Trayvon Martin - black kid armed with skittles killed in "self-defense"

[Trill Clinton]

We have far more traffic deaths from people being careless while driving. Accident my ass... Most traffic accidents have a cause that could have been prevented if traffic laws were enforced. Death by legal use of a car is so much more common than death by legal possession of a firearm.

well since evidence has come out to refute you and cosmic cowboys belief that GZ was screaming for his life I guess we can talk about traffic accidents now


can you explain how people purposely use their cars to kill others? are you talking about drunk driving deaths?

[Wild Cobra]

well since evidence has come out to refute you and cosmic cowboys belief that GZ was screaming for his life I guess we can talk about traffic accidents now


can you explain how people purposely use their cars to kill others? are you talking about drunk driving deaths?

LOL...

I was speaking of traffic deaths in general. I don't remember the statistics, but isn't it only like 20% where deaths have a factor of alcohol? My whole point is that we have more serious concerns. When it comes to traffic deaths, I believe if we enforced things like not following too close, that so many more deaths would be avoided.

The screening for concealed carry is pretty good. The number of deaths, by a shooter holding a conceal carry permit, is very, very small. I wouldn't be surprised if more people die from being struck by lightning each year.

[Trill Clinton]

LOL...

I was speaking of traffic deaths in general. I don't remember the statistics, but isn't it only like 20% where deaths have a factor of alcohol? My whole point is that we have more serious concerns. When it comes to traffic deaths, I believe if we enforced things like not following too close, that so many more deaths would be avoided.

The screening for concealed carry is pretty good. The number of deaths, by a shooter holding a conceal carry permit, is very, very small. I wouldn't be surprised if more people die from being struck by lightning each year.

I think it would be damn near impossible to put laws in place to prevent tailgating.

It'll be easier to make it harder for people to get guns. There are a lot of unregistered guns and gun users out in society and that's very dangerous. I bought my first gun at the gun show and was surprised at how easy the process was. I'm a young black male with my head on straight, imagine a young thug with no convictions going to buy an arsenal. Its ridiculous.

[TheSkeptic]

We have far more traffic deaths from people being careless while driving. Accident my ass... Most traffic accidents have a cause that could have been prevented if traffic laws were enforced. Death by legal use of a car is so much more common than death by legal possession of a firearm.

I'd support harsher penalties for people who drive while under the influence or who hurt people while driving recklessly. Even then there's a difference because guns are tools that are ultimately designed to kill whereas a car is there to help you travel longer distances in less time.

Since deaths by legal firearms don't happen all that often anyway, there's nothing wrong with added deterrents for people who use their guns as an emotional crutch. Most responsible gun owners do the right thing and handle their weapons safely. They would have nothing to worry about.

[Wild Cobra]

I think it would be damn near impossible to put laws in place to prevent tailgating.

Doesn't your state have a "basic rule?" Most states do have something to cover following too close. The problem is that too many good laws are not enforced.

It'll be easier to make it harder for people to get guns. There are a lot of unregistered guns and gun users out in society and that's very dangerous. I bought my first gun at the gun show and was surprised at how easy the process was. I'm a young black male with my head on straight, imagine a young thug with no convictions going to buy an arsenal. Its ridiculous.

Do you believe in the 2nd amendment?

[ChumpDumper]

Do you believe in the 2nd amendment?

I believe in well-regulated militias.

[Trill Clinton]

Doesn't your state have a "basic rule?" Most states do have something to cover following too close. The problem is that too many good laws are not enforced.


Do you believe in the 2nd amendment?

yea but again, it'll be damn near impossible to enforce people following too close to a car. there is only so much enforcing you can do when it comes to traffic laws. You know how many people break the law by speeding? cops can't catch everybody.


yes I believe in the 2nd amendment as long as the right to bear arms is well regulated, which it isn't at this point.

[Nbadan]

‘Trayvon Martin’ gun range targets sold out in two days
By David Edwards
Friday, May 11, 2012 13:24 EDT

A person selling gun range targets modeled after slain Florida teen Trayvon Martin says that their “main motivation was to make money off the controversy.”

WKMG’s Mike DeForest reported on Friday that the unidentified seller told him that the targets “sold out in 2 days.”

“The response is overwhelming,” the seller said.

~snip~
Photos of the item, which was led “10 Pack Trayvon Martin Targets,” showed crosshairs over a hoodie similar to the one Trayvon Martin was wearing when he was shot by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in February. The figure has a bag of Skittle in his pocket and is holding what appears to be a can of iced tea, similar to what Martin had purchased before being gunned down. The pack of 10 targets was being sold for $8.

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/1...t-in-two-days/

[Nbadan]

Marissa Alexander) Florida woman sentenced to 20 years in controversial warning shot case
Source: CNN

Saying he had no discretion under state law, a judge sentenced a Jacksonville, Florida, woman to 20 years in prison Friday for firing a warning shot in an effort to scare off her abusive husband.

Marissa Alexander unsuccessfully tried to use Florida's controversial "stand your ground" law to derail the prosecution, but a jury in March convicted her of aggravated assault after just 12 minutes of deliberation.

The case, which was prosecuted by the same state attorney who is handling the Trayvon Martin case, has gained the attention of civil rights leaders who say the African-American woman was persecuted because of her race.

After the sentencing, Rep. Corrine Brown confronted State Attorney Angela Corey in the hallway, accusing her of being overzealous, according to video from CNN affiliate WJXT

.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/11/justic...ing/index.html

Stand Your Ground (if you're white)


The 2nd-most popular comment (38 likes, no registration required): "So the guy who shoots and kills someone is let go on stand your ground, after being told by the dispatcher NOT to pursue...yet the woman who goes in to retrieve her keys and shoots a warning shot is charged and given 20 years....it's time to take a look at those prosecutors."

[Wild Cobra]

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/05/1...t-in-two-days/

OMG...

Now that is a bit over the top.

Still, there are less honorable ways of making a legal buck.

[Creepn]

Marissa Alexander) Florida woman sentenced to 20 years in controversial warning shot case
Source: CNN

.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/11/justic...ing/index.html

Stand Your Ground (if you're white)


The 2nd-most popular comment (38 likes, no registration required): "So the guy who shoots and kills someone is let go on stand your ground, after being told by the dispatcher NOT to pursue...yet the woman who goes in to retrieve her keys and shoots a warning shot is charged and given 20 years....it's time to take a look at those prosecutors."

20 years for a warning shot? Holy . If someone was threatening to kill me I'd fire a warning shot too.

[CosmicCowboy]

I believe in well-regulated militias.

[boutons_deux]

(all you white racists and bubbas) Stand Your Ground. All you n!gg@s, Stand Still!

[TheSkeptic]

OMG...

Now that is a bit over the top.

Still, there are less honorable ways of making a legal buck.

Cashing in on the death of a teenager is de able no matter what side you're on. And, frankly, this type of thing is the problem with a significant amount of gun owners today.

20 years for a warning shot? Holy . If someone was threatening to kill me I'd fire a warning shot too.

As I understood the specifics of that case, apparently they were arguing and then she went back to the garage, got the weapon, and then fired a warning shot when the man started threatening her again.

She lied about firing into the ceiling because apparently she shot into a wall or something and it turned out that there were children in the room that she fired the weapon in. And then she invoked Stand Your Ground which I don't think would've covered her in this situation.

Corey then got her for a felony and then I'm guessing Florida's 10-20-life (or something?) rule was what determined the sentencing.

If anything, I think she misunderstood the provisions of the law there and her legal counsel also dropped the ball by refusing the plea bargain that would've had her in jail but for only 3 years and instead opting to gamble.

Of course, the defendant was really not smart here but even then I do think 20 years is excessive to say the least. To me this was a 2-5 years of probation + community service + counselling + restricted gun license kind of offence.

[boutons_deux]

And then she invoked Stand Your Ground which I don't think would've covered her in this situation.

why not?

Violence Against Women is ok with Repugs/FL, and trumps (women) stand your ground?

[CosmicCowboy]

Zimmerman's lawyer to see all the evidence today...

ANFORD – Who gets to see the evidence against George Zimmerman, the Neighborhood Watch volunteer awaiting trial on a charge of second-degree murder? Today, that will likely become a point of dispute between lawyers in the case and the most powerful news companies in the country.

Defense attorneyMark O'Marahas said he expects to get his first look at the evidence today. He has also warned that he will likely file paperwork, asking the judge to keep key elements from everyone else.


If he does, lawyers for the Orlando Sentinel, The New York Times, NBC, CBS, CNN and more than a half dozen other news organizations are expected to weigh in and try to prevent that.

They earlier jumped into the case and convinced Circuit Judge Kenneth Lester Jr. to unseal the court file, a different and much more limited set of information.

What's at stake now is all the evidence police and prosecutors have compiled against Zimmerman, the 28-year-old Sanford man charged with killing Trayvon Martin, an unarmed, black 17-year-old in what has become one of the most racially-charged criminal cases in the country.

Zimmerman shot Trayvon Feb. 26 as the teenager walked to the home he was visiting in a gated community in Sanford where Zimmerman lived.

The defendant told police he fired his gun in self-defense after Trayvon pinned him to the ground and began beating him. Trayvon's father, family lawyers and critics say Zimmerman is guilty of racial profiling and murder.

Normally, when a Florida prosecutor turns over evidence to a defense attorney, it becomes a public record, meaning the prosecutor has to give it to anyone who asks for it.

In major cases, reporters then pore over it and write about what they find.

In this case, however, Special Prosecutor Angela Corey's office has made it clear that the evidence will not immediately be available to the public.

State law gives her a "reasonable" amount of time to respond to public record requests.

Her lead trial attorney in the case, Bernie de la Rionda, has also told the judge that, like O'Mara, he doesn't want witness names made public either.

De la Rionda also may file paperwork, asking the judge to keep some or all of the evidence secret.

The judge has not signaled what he will do, but at a hearing April 27, he made clear he takes seriously his job of balancing Zimmerman's right to a fair trial with the public's right to know.

In preparing for that hearing, Rachel Fugate, the Sentinel's attorney, wrote, "There is no reason to believe that the release of material now will affect the fairness of the trial."

[TheSkeptic]

And then she invoked Stand Your Ground which I don't think would've covered her in this situation.

why not?

Because of the restraining order and the fact that she had a legitimate chance to leave (as evidenced by the fact that she was able to go to his garage and retrieve his gun).

SYG essentially means that an individual has no duty to retreat if there is fear for his/her life or imminent bodily harm. That's completely different from leaving the place where the conflict is happening and then coming back with a loaded firearm imo but by itself I wouldn't convict her for it.

I'm guessing what Corey did however, was prove the charge of assault with a deadly weapon. It was proven that the defendant in this case lied about aiming for the ceiling and instead fired into a wall near her abusive husband. They also showed that there were children nearby when she did that which could've put one of them in danger as well. The felony then removed her from the protection of SYG and the rest sorted itself out.

Violence Against Women is ok with Repugs/FL, and trumps (women) stand your ground?

Hey, I didn't write the law. I was just making an observation.

Even if SYG didn't apply here, I still don't think this lady should've gone to prison for 20 years. She's hardly a threat to society at large and I think this was a situation where a different approach was needed.

[CosmicCowboy]

20 years for a warning shot? Holy . If someone was threatening to kill me I'd fire a warning shot too.

True story...I was in high school and a couple of us went to a friends house after school. He was a big guy and his parents were big people...his dad worked on transmissions and would just reach down and pick them up by himself and put them on his workbench.

Anyway, we were in the living room playing poker when the mother got home and started dinner. She had dinner ready and the dad still wasn't home. She was a little irritated and when he finally came in it was pretty clear that he had stopped somewhere and had a few drinks. She started ing him out and he started responding...told her she was acting like a ing ...she slapped him. He literally picked her up and threw her through the sheetrock wall, through the tile on the other side of the wall in the hall bath and landed in the bathtub...we could hear her get up and about 15 seconds later we all heard her coming down the hall racking a s into that 30-30 Marlin...we were all like "oh !" us kids hit the ground, has dad was hauling ass for the back door, and she came around the corner shooting...she got off 3 shots (misses) before his dad got over the back fence...It's funny looking back on it but it was scary as at the time...needless to say we booked it outa there before the dad came home for round two.

[Sportcamper]

needless to say we booked it outa there before the dad came home for round two.

Should have taken my advice & gotten an agent 10 years ago…These stories are priceless…Amazing tales by Cosmic Cowboy…

[DMX7]

Why? Because you just want to forget about that part?

[Blake]

True story...I was in high school and a couple of us went to a friends house after school. He was a big guy and his parents were big people...his dad worked on transmissions and would just reach down and pick them up by himself and put them on his workbench.

Anyway, we were in the living room playing poker when the mother got home and started dinner. She had dinner ready and the dad still wasn't home. She was a little irritated and when he finally came in it was pretty clear that he had stopped somewhere and had a few drinks. She started ing him out and he started responding...told her she was acting like a ing ...she slapped him. He literally picked her up and threw her through the sheetrock wall, through the tile on the other side of the wall in the hall bath and landed in the bathtub...we could hear her get up and about 15 seconds later we all heard her coming down the hall racking a s into that 30-30 Marlin...we were all like "oh !" us kids hit the ground, has dad was hauling ass for the back door, and she came around the corner shooting...she got off 3 shots (misses) before his dad got over the back fence...It's funny looking back on it but it was scary as at the time...needless to say we booked it outa there before the dad came home for round two.

I don't recall there being any kids in Mr and Mrs Smith

[jack sommerset]

It appears our young black brother was high on drugs the night he attacked Zimmerman, at least the evidence is pointing Zimmerman was attacked. God bless

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

[FuzzyLumpkins]

It appears our young black brother was high on drugs the night he attacked Zimmerman, at least the evidence is pointing Zimmerman was attacked. God bless

"For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

THC was found in his blood sample. Now please go and look up how long THC stays in the blood stream after consumption. I will give you a hint: lipid soluble.

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Trayvon Martin case: new do ents paint complicated picture

The trove of information released today provides support both to Zimmerman's defenders and accusers.

Trayvon Martin had marijuana in his system. He was shot through the heart at close range. George Zimmerman had a broken nose, bruises and bloody cuts on the back of his head.

The lead investigator wanted to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter in the weeks after the shooting but was overruled.

These are among the details revealed in nearly 200 pages of do ents, photos and audio recordings that were released Thursday in a case that has riveted the nation. Yet it's still unclear what exactly happened and whether it was racially motivated.

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-...icated-picture

[jack sommerset]

THC was found in his blood sample. Now please go and look up how long THC stays in the blood stream after consumption. I will give you a hint: lipid soluble.

I feel your pain. So many of you want to find someone to blame for this untimely death of our young brother. There is more than enough evidence that will clear the Zimmermans path to freedom. You will need to accept that. Fact is, they found drugs in his blood. That does not Bold well for the revenge seekers. God bless


"Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”