Many news outlets and talking heads are grossly distorting the facts in the Trayvon Martin shooting, and in the process they are needlessly stoking the flames of racial tension in this country. So let's get a few facts straight about the case--facts that are documented in the record and/or that were established during the trial:
* The prosecution's one witness who got the best look at the fight itself, John Good, said that Martin was on top of Zimmerman, that Martin was rapidly throwing punches at Zimmerman, and that Zimmerman was screaming for help.
* Zimmerman called the police because he saw Martin "looking at all the houses" and "walking around, looking about." The defense noted during the trial that Martin was walking close to the backs of homes when Zimmerman saw him. Now, by any rational standard, walking close to the backs of homes, looking around, and looking at the homes is not normal behavior, and Zimmerman's conclusion that Martin may have been "up to no good" was perfectly rational and reasonable.
* Zimmerman's non-emergency call to the police clearly seems to prove that he stopped following Martin after the dispatcher told him he didn't need to follow him anymore. If you listen to the tape, a couple seconds after Zimmerman says "Ok" in reply to the dispatcher, he stops breathing hard and his voice returns to a normal cadence, clearly indicating that he stopped trying to pursue Martin. Zimmerman then told the dispatcher that Martin had run away.
* AFTER Zimmerman had lost sight of Martin, Martin had over 4 minutes to continue to his alleged destination. But, instead, Martin chose to hang around the "T" area (where the fight occurred). WHY did he do that? Rachel Jeantel, the prosecution's star witness, said Martin called Zimmerman a "creepy ass cracker" shortly before the fight. Obviously, Martin was determined to teach Zimmerman a lesson, but he didn't count on Zimmerman being armed.
* During the trial, the prosecution could not offer one shred of evidence to contradict Zimmerman's claim that he was walking back to his truck when Martin approached him just before the fight started. Zimmerman's keys and flashlight were found in the immediate area of the fight.
* The lead detective, Chris Serino, testified during the trial that he believed Zimmerman was telling the truth about the shooting. The next day the prosecution got the judge to strike the comment from the record, but we now know that this statement impacted the jurors, as well it should have.
* When Detective Serino did his "challenge interview" with Zimmerman, he led Zimmerman to believe that a video surveillance camera had recorded his fight with Martin. Zimmerman was "very elated" to hear this, Serino testified. A guilty man would not have been visibly thrilled at the prospect that the fight had been captured on video. Not surprisingly, Serino, as mentioned, testified that he came away believing that Zimmerman was telling the truth.
* Zimmerman passed two lie detector tests, one of which was administered without his knowledge. This fact was not presented at trial.
* The judge would not allow into evidence any of Martin's sickening, troubling social media activity in which Martin talked about fighting, talked about killing people, talked about slapping girls, used the N word repeatedly, and was congratulated by a "friend" for trying to punch a school bus driver. Nor would the judge allow the jury to learn that Martin was repeatedly suspended from school and that on one occasion he was caught at school with women's jewelry and a favorite burglars tool in his backpack.
* In the run-up to the trial, the FBI conducted an extensive investigation into Zimmerman's racial views. They interviewed over 30 of Zimmerman's friends, neighbors, and associates. They did not find one shred of evidence that Zimmerman held any racist sentiments. Even black neighbors/associates of Zimmerman's said they never saw any indication of racism with Zimmerman. One of Zimmerman's neighbors noted that Zimmerman sometimes had African Americans over to his house. Based on this investigation, the FBI concluded that Zimmerman's actions were not based on any racist feelings or motives.
I can say it now, its all been explained by Rachel;
