George Zimmerman shot

[Mumbles]

Personally, while I did laugh at him getting shot at, I just really wish he'd come up with a different story. This whole "Well, I was recorded following/threatening this person, but then I suddenly forgot all about it, and then they appeared from nowhere and attacked me!" thing was stupid the first time he told it, and it's only getting more stupid every time he goes back to it.

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

He was just an armed man who killed someone while he was stalking another man against police advice. Stalking people while armed is a typical behavior of most gun owners after all.

Most? Don't you mean All?

 

[Newtons Bit]

Personally, while I did laugh at him getting shot at, I just really wish he'd come up with a different story. This whole "Well, I was recorded following/threatening this person, but then I suddenly forgot all about it, and then they appeared from nowhere and attacked me!" thing was stupid the first time he told it, and it's only getting more stupid every time he goes back to it.

You mean the story the Rachel Jeantel corroborated? (Other than the "forgot all about it", that was never part of the story)

 

[ponderingturtle]

Most? Don't you mean All?

While many people who support him hold this up as typical gun owner behavior, it is far from universal. Even in florida.

 

[hgc]

While many people who support him hold this up as typical gun owner behavior, it is far from universal. Even in florida.

No, of course GZ is no avatar of gun owners. It's just extra disturbing when such a socially maladjusted and aggressive person carries a gun all the time and uses it, at minimum, as a threat. So, when there's a large and powerful political movement that is adamant that a person like GZ should not be restricted in access to guns, it's plainly for the maximal achievement of their political (and economic for the gun-selling industry) goals.

 

[Ziggurat]

No, of course GZ is no avatar of gun owners. It's just extra disturbing when such a socially maladjusted and aggressive person carries a gun all the time and uses it, at minimum, as a threat.

When did he use it as a threat?

 

[quadraginta]

Police recovered three guns, including one possibly used to shoot at George Zimmerman,

I'm going to stick my neck out and say Apperson didn't have all 3 guns.

So, they both have guns, they both say the other threatened them with the gun. One shot so we know he had his gun out. But if it went to court and Apperson said it was self defense, what jury would believe Zimmerman claiming he never had his gun out?
Insufficient evidence, I would think the police won't likely file charges.

One comprised of Zimmerman defenders who are so totally invested in the idea that he has been a hapless victim of the Librul Meedya ever since he was falsely accused of murdering Trayvon Martin, and that every incident he has been involved in before and since then is completely somebody else's fault. If it happened at all.

A jury like that would believe him.

Not that anyone like that could ever be found.

 

[quadraginta]

When did he use it as a threat?

Depends on whose story you choose to believe.

 

[Spyke]

<snip>Also, you left out the possibility that Zimmerman might have flipped his vehicle over as he was making the u-turn.

That gave me a well needed chuckle, thanks.

Also in this totally made up scenario, one would have to be making this right hand u-turn at the same time to be able to shoot out of your drivers side window and hit his passenger's side...

Otherwise you'd be firing at Georgie through your "conveniently opened" passenger side window as he sped past...not something I would recommend without a real good set of hearing protectors at the very least.

 

[The Big Dog]

Did the guy who took a shot at him have the mixing for Lean?

Oh, I mean iced tea and candy?

 

[theprestige]

Yes. Raping a child several times over the course of 10 years is most definitely terrorism.

Wait, what?

 

[Ziggurat]

Depends on whose story you choose to believe.

Exactly: it's just stories, and from people who have motives to lie. It's not established fact. Maybe he did, it's well within the realm of possibilities, but it's also well within the realm of possibilities that he didn't.

 

[casebro]

How about the two are going in opposite directions, pass each other, GZ makes a U-turn, come up on the other guys left side waving a gun, what's'is'name opened fire in defense? Makes GZ the bad guy for the belligerence of the u-turn to pursue.

 

[johnny karate]

That gave me a well needed chuckle, thanks.

Cheers.

Also in this totally made up scenario, one would have to be making this right hand u-turn at the same time to be able to shoot out of your drivers side window and hit his passenger's side...

Otherwise you'd be firing at Georgie through your "conveniently opened" passenger side window as he sped past...not something I would recommend without a real good set of hearing protectors at the very least.

Good point. Zimmerman's story doesn't make a whole lot of sense when compared to the evidence.

We'll see what the investigation determines happened.

 

[Ziggurat]

Good point. Zimmerman's story doesn't make a whole lot of sense when compared to the evidence.

We'll see what the investigation determines happened.

You're not comparing Zimmerman's story to the evidence, you're comparing a made-up scenario to the evidence. And the basis of that scenario is taking one piece of Zimmerman's account (that he pulled a u-turn) and discarding the rest (that Apperson pulled a u-turn to follow).

Here's what we know about Zimmerman's account:

“George was driving down the road on Lake Mary Boulevard. This guy was sort of following him and flashing lights and such. (Zimmerman) decided to get away from him, decided to make a U-turn. And this guy made a U-turn right behind him and then pulled up alongside him and shot at him,” West said.

The road in question is a divided street with two lanes on each side. If Zimmerman makes a U-turn into the left lane, and Apperson makes a U-turn into the right lane, that positions Apperson to fire out of his driver's side into Zimmerman's passenger side.

 

[Dismalsage]

The CNN story quotes the shooter as saying that this was the 3rd time he was in an argument with Zim. Zim waved a gun at him, so he quickly took out his gun and shot Zim.

I love what Zimmerman's lawyer said about how his "assailant" wouldnt let up, and when poor george tried to escape, thats when someone tried to shoot him in the head. They need to be careful to avoid purgery.

 

[quadraginta]

Exactly: it's just stories, and from people who have motives to lie. It's not established fact. Maybe he did, it's well within the realm of possibilities, but it's also well within the realm of possibilities that he didn't.

Do you think that the realm of possibilities for this particular incident should be evaluated with complete disregard for any of the other incidents George has been involved in?

 

[Travis]

Bah, this was amateur road rage. I think a good act of road rage should look like something from a Mad Max movie complete with hooligans that look like they are into fetish roleplaying.

 

[Ziggurat]

Do you think that the realm of possibilities for this particular incident should be evaluated with complete disregard for any of the other incidents George has been involved in?

The only incident where we know with certainty that a firearm was involved was in the shooting of Martin, and even there, we have no evidence that the firearm was used in anything but a defensive manner. In every other incident, the people making the accusations have a motive to lie. And I believe most (all?) of them happen post-Martin, meaning that they also know what kind of lie will likely get bad press for Zimmerman. So unless and until we can get some corroboration, then there's really not much regard we should place in them.

The fact that Zimmerman keeps getting into these bad situations does not speak well about his judgment. For example, his choice of female companionship may be... poor. But that's not the same thing as saying he goes around threatening people with guns. We cannot conclude that at all.

 

[RandFan]

Do you think that the realm of possibilities for this particular incident should be evaluated with complete disregard for any of the other incidents George has been involved in?

We judge people on past behavior only when they are thugs. With each new incident Zimmerman, considered "not a thug", gets to wipe the slate clean again.