Nobody wins tonight except CNN, MSNBC, FOX and the rest of the corporate-backed media.
Please comment thoughtfully and respectfully. This tragedy, trial and verdict is incendiary. The point of this post is to slow down, and feel our hearts, and enable peace, not further aggression.
Due to the controversial nature of this news, and the talk of riots, all aggressive comments will be deleted here. Please comment below. ~ Waylon Lewis
Update: we’ve added a childhood (or youth) photo of Zimmerman, looking happy, for “balance,” at the request of commenters.
1. This is all sad. Let’s feel our hearts, instead of acting out on our or other’s anger. Let’s not make it worse by rioting, or hurting others. Two sins do not cancel one another out. It’s sad for Trayvon’s family. George’s life is ruined, as are his finances. And it’s sad, in the most final sense, for young Trayvon, who didn’t ask for any of this.
Practice compassion for all. That’s how we end this.
2. George Zimmerman broke the rules of Conceal & Carry.
The top 5 rules of CCW (Concealed Carry Weapon):
“When you are armed, you must realize that you just lost your right to initiate ANY type of confrontation that could possibly escalate into a violent encounter. You must now have a very mellow attitude on life and your fellow mankind.
You have the legal and moral obligation of de-escalating any situation that you are presented with unless you are faced by someone displaying all three of the “attack potential” elements.”
From Reddit, a great comment (NSFW language):
“Honestly, I think that he just had a really good defense, and that he still deserved worse based on my views of it. I don’t give a flying fuck about the race side of things, which is what the vast majority of people are focusing on. Race has nothing to do with it. I believe that Martin was a very confrontational and aggressive person, which obviously did not play out well with this situation, and I believe that Zimmerman is a paranoid vigilante that’s trying way too hard to be neighborhood hero.
Speaking as someone with a concealed weapons permit, Zimmerman broke essentially every common-sense rule of carrying. Those rules are taught in the permit class and are meant to keep you out of legal trouble while still defending yourself. When carrying, you have the last say of any confrontation, whether the other person knows it or not. You have their life in your hands. This means that you are to avoid negative confrontation at all costs. Most of us that choose to carry for defense are the nicest, most non-confrontational people around, because we know we are carrying and don’t want to use it unless we absolutely have to. Zimmerman not only actively sought out a confrontation, he blatantly followed a random guy at night against the orders of the 911 dispatcher. I don’t care who you are, that is straight up fucking creepy. Captain America himself could follow a stranger at night and it would still be scary and creepy. I absolutely don’t blame Martin for trying to fight him, because his view is that some guy is stalking him at night when all he’s trying to do is get to where he wants to be. Zimmerman let his carry permit go to his head, and rather than be for self defense, his gun became the long arm of the law with his neighborhood watch boner. He may have been lucky and is now off the hook legally, but his reputation is still ruined. Not to mention the absolute shit ton of legal fees I’m sure he’s racking up. This will haunt him for the rest of his life, guilty or not guilty…”
3. Stand your Ground is an awful law, with enabling consequences for an already blood-soaked, aggressive, speedy population.
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