Your above statement about Trayvon's father is contradicted by the CNN story you linked to:
http://articles.cnn.com/2012-03-20/j...?_s=PM:JUSTICE
I think you do a good job of really cross examining the narrative and trying to figure out the details of the fight... but remember that Trayvon felt that he was being followed so even if he did start the physical altercation, he was acting in self defense. Zimmerman was also instructed not to follow Trayvon, but he ignored the instructions.
Please have mercy on Trayvon and his family, and try to see that Trayvon is dead because George Zimmerman followed Trayvon against instruction and provoked Trayvon to escalate the situation and try to defend himself.
I think Zimmerman is a moron who made a number of stupid decisions. Even if he's not a moron in general, which he appears to be, he still made a number of stupid decisions.
If he felt the guy was a threat or a menace, why confront him? Confronting him, by its nature, implies that you're not terribly scared of him. Rationally, you would continue to observe, maintain an exit strategy, and wait for cops.
I think you do a good job of really cross examining the narrative and trying to figure out the details of the fight... but remember that Trayvon felt that he was being followed so even if he did start the physical altercation, he was acting in self defense. Zimmerman was also instructed not to follow Trayvon, but he ignored the instructions.
Thank you for being even-handed and reasonable.
I disagree with the middle sentence. If Trayvon felt wary of Zimmerman, as I'm sure he did, then I certainly understand him not being kind or cooperative with Zimmerman. And that's probably the right thing for him to do.
But the problem is that one of them tipped the balance to make it physical. One of them began the escalation from confronting to fighting. We will never know who that was. There is no way to know. If we could know that Zimmerman began the physical aspect either through a thrown punch or simple 'fighting words,' then he should fry. If not, or if we can never know, then he should remain free. We can never know. Therefore, he should stay free. All we do know is that we do have an eyewitness who painted a picture, in a statement on the day of the killing, that Zimmerman was in a very rough spot and getting beaten.
I'm particularly perturbed at the white-washing done on Trayvon. Everybody knows Zimmerman's sketchiness. It's widely reported, from his previous arrest(s), to his love of calling 911, to his wannabe-cop stuff. Yet, Trayvon is presented as this baby-faced teeny-bopper who only wanted skittles and tea. Few know that he was only in that neighborhood because he had been suspended from school. We still don't know what for. He wasn't 12, like the media pictures show - he was a 17 year old, 6-foot football player.
And the CNN report doesn't conflict with what I said. Trayvon's father did say that the voice was not his son's. But that was right after the incident, and in the immediate report. Now, of course, he says it was his son, because he has realized how disadvantageous to his case that statement was. Trayvon's father changed his story from the first police report to what he's saying now.
The story is updated, so there is no real telling what was in the original article, but anyways, this article from the LA Times said Zimmerman reported the boy running and he was CHASING him, which I can see self-defense for the 17 year old and Zimmerman was told NOT to chase the boy!
Have you listened to the entire 911 call from beginning to end? Get back to me when you have. Zimmerman stopped chasing the man (man, not boy). Zimmerman's story is that after Zimmerman ceased his trailing Trayvon, then Trayvon came back at him. That probably sounds like a load of crock to you. But that's probably because you haven't listened to the whole call from beginning to end.
