Trayvon martin debate
Trayvon martin debate, The shooting of Trayvon Martin on February 26, 2012 has become one of the most well-known events of the year so far.
The case is generating enormous publicity because Martin's killer has not been arrested or charged with any criminal act, despite widespread perception that he committed murder, or at least lied about the circumstances leading to the shooting.
On February 26, around 7:00 PM, in Sanford Florida, a neighborhood watch volunteer named George Zimmerman noticed Trayvon Martin walking down his street and thought his behavior looked suspicious. Zimmerman called the neighborhood watch hotline and reported that Martin was wandering suspiciously through the neighborhood looking at houses, despite the fact that it was raining. Zimmerman then attempted to follow Martin to confront him after the neighborhood watch operator told him he did not need to pursue Martin.
What happened next is widely debated, because the only testimony has come from Zimmerman himself. According to Zimmerman, after saying a few words to Martin, he turned his back and walked away. Then, according to Zimmerman, Martin attacked him from behind, knocked him to the ground, and began beating him. Zimmerman then called for help, and was heard by at least one neighbor, and then shot Martin with his handgun.
The police who investigated believed that Zimmerman acted in self defense, and did not press any charges. However, that very night, Sanford police homicide detective Chris Serino stated that he did not trust Zimmerman's claims. This statement, as well as Zimmerman's own actions, have led many to believe that Zimmerman is guilty of murder.
The case against Zimmerman primarily revolves around his insistence on confronting Martin, even though Martin had not broken any law. If Zimmerman had simply stayed in his house and not gone out to catch him, Martin would still be alive. It was Zimmerman who went after Martin, confronted him, and killed him. Additionally, his call to the neighborhood watch hotline includes a very fuzzy recording that may be a racist statement against blacks. This recording is extremely faint, and is not conclusive, but it has generated a significant amount of controversy and turned the case into a potential hate crime as well.
In addition to the complexities of the case itself, there is also a debate about a law in Florida known as Stand Your Ground. This law states that in a confrontation, a person is not obligated to flee, but may act in self defense. Many states require people to attempt to flee from an attacker, and do not allow self defense unless the person has no other choice but to fight back. Florida's Stand Your Ground law allows people to fight back with deadly force even if they have a chance to escape without using deadly force.
Similar laws are on the books in many other states, but not all states, and Zimmerman's actions would probably be found illegal in many of these states. The conflicting police reports between the homicide investigator and the other police officers are also a major source of controversy.
What do you think? Did Zimmerman commit a crime, or did he simply defend himself? Do you think Stand Your Ground is a good law or a dangerous one?
The case is generating enormous publicity because Martin's killer has not been arrested or charged with any criminal act, despite widespread perception that he committed murder, or at least lied about the circumstances leading to the shooting.
On February 26, around 7:00 PM, in Sanford Florida, a neighborhood watch volunteer named George Zimmerman noticed Trayvon Martin walking down his street and thought his behavior looked suspicious. Zimmerman called the neighborhood watch hotline and reported that Martin was wandering suspiciously through the neighborhood looking at houses, despite the fact that it was raining. Zimmerman then attempted to follow Martin to confront him after the neighborhood watch operator told him he did not need to pursue Martin.
What happened next is widely debated, because the only testimony has come from Zimmerman himself. According to Zimmerman, after saying a few words to Martin, he turned his back and walked away. Then, according to Zimmerman, Martin attacked him from behind, knocked him to the ground, and began beating him. Zimmerman then called for help, and was heard by at least one neighbor, and then shot Martin with his handgun.
The police who investigated believed that Zimmerman acted in self defense, and did not press any charges. However, that very night, Sanford police homicide detective Chris Serino stated that he did not trust Zimmerman's claims. This statement, as well as Zimmerman's own actions, have led many to believe that Zimmerman is guilty of murder.
The case against Zimmerman primarily revolves around his insistence on confronting Martin, even though Martin had not broken any law. If Zimmerman had simply stayed in his house and not gone out to catch him, Martin would still be alive. It was Zimmerman who went after Martin, confronted him, and killed him. Additionally, his call to the neighborhood watch hotline includes a very fuzzy recording that may be a racist statement against blacks. This recording is extremely faint, and is not conclusive, but it has generated a significant amount of controversy and turned the case into a potential hate crime as well.
In addition to the complexities of the case itself, there is also a debate about a law in Florida known as Stand Your Ground. This law states that in a confrontation, a person is not obligated to flee, but may act in self defense. Many states require people to attempt to flee from an attacker, and do not allow self defense unless the person has no other choice but to fight back. Florida's Stand Your Ground law allows people to fight back with deadly force even if they have a chance to escape without using deadly force.
Similar laws are on the books in many other states, but not all states, and Zimmerman's actions would probably be found illegal in many of these states. The conflicting police reports between the homicide investigator and the other police officers are also a major source of controversy.
What do you think? Did Zimmerman commit a crime, or did he simply defend himself? Do you think Stand Your Ground is a good law or a dangerous one?
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Trayvon martin debate
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