What Bothered Me Most About the Zimmerman Trial

[Anti Federalist]

Yeah, myself as well Butler.



What Bothered Me Most About the Zimmerman Trial

http://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/what-bothered-me-most-about-the-zimmerman-trial/

Butler Shaffer on July 14, 2013

I did not watch the entirety of this trial, but I did watch most of the closing arguments. There was a tone to the prosecution’s summation to the jury that left me with the impression that the core of George Zimmerman’s offense was that he was not a police officer. While giving lip-service to the propriety – even the desirability - of “neighborhood watch” practices, the state’s prosecutors saw a conflict between ordinary people and “official” police officers doing what Zimmerman did. Toward the end of the state’s summation, it was said that if a person wanted to do what George Zimmerman did “you’d better have one of these” (whereupon a photo of a policeman’s badge was projected onto the screen).

What the state was implicitly acknowledging – whether such was its intent or not – was the real-world dual standard that operates on the streets of virtually every city in every state: a police officer will almost never be held to account, criminally, for wrongs committed against innocent victims. Take the identical facts in the Zimmerman case and change just one: have George Zimmerman be a city-appointed police officer. Is there anyone so naïve as to believe that his actions would have turned him into a criminal defendant? Would the event have even made it into the media – apart, perhaps, from a blurb news report on page 23 of the local newspaper? Because the state is defined as a system enjoying a monopoly on the use of violence, its practitioners must be shielded from the consequences of their violent acts.

I shall not hold my breath awaiting the media babblers addressing this issue. The institutionalized keepers-of-the-questions-to-be-asked would never be so foolish or careless as to allow such a thought to surface.

[Contumacious]

Yeah, myself as well Butler.



What Bothered Me Most About the Zimmerman Trial

http://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/what-bothered-me-most-about-the-zimmerman-trial/

Butler Shaffe on July 14, 2013

I did not watch the entirety of this trial, but I did watch most of the closing arguments. There was a tone to the prosecution’s summation to the jury that left me with the impression that the core of George Zimmerman’s offense was that he was not a police officer. While giving lip-service to the propriety – even the desirability - of “neighborhood watch” practices, the state’s prosecutors saw a conflict between ordinary people and “official” police officers doing what Zimmerman did. Toward the end of the state’s summation, it was said that if a person wanted to do what George Zimmerman did “you’d better have one of these” (whereupon a photo of a policeman’s badge was projected onto the screen).

What the state was implicitly acknowledging – whether such was its intent or not – was the real-world dual standard that operates on the streets of virtually every city in every state: a police officer will almost never be held to account, criminally, for wrongs committed against innocent victims. Take the identical facts in the Zimmerman case and change just one: have George Zimmerman be a city-appointed police officer. Is there anyone so naïve as to believe that his actions would have turned him into a criminal defendant? Would the event have even made it into the media – apart, perhaps, from a blurb news report on page 23 of the local newspaper? Because the state is defined as a system enjoying a monopoly on the use of violence, its practitioners must be shielded from the consequences of their violent acts.

I shall not hold my breath awaiting the media babblers addressing this issue. The institutionalized keepers-of-the-questions-to-be-asked would never be so foolish or careless as to allow such a thought to surface.

Yes, indeed. There is difinitely a double standrad. "Law" enforment can murder, maim and brutalized the citizens using the flimsiest ptretexts and their concduct is immune from prosecution or lawsuits.

Americans just put up with the practice without complain.

For shame.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

What the state was implicitly acknowledging – whether such was its intent or not...


It was intentional.

But people like zimmerman, wannabe cops, who run around calling themselves sheepdogs, can also blow off.

Maybe that is not fair to him, but those people are out there. Zimmerman following you around is every bit as dangerous as cops following you around, and probably worse, since regular citizens can collect evidence as illegally as they want, that the state will use against you.

Were he a cop, no doubt he'd get a pass on what went down, without so much as a newspaper article. NOTHING ABOUT THIS CASE IS GOOD FOR PEOPLE WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN DEFENSE.

[Working Poor]

I said in an earlier thread that if the police had shown up before Martin got shot that chances are he would have been killed by the police.

[kahless]

It was intentional.

-snip-

Were he a cop, no doubt he'd get a pass on what went down, without so much as a newspaper article. NOTHING ABOUT THIS CASE IS GOOD FOR PEOPLE WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR OWN DEFENSE.

There you have it. That was the point of the agenda driven MSM of using this case. If it was not the Martin case they would have found another for the purpose of discouraging self-defense, demonizing gun ownership, stand your ground, neighborhood watch and private security, in favor of official law enforcement.

[liveandletlive]

I wouldn't want Zimmerman as a neighbor though. I don't trust loose cannons. In a Libertarian ideal society, we need to trust and depend upon our neighbors, 100% in lieu of depending on the government or authorities to defend us. Zimmerman being a loser with a past record of violence and poor judgment is a liability.

A loose cannon, wannabe, trigger happy softie is bad for the community. How Zimmerman managed to provoke a bystander will forever remain a mystery. We will never know what REALLY happened.

[surf]

Toward the end of the state’s summation, it was said that if a person wanted to do what George Zimmerman did “you’d better have one of these” (whereupon a photo of a policeman’s badge was projected onto the screen).

moneyline

[Anti Federalist]

Sent to me in a rep, from a member I have great deal of respect for:


The expert witness testified that it is "best practices" for police to wait up to 72 hours to give a statement after an officer shooting; as they get more accurate with the wait. something to remember if you find yourself a shooter....

Damn right...short and sweet: STFU.

Never. Talk. To. Cops.

Exercise your right to remain silent and say nothing until you have consulted competent legal advisers.

[presence]

Pretty much that sums it.

[MoneyWhereMyMouthIs2]

The expert witness testified that it is "best practices" for police to wait up to 72 hours to give a statement after an officer shooting; as they get more accurate with the wait.


Ah, yes. Waiting always makes memory better. The more they talk amongst themselves, the more accurate they become.

[jclay2]

Unfortunately, I think this is how most of the general population feels about the case. When talking to my coworkers, they all thought Zimmerman was hopping mad and that guns should only be utilized by cops. I quickly countered and said some of the worst cases of manslaughter and outright murder of humans/dogs are done by cops. All of my coworkers basically told me that it was 100% ok for Cops to kill dogs if there was even a hint of a threat to officer safety (specifically mentioning LA as a good example for this). They also said that cops don't kill humans without cause. It was an effing depressing day.

[Anti Federalist]

Unfortunately, I think this is how most of the general population feels about the case. When talking to my coworkers, they all thought Zimmerman was hopping mad and that guns should only be utilized by cops. I quickly countered and said some of the worst cases of manslaughter and outright murder of humans/dogs are done by cops. All of my coworkers basically told me that it was 100% ok for Cops to kill dogs if there was even a hint of a threat to officer safety (specifically mentioning LA as a good example for this). They also said that cops don't kill humans without cause. It was an effing depressing day

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why we are fucked.