In Reply: "Over a year later...I still believe George Zimmerman's actions make him morally responsible for the death of Trayvon Martin"

In reply to the following comment at the post: Open Thread Friday | NewsBusters:

The Sanchez piece can't be taken seriously. Every supposition the guy makes is based on his belief that the entire incident was predicated entirely on Zimmerman's perceived hatred for blacks. In it, Martin has done nothing wrong - victim from the outset.

The other one tries to put the race element on the back burner, but then has the nerve to posit this little gem:

(I have to say, I suspect that of the two scenarios, Trayvon hitting Zimmerman first, in an effort to avoid imminently getting robbed, kidnapped, or raped seems more plausible to me... ...and that makes me very sad to imagine this kid scared, fighting for his life--and ultimately losing it--over the bad judgement of Zimmerman, and there will be no justice for his family, besides...)

Let me tell you something- the 6'-1" teenager was not in anyway concerned that he was going to be "kidnapped" or "raped" (are you freakin kidding me?) by the 5'-8" "heavyset" stranger.

I broke this whole thing down last year. Martin was a punk-assed kid who acted toward a "white" authority figure exactly the way he was taught in the environment he was raised. Zimmerman shot him in an effort to save his own life. Thug attacks wannabe cop, wannabe cop shoots thug. End of story. - bkeyser: Friday, June 28, 2013, 7:22 PM
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bkeyser: I'm the guy who wrote the latter post. I don't know exactly what specific crimes Trayvon might/might not've been worried about--perhaps you're right that kidnap or rape were not among them, though I don't see either as being quite so far-fetched as you seem to believe they are--but the fact that he was larger and stronger in no way proves he was not worried that the creep following him was "up to no good" illegality of one sort or another... particularly a creep that might be--and as it turns out, was--armed. Whatever their relative sizes and weights, the person being followed is often going to imagine the worst of the stranger pursuing them.

Over a year later and I still don't know if there's any criminality here...but I still believe George Zimmerman's actions make him morally responsible for the death of Trayvon Martin. Had George listened to the police dispatcher who suggested he not follow the stranger, or paid attention to Neighborhood Watch guidelines about confronting "suspect" persons (or about being armed while acting in a neighborhood watch capacity at all--while I'm not sure I agree, those are their guidelines), or even gun owner common sense about looking for trouble unnecessarily, both Trayvon and George would've lived through that night unharmed. Trayvon spent most of the time during this incident trying to get away from the suspicious creep following him. George spent most of that same time moving closer to the guy he thought was suspicious and up to no good. Whether he meant to or not--and I still suspect not--I believe George Zimmerman made the situation worse and provoked the confrontation that ultimately took place. Even if Trayvon did throw the first punch and was winning the fight up until George shot him, his actions defending himself from what he thought was a creepy stranger following him seem far more morally understandable to me than George's, going after and confronting a suspicious stranger who he believed might be on drugs and up to no good, especially knowing the police were already on their way... YMMV...
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Posted Saturday, June 29, 2013, 5:46 PM

Links:
Wingnuts and Moonbats: Trayvon Martin: My Hypothesis As To What Happened

Trayvon Martin: The death that united America to oppose prosecutorial inaction - New York Public Policy | Examiner.com