1. It isn't illegal to walk home from the 7-11.
2. It isn't illegal to have Skittles and a soda.
3. It isn't illegal to defend yourself against a strange man following you and playing with something in his pants.
If I'd seen a man chasing a boy through the condo complex at night, I'd have grabbed my own legal 9mm and when after him. If he went for his gun, I'd have defended myself and shot the perverted ****** multiple times. Out of fear for my life, of course.
is it legal to jump a random stranger to beat the s*** out of them. it's also a great way to get your stupid ass shot dead
No no one has a legal right to jump another. If that happened, a person should defend themselves. That cuts both ways too.
OTOH, the only testimony to that is from the armed guy who chased the unarmed boy and shot him. Yes, there was a struggle and at least one witness puts Martin on top, but since the fight traveled 25-30 feet (according to O'Mara) from the T-intersection down the sidewalk toward Martin's home where he was shot, it's easily possible the witnesses who had Zimmerman on top were also correct.
There is only one witness to how the fight started and that witness, Zimmerman, has good reason to give a version which favors himself.