Tell me...Mr. Bazzi, do you have all the facts of the case? If so, you must be the only one. Was it tragic that a young man was killed? Yes. Is it tragic that everyone has rushed to judgement without the facts? Yes.

If this was a black on black crime as it usually is it would have remained in local news. The rush to judgement by media whores, our ex-governor and a vote hungry president in the words of Newt Gingrich (I am starting to like this guy) is despicable and disgusting. The politically incorrect Florida PD should have seen this coming and given this due dilligence but stupidity comes in all colors and creeds especially in America. The other side to this tragedy is coming out, there were witnesses and like the Tawana Brawly incident it will disappear. Even though our "brilliant" president has already convicted Zimmerman in word if not deed. As far as your hoodie, try walking into a bank like that and see what happens.

Could not have said it any better myself Zach. While it is horrible a young man had to lose a life this will all pass. Just as the daily black on black violence is ignored. Just as the daily cycle of children getting shot. This is all another look at me moment for the lost. Only a few weeks ago it was Kony, prior to that we were all the 99%. Not a word will be heard from the "We Are Trayvon" camp once the facts are released. You have to love the fact that the kid's Facebook, Twitter, etc have all been purged. Also great that the media will only choose to show pictures of the kid that are 5 years old. How's that Kool-Aid?

As I se it, the Zimmerman guy was a neighborhood watch guy for a "gated community", (at least as one reporter described him). He made a suspicious person call to the police. He was told not to follow the suspect. After that, it's unclear to me what events happed next. Off the bat, I would say he should have obeyed orders to break away from pursuit. (not his job) Should have waited for police to arrive and talked to them about suspect description, ect. Should have let THEM handle it. BUT, I understand that all of a sudden, he is on the ground with suspect on top, punching him until the cows came home. Is this the mark of an "innocent teenager"? Florida is a "right to defend yourself" state. Draw your own conclusions about the ultimate outcome of this. If you were being beat by Trayvon, and you were lawfully carrying a pistol, what wound YOU do next.(?) As for black on black crime, thats one thing, but the FBI stats about black on white crime is higher than b on b crime.( more whites being beat by blacks) Also, the attorney general doesn't recognise, and will not prosecute, black on white beatdowns as a "hate crime". This teenager seems to me to have been acting out in some kind of gangsta wannabe behavior at the beginning of the events in someway. But now the powers that be in DC, can use this as an election prop, in the same way that the Nazi Party in 30's Germany used Horst Wessel, (another punk/criminal) for their own ends. ( Google Horst Wessel/Wessell)

Husain Bazzi-
You say you are,"fed up with the system"...then you finish your rant with your own amazing conclusion of guilt without ever affording anyone the opportunity to review the all facts in this case. "Rest in peace brother, we are going to give your parents the justice they deserve." You become the self-appointed judge, jury and executioner. I would suggest you think a little more deeply, await all the facts, then draw your conclusions of guilt or innocence. Not rush to judgement as most fools do.

My two cents on the matter:

Should Martin have been killed? Of course not. We have a judicial system that decides whether or not someone should be incarcerated/executed. But- and this is a very big "but"- but Martin had behavioral issues, as shown lately. The parents have come out and said that this isn't relevant- I disagree. It shows character. I don't believe Zimmerman should have followed Martin (especially since the dispatcher told him not to). That said, I do believe Martin got into a brawl with Zimmerman, who felt that he had to resort to using his gun to protect himself.

We likely won't know what happened that day until more witnesses and evidence comes out, and I feel sorry for what the family is going through. I'm simply not buying the "he was such a good kid" act, because evidence is coming out that it wasn't the case. Feel bad that he was killed, yes. But don't pretend he was a saint. And don't buy into mob mentalities- this isn't aimed at anyone in particular, but it seems like mob mentality behavior has been common lately. Review the facts for yourself, and then decide how you feel.

As for it being a race issue, it only becomes a race issue as much as people push it being a race issue. Sadly, the media, activists, and bloggers have made it so. A true tragedy all around.

whats really out of line is hundreds of people gather in detroit to protest this shooting in fla. because a man half white killed a young black man-----where are all these people when night after night young children are shot and killed in the city of detroit by african american men------and as usually the black reverends showed up in fla.--sharpton and jackson, if it wasen't for these two race relations would have improved years ago

You don't scream for your life when you're threatening someone else's life.

What a bunch of sanctimonious, self righteous blather. You are not Trevon, and carrying around skittles wearing a hoodie is neither cleaver or empathetic. It is screaming look at me, when what you should be doing is listening. The issue of race and social justice in America is complicated, and wearing a slogan on a shirt, meets no objective definition of the word hypothesis. I hope wearing a hoodie,buying skittles and carrying a can of tea made you feel like important because what you did accomplished nothing. The justice department is already investigating the shooting and a grand jury has already been convened. The truth will come out through our legal process and not your immature "social expierment" which trivializes a senseless and needless tragedy

What you jackasses dont understand is the black on black is reported every night on the evening news. Delrics killer is still at large, and if he is caught he will be arrested and tried in a court of law. We know Trayvons killer, we have his name, his address, his phone number, his social security number. We know his current whereabouts, and we know he was never arrested for murder. He is a free man. Get why people are pissed off now????? Are you still mad that O.J. walked free? We all knew he killed two white people and he got away with it. Was that case ever on T.V.? Seems like it didnt get any coverage...no wait the trial was broadcast live.

250lb George VS 140 lb Trayvon. Grown man VS a teenager. Why would he ever need a gun to protect himself.

Why don't we wait until ALL the facts in the case are researched and revealed before making any additional derisory statements. It is better the world think you a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.

...just temper your thoughts and opinions with these two words: Tawana Brawley

I agree this is all ridiculous. Let the truth come out. And as far as Detroit is concerned, my husband was attacked of St Patricks Day downtown because they wanted his Rolex and wedding ring. And people wonder why no one goes to Detroit?!?!?!

It is frustrating to read the comments about this case. Some people, like Christine above, only hear, or retain or repeat the information that would lead one to believe that Mr. Zimmerman did nothing wrong. I don't know why that is, but I worry that we are all on "our teams" and close our minds to even horrendous things that challenge our preconceptions. That's why there is all this talk about Al Sharpton and black-on-black violence and someone's husband being robbed in Detroit. What does any of that have to do with the facts in this case?

I'm sure someone could take the available evidence and make a strong argument that Mr. Zimmerman murdered Trayvon Martin in cold blood. I don't think that would be right, either. I think Mr. Zimmerman used incredibly bad judgment and got himself in a situation where someone died. Just like when a drunk driver gets behind the wheel and kills someone. They didn't intend to do it, but they are still responsible for the results of their bad choices. And it doesn't matter if the person they killed had a lot of tickets or was a bad driver.

When this story first broke, liberals, moderates, and conservatives all said that something really wrong happened here. I hoped that would continue. I'm afraid that instead t just took a while for people to get their talking points together. It's very sad.

To everyone reading this, I'd like to clarify a few things. I did not wear a hoodie or walk around with skittles and AriZona to say "WEE LOOK AT ME I WANT ATTENTION". However, when people read my sign, they inquired about it. Informing people is what it is about. Everyone automatically jumped on the Kony 2012 bandwagon, be the cause legible or not, it taught me one thing, when people are informed of an issue, they will take action. What's most important is that not another child's life be lost like Trayvon's. Can we all agree on that? That it would be a devastation to EVERYONE whether a Caucasian, 4.0, captain of the Football team male is shot, or if it's African American male with a record. We need to stop letting our kids die, and the fact that Mr. Zimmermann wasn't arrested despite the overwhelming evidence that he acted as a vigilante, is incredibly disturbing and it does not contribute to the inherent right of life everyone deserves.

Institutional racism is a serious issue deserving serious thought. The Treavon shooting is a senseless tragedy, deserving serious contemplation. Wearing hoodies carrying skittles, engaging in social expierments is political theatre. This incident is a crime that represents a sickness that pervades our culture. Rather than use this violent act as an opportunity to engage in a dialogue opportunists and grifters are exploiting this shooting to shout their preconceived notions.

In my final word on this subject, I ask...
Was Zimmerman wearing some sort of "official" guard type uniform ?
If so, there is the possibility that Zimmerman was in some kind of psychosomatic moment at the time of the incident / (cop wannabe)
I already mentioned about Trayvon's psychosomatic moment in my 1st post above.
I think that if I am right on both counts, there is plenty of blame to be placed on both parties. The bottom line: let the police handle it. I ask the question about the watchman because too much emphasis is placed on the dress of only one party. So we need a better description on the other.

George Zimmerman was taken into police custody. He is on video in hand cuffs. So we can all quit jumping on the Sanford police.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-zimmerman-video-20120329,0,7952997.story

NOTE: no bloody nose. No apparent facial damage from alledged attack by Trayvon.

If there was a struggle and Zimmermann shot Trayvon, what would the chances of those bullets hitting the middle of his chest?

Christine, I have been a juror twice. One was Federal involving a Federal death penalty. Serious buisness! I do know how to tell B.S. from actual fact. You have provided nothing but unsubstantiated hearsay. If wittnesses exist and are vetted, they can and should testify. I can and would listen ONLY to what they present without any talk radio infulence.

In the absense of any wittness as to who initiated the now alledged physical altercation, the finding of fact as it applies to law falls to what can be proven.

Your staunch defense of Mr. Zimmerman is diminishing. I suspect your own internal fact finding system is catching up with the rest of us.

An excerpt from this article: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/03/29/george-zimmerman-video-outrage-where-are-injuries-from-travyon-fight.html

But none of these questions—which, it should be said, didn’t necessarily invalidate Zimmerman’s claims—mattered to the millions of people who had a eureka moment as they read the latest twist: of course Martin was the aggressor! They clicked eagerly, and soon a variety of ostensibly damning facts about Martin were racing around the Internet: Martin’s tweets (which show him to be guilty of nothing more serious than being a teenager) and reports that he had been found with trace amounts of marijuana and possibly stolen jewelry in his bag at school.

None of these facts had any bearing on the case at hand, nor did they change what we know to be true (almost all of which comes from Zimmerman’s 911 call). But a sizable chunk of America reflexively decided that Zimmerman had defended himself against a dangerous, suspicious black teen, and they urgently spread the word. . . What mattered was that this version of events was so much more palatable and digestible than the notion that race had played a part in the death of an unarmed black teen (which is so...liberal). And that’s why the story festered and spread like a virus.

Mr. Bazzi, about all you've done is feel good about yourself, although you've also demonstrated that the educational system has helped you to learn to write very well.
You make good points about a justice system that does keep criminals locked up, and it is true that money often keeps free some people who should be locked up.
The hoodie and Skittles? I think it was a waste of your time. The best part might have been the occasion's giving you an opportunity to organize your thoughts and commit them to print. Good job on that part.

Mr. Bazzi.....You are one of the reasons why this country is in such an uproar about this unfortunate action that occurred. Guilt by public sentiment!.. I don't see the uproar about the 40 plus young men and women who have been killed or wounded as a result of black on black gun violence in Chicago in the last month...Please tell me what the difference is and why the left leaning media along with bloggers like yourself haven't been calling for a lynching over those unfortunate incidents also. It boils down to the fact that the media outlets need news that is easily mis-directed and and Mr. Zimmerman just happens to be the flavor of the day. The racism in this country will never end when you've got people like Rev. Jessie, Rev. Al, Louis Farrakhan and the "New" Black Panthers who want racism to still thrive in this country standing around and stirring the pot. They are the product of the 60's and yes I will agree that things were not good at all for the minorities of this country at that time, but that was 50 years ago. The only thing that they are doing is trying to justify their existence by filling the minds of today youth with inflammatory comments. I don't see you saying anything about the bounty that has been placed on Mr. Zimmerman's head or the actions by Mr. Spike Lee? If you don't have all the facts, keep your comments to yourself.

Dear Mr, Bazzi,

I find your letter interesting on a couple of different levels. You have no problem jumping to conclusions and making assumptions while having virtually NO facts available to analyze in the case of the "Skittles Shooting". You are falling for the propaganda advanced by the usual loud-mouthed gadflies.

If the majority of non-hyphenated AMERICANS, on September 12, 2001, would have succumbed to the type of hysteria you are trying to advance now, you and your family, presumably as Muslim-Arab-Americans, would today be residing in interment camps in the interior of the continental United States, much like many Japanese-American families did subsequent to the attack on American soil on December 7, 1941.

Furthermore, I find it odd that you're ready to wear a hoodie to support the African-American alleged victim of the shooting in Florida but you say nothing about wearing a condom all day to support the arrest of the Arab-American gas station clerk who gunned down an African-American customer for stealing a pack of rubbers right here in Detroit.

Can you please explain this apparent contradiction in your righteous indignation to the rest of us?

"If Martin Luther was livin', he wouldn't let this be". Or do you think he would have? because I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have, and I'm sure you all would've told him he was jumping to conclusions and not looking at the facts of the face. Point is, a kid was shot, and he did not deserve to be shot. If there is anyone here who would like to challenge me on that notion, please do, other than that, I would like everyone to know this "stunt" was not for attention purposes, we just wanted to raise awareness among teenagers. While all of you are complaining that we don't know what's going on, we do, and we're taking action. Please do not suggest that we have succumbed to propaganda and believe everything coming out of the TV.

I think you're a young man who is getting swept up in the momentum of race-baiting opportunists. Have you ever read "The Bonfire of the Vanities"? Here's what the available evidence shows so far. The evidence that will be available to the prosecutors, grand jury and FBI is NOT available to you at this point.

Zimmerman saw someone who he thought was suspicious. That's not against the law. Zimmerman followed this person. That's not against the law. Zimmerman called 911. That's not against the law. The dispatcher told Zimmerman that he didn't "need" to follow the person. Zimmerman MAY have continued to follow the person. That's not against the law. At some point, the person Zimmerman was following confronted him. There was a physical altercation. Zimmerman's nose was broken, he was bleeding from the head, he received a cut on the back of his head, he ended up on his back on the pavement or grass. Someone yelled for help and your "victim" was shot in the chest. Florida has a law that states someone who is attacked does not have to retreat before using deadly force if they feel their life is in jeopardy.

That's what we THINK we know. We do not have any more evidence available. Yet you think you know what happened with enough certainty to charge Zimmerman with....what? I believe you're a hypocrite, Mr. Bazzi. How about addressing the other points of my post? Why don't you post the elements of the crime you think Zimmerman should be charged with?

It's not against the law to think a black kid in a hoodie walking around the neighborhood on a school day is suspicious. Zimmerman doesn't have to justify to you or anyone else why he thought that kid was suspicious enough to watch. I never said I "had all the evidence", In fact, I said the opposite. The fact that you are trying to put words in my mouth indicates that you are immature and unable to debate in a reasonable and logical manner. Law enforcement has to show that they have probable cause to believe that Zimmerman fulfilled the elements of the crime they wish to arrest him for. THEN, they have to make their case to a judge within 72 hour or let him go. You can't even articulate the elements of the crime you think Zimmerman should be charged with! The government in this case has not said Zimmerman is not guilty of a crime. They have said: "We want to get our facts straight and determine if we have a case or not before we present it to a judge." That can take MONTHS.

You and your kind, like the race-baiters, seem to want instant justice. It would be no different than if we took action based on people in Texas saying: "Muslim terrorists killed 3000 Americans on 9/11. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization which is supported by many Shiite Muslims in Dearborn. Husain Bazzi is a Shiite Muslim. Therefore Husain Berry is a terrorist and should be arrested for the terrorist attack on 9/11. That is OBVIOUSLY faulty logic, just like YOUR logic if faulty.

Thank you Mr. Pare for making the logical point everyone is missing! Justification is invalid here

I don't assume anything Mr. Pare. I look at what I see and try to make rational inferences. What I see is that Zimmerman suffered injuries as a result of his interaction with Martin and Martin was shot in the chest. I think it's rational to infer that Martin did not cause the injuries to Zimmerman AFTER Zimmerman shot him in the chest. I also infer from this that Zimmerman was injured BEFORE he shot Martin in the chest, which would seem to indicate that Zimmerman did not shoot Martin "for no reason" which is the position that some seem to be trying to advance. As far as Al Sharpton's status as a race baiter, I'll leave that to another forum to argue. Suffice it to say, it seems he only comes out at night to spin up the drama when European-Amercians and African-Americans come into conflict.

As far as who should be charged with what, I don't know who saw what or who provided what evidence to the police or who said what to police in total and neither do you. I said the same thing when the Islamophobes said we should round up all the Muslims on September 13, 2001.
Maybe Zimmerman had a legitimate claim to self defense and maybe he should be charged with Second Degree Murder. I don't have the evidence to make that call and you don't either. I DO know that you and Al Sharpton aren't in any better position than I am to decide what charges, if any, are appropriate. Now maybe Mr. Bazzi can come up with a cogent argument on his own. But I doubt it.

Also....regarding your comment that the first officer "who investigated" wanted to charge Zimmerman with Manslaughter: The "first officer" doesn't have to prove the case to a jury. The PROSECUTOR does. The PROSECUTOR did not feel there was enough evidence at the time to charge, let alone PROVE his case. Once an arrest is made, the clock is ticking to Zimmerman's right to a speedy trial. Would you like the police to arrest NOW and the prosecutor be unable to prove the case in time for trial? I realize you probably get your understanding of the law from Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Bobby Rush, the New Black Panthers and others who don't actually work for a living, but here in the real world, we are a nation of laws and not vigilante justice, and there is a process to follow. I'm sure you and Mr. Bazzi wouldn't have it any other way if you were the one under the microscope. God knows Arabs and Arab-Americans love their Due Process rights when it comes to the War On Terror, which is why Mr. Bazzi's indignation strikes me as incongruous in this case where all the evidence is not yet in.

Mr. Bazzi,
I'm pretty sure every post I've made here was under the assumption that Martin was shot and killed. Your contention to the contrary illustrates what I mean when I suggest that you are not capable of forming a logical argument. As far as whether I believe Martin was "beneficial to society", that has absolutely nothing to do with the question of whether or not his homicide was justified. I don't now Martin well enough to determine if he was contributing anything to society, but the fact that he was on the street during a school day when he was suspended for drugs would tend to be one mark against him in the "beneficial to society category". Maybe he had many more marks on the "plus" side, but again, I would have no way of knowing that. Either way, that would have nothing to do with the discussion at hand as to whether there is currently enough evidence to charge Zimmerman with shooting him. And you still haven't answered my earlier question: Where was your righteous indignation in the days prior to the Arab-American gas station employee being charged in the LOCAL homicide of the African-American condom thief?

Ah, how very typical. If you can't attack the message, attack the messenger. That's the way these types of discussions usually go. Only one side is allowed to bring up race and when the other side counters with facts, rational inference and their own take on race, the first party, unable to counter with facts and logic, resorts to ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments and claims of racism. Sorry, most of us have seen enough of that and equate tired and unsubstantiated claims of racism with the boy who cried wolf. Disingenuous at best and pathetic at worst.

I guess if I don't have a name you accept, two plus two can't equal four and opinions and observations can't be valid.

2 things bug me here. One is that "User Name" is using a pseudonym. That is usually for chickens who want to hide. User Name is well spoken and doesn't appear to be a chicken and therefore should not hide. The second thing that bothers me is the accusations of racism and other things being thrown at User Name. User Name is making valid arguments that don't really appear to be racist. Maybe I need to read through this long-winded thing again (please, no). But it seems that User Name, who should be using his/her real name is arguing valid points to people who are accusing him/her of things that he/she is not saying. Bazzi, the post was a little juvenile (my opinion - which I grant means little). We need to let the facts play out before we start waving banners for one side or the other. In case you don't see it "User Name" is not taking the side of Zimmerman, he/she is merely stating that the facts need to play out before we all rush to judgment. We live in a society that outlawed lynch mobs... for good reason.

I'll take this step by step:
"If you were being followed by a stranger what would you do?"

Call the police if I had a phone.

" If there was some guy in a truck following my daughters around you can bet I would do something about it if he got out of his vehicle. Would he be justified in shooting me?"

Depends.

"He had no legal authority to follow Trayvon"

Wrong. You don't need "legal authority" to drive on a public street or to "follow" someone on public property.

" What if a man is stalking a woman? If she defends herself from the stalker, let's say with a knife, does he then have the right to kill her in self defense?"

Depends. You don't have a right to stab someone just for following you.

"Once Mr. Zimmerman started following Trayvon, and then got out of his truck, he took responsibility for everything that happened after that, just like a drunk driver who gets behind the wheel."

Also wrong. Zimmeman isn't responsible for what Miller did simply by virtue of Zimmerman following Miller OR getting out of his truck any more than a drunk driver is responsible for being rear-ended at a red light just because he was drunk.

"I'm sure you would think those are ridiculous comparisons...."

Correct. Because they make no sense, legally or otherwise.

Just to throw something out there as Devil's advocate...

Alot is being made about if Zimmerman is protected under "Self Defense" or FL's "Stand Your Ground" law.

We know what is being portrayed as both fact & as Zimmerman's assertions of the events of the night.

So, you are a 17yo boy, you have skittles, an iced tea, and the magical protection of a hoodie-someone is following you in a vehicle (I would assume at such a slow rate of speed as to not overtake the kid walking), you try to run away & they run after you-

What state of mind do you think Martin is in at this point? Fight or Flight? I think Martin's first reaction was to run rather then fight... As a reasonable person would any of us feel that our own safety was in jeopardy at this point being chased by Zimmerman? Would we feel that our life was in danger from Zimmerman as he runs after us? What would a teenager with teenager life experience feel in this situation-more or less threatened?

So here is a question from my point of view with my understanding of FL "Stand Your Ground" law-- If Martin genuinely felt his life was threatened by Zimmerman, would he not be protected under "Stand Your Ground" and "Self Defense" to defend himself with force? I think before you can determine Zimmerman's self defense claim, you have to determine if Trayvon was legally protected under "Stand Your Ground/Self Defense"

I think a case could be made that Trayvon's actions were protected by FL law & Zimmerman's were not.

I was going to put together all the racist and stereotypical things that have been said in this thread and then I thought "What's the point?" I will be happy to let readers judge who attacked who. And, of course, one person's attack is another person's telling the truth about someone. Please, I encourage anyone coming in late to this thread to go through and read the whole thing and make up your own mind. I stand by my comments and put my name to them. If anything I said offended you I guess that's too bad because I meant every word. The "lynch mob" you talk about includes pretty much every elected official in the country, Republican, Democrat, independent, conservative, moderate, or liberal, white, black, and Hispanic. I'm pretty sure we aren't all race-baiters who want to convict an innocent man who did nothing wrong, so I'm proud to stand with them and Mr. Bazzi. Good luck dealing with your demons and I hope neither I nor any of my family or friends is ever followed and harassed by you because it is illegal (unless you are a law enforcement officer) and I will have you arrested. And it doesn't depend on anything. Oh, and screaming louder doesn't make your point any more effective. Bye!

Absolutely nothing was accomplished by this article. Which is exactly the same result as the self righteous "social expierment". Blowhards on both sides are using this violent tragedy to justify their opinions. It is completely naive to think wearing a hoodie and parading around in a hoodie with a bag of skittles is anything more than an overplayed attempt for attention and lame political theater. Acomplishing a goal and feeling good about yourself are not the same thing. You certainly got attention, but zero results

Just for clarification, given the comment above this: This was a blog entry, not a news article.