Selby, I'm really starting to strain at being polite here. So I'm going to be very careful with what I say....
See, this is exactly what is doing gun owners in - having a hoodie up on a rainy night and running away from a scary looking dude (guy running being a skinny teenager, guy following in car looking vaguely like someone from the megan's law website) is grounds for a neighbourhood watchman/batman to chase you down and possibly shoot you?!
Where has ANYONE said that THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES ALONE are justification to shoot Martin? Point to ONE LOCATION ON HERE that it has been said that Martin deserved to be shot because he was wearing a hoodie and "running away" from Zimmerman. The ONLY thing in my opinion that justifies Martin being shot is his attack on Zimmerman, climbing on top of him "MMA style" (from witness testimony) punching him and slamming his head into the concrete.
Frankly, based on the information that has been released so far, the only justification in my mind that would make Zimmerman guilty is if HE (Zimmerman) initiated the PHYSICAL confrontation with Martin. Not chased him, not ran after him, not called him naughty names that hurt Martin's self esteem.
I don't care if Zimmerman was chasing him or following him. I don't care if Zimmerman was "profiling him". I don't care if Zimmerman was a secret racist member of the Hispanic KKK.... I don't care if Martin was stone cold sober or stoned out of his gourd. I don't care if Martin was a perfect angel in the past or if he had a 10 page long criminal history.
If Martin was so scared of Zimmerman, why didn't Martin call 911? Why did he (allegedly) return and engage Zimmerman? If Martin initiated the PHYSICAL confrontation, then I see a clear cut case of self-defense.
And don't give me the bushwa of "Zimmerman had him cornered." PROVE IT. SHOW ME THE PHYSICAL EVIDENCE that Zimmerman had Martin cornered. Draw me a map of the crime scene that shows me that Zimmerman had Martin so cornered that Martin, this poor innocent skinny teenager, had no choice but to physically engage this big bad mean white hispanic Megan's law poster child.
No more supposition, no more guessing, no more "what if Zimmerman did this. That PROVES he's guilty!!!"
Because you know what? This country's legal system has this darn little provision of "Innocent until PROVEN guilty."
You know who can *PROVE* him guilty? Oh, that's right, it has to be in a COURT.
Do I think that Zimmerman made mistakes? Absolutely. The biggest of which was getting out of the car in the first place. Has this possibly caused damage to the gun right's movement? Yup. Does that make me assume that Zimmerman is guilty? No.