General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: A couple of years ago, I was personally responsible for starting a lot of OPs on Zimmerman [View all]Tommy_Carcetti
(43,085 posts)You automatically assume, without evidence to support it, that Trayvon "turn(ed) around and attack(ed)" and that he "chose to confront a stranger in the dark."
We know Zimmerman said, "Shit, he's running." We know Zimmerman exited his car. We know Zimmerman admitted to dispatch he was following Trayvon. So we know, in fact, that Zimmerman did chase Trayvon for a certain period of time. And then--and keep this in mind--he lost him. Trayvon got away. Presumably he went down the "dog walk" alleyway between the rows of townhouses.
Now just stop and think for just a second. Trayvon--who's done nothing wrong that evening, nothing wrong at all--starts being followed by Zimmerman, a man he never met before and knows nothing about. Then he gets chased on foot by this stranger, and presumably he still has no idea why he's being chased, but he knows to run away and try to lose him. And he does in fact manage to lose him.
So after expending so much energy trying to escape and get away from the strange man chasing him for no discernible reason, what happens in that brief couple of minutes that Trayvon does a complete and total 180 and decides he's going to go and ambush and attack this strange man who he doesn't know and who he doesn't know why he being chased? That's not normal human behavior, for a teenaged boy or any type of human. By his actions, he clearly wanted nothing to do with Zimmerman, and now we're supposed to believe he wanted to go back and kick this stranger's ass? Sorry, that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Meanwhile, you've got tons of other questions about Zimmerman's behavior and his story. Why did he change his mind and tell dispatch that instead of meeting him at his car, to have police call him on his phone instead? (Keep in mind, his car was only about 100 feet from the spot where he claims to have lost Trayvon and dispatch tells him not to follow Trayvon) Why would it have taken so long (a span of several minutes) for Zimmerman to supposedly walk 100 feet back to his car? Why did Zimmerman tell police he got out of the car because he wanted to see a street sign (when there's only three streets in the community and he's lived there for years)? Why did Zimmerman claim that Trayvon was managing to pummel him with both his fists and cover his mouth (which would presumably muffled the cries for help he claimed to have been crying) and grab at his gun all at the same time? Why were Zimmerman's wounds not consistent with his head being smashed into concrete up to 30 times, when that is what he claimed?
I know you've been locked out of this conversation, but still do me a favor and take an honest, unbiased look at this situation. Realize what you knew about Zimmerman both then and now. And ask yourself--regardless of your opinion on the verdict itself--do you honestly believe this man's story that he was acting in self-defense? To me, all logic goes against it.