George Zimmerman Arrested On Domestic Violence And Weapons Charge

[Arctish]

Maybe sometime down the road you will hear of a story of me running and going into my home and still being killed, but I think the odds of it very low. I'm not worried about it. If I'm in my neighborhood and close to home, I go home and lock the door and call 911. People have watched too many horror movies.

I've been followed by strangers, once at night in a park and once in daytime while driving my car. It's not a pleasant experience, to know that someone is pursuing you and not knowing why, to feel vulnerable and possibly in danger, to want to get home safely but not want the stranger to know where you live because that means he could come back and find you anytime he wants.

People in that situation do their best to stay safe. It's utterly unreasonable to expect them to seize control of the situation and to hold them responsible if the pursuit turns into a fight. The responsibility for that development belongs entirely to the pursuer.

 

[Rhea]

Maybe sometime down the road you will hear of a story of me running and going into my home and still being killed, but I think the odds of it very low. I'm not worried about it. If I'm in my neighborhood and close to home, I go home and lock the door and call 911. People have watched too many horror movies.

I have been followed several times on foot and by car and leading them to my home is NOT on my list of ways to respond. NO WAY. I do not want them to know where I live. It is really far from reality for you to expect a person - a teenager, specifically, to think that is a safe idea. It's absolutely NOT a safe idea, and definitely not the first thing a vulnerable person would think to do. I'm surprised you suggest it. Have you been pursued? Two people now have responded that they have been and this "go home" idea was not an appropriate response. What makes you think it is? What experience informs your conclusion?

 

[RavenSky]

Very telling that you only have "rules" for Trayvon - the innocent teenager killed by Zimmerman.

How about some "rules" for Zimmerman:

* FOLLOW the frickin rules for Neighborhood Watch
* DO NOT follow anyone you suspect is a burglar "up to no good"
* DO NOT take a loaded gun to follow anyone you suspect is a burglar "up to no good"
* KEEP your fat ass IN your truck and wait for the police when you think you spot a burglar "up to no good"

oh, and...

* STOP abusing women, shoving cops, and generally being an aggressive asshole

I'll agree with those, but they are recommendations. However you are saying that law-abiding citizens must be afraid of criminals and that they can't help the police even though we are asked at different times to help the police. And while we are at, how about getting rid of crime

And for the last part, yes. Zimmerman is playing with fire.

1. Trayvon was NOT a "criminal" for anyone to be afraid of.
2. Had Zimmerman stayed in his truck like he was supposed to, he had nothing to be afraid of.

 

[Playball40]

FWIW, I think the reason Zimmerman couldn't give a good "address" is that he had no idea where he was going to be. He had every intention of pursuing that poor boy.

 

[RavenSky]

FWIW, I think the reason Zimmerman couldn't give a good "address" is that he had no idea where he was going to be. He had every intention of pursuing that poor boy.

Exactly, and the evidence supports that hypothesis, too.

IF Zimmerman really didn't know where he was when he parked his truck, he could have stayed on Twin Tree Lane, checked any of the well-lit house numbers, and stayed near his truck. Had he done this, Trayvon Martin would be alive and we would have never had to hear about George Zimmerman's pathetic behavior before, during and since that night.

Zimmerman's claim of going across the top of the T to find an address makes zero sense - rationa or irrational. It makes perfect sense if he was still pursuing Trayvon.

 

[Mumbles]

Maybe sometime down the road you will hear of a story of me running and going into my home and still being killed, but I think the odds of it very low. I'm not worried about it. If I'm in my neighborhood and close to home, I go home and lock the door and call 911. People have watched too many horror movies.

Oh, your amazing door. From the looks of things, Martin's back door was likely made of glass or cheap plastic - one good kick, and it's done. But regardless...well, Urban Rule #1, you never lead someone following you to your house. It's the worst possible move. Even if the person doesn't break in, they can simply sit outside and wait for you at any later point.

Look, we know that Zimmerman targeted Martin, we heard him do it. We know Zimmerman followed Martin, Zimmerman said so. Martin would be a fool to lead Zimmerman to where he was staying. Frankly, it's better to take a beating in the street than to do that - and I say that as a guy, women have more to worry about when some asshole starts following them around. Again, even the police say that you never lead a stranger to your home. Instead, you go to an area full of people, or you start screaming if that's not an option. Letting someone chase you to your house is absolutely what you *don't* do.

In any case, the case in this discussion sounds lije his girlfriend is...a standard battered woman. She's not going to press charges, because of whatever. But we know that Zimmerman's a violent guy. He's a serial domestic batterer, and almost certainly a murderer as well.

 

[coloradoatheist]

Maybe sometime down the road you will hear of a story of me running and going into my home and still being killed, but I think the odds of it very low. I'm not worried about it. If I'm in my neighborhood and close to home, I go home and lock the door and call 911. People have watched too many horror movies.

Oh, your amazing door. From the looks of things, Martin's back door was likely made of glass or cheap plastic - one good kick, and it's done. But regardless...well, Urban Rule #1, you never lead someone following you to your house. It's the worst possible move. Even if the person doesn't break in, they can simply sit outside and wait for you at any later point.

Look, we know that Zimmerman targeted Martin, we heard him do it. We know Zimmerman followed Martin, Zimmerman said so. Martin would be a fool to lead Zimmerman to where he was staying. Frankly, it's better to take a beating in the street than to do that - and I say that as a guy, women have more to worry about when some asshole starts following them around. Again, even the police say that you never lead a stranger to your home. Instead, you go to an area full of people, or you start screaming if that's not an option. Letting someone chase you to your house is absolutely what you *don't* do.

In any case, the case in this discussion sounds lije his girlfriend is...a standard battered woman. She's not going to press charges, because of whatever. But we know that Zimmerman's a violent guy. He's a serial domestic batterer, and almost certainly a murderer as well.

You see some guy in a car looking at you and your first thought is, "Hey this guy is going to go all Shining on me and take an axe to my back door?" I don't think that thought ever crossed Martin's mind. He was just upset for being followed, not threatened.

But to answer the earlier question. Zimmerman was already out of the car and near the T when the dispatcher asked where to meet him and the mailboxes were a ways away from where he was so his thought would have been to meet near where M went out of site.

 

[Mumbles]

You see some guy in a car looking at you and your first thought is, "Hey this guy is going to go all Shining on me and take an axe to my back door?"

Yes! I certainly worry about any person who pulls aside and stares at me. And I'd be horrified about any man who followed me in his car, and then got out and followed me on foot. And I certainly would not lead any such person to my house.

 

[coloradoatheist]

You see some guy in a car looking at you and your first thought is, "Hey this guy is going to go all Shining on me and take an axe to my back door?"

Yes! I certainly worry about any person who pulls aside and stares at me. And I'd be horrified about any man who followed me in his car, and then got out and followed me on foot. And I certainly would not lead any such person to my house.

you are in a neighborhood that is gated, under neighborhood watch and you don't think it would be someone wondering why you are out walking in the rain? The difference would be that I would have waved and gone over and talked to the person in the car.

 

[Mumbles]

Yes! I certainly worry about any person who pulls aside and stares at me. And I'd be horrified about any man who followed me in his car, and then got out and followed me on foot. And I certainly would not lead any such person to my house.

you are in a neighborhood that is gated, under neighborhood watch and you don't think it would be someone wondering why you are out walking in the rain? The difference would be that I would have waved and gone over and talked to the person in the car.

In that scenario...yes.

What do you not get about this? I'd expect the person to ask questions. I would not expect them to jump out of their car and chase me, and refuse to answer questions about why this was happening. And, as Martin did, I'd fight anyone that was stupid enough to do this.

 

[coloradoatheist]

you are in a neighborhood that is gated, under neighborhood watch and you don't think it would be someone wondering why you are out walking in the rain? The difference would be that I would have waved and gone over and talked to the person in the car.

In that scenario...yes.

What do you not get about this? I'd expect the person to ask questions. I would not expect them to jump out of their car and chase me, and refuse to answer questions about why this was happening. And, as Martin did, I'd fight anyone that was stupid enough to do this.

And you are calling Zimmerman violent when you get pissed if someone looks at you funny and saying you should start a fight immediately.

 

[Mumbles]

In that scenario...yes.

What do you not get about this? I'd expect the person to ask questions. I would not expect them to jump out of their car and chase me, and refuse to answer questions about why this was happening. And, as Martin did, I'd fight anyone that was stupid enough to do this.

And you are calling Zimmerman violent when you get pissed if someone looks at you funny and saying you should start a fight immediately.

Okay, what are you talking about? This discussion is about a serial domestic abuser who chased down and shot a kid who was walking down the street.

Yes, I'm very suspicious of people who, for no apparent reason, follow me, as Zimmerman did with Martin. I see no problem with this. And I will not pretend that Zimmerman is just some innocent victim in all of this. He clearly is not.

 

[scombrid]

You see some guy in a car looking at you and your first thought is, "Hey this guy is going to go all Shining on me and take an axe to my back door?" I don't think that thought ever crossed Martin's mind. He was just upset for being followed, not threatened.

If I'm walking down the sidewalk and somebody is following behind me in a car then I am going to feel threatened. If that person jumps out of their car and runs after me when I move to avoid them then I'm going to assume that their intentions are violent.

Zimmerman didn't just drive by while looking at Martin. He was creeping along behind Martin. Then when Martin did what I would do and bolted between the houses to get away from the creeper in the truck, Zimmerman said "they always get away" and jumped out of his truck and started chasing Martin. You can hear him do that on the 9/11 call. If somebody creeped behind me in their car and then jumped out and ran after me when I attempted to get away from them I would be in red-alert mode. Zimmerman created the entire situation. There is no way around that.

Due to its length and circle jerkiness, I now declare this thread superior to the "She Had it Coming" Ray Rice apologetics thread and the "But her eyes said yes" Rush Limbaugh apologetics thread and the "He deserved to die/get tazed/get beat threads" (too numerous to list).

 

[scombrid]

The difference would be that I would have waved and gone over and talked to the person in the car.

I'm not going to approach a car that is creeping behind me. That is not sensible behavior.

Now if the car pulls up and roles down their window and speaks immediately then I might engage them if they forthrightly identify their intentions. I'll still be wary until they prove harmless intent since assaults/robberies often begin with the assailant chatting up the victim to size them up and/or set them up. But the questions asked will determine the level of threat. A creeper is a percieved threat to any but the most naive.

 

[laughing dog]

In that scenario...yes.

What do you not get about this? I'd expect the person to ask questions. I would not expect them to jump out of their car and chase me, and refuse to answer questions about why this was happening. And, as Martin did, I'd fight anyone that was stupid enough to do this.

And you are calling Zimmerman violent when you get pissed if someone looks at you funny and saying you should start a fight immediately.

Why would you assume Martin started anything?

 

[coloradoatheist]

The difference would be that I would have waved and gone over and talked to the person in the car.

I'm not going to approach a car that is creeping behind me. That is not sensible behavior.

Now if the car pulls up and roles down their window and speaks immediately then I might engage them if they forthrightly identify their intentions. I'll still be wary until they prove harmless intent since assaults/robberies often begin with the assailant chatting up the victim to size them up and/or set them up. But the questions asked will determine the level of threat. A creeper is a percieved threat to any but the most naive.

And I'm curious where you are getting that he slowly creeped up in the car?

- - - Updated - - -

And you are calling Zimmerman violent when you get pissed if someone looks at you funny and saying you should start a fight immediately.

Why would you assume Martin started anything?

That was Mumbles saying he would fight.

 

[scombrid]

you are in a neighborhood that is gated, under neighborhood watch and you don't think it would be someone wondering why you are out walking in the rain?

1. Nobody has ever creeped up behind me to ask why I'm out in the rain, anywhere.

2. Zimmerman was not neighborhood watch and had no markings indicating that he was such.

The difference would be that I would have waved and gone over and talked to the person in the car.

I wonder how Mr. Impulse Control would have reacted if Martin has approached his car.

I would never approach somebody like that. I hope nobody ever decides that means that I deserve to be killed.

 

[Mumbles]

I'm not going to approach a car that is creeping behind me. That is not sensible behavior.

Now if the car pulls up and roles down their window and speaks immediately then I might engage them if they forthrightly identify their intentions. I'll still be wary until they prove harmless intent since assaults/robberies often begin with the assailant chatting up the victim to size them up and/or set them up. But the questions asked will determine the level of threat. A creeper is a percieved threat to any but the most naive.

And I'm curious where you are getting that he slowly creeped up in the car?

That was from Zimmerman's call to the police. It's not in any real dispute.

That was Mumbles saying he would fight.

Yes, and I would. I didn't say I would be looking for a fight, only that I'd rather fight someone in the street instead of leading them to my house. And I stand by that.

 

[Jayjay]

Any creature with a lick of sense, voles included, would not lead a potential threat straight home. They would avoid the necessity of fighting for their lives in their own homes by seeking to throw off pursuit before they got there.

That recommendation about Martin ignoring Urban Rule #1 would have done nothing to increase his safety and a hell of a lot to decrease it. I hope you don't make that mistake should you ever find yourself in the same situation he was in.

In this case ignoring the urban rule #1 would not have decreased Martin's safety, and had he done so he'd be alive today. However, we don't know what was going in Martin's mind, and if he was consciously following that rule anyway.

 

[coloradoatheist]

And I'm curious where you are getting that he slowly creeped up in the car?

That was from Zimmerman's call to the police. It's not in any real dispute.

That was Mumbles saying he would fight.

Yes, and I would. I didn't say I would be looking for a fight, only that I'd rather fight someone in the street instead of leading them to my house. And I stand by that.

It is in dispute because it was the one area of contention. He said he drove from the clubhouse to the spot and then parked. However just from the car it never sounded like he was at the clubhouse and just called from his parked spot.