Zimmerman's Arrest and You

It's been confirmed.  George Zimmerman is in custody.  While some may cry out that justice is finally being served, I say quite the contrary.

George Zimmerman has been charged with second degree murder.  In order to qualify as murder, Zimmerman must have committed a premeditated act with intent to kill from the beginning.  That means that before he was aggressively beat down, that he had to have plans to kill him, either wise, it would be considered manslaughter, even if it weren't justified.

What evidence of murder do we have leading to his arrest?  Let's take a look at everything we know so far:

1.  Zimmerman claims that he was attacked by Martin.  His claim is that Martin broke his nose, then began       banging his head into the sidewalk.

2.  Police Reports back this claim up.  Reports say that he was badly beaten, and covered in grass stains.

3.  A witness claims that a person in a red sweater (What Zimmerman was wearing) was being beaten, and screaming for help.

4.  A security video that was once used as proof that Zimmerman was unharmed shows a large gash in the back of Zimmerman's head after being enhanced.

5.  Zimmerman was a community volunteer.  Aside from being the Neighborhood Watch Captain, he also tutored minority children for free on the weekends.

6.  Martin was at least to some degree, a juvenile delinquent.  He was currently suspended for being in possession of a baggy with the remnants of marijuana.

7.  According to the head detective, Martin's father originally said that it was not his son's voice screaming in the 911 recordings.  

8.  Zimmerman is half white, Martin is black, and virtually all of those calling for Zimmerman's arrest cried out racism without a hint of evidence that Zimmerman, guilty or not, was racially motivated, suggesting that the accusation made against him actually ARE racially motivated.

On the other side of the issue, we have:

1.  Martin's parents and friends (with a clear reason to have a bias) claim that he was a good kid.

2.  Zimmerman followed him while on the phone with 911 reporting suspicious behavior.

There is a mountain of evidence suggesting that Zimmerman had just cause, with only a negligible amount of circumstantial evidence against him.  There isn't even evidence of manslaughter, let alone murder.  But what does this mean for you?

It means that if you are attacked, and the difference between life and death is you taking their life, the act of defending yourself could land you in prison, particularly if you're white, and the aggressor is black.  What's more is that criminals will know this.  

Self defense laws are important, because criminals should live in fear.  It's really the only thing preventing crime.  If they don't live in fear, then law abiding citizens live in fear.  So even if you're the type that would die before defending your life, you're still affected by this.  You are now more likely to have the opportunity to put that to the test.  Criminals now know that as long as they are the right color, they can get away with it.  As long as their aren't cops around, they're free to act like thugs, just as long as you're the wrong color.

Ironic?