Comments about ‘Kathleen Parker: Trayvon Martin case leaves a lot that is appalling in many ways’

Did NBC modify the recording of Zimmerman to make him look racist?

Whether you think Zimmerman was right or wrong, all agree they want the truth to come out. The truth comes out in a court of law. That is all Trayvon Martin's parents want -- for Zimmerman to stand for his actions and face legal judgement.

Why have the police officers not been interviewed or the official report of the incident been released to the public? I think once these two things happen people are going to be looking for the exits.

The government wants to turn this into a race war. They fear racial unity and they want division because it makes society easier for them to control. Some of these activist who are supposedly for equal rights are nothing but wolves in sheeps clothing. they are race baiters and hate mongers. People who aren't racist get labeeled as racist by people masquerading as liberals so they can keep the country divided.

The Trayvon Martin case is appalling itself. I hope the guy who shot him gets his day in court, to decide if what he did was criminal or not. But I doubt you could try this case on it's legal merrits at this point. And you shouldn't convict a person because a large group hates him for what he did (regardless of the law).

What the Race Baiters who have come from far and wide to stir up the people of Florida are doing now is also appalling.

What is happening now has little to do with the shooting, and mostly to do with stiring people up into a race baited feeding frenzy (to serve the agenda of the Al Shartons and the other people who have made a career out of creating racial contraversies and getting people riled up about the racial angle of every tragedy).

There are tragedys that happen EVERY DAY. But they only get involved if there is a RACIAL angle... an angle they can exploit for their gain.

@worf,

There is evidence that NBC DID modify the recording of Zimmerman's call with the police to make it look like he was a racist. They played the part where Zimmerman said, "he looks black". But they left out the part where the police asked him, "what does he look like, black white...what's he wearing" (so when police got there they would be looking for the right person, because they had asked him to stop following Trayvon and let them take care of it).

But why let what actually took place get in the way of a perfectly good race baiting opportunity to sensationalize this story by NBC???

If they had played it back the way it happened... Zimmerman wouldn't have sounded like a racist. Just a person answering the police questions.

What happened IS a tragedy. No need to make it worse by sensationalizing with the race baiting angle.

I hope he gets to go to court and prove if it was a racial attack as the race baiters are painting it. If they prove it WAS a racial attack... I hope they convict him.

Shame on some of our leaders for jumping to conclusions before the facts come out. Shame on NBC and ABC for tainting the facts.

The article states that "assumed should be the understanding that we await all the facts before we convict."

If only Mr. Zimmerman had shared that philosophy. Zimmerman "convicted" his victim when he first laid his eyes on him. He carried out his "sentence" against the Martin boy, even though legitimate authority instructed him otherwise.

It may be true that "both men scared each other," however, only one of them was prepared and willing to use deadly force to assuage his fears.

Zimmerman was explicitly told by law enforcement NOT to follow Martin. He disobeyed. He "stalked" Martin, for whatever reason, confronted Martin, and provoked a situation that culminated in the death of an unarmed 17 year old. He defied police orders, overreacted, used unwarranted deadly force, and killed a young man for no reason.

Zimmerman has innocent blood on his hands, and must be brought to justice.

What NBC, Obama, or anyone else has said about the case after the fact does nothing to change Zimmerman's culpability.

A Scientist,
Since when does a citizen have to do everything a police man says on the phone? Is that a law??? I don't think so.

Zimmerman has to follow the law, we all do. But there is no law that says he must not follow anybody, nor is it "law" that he follow every instruction given by law enforcement on the phone.

Zimmerman made big mistakes, no doubt. And I hope he gets a trial to decide what laws he broke. But keep in mind while you try to adjudicate this case in the media... there are also written laws that defend Zimmerman's right to stand his ground. If it turns out he did more than that (which it looks like he did)... then he broke the law and should be punished.

But he should NOT be punished because the Race-Baiters have whipped people into a frenzy.

If he is punished... I hope it's because he broke the law... and not because these people HATE him so much.

We don't convict people because large groups are convinced to HATE him. We convict if the law was broken.

I think not playing the whole 911 is appalling. I want to know the whole truth. Don't play games with pictures, this is about two peoples lives and their families and friends. I don't want there to be race wars. To me it just keeps bringing up differences and not what we are alike on. Why can't Jessie Jackson and these other men go into communities and teach that Dad's matter and should stick around. From what I have heard most of young black males being injured or killed is done by other young black men. That is sad. Help these young men to change their lives or is it about popularity and getting people angry?

2Bits,

That Zimmerman pursued Martin, and did so against the explicit instructions of the Department with law enforcement jurisdiction in this area, gives Martin, not Zimmerman, the justification of "stand your ground" laws. Martin had every reason to feel threatened by Zimmerman, who had no law enforcement authority whatsoever to "stalk" and provoke Martin by "arresting" (stopping) him in any way, shape, or form. Martin had as much right to be in that neighborhood as did Zimmerman. As such, Martin, who was armed with Skittles and Iced Tea, had "self-defense" in his side, not Zimmerman, who was armed with a concealed weapon.

In short, "stand your ground" justifies Martin in this scenario, not Zimmerman.

And BTW, where did I say anything about race? You protest too much, methinks.

Re A scientist: The first thing that science teaches us is to remain unbiased as we observe facts. Second, is to be very careful and accurate in the recording of the data-facts. There is no record that Mr. Zimmerman ever confronted Mr. Martin. Mr. Zimmerman's report to the extent it has been reported in the media says he had lost track of Mr. Martin and was returning to the vehicle when he was attacked. Now, this report is not a fact-just a report, but there is no evidence to support the proposition you suggest that Mr. Zimmerman confront Mr. Martin. That is speculation, which no scientist would do. Have your opinion, but please don't suggest it is based on facts, especially those you site in your comments as such.

There is no proof that Zimmerman kept following Martin. If you will listen to the 911 recording they said he did not need to follow Martin and he said OK. This is why I am bothered that the whole tape did not come out right from the beginning. We are being manipulated and we need to stand our ground and demand that these news stations report the whole truth not their agenda. I am not sure about this but didn't the eye witness say they were in a certain area and wasn't that by Zimmerman's vehicle? Still so sad that someone had to die and if it was self defense then the other person's life has been destroyed by all the facts not coming out.

@Scientist,

I agree Trayvon had the right to stand his ground. Did I say he didn't?

My only point was that you don't have to obey whatever a guy says on the phone... even if he's a cop. Unless you are breaking a law. Following somebody isn't against the law.

There's no law that says you have to do whatever a cop says on the phone.

I personally would obey the cop... but it's not a law. You made it sound Zimmerman is guilty because he disobeyed cop instructions. There's no law requiring you to do whatever a cop says.

I did say "I hope he goes to trial". I just hope the trial will be in a court (not on the internet or a mob of people stired into a frenzy by the race-baiters at a race-rally).

If he broke the law... I hope he is punished. NOT just because you hate him... and the Sharptons of the world call him a "racist" (which I doubt he is)... I just hope they don't try to convict him based on race-baiting and hate, instead of the law.

The facts are that Zimmerman was trying to do the police departments job. He shouldn't have. This is what happens when you let the average guy play armed cop without training. They get all adenanlened up and shoot. It takes cops years to have the knowledge and experience to know when force is needed and they still get it wrong too often.

Do not support laws that let ordinary people with no training follow and shoot others. It's rediculous.

It's one thing to defend yourself in your own home, completely another to follow someone and shoot them.