KingofChaos wrote:Some of you are going off the rocker just as much as the media is with some of these post. What does him having tattoos, a grill, or his taste in music have to do with the case? You can't make statements about wanting to stick to the facts, then act like any of that is pertinent. I know lots of people with tatoos. I know lots of people who like musicians who have made by choices. I'm sure many of you are in both of these camps. I also know a lot of people with grills, and they aren't all bad either. Come on guys...
On a unrelated note, can someone explain to me why so many of you think who was on top before the shooting occurred matters? It has nothing to do with who started the actual fight. Zimmerman's account is the only one we have for before the fight started, and as such unless evidence exist to contradict him should be believed. But to assume that him being on the bottom completely corroborates his story is a bit silly. All that actually means is that he was losing the fight. I do think things are getting much better for Mr. Zimmerman by the day, and hope this thing is sorted out quickly, but it doesn't change the fact that the real important things will always be unknown
Here's why the tattoos, et al, are relevant. When this story first broke, the narrative was that a 250 lb vigilante murdered a 140 lb young black man in an act of racial hatred. Trayvon was portrayed as a model citizen and pictures of him (which much of the media are still using) were more than three years old and made him look like a young innocent child. Meanwhile, pictures of his attacker, Zimmerman, were seven years old and portrayed him as a sinister looking person in a prison jump suit.
Now we know that Trayvon was suspended from school no less than three times; for possession of a marijuana pipe and a baggie with remnants of marijuana in it, for graffiti (during which he was found in possession of a burglary tool and 13 items of women's jewelry) and for truancy. We also know that he may have punched out a school bus driver (according to a tweet from his cousin), that he was living the "gangsta" lifestyle on twitter, and that he was possibly a drug dealer. We also know that he was beating up Zimmerman at the time he was shot. (We don't know who started the fight, and that determination will affect the outcome of any trial.)
So, instead of having an innocent young child being senselessly murdered, we have a 17 year old teenager, 6'3" tall and 160 pounds, with tattoos, a "gangsta" attitude and a possible penchant for violence who was beating up a 5'9" 170 pound man when he was shot because the other man was in fear for his life.
Is it any wonder that people are upset with the media? Is it any surprise that support for Trayvon is waning?
Whether Zimmerman is guilty of a crime or not is for a court of law to decide. But, in the court of public opinion, a huge battle is being waged, and while the left was winning the battle early on, they have lost ground since these facts came out. Why? Because it explains why Zimmerman might have found him suspicious. It portrays him not as a helpless little child but a healthy young man more than capable of holding his own in a fight. And it brings into question whether Zimmerman's claim of self defense is completely bogus or possibly legitimate.
