Knock Knock: Who’s there? George Zimmerman in a new superhero costume. As you can see, he’s openly representing his own definition of ‘neighborhood watch.’
This NMAWorldEdition Video has received a slew of rather heated, negative remarks and several ‘unsubscribe’ requests. A Florida jury declared George Zimmerman not guilty after the prosecution (somehow) was unable to prove he was guilty of murdering Trayvon Martin in the second degree.
It’s widely felt that the State erred in opting for the charge with the higher burden of proof, and that Special Prosecutor Angela Corey and her team failed miserably. Why Corey did not ask for manslaughter at the outset rather than in the final stages is a mystery. Sadly it’s likely that it was a last minute desperate gamble.
I’d like to clear up one of the arguments often used by supporters of George Zimmerman. When the question of why Zimmerman had to – or was perfectly justified to follow and confront Trayvon Martin, rather than obey the 911 dispatcher and stay in the car, someone inevitably says “He was the captain of the Neighborhood Watch, so there! Neighborhood Watch is not an arm of law enforcement. What follows are guidelines for those who participate in the program. These guidelines and rules apply to the rank and file as well as the ‘Captain.’ From
“Neighborhood Watch Organizer’s Guide”,
Make sure your citizen patrol:
Undergoes training by law enforcement and have their support; *Works in teams;.
*Wears identifying clothing -t-shirts, caps, vests,.jackets-or reflective clothing or patches;.
**Never carries weapons of any kind — e.g. guns, black jack, mace, baseball bat, or knives;\.
**Never challenges anyone;.
Always carries a pad and pencil, and a flashlight if it is dark;.
Is courteous and helpful to residents of the area being patrolled: and.
Keeps logs and files reports with the local law enforcement agency.
* It appears that ‘Captain’ Zimmerman ignores the rules, and should be stripped of his rank in the sane citizens brigade. Oh, and please no more using this as an excuse. We’ll address “But it couldn’t be racial, he mentored young black children” in my next rant-o-gram.