George Zimmerman rescues family from car wreck:

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

My guess is that Zimmerman regrets what he did, is remorseful for what he did, and struggles with the fact that he ended a kid's life.

Uh no. Mostly likely what he thinks is along the lines of "Har har, I took out a dirty n****r." He's an all around terrible person.

[J. J.]

The guy has a hero complex. I would not be surpised if it came out that he has a police radio and was looking for an accident to play hero in. I would not be surprised if he is arrested for arson after rescuing people from a burning building.

I don't think so.  He never asked for publicity and didn't even tell his lawyer.

[Napoleon]

Wanna-be cop continues to do wanna-be cop stuff. This is news?

[Ban my account ffs!]

Nobody claimed that Zimmerman is the devil. They claimed he is a murderer, which he is, regardless of whether or not he decides to lend assistance to people in slight to moderate peril in other situations.

Zimmerman has claimed that he has absolutely no regret for what he did, but whether he's telling the truth isn't really for us to determine. People can be weird like that. Even if he does regret it, that doesn't excuse or make it better either. One has to work a lot harder than this, or be acting in the service of a much higher cause (real or perceived), to atone even for far less sketchy takings of life.

I'm glad you have the evidence to convict him as a murderer.  Unfortunately the prosecution didn't.

But again, this is all about scapegoating.  You want George Zimmerman to carry the burden of hundreds of years of racism and a shoot-first, ask questions later culture without looking inward into yourself one bit.  You want George Zimmerman to be made an example of.  So you can feel better about yourself.

[Ban my account ffs!]

My guess is that Zimmerman regrets what he did, is remorseful for what he did, and struggles with the fact that he ended a kid's life.

Uh no. Mostly likely what he thinks is along the lines of "Har har, I took out a dirty n****r." He's an all around terrible person.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Nobody claimed that Zimmerman is the devil. They claimed he is a murderer, which he is, regardless of whether or not he decides to lend assistance to people in slight to moderate peril in other situations.

Zimmerman has claimed that he has absolutely no regret for what he did, but whether he's telling the truth isn't really for us to determine. People can be weird like that. Even if he does regret it, that doesn't excuse or make it better either. One has to work a lot harder than this, or be acting in the service of a much higher cause (real or perceived), to atone even for far less sketchy takings of life.

I'm glad you have the evidence to convict him as a murderer.  Unfortunately the prosecution didn't.

But again, this is all about scapegoating.  You want George Zimmerman to carry the burden of hundreds of years of racism and a shoot-first, ask questions later culture without looking inward into yourself one bit.  You want George Zimmerman to be made an example of.  So you can feel better about yourself.

But unlike Zimmerman, Nathan has never killed a black kid.

[Napoleon]

Nobody claimed that Zimmerman is the devil. They claimed he is a murderer, which he is, regardless of whether or not he decides to lend assistance to people in slight to moderate peril in other situations.

Zimmerman has claimed that he has absolutely no regret for what he did, but whether he's telling the truth isn't really for us to determine. People can be weird like that. Even if he does regret it, that doesn't excuse or make it better either. One has to work a lot harder than this, or be acting in the service of a much higher cause (real or perceived), to atone even for far less sketchy takings of life.

I'm glad you have the evidence to convict him as a murderer.  Unfortunately the prosecution didn't.

But again, this is all about scapegoating.  You want George Zimmerman to carry the burden of hundreds of years of racism and a shoot-first, ask questions later culture without looking inward into yourself one bit.  You want George Zimmerman to be made an example of.  So you can feel better about yourself.

Take race out of it. Trayvon could be white and Zimmerman still did not need to use the excessive force he himself chose to use. Although, had Trayvon been Timmy and white, I doubt he would've looked suspicious and "up to no good" from the eyes of George Zimmerman.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Yeah this really has nothing to do with race. It has to do with that Zimmerman gunned someone down in cold blood.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Zimmerman probably has as much remorse of feelings of guilt over killing Martin as Bashir al-Assad's security forces do over gunning down hordes of innocent people, that is none at all.

[MaxQue]

Nobody claimed that Zimmerman is the devil. They claimed he is a murderer, which he is, regardless of whether or not he decides to lend assistance to people in slight to moderate peril in other situations.

Zimmerman has claimed that he has absolutely no regret for what he did, but whether he's telling the truth isn't really for us to determine. People can be weird like that. Even if he does regret it, that doesn't excuse or make it better either. One has to work a lot harder than this, or be acting in the service of a much higher cause (real or perceived), to atone even for far less sketchy takings of life.

I'm glad you have the evidence to convict him as a murderer.  Unfortunately the prosecution didn't.

But again, this is all about scapegoating.  You want George Zimmerman to carry the burden of hundreds of years of racism and a shoot-first, ask questions later culture without looking inward into yourself one bit.  You want George Zimmerman to be made an example of.  So you can feel better about yourself.

Take race out of it. Trayvon could be white and Zimmerman still did not need to use the excessive force he himself chose to use. Although, had Trayvon been Timmy and white, I doubt he would've looked suspicious and "up to no good" from the eyes of George Zimmerman.

If Trayvon was white, either he wouldn't have been shot, or the jury would have condemmed him. So, race has everything to do with that. Sure, it's easier to pretend it's not and refuse to face our own prejudices.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Yeah this really has nothing to do with race. It has to do with that Zimmerman gunned someone down in cold blood.

Do you know what the phrase "in cold blood means"?  I don't think it includes having your face knocked in.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Nobody claimed that Zimmerman is the devil. They claimed he is a murderer, which he is, regardless of whether or not he decides to lend assistance to people in slight to moderate peril in other situations.

Zimmerman has claimed that he has absolutely no regret for what he did, but whether he's telling the truth isn't really for us to determine. People can be weird like that. Even if he does regret it, that doesn't excuse or make it better either. One has to work a lot harder than this, or be acting in the service of a much higher cause (real or perceived), to atone even for far less sketchy takings of life.

I'm glad you have the evidence to convict him as a murderer.  Unfortunately the prosecution didn't.

The prosecution couldn't convict him as a murderer legally because of an aspect of Florida law that made it, at least in this case, far too easy to legally justify killing someone in an altercation regardless of who initiated it. It's possible to judge-or-refrain-from-judging him as a murderer morally if one holds that that aspect of Florida law is unconscionable.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Actually, I haven't, at least in the trial stage, been as invested in the symbolic qualities of this case as a lot of other people I know, and I do a tremendous amount of sometimes excessively self-recriminating introspection and can have a hard time coming up for air out of my own head. Yet even so I've never killed anybody in an altercation.

[Eraserhead]

Nobody claimed that Zimmerman is the devil. They claimed he is a murderer, which he is, regardless of whether or not he decides to lend assistance to people in slight to moderate peril in other situations.

Zimmerman has claimed that he has absolutely no regret for what he did, but whether he's telling the truth isn't really for us to determine. People can be weird like that. Even if he does regret it, that doesn't excuse or make it better either. One has to work a lot harder than this, or be acting in the service of a much higher cause (real or perceived), to atone even for far less sketchy takings of life.

I'm glad you have the evidence to convict him as a murderer.  Unfortunately the prosecution didn't.

But again, this is all about scapegoating.  You want George Zimmerman to carry the burden of hundreds of years of racism and a shoot-first, ask questions later culture without looking inward into yourself one bit.  You want George Zimmerman to be made an example of.  So you can feel better about yourself.

Well, you're not talking to me but I just think that somebody who creepily follows a child and then murders him should probably face some sort of penalty.

[Eraserhead]

Yeah this really has nothing to do with race. It has to do with that Zimmerman gunned someone down in cold blood.

Do you know what the phrase "in cold blood means"?  I don't think it includes having your face knocked in.

If he hadn't been stalking him, he wouldn't have got his ass handed to him. And instead of fighting back with his fists and/or taking his deserved beating like a man, he resorts to pulling out a gun and killing the kid.

Let's face it, guys. Zimmerman is a racist, a coward and the worst kind of wimp. Why defend him at all?

[Paul Kemp]

Aren't we done with this guy?

[barfbag]

I wonder how much NBC will edit the story to make Zimmerman sound like a racist this time. Once again, the left took the exact opposite approach to what should've been. Zimmerman is a good person after all.

[Person Man]

The guy has a hero complex. I would not be surpised if it came out that he has a police radio and was looking for an accident to play hero in. I would not be surprised if he is arrested for arson after rescuing people from a burning building.

This.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Yeah this really has nothing to do with race. It has to do with that Zimmerman gunned someone down in cold blood.

Do you know what the phrase "in cold blood means"?  I don't think it includes having your face knocked in.

If he hadn't been stalking him, he wouldn't have got his ass handed to him. And instead of fighting back with his fists and/or taking his deserved beating like a man, he resorts to pulling out a gun and killing the kid.

Let's face it, guys. Zimmerman is a racist, a coward and the worst kind of wimp. Why defend him at all?

Because the idea that people can keep throwing out all these unsupported assertions just because they don't like a verdict is offensive to a concern for the truth and to due process.   And it's being used to prop up this idea that self-defense should not be allowed except under unrealistic conditions. 

[Ban my account ffs!]

Nobody claimed that Zimmerman is the devil. They claimed he is a murderer, which he is, regardless of whether or not he decides to lend assistance to people in slight to moderate peril in other situations.

Zimmerman has claimed that he has absolutely no regret for what he did, but whether he's telling the truth isn't really for us to determine. People can be weird like that. Even if he does regret it, that doesn't excuse or make it better either. One has to work a lot harder than this, or be acting in the service of a much higher cause (real or perceived), to atone even for far less sketchy takings of life.

I'm glad you have the evidence to convict him as a murderer.  Unfortunately the prosecution didn't.

The prosecution couldn't convict him as a murderer legally because of an aspect of Florida law that made it, at least in this case, far too easy to legally justify killing someone in an altercation regardless of who initiated it. It's possible to judge-or-refrain-from-judging him as a murderer morally if one holds that that aspect of Florida law is unconscionable.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Actually, I haven't, at least in the trial stage, been as invested in the symbolic qualities of this case as a lot of other people I know, and I do a tremendous amount of sometimes excessively self-recriminating introspection and can have a hard time coming up for air out of my own head. Yet even so I've never killed anybody in an altercation.

I lobbed that directly at you when I really think my statement about scapegoating was referring to the broader media spectacle and sensationalism of the case.  I think that's why a lot of people are upset about this.  

I think Obama's stance on this has been nothing short of amazing.  He's been calm and collected and still tied it to his own growing up... showing he can relate to the outraged blacks who are rightfully outraged that they have to live in fear of being shot by persnickety do-gooders.

Yet Obama has asked Americans to have a conversation about race... and about our guns-blazing culture.  No knee-jerk reactions, no witch hunting, no overreacting.  Now is the time to begin the conversation.  And hopefully then we can turn something positive out of this whole tragic situation.

Throwing George Zimmerman in a cell for eternity will not solve the problem.  Nor will it prevent the next guy from killing a black guy.  Nor will it provide the sense of justice that the parents of Trayvon Martin deserve.  Because this is bigger than just their son being killed.

Having that conversation and calmly and collectively addressing it as a nation could have very positive consequences.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm sure you can pull up stories of Syrian soldiers being nice and rescuing people too. Does that mean the Syrian Army isn't a band of murderous thugs?

[barfbag]

I'm sure you can pull up stories of Syrian soldiers being nice and rescuing people too. Does that mean the Syrian Army isn't a band of murderous thugs?

So the right verdict is offensive to some people. The wrong verdict would've been offensive to justice. The jury did the right thing. It seems like because someone didn't pay for the death of a black person, the left in this country will never be able to see Zimmerman as anything but bad. Why are some people so closed minded?

[J. J.]

Yeah this really has nothing to do with race. It has to do with that Zimmerman gunned someone down in cold blood.

It is extremely clear that it was not "cold blood."  Zimmerman was obviously in an altercation of some type before he fired.  The only real question is, basically, who started it.

[Person Man]

Yeah this really has nothing to do with race. It has to do with that Zimmerman gunned someone down in cold blood.

It is extremely clear that it was not "cold blood."  Zimmerman was obviously in an altercation of some type before he fired.  The only real question is, basically, who started it.

And really if it was "I punch you, you shoot me" or if Treyvon really was able to beat Zimmerman to death with his bare hands. The entire reasonability prong. Minor detail.

[Eraserhead]

Yeah this really has nothing to do with race. It has to do with that Zimmerman gunned someone down in cold blood.

Do you know what the phrase "in cold blood means"?  I don't think it includes having your face knocked in.

If he hadn't been stalking him, he wouldn't have got his ass handed to him. And instead of fighting back with his fists and/or taking his deserved beating like a man, he resorts to pulling out a gun and killing the kid.

Let's face it, guys. Zimmerman is a racist, a coward and the worst kind of wimp. Why defend him at all?

Because the idea that people can keep throwing out all these unsupported assertions just because they don't like a verdict is offensive to a concern for the truth and to due process.   And it's being used to prop up this idea that self-defense should not be allowed except under unrealistic conditions. 

I'm not even speaking to the verdict here, I'm just speaking to the fact that what Zimmerman did makes him a very bad person.

[barfbag]

Yeah this really has nothing to do with race. It has to do with that Zimmerman gunned someone down in cold blood.

Do you know what the phrase "in cold blood means"?  I don't think it includes having your face knocked in.

If he hadn't been stalking him, he wouldn't have got his ass handed to him. And instead of fighting back with his fists and/or taking his deserved beating like a man, he resorts to pulling out a gun and killing the kid.

Let's face it, guys. Zimmerman is a racist, a coward and the worst kind of wimp. Why defend him at all?

Because the idea that people can keep throwing out all these unsupported assertions just because they don't like a verdict is offensive to a concern for the truth and to due process.   And it's being used to prop up this idea that self-defense should not be allowed except under unrealistic conditions. 

I'm not even speaking to the verdict here, I'm just speaking to the fact that what Zimmerman did makes him a very bad person.

Do you believe in compensation though? He did a good deed. There are two sides to look at here.