What’s truly odd about the discussions of this case are the complete disconnect between blacks and everyone else in answering the question “Who started it?” wrt the Martin-Zimmerman altercation.
Whites will say that Martin performed the initial assault by punching Zimmerman. The evidence is: Zimmerman’s testimony, eyewitness testimony (called by the prosecution), forensic testimony, injuries to GZ, none to TM. Physical assault is a felony offense, thus becoming the trigger for the eventual self-defense shooting.
Blacks will say Zimmerman committed the assault, for a vast variety of wholly invented reasons that are pure supposition and not supported by fact. “Stalking,” “following,” “getting out of the car.” I’ve heard arguments that GZ is racist, GZ chased down and caught TM at gunpoint, GZ was holding TM at gunpoint, and stuff that goes even more off the tracks than that in an effort to claim TM was “standing his ground” against an “assault.” Yet the only acts that are supported by evidence (keeping an eye on/following), are not criminal in nature.
There is this absolute and razor-sharp disconnect in the ability to accept the evidence, and continually promulgating theory after theory by which GZ would be criminally culpable. And if the jury acquitted then they’re criminally culpable too. I have no idea where this comes from but there you go. It’s damn near universal in what I’ve heard from self-described members of “the black community.”
Agree.. Frankly, it's a little frightening to me... the absolute disconnect with reality.
If you're going to shoot someone,in cold blood... you don't SCREAM for help for 45 seconds before doing it.. OR.. just in case you think it was TM screaming, you don't ALLOW someone to scream that long before shooting them... that just attracts attention, and perhaps gets a witness to see what you've done.
GZ was, clearly, getting beaten.. and screaming.. for QUITE a long time. Shooting was NOT his first thought. It was a last resort.
It's hard to believe SO MANY people seem SO CERTAIN about a fact set that is SO WRONG!