to, that would not have legally constituted an assault — except maybe in Mr. Martin’s provenly pot-stoned deluded mind (and a theory his girlfriend who was supposedly on the horn with him, seems to actually back up).
The police want ordinary citizens to be chickens.
” even had Mr. Zimmerman walked right up to Mr. Martin and asked what the hell he was up to, that would not have legally constituted an assault”
Yes, and some people out to get Zimmerman, including apparently the prosecution, stupidly stop there. I must have been living in a different civilization with different rules all along, because I’ve never known doing perfectly legal things to constitute a threat someone else can meet with violence.
Other, marginally smarter, people like wtc911 who think Zimmerman started it posit an additional action on his part, eg. pulling his gun. I don’t know why they assume this happened, considering the medical evidence and witness testimony, but Zimmerman’s a dopey jerk, so whatever. At least they realize you have to do something immediately threatening to precipitate a fight. Certainly something more than getting out of your truck and talking to a stranger.