Off The Reservation

First of all I never post. I felt compelled after reading some of your comments. Full disclosure I'm a 41 year old black man who has lived through his share of profiling and discrimination. That said what most civilized people want to come of this situation is simple justice. If Zimmerman is guilty let him be prosecuted if not let him go on with his life. The kids family thought there was something suspicious about there son's death and sought media attention. Some of you profess to having young kids of your own. Would you not do the same? About those hate crimes that were referenced, that were committed by "blacks". Were the offenders prosecuted ? If so then justice was served. The bottom line is they're are racial bigots and idiots in every race. Some of us would be wise to read what we've written before we post. You might come off sounding like one of these idiots.

I would like to know why all this information took so long to get out?

If you go by just the facts that were initially known, then yes it looked like it was this Zimmerman guy just shooting him cause he had a hoodie, and a bunch of redneck cops endorsing it.

However when things like this happen, my first thought (and this is the military in me) most PDs are pretty diverse these days, so the guy not getting arrested had more to it then we all thought. Tell you what if you see Sharpton leaving Central Florida in the next day or two, then the latest account may be the accurate one.

Nieghborhood watch guy should of just phoned it in if he thought he looked sucipious, not sure what he was thinking.

Post more please.

Thank you. I think I will. I like your content also. I always read when you post.

That story just ruined my day.

Zimmerman is Hispanic. However he is either refered to as white or white hispanic in most reports. Judge for yourself.

Once again, media sells a story. This is why you don't jump off your couch and grab a pitch fork as soon as your preferred news source runs a headline story. People like to be so involved in today's hot topic that they make fools of themselves when they deem something a rape, murder, hate crime, etc. while having zero actual facts.

Here are some numbers to stare at:

Homicide Type by Race, 1976-2005

VICTIMS OFFENDERS
White Black Other White Black Other
All homicides 50.9% 46.9% 2.1% 45.8% 52.2% 2.0%
Victim/offender relationship
Intimate 56.6% 41.2% 2.2% 54.4% 43.4% 2.2%
Family 60.7% 36.9% 2.4% 59.2% 38.5% 2.3%
Infanticide 55.9% 41.6% 2.5% 55.4% 42.1% 2.5%
Eldercide 69.2% 29.1% 1.6% 54.5% 43.8% 1.6%
Circumstances
Felony murder 54.7% 42.7% 2.6% 39.1% 59.3% 1.6%
Sex related 66.9% 30.5% 2.5% 54.7% 43.4% 1.9%
Drug related 37.4% 61.6% .9% 33.9% 65.0% 1.1%
Gang related 57.5% 39.0% 3.5% 54.3% 41.2% 4.4%
Argument 48.6% 49.3% 2.1% 46.8% 51.1% 2.2%
Workplace 84.6% 12.2% 3.2% 70.5% 26.7% 2.8%
Weapon
Gun homicide 47.2% 50.9% 1.9% 41.9% 56.4% 1.7%
Arson 58.9% 38.1% 2.9% 55.7% 42.0% 2.3%
Poison 80.6% 16.9% 2.5% 79.8% 18.4% 1.8%
Multiple victims or offenders
Multiple victims 63.4% 33.2% 3.3% 55.7% 40.8% 3.5%
Multiple offend 54.8% 42.5% 2.7% 44.6% 53.0% 2.4%

From 1976 to 2005 -
86% of white victims were killed by whites
94% of black victims were killed by blacks

Long story short, white people kill, black people kill, and when they do it is someone who looks just like them 9/10 times. Racism will be prevalent as long as Americans want to make it.

The term "hate crime" is absurd. Is there a crime called "I really like you but I like your money more so I am going to have to beat/kill you for it" crime?

How do those work?

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776.012 Use of force in defense of person.—A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:
(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or
(2) Under those circumstances permitted pursuant to s. 776.013.
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776.013 deals with your home
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776.032 Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justifiable use of force.—
(1) A person who uses force as permitted in s. 776.012, s. 776.013, or s. 776.031 is justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action for the use of such force, unless the person against whom force was used is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who was acting in the performance of his or her official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person was a law enforcement officer. As used in this subsection, the term “criminal prosecution” includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or prosecuting the defendant.
(2) A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures for investigating the use of force as described in subsection (1), but the agency may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force that was used was unlawful.
(3) The court shall award reasonable attorney’s fees, court costs, compensation for loss of income, and all expenses incurred by the defendant in defense of any civil action brought by a plaintiff if the court finds that the defendant is immune from prosecution as provided in subsection (1).
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776.041 Use of force by aggressor.—The justification described in the preceding sections of this chapter is not available to a person who:
(1) Is attempting to commit, committing, or escaping after the commission of, a forcible felony; or
(2) Initially provokes the use of force against himself or herself, unless:
(a) Such force is so great that the person reasonably believes that he or she is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm and that he or she has exhausted every reasonable means to escape such danger other than the use of force which is likely to cause death or great bodily harm to the assailant; or
(b) In good faith, the person withdraws from physical contact with the assailant and indicates clearly to the assailant that he or she desires to withdraw and terminate the use of force, but the assailant continues or resumes the use of force.
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776.06 Deadly force.—
(1) The term “deadly force” means force that is likely to cause death or great bodily harm and includes, but is not limited to:
(a) The firing of a firearm in the direction of the person to be arrested, even though no intent exists to kill or inflict great bodily harm; and
(b) The firing of a firearm at a vehicle in which the person to be arrested is riding.
(2)(a) The term “deadly force” does not include the discharge of a firearm by a law enforcement officer or correctional officer during and within the scope of his or her official duties which is loaded with a less-lethal munition. As used in this subsection, the term “less-lethal munition” means a projectile that is designed to stun, temporarily incapacitate, or cause temporary discomfort to a person without penetrating the person’s body.
(b) A law enforcement officer or a correctional officer is not liable in any civil or criminal action arising out of the use of any less-lethal munition in good faith during and within the scope of his or her official duties.

Hispanic is not a race, at least as defined by the US Government. Its a cultural ethnicity. You can be white Hispanic, you can be black Hispanic, you can be mixed (mestizo). David Ortiz is black Hispanic, Manny Ramirez is a mixed Hispanic, Tony Romo is a mixed Anglo/Hispanic, James Coley is a white Hispanic. And so on...

Many "Hispanics" are as European as can be. Heck there are almost as many Italians in South America than in Italy. There are tons of Germans in Brazil and other parts of South America. People from Spain are as "white" as French, Italians, Greeks, etc.

Just wanted to put that in context.

Here's a jury instruction from one of my cases if you're interested:

3.6(f) JUSTIFIABLE USE OF DEADLY FORCE

An issue in this case is whether the Defendant acted in self-defense. It is a defense to the offense with which DEFENDANT is charged if the injury to VICTIM resulted from the justifiable use of deadly force.

“Deadly force” means force likely to cause death or great bodily harm.

The use of deadly force is justifiable only if the Defendant reasonably believes that the force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to herself while resisting:

1. another’s attempt to murder her, or
2. any attempt to commit an assault with a deadly weapon or aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, or
3. any attempt to commit an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon or aggravated battery with a deadly weapon upon or in a residence.

A person is justified in using deadly force if she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent

1. imminent death or great bodily harm to herself, or
2. the imminent commission of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon or an aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

“Assault” is unlawfully and intentionally threatening by word or act, to do violence to the person of another, coupled with an apparent ability to do so, while doing some act, which creates a well-founded fear in such other person that such violence was imminent.

If during the commission of an assault a person intentionally and unlawfully threatened, either by word or act, to do violence to another person and at the time the person appeared to have the ability to carry out the threat and the act of the person created in the mind of the other person a well-founded fear that the violence was about to take place and the assault was made with a deadly weapon, an aggravated assault has occurred.

A “battery” is an actual and intentional touching or striking of another person against that person’s will or the intentional causing of bodily harm to another person.

If during the commission of a battery a person intentionally or knowingly caused great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement to a person, and used a deadly weapon, an aggravated battery has occurred.

A weapon is a "deadly weapon" if it is used or threatened to be used in a way likely to produce death or great bodily harm.

Aggressor

However, the use of deadly force is not justifiable if you find:
1. DEFENDANT initially provoked the use of force against herself, unless:
a. The force asserted toward the Defendant was so great that she reasonably believed that she was in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm and had exhausted every reasonable means to escape the danger, other than using deadly force or great bodily harm on VICTIM.
b. In good faith, the Defendant withdrew from physical contact with VICTIM and clearly indicated to VICTIM that she wanted to withdraw and stop the use of deadly force or great bodily harm, but VICTIM continued or resumed the use of force.

In deciding whether Defendant was justified in the use of deadly force, you must judge her by the circumstances by which she was surrounded at the time the force was used. The danger facing the Defendant need not have been actual; however, to justify the use of deadly force, the appearance of danger must have been so real that a reasonably cautious and prudent person under the same circumstances would have believed that the danger could be avoided only through the use of that force.

Based upon appearances, the Defendant must have actually believed that the danger was real. If the Defendant was not engaged in an unlawful activity and was attacked in any place where she had a right to be, she had no duty to retreat and had the right to stand her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if she reasonably believed that it was necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and aggravated battery with a deadly weapon.

As used with regard to self defense:
“Residence” means a dwelling in which a person resides either temporarily or permanently or is visiting as an invited guest.

Physical abilities

In considering the issue of self-defense, you may take into account the relative physical abilities and capacities of the Defendant and VICTIM.

If in your consideration of the issue of self-defense you have a reasonable doubt on the question of whether the Defendant was justified in the use of deadly force, you should find the Defendant not guilty.

However, if from the evidence you are convinced that the Defendant was not justified in the use of deadly force, you should find her guilty if all the elements of the charge have been proved.