145 replies to this topic

[susieice]

Michelle, on 26 March 2012 - 04:37 AM, said:

To be perfectly fair though, neighborhood watch groups are set up for a reason a lot of times. Sometimes there is a serious need for them, their lives are threatened and their dogs or cats are killed as a warning. There is a woman, in her seventies, that is head of the neighborhood watch in one of our inner city neighborhoods, that has had her house shot up in drive-by shootings in retaliation. She lives alone and is a spitfire that isn't going to let anyone intimidate her.

That is not the kind of neighborhood I would feel safe walking around at night without a weapon.

Hi Michelle. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a neighborhood watch. They do a tremendous service to the public by keeping an eye on the streets and reporting trouble to the police. They report what they see which is usually more than someone walking down the street at a reasonable hour for them to be doing so. I have no doubt they face a lot of retaliation for what they do. But they don't go around shooting people or making false accusations due to their own issues. They don't take the law into their own hands. Each case needs to be looked at individually. No two crimes are ever the same. In this case, Zimmerman didn't even tell the 911 dispatcher that he had witnessed a crime. He was going only on his own assumptions. This kid wasn't bothering anyone's property. He wasn't being loud or obnoxious. He wasn't with a group of teens obviously looking for trouble. It was not reported to 911 that he was, in fact, observed doing anything wrong. This Zimmerman for some reason just had it in for him. So it seems to me.

Edited by susieice, 26 March 2012 - 05:08 AM.

[Michelle]

susieice, on 26 March 2012 - 05:06 AM, said:

Hi Michelle. I'm not saying there shouldn't be a neighborhood watch. They do a tremendous service to the public by keeping an eye on the streets and reporting trouble to the police. They report what they see which is usually more than someone walking down the street at a reasonable hour for them to be doing so. I have no doubt they face a lot of retaliation for what they do. But they don't go around shooting people or making false accusations due to their own issues. They don't take the law into their own hands. Each case needs to be looked at individually. No two crimes are ever the same. In this case, Zimmerman didn't even tell the 911 dispatcher that he had witnessed a crime. He was going only on his own assumptions. This kid wasn't bothering anyone's property. He wasn't being loud or obnoxious. He wasn't with a group of teens obviously looking for trouble. It was not reported to 911 that he was, in fact, observed doing anything wrong. This Zimmerman for some reason just had it in for him. So it seems to me.

I'm not going to be judge and jury, without all of the facts. What is reported in the news is usually iffy at best.

Forgive me if I withhold judgement.

[Toolite]

One thing I will say is you cant lie to God.. and God is the Final Judge.  I am thankful for when we cant see the hearts of men God does and He handles it accordingly.. God is one that you can not lie too.. or manipulate to your favor.  He is law and He is justice.

All The Glory Belongs To God Forever!

[Babe Ruth]

Amon-Ra, on 25 March 2012 - 10:28 PM, said:

The evidence indicates that Zimmerman is innocent.  Do facts matter to you?  Or do you just want to join the lynch mob?

He ADMITTED shooting the guy?  Do facts matter to you?

At question is whether the shooting meets the points of the stand your ground defense.  After just a cursory reading of that statute, clearly it does not.

[Kasey2601]

I just watched an interview between ABC news and Zimmerman's lawyer and a friend of his. Both are expert at giving vague answers and his lawyer sounded like he hasn't got a clue about what's going on in his own client's case. What galls me is that Zimmerman has stated (through others) that he has "virtually lost is life". I'm sorry but there is zero comparison between virtually losing your life and literally losing your life. As for the neighbourhood watch crap, the little association he was part of isn't even registered in the national database of neighbourhood watch associations.

[supervike]

Who cares is his Neighborhood watch was sanctioned or not?  Apparently, that neighborhood had been plagued by trouble for a while, and he was keeping watch.

I think we should reserve judgement on this until we have all the facts.

That said, however, I think there are enough facts to have George Zimmerman arrested.  Whether he is guilty is another matter all together.

Let him have his say in court.

One question though, are the pictures they keep showing of these two current?

[Michelle]

supervike, on 26 March 2012 - 07:22 PM, said:

Who cares is his Neighborhood watch was sanctioned or not?  Apparently, that neighborhood had been plagued by trouble for a while, and he was keeping watch.

I'm not sure why that would be such a big deal. Our little neighborhood has less than thirty houses and we don't have an official neighborhood watch. We all know each other and look out for each other, but it isn't organized. If something or someone looks out of place we simply give the person who owns the house a call. If we can't get in touch with them we will either check it out ourselves or call the police, depending on the situation.

[susieice]

Michelle, on 26 March 2012 - 09:34 PM, said:

I'm not sure why that would be such a big deal. Our little neighborhood has less than thirty houses and we don't have an official neighborhood watch. We all know each other and look out for each other, but it isn't organized. If something or someone looks out of place we simply give the person who owns the house a call. If we can't get in touch with them we will either check it out ourselves or call the police, depending on the situation.

That's how neighbors should be and I'm not saying you shouldn't defend your property. I'm saying people shouldn't be packing weapons on the street and be out looking for a confrontation. Notify the police of any suspicious activity you see. Don't take the law in your own hands. It's too late to change what happened now but it is preventable in the future.

[Trayvon]

Offeiriad, on 26 March 2012 - 04:23 PM, said:

I just watched an interview between ABC news and Zimmerman's lawyer and a friend of his. Both are expert at giving vague answers and his lawyer sounded like he hasn't got a clue about what's going on in his own client's case.

...Did you see the press conference with the lawyer, Al Sharpton, etc.? This whole thing is sickening.

Edited by Trayvon, 27 March 2012 - 04:38 PM.

[supervike]

susieice, on 27 March 2012 - 02:17 AM, said:

That's how neighbors should be and I'm not saying you shouldn't defend your property. I'm saying people shouldn't be packing weapons on the street and be out looking for a confrontation. Notify the police of any suspicious activity you see. Don't take the law in your own hands. It's too late to change what happened now but it is preventable in the future.

That's the frustration I think.  People are sick of being a prisoner in their own neighborhoods, and they want to take things back.  The police are often too late and too spread thin to deal with these things.

That being said, I agree.  Zimmerman should have never followed the young man, and certainly never approached him.  It's just that I can understand the frustrations a homeowner may have.

Even if Trayvon Martin was up to no good (and there are no indications that he was), he certainly didn't deserve to die for that.

[H.H. Holmes]

The social outrage set off by this murder reeks of hypocrisy...

Where is the outrage about 1,000,000 African-Americans in jail?

Where is the outrage about the other young black men who get murdered every day? Usually by other black men. Where is their march or rally?  

If George Zimmerman had a darker complexion then this wouldn't have made it to the front page of the local newspaper, let alone generate national coverage from major media outlets.  

I understand that this is a tragedy, I am not trying to belittle Trayvon's family's loss, but I cannot help to see the contradictory nature in which the whole nation reacts to white-on-black crime (George Zimmerman is half white half hispanic) compared to black-on-black crime.  

Of course, the way in which the police department handled the whole situation didn't help any to dispel questions of racism or fair treatment, either.

Edited by H.H. Holmes, 29 March 2012 - 02:18 AM.

[susieice]

supervike, on 27 March 2012 - 05:36 PM, said:

That's the frustration I think.  People are sick of being a prisoner in their own neighborhoods, and they want to take things back.  The police are often too late and too spread thin to deal with these things.

That being said, I agree.  Zimmerman should have never followed the young man, and certainly never approached him.  It's just that I can understand the frustrations a homeowner may have.

Even if Trayvon Martin was up to no good (and there are no indications that he was), he certainly didn't deserve to die for that.

I know people are upset with the rise in crime in their neighborhoods but they need to think if taking the law into their own hands is really the best way to deal with the problem. For all the talk of racism, that wasn't even the first thing I thought when I heard this story nor do I really think about it now. All that talk is rubbish. What concerns me is do people really want armed people walking the streets shooting others because they don't like what they're wearing or the way they look, no reasonable suspicion or criminal action required. I walk to the store often after work when it's dark and I have a hoodie. It's an article of clothing used for warmth when a heavy coat isn't necessary. I read in a post on the other thread about how 60F isn't cold enough to wear one but it sure is. Nights at 60 when you're near water or accustomed to daytime temps in the 80-90 degree range can be quite cool. Summer temps in Florida can reach 100 with a 98% humidity. If we start to approve of vigilantism no one will be safe, no questions asked. Where I live, the law doesn't give this kind of leeway and I'm thankful for that. I have to wonder if anyone walking on the street in Florida is safe. Anyone can be accused of anything even if nothing is really going on. That should scare people. Is anyone really thinking?
Just posted this in that other thread. It's a police surveillance video showing Zimmerman arriving at the Sanford Police Department for questioning. He is handcuffed with no visible injuries to his head, no blood and no broken nose. The plot thickens.
http://news.yahoo.co...topstories.html

Edited by susieice, 29 March 2012 - 03:45 AM.

[Michelle]

H.H. Holmes, on 29 March 2012 - 02:16 AM, said:

The social outrage set off by this murder reeks of hypocrisy...

Where is the outrage about 1,000,000 African-Americans in jail?

Where is the outrage about the other young black men who get murdered every day? Usually by other black men. Where is their march or rally?  

If George Zimmerman had a darker complexion then this wouldn't have made it to the front page of the local newspaper, let alone generate national coverage from major media outlets.  

I understand that this is a tragedy, I am not trying to belittle Trayvon's family's loss, but I cannot help to see the contradictory nature in which the whole nation reacts to white-on-black crime (George Zimmerman is half white half hispanic) compared to black-on-black crime.  

Of course, the way in which the police department handled the whole situation didn't help any to dispel questions of racism or fair treatment, either.

You hit the nail on the head. This didn't make national news...

Neighbors say a 13-year-old Chattanooga girl was playing in the street with her cousins Saturday night shortly before a bullet struck the back of her head.

After hearing the shots, neighbor Brenda Talley said she rushed onto Bennett Avenue, where a young girl was cradling the limp frame of Keoshia Ford.

"I couldn't find her pulse ... blood was just pouring into the street," Talley said Monday. "That little girl was just holding her while all these other adults and teenagers looked on."

Keoshia remained in critical condition at Erlanger hospital after Chattanooga police say she was caught in the crossfire of a shootout that spanned several blocks in Highland Park as people in several vehicles exchanged gunfire with people on the street.

http://timesfreepres...efore-shooting/

But, of course that was a black on black gang crime and she was caught in the crossfire.

And yet this got picked up across the US....

The Chattanooga Hamilton County NAACP on Tuesday issued a calls "for an immediate investigation" of an incident early Saturday morning in which three young white males were charged with throwing firecrackers and allegedly making racist remarks at East Lake Courts.

http://www.chattanoo...on-Of-Hate.aspx

  They threw firecrackers and shouted racial slurs.

Edited by Michelle, 29 March 2012 - 05:08 AM.

[Eldorado]

Quick question, cousins.....

Is there an IQ test and/or an "upstanding citizen" test you need to pass before being granted a license to own firearms in the US?

(just interested)

[susieice]

Eldorado, on 29 March 2012 - 10:08 AM, said:

Quick question, cousins.....

Is there an IQ test and/or an "upstanding citizen" test you need to pass before being granted a license to own firearms in the US?

(just interested)

You have to pass a criminal background check so it's interesting that you can do that after pleading in a case involving assault on a police officer. However in most states, you can't go around shooting people on the street. Here where I am you also have to apply for and have character references to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon.