Cross posted at Working Man Radio. Please recommend this diary.
George Zimmerman has hatched another brilliant plan for his defense. The facial justification is to prove that Trayvon Martin was as scary as Zimmerman feared. The real reason is the inflame the jury and make them similarly afraid of Martin.
I'm not sure how well that strategy is going to work.
The plan is to introduce Trayvon's school records. Here is what they show.
- A photo in which Martin shows his gold teeth to the camera while sticking up his middle fingers.
- Martin's school records, which include a suspension from his Miami high school -- less than a month before his altercation with Zimmerman - for possessing a baggie with marijuana residue.
- Texts and photos from Martin's cellphone that refer to or show firearms. "U gotta gun?" reads a text from Martin's phone, sent eight days before his death. The defense cited a photo of a hand holding a gun, taken with Martin's phone, and another picture of a gun on a bed.
- Texts with marijuana references, and photos that show Martin blowing smoke and what appear to be marijuana plants.
- Texts and video that suggest that Martin was involved in organized fights.
Sounds terrible, right?
What if this "evidence," such as it is, were shown regarding a 17 year old white kid.
Would you be horrified to learn that a 17 year old white boy had smoked marijuana?
Would you be shocked, shocked I tell you, to find out that a red blooded American television watching white 17 year old had an interest in firearms?
Next thing you know they'll be showing Trayvon reading a copy of Guns And Ammo ... just like millions of American white male subscribers.
But wait, Trayvon was a 17 year old who knew how to fight, and we know he knew how to handle himself.
We also know that George Zimmerman didn't. George Zimmerman was fearful, and impatient that the police weren't dealing with this weed smoking delinquent.
Make no mistake. George Zimmerman really, truly, genuinely feared Trayvon Martin. No doubt he believes his "evidence" is damning, and maybe you fear it for the same reason.
What the evidence really shows is a healthy, active, slightly mischievous teenage boy -- kind of like another healthy, active, slightly mischievous teenaged . . . who grew up to be President.
That's what George Zimmerman feared.
And don't forget. If you need something to listen to on your long commute, I have a good, hard hitting audio podcast. Check out Working Man Radio. Available on iTunes.