[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Where are you getting the fat out of shape from? Sure he was a big guy, but the pictures dont' depict him as Ralphie May or anything. He was able to chase down the kid multiple times. Not to mention he has been able to put up a fight against others in the past, so he's not some invalid. And for "getting his ass kicked", he didn't require medical attention that night.

His pics make him look like a fatty to me. And I don't recall reading where he chased the kid down multiple times. And he put up a fight against...a woman. Real tough guy there.

And lets assume that Martin did defend himself and it got physical. Isn't that what we teach kids to do when they are being chased? Especially at night by someone much larger. What do you want your kids to do if they are cornered by a stranger who has been stalking them? He tried to get away initially and Zimmerman continued to stalk him. If he had to make a fight or flight response and chose fight, how can you blame him? Every school has cops come in and tell kids to kick, scream, and do whatever they can to avoid whatever the dubious adult is looking to accomplish.

..and if you've read and comprehended anything I've said, you'd understand that I basically agree with all of this part. But it sure looks like that in Florida, if you stop running, throw the first punch, and are winning the fight, the dude with the gun can yell "self defense" after he kills you, and be within his legal rights. You're sounding like the people out there that are evidently missing this critical, critical point. It may not matter that Zimmerman chased him, scared him, made him feel threatened, or any of that.

Let's try putting it this way:

Do I strongly suspect that Zimmerman is the one who initiated the chain of events that led to Martin's death?
Absolutely.

Do I strongly suspect that Zimmerman is likely the primary "bad guy" in this story?
Absolutely.

But does that mean, according to Florida law, that Zimmerman should go to jail?
Unless I believed that Zimmerman chased down Martin and then physically attacked him, I just can't say that and be remotely intellectually honest about the matter.