theRESPONSE.

In a March post on a blog written by a colleague, it is evident that this blog was written shortly after the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman case first broke in the news media. The date of the blog verifies this as do the comments made by the blog author. The comments seem to have come from the very first reports that were given by major news stations immediately after the tragic event took place.

Since March, when this blog was written, much information has changed from initial reports to information from a more thorough investigation. Information has definitely been revised regarding the on-air replays of the call George Zimmerman made to police.

The early news reports put together bits and pieces of the police recording, but these bits and pieces lead the listeners to believe that George Zimmerman’s comments to the police dispatcher were racial. Recently, when the entire tape was played from beginning to end, it could be told that the news stations had rewritten the script to make it sound as though George Zimmerman was chasing and targeting Trayvon Martin because of racial prejudice. When the entire tape was played, the dispatcher was the one who asked the specific race question to George Zimmerman; Zimmerman did not offer that information without solicitation from the police dispatcher. After investigating further into George Zimmerman’s background, the media found that George Zimmerman had been the opposite of a racist: he volunteered his own time to teach at-risk and minority youth.

This blogger also mentions the size differential between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin as a valid reason Trayvon Martin could not have been the aggressor in this case. News outlets repeatedly showed a photo of Martin as a 10-13 year old boy. After several weeks, the media disclosed that the photo of Martin was not current and that he was now over 6 feet tall.

Further, according to police reports, when George Zimmerman was told to stop following Trayvon Martin he did. Also according to police reports, Zimmerman was walking to find the address of his location – a request made by the police dispatcher. The blogger sites Florida statute 776.012 which states a person may be justified in using force if he or she is protecting himself or herself or someone else. According to reports from witnesses, Trayvon Martin said to George Zimmerman as Martin was on top of Zimmerman, assaulting him, something similar to, “You’re going to die tonight.” Those words would certainly cause any human to fear for his life and cause him to go into a mode of survival.

This country is founded on the presumption of innocence until found guilty. This blogger, as well as the news media, tried and convicted George Zimmerman in the court of popular opinion, after swaying that opinion with “facts” (audio police reports that were tampered with) and flawed and invalid photos of Trayvon Martin (pictures shown that were four or more years old). Those in positions of leadership in this country, like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, convicted George Zimmerman before he could even go to trial.

The lynch mob that is the media has already sentenced George Zimmerman without due process. The blogger asks why nothing has changed in this country in 55 years. Perhaps he as well as others who have already convicted George Zimmerman should take a long, hard look at what is truth and what is fallacy, especially now that the investigation is underway and information is being dissected as opposed to false primary reports.