The Essence of Success

The Trayvon Martin story has gathered steam all over the country with outrage that has sparked online petitions and planned protests in Miami-Dade, Florida.

Not only that, the FBI investigation that the Martin family has been pleading for has been granted. But, is all of the nation’s efforts, including those from residents living in the community where Trayvon Martin was killed, enough?

Ed Schultz of MSNBC’s The Ed Show, pointed out on Monday night the many people who have gone scott free because of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. This law is the very reason why George Zimmerman has not been arrested yet. The man should have been considered a threat and detained because of his past with the Sanford police department if nothing else.

Schultz mentioned Zimmerman’s past arrest for resisting arrest, but he also mentioned that he assaulted an officer. Not only that, Zimmerman has placed 47 calls to Sanford police department prior to this incident. There are plenty of factors present, without an FBI probe, that any second grader could assess and find suspicious enough to call for an arrest warrant on this fool.

The Trayvon Martin story has gathered steam all over the country with outrage that has sparked online petitions and planned protests in Miami-Dade, Florida.  Not only that, the FBI investigation that the Martin family has been pleading for has been granted.  But, is all of the nation’s efforts, including those from residents living in the community where Trayvon Martin was killed, enough?

Ed Schultz of MSNBC’s The Ed Show, pointed out on Monday night the many people who have gone scott free because of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law.  This law is the very reason why George Zimmerman has not been arrested yet.  The man should have been considered a threat and detained because of his past with the Sanford police department if nothing else.

Schultz mentioned Zimmerman’s past arrest for resisting arrest, but he also mentioned that he assaulted an officer.  Not only that, Zimmerman has placed 47 calls to Sanford police department prior to this incident.  There are plenty of factors present, without an FBI probe, that any second grader could assess and find suspicious enough to call for an arrest warrant on this fool.

But, the law in place protects jerks like Zimmerman stating:

“A person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if…he or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm.”

The other shocking element of this law is that just five months after its implementation October 1, 2005, there were 13 self-defense shootings and only one of the individuals that were shot was armed.  Six of the people in those shootings were killed.

The national rifle association was somehow able to get this law passed against lawmakers that were against it.  Let’s get aware and get busy.  There are surely other loophole laws like this one in other states that are keeping criminals like Zimmerman on the street.  But, for the Martin case, specifically, use this info to get active on this young man’s case.  We couldn’t defend Trayvon, but we can stand up for him and his family now.  Use these resources to speak out against this crime and get Zimmerman arrested:

Sanford, FL Police Department
815 W. 13th Street
Sanford , Florida 32771
Phone: 407.688.5070
Fax: 407.688.5071
http://www.sanfordfl.gov/action/actionrequest_police.aspx

Seminole County State’s Attorney
101 Bush Boulevard
P.O. Box 8006
Sanford, Florida 32772-8006
Phone: 407-665-6000
FAX: 407-665-6004
Email: cir18@sa18.state.fl.us

U.S. Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20530-0001
Email: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov

Office of the Attorney General
Eric Holder, Jr., Attorney General
(202) 514-2001
(202) 353-1555 Public Comment Line

U.S. Dept. of Justice Civil Rights Division
Criminal Section
Mark Kappelhoff, Chief
(202) 514-3204
(202) 514-8336 FAX