General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I don't know. This Trayvon thing seems to be CONSUMING America [View all]cr8tvlde
(1,185 posts)and I doubt the girl he threw down and injured her ankle or the domestic charges, likely both women, were black either ... just a guess. But in these cases even the assault on a police officer, what I believe is the distinction here, is that they were not strangers walking on the street minding their own business. He was in a position of authority whether by size or relationship or employment, and "flipped out".
I do think focussing on the racial implications make it more difficult to convict him as they are more difficult to determine and serve to rile up a substantial majority of the public, particularly in Sanford. Prove it. Not an eyewitness, an ear witness, or apparently any 911 or concurrent cell phone calls can prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that he was a racist.
Zimmerman has had to prove nothing other than discussing his "feelings" of being threatened ... which clearly he's had many times. Prove him wrong. Tough to do... even the eyewitness and the other 5 witnesses listed on the police report can't testify to the fact that he did or did not feel threatened.
To me, that's the real insidious nature of SYG ... burden of proof is an emotional negative ... that someone did or did not "feel" threatened.
I'm waiting for the "insanity" defense. Unfortunately, that's easier to prove and more likely than any of the other pleas. Just get a good ol' boy psychiatrist in or around Sanford and do a psychological study. At least, hopefully, they can at least lock him up.