Gingrich says Fla. shooter found "dangerous" hobby

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich calls the shooting death of a black Florida teen "a tragedy" and describes the man responsible as "a guy who'd found a hobby that's very dangerous."

You didn’t really dispute any of the facts

Correct. You asked me to comment, so I did. Nothing you said was unfactual.

The question of the “snacks” is quite relevant. It establishes a NORMAL LEGAL reason for Martin to be in the area.

Meh... I walk a few blocks to a convenience store to pick up some M&Ms and a Slurpee. I decide, "Oh, I don't want to take the long way home. I'm going to jump this brick wall and cut through this gated community." At that point, I'm trespassing. Whether posted or not, I could be seen by a resident and slapped with a trespass warrant.

Now... I'm a black youth, same situation. I cut through a gated community in a mid- to high-crime area. I don't live in that area. I don't know anyone who does. I'm simply "passing through." Am I guilty of anything? Not directly. However, whether we like it or not, police and neighborhood watch are going to profile me as being a black youth in odd garb considering the weather. There have been thefts, vandalism, and general mischief in the area.

When I was a kid, my mother made sure I stayed away from areas that were "no good for kids." Places where the high school kids hung out and smoked, etc. She made sure I was in before dark. As adults, we make the decisions to go where we want to go based on our understanding of risk. Trayvon obviously felt comfortable cutting through this gated residential area. Maybe he'd done it a dozen times in the past, maybe a hundred. Fact is, this time he was seen, and yes, by an overzealous neighborhood watchman.

There's testimony from the girl on the phone with Trayvon that he suspected he was being watched or followed. She advised him to run. Why didn't he? Why did he see fit to turn around and confront Zimmerman? I'll counter your "if Zimmerman didn't get out of his car" with a "what if Trayvon had run?" Either way, we wouldn't be having this conversation, but the fact remains, the kid is dead.

I'm not purporting that you're willfully blind to facts. I'm saying that you're only digesting the facts that the large media outlets have fed you. Dig into the local media accounts and the documents put out by the city of Sanford. There's a ton more information that what's being fed to the public.

Some more food for thought:

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN AND TRAYVON MARTIN: WHAT WE DON’T KNOW

This kid was kicked out of school for a week and was staying with his father in this complex, facts I was not aware of previously. Also, according to the police report, and followed up by this blogger, only one round was fired from Zimmerman's KelTec 9mm. There appeared to have been a struggle for the weapon, as the slide did not cycle another round into the chamber.

We're technically on the same side here: no one knows the whole truth. This kid, seemingly innocent on his face, appears to have been involved with gangs or was at least a poseur as such. This is the mentality propagated in the black community. Beating up and/or killing a night watchman would've probably been an "in" for him to the local street gangbangers.

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