A fire in the mind: VFR readers on the Zimmerman case

Below are comments that have come in over the last three or four days on one of the grossest cases of injustice against an individual we have seen in this country, and certainly the worst incident of political correctness combined with perversion of the justice system. Instead of posting the comments in the respective entries to which they are directed, I have, for simplicity’s sake, gathered them here in one entry, but generally with links to the relevant entry.

And since much of the discussion concerns the Affidavit of Probable Cause—Second Degree Murder, in the case of State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman, here it is.

David P. writes:

It has been clear for sometime now that the legal, political and media establishment has succumbed to inverted racism of the worst sort.

The case of Zimmerman is simply the most public manifestation of the disease. I don’t see much difference between KKK and what is now on show.

The differences:

1. The KKK wore white pointy hats and the new KKK wear hoodies.

2. KKK were not led by the president of the United States, nor were the lynch mob members of congress.

My fear is that this disease will spread to Europe as well, just as the multicultural/diversity model of the U.S. was imposed on Europe after WWII. That road finally led to the NATO bombing of Serbia, and the handing over of European territory to Islam.

If one looks at the U.S. from this perspective, the U.S. has become the greatest threat to the West.

LA replies:

I have had a similar thought recently: it occurred to me that America, notwithstanding its conservative element which had always stood in the way of the kind of outright leftism that runs Europe, might become more leftist and more tyrannical than Europe. We see the outline of the new America in the Zimmerman affair, with the entire country hating and lusting to destroy and adopting massive transparent lies about an individual because he is a “white racist.” I’m not predicting that, but I think that America is now capable of doing anything.

Brian J. writes:

Regarding your entry, “An event so bad it can make a person turn against our civilization,” I’ve been in a similar mood of late, and I too would find Stogie’s civil war a relief. But here is a related question: at what point should whites stop submitting themselves to anti-white “justice?” To what we all call Stalinistic show trials? I carry a gun for personal protection and in my neighborhood the likelihood is if I shot anyone it would be a Trayvon Martin type, and I could find myself facing the same sort of slavering for my blood from the same racial arsonists.

I’m honestly not sure what I’d do in that situation. And remember, a white man in a jail is a target. A white man in Zimmerman’s position doubly so. I guess my question is should I find myself in that situation why should I submit to a system that is unjust and deeply biased against whites?

Buck writes:

You often write about what you see or sense in or on someone’s face. In this entry Thomas Bertonneau writes:

“people create their faces—because they adopt a personality, shaped by convictions, and the face expresses the personality.”

There has to be something to that; the window into the soul idea. Men are often deceived, but I do think that one can get a good sense about someone, especially from their eyes. From the beginning of this story, I have looked intently at all of the photos of George Zimmerman, as we all have. I detect nothing dark or sinister. More importantly, I sense nothing hidden in his eyes. To me, especially in this current photo from his court appearance, I see the eyes of a sincere man, a good man. I can’t imagine that those are the eyes of a man with a black heart, as so many attribute to him. I will be very saddened, maybe even devastated if it is proved that George Zimmerman is a murderer.

DoubleThinkNot writes:

I had a couple more thoughts while viewing the Zimmerman courtroom video. One is that the judge, like millions of other white people, saw the portrayal of George Zimmerman as a white man, and thought it absurd. If that is true, his reaction to Mr. Zimmerman was a dig at the leftist media in their portrayal of George Zimmerman. It may have been a slap, albeit a stealthy one, at liberalism itself, but there is no way to know from the limited information available in this video. Nevertheless, it is an interesting possibility.

Another possibility is that the judge was focusing on Zimmerman’s size, and not his race, and trying to (again, stealthily) draw attention to the difference between Zimmerman’s and Martin’s body size. If this is true, it would probably mean the judge thinks Zimmerman is innocent, at least innocent of the 2nd degree murder charge.

Again, maybe it means nothing, but it did seem a bit strange that the judge didn’t see Mr. Zimmerman (who was standing right in front of him).

Lydia McGrew writes:

I’ve noticed a repeated headline coming up in Yahoo news, something like: “Prosecutors say Zimmerman profiled Martin.” I am shocked by that headline. Zimmerman is a private individual. Even in our present, crazy world, it is not illegal for a private individual to “profile” someone on the basis of race. Even in the frightening, twilight world of “hate crimes” statutes, “profiling” someone on the basis of race does not create a crime. The charge is second degree murder. How is it even relevant to the truth of that charge to say that Zimmerman “profiled” Martin? Even if it were true, why are prosecutors saying it? Does the prosecution actually believe that “profiling” (a.k.a. wrongthought) on the part of a private individual creates a presumption of second-degree murder rather than self-defense in a subsequent altercation?

That would create a terrifying precedent, if so. In that case, even if one acts in legitimate self-defense as far as all the objective facts of a case are concerned, if prosecutors believe that, somewhere in the minutes leading up to one’s act, one “profiled” the other person, the entire situation could be turned around and a murder charge could be brought.

Buck writes:

The law must find George Zimmerman to be “so wanton, so deficient in a moral sense of concern, so lacking in regard for the life or lives of others, and so blameworthy as to warrant the same criminal liability as that which the law imposes upon a person who intentionally causes a crime”; a wanton indifference to human life or a depravity of mind.

Setting aside what we know that we don’t know about what facts will be presented in this case, and only going on what we do know, what does not seem to be in dispute, and that which everyone seems to know; that George Zimmerman has been, for years, legally walking an armed patrol of his own community at the request of some in his community and with the knowledge of everyone in his community, and with the full knowledge of the Sanford police department. It’s reported that they talk to him constantly. He is known to be legally carrying a concealed hand gun. None of these facts seem to be in dispute.

How can George Zimmerman suddenly go, in a matter of seconds, from his reputation acquired over years, of having and displaying a high moral sense, an unusual concern and regard for the lives of others to having a wanton indifference and a depravity of mind? How can the Sanford police justify having allowed such a man to regularly walk in the dark among the very citizens that they are charged with protecting, all the while harboring doubt about the state of mind or intentions of George Zimmerman; the indifference and depravity of George Zimmerman?

Well, we know that no one can see into the heart or mind of another human. So, how could they reasonably be expected to officially wonder about the real George Zimmerman, or just to wonder out loud or even quietly to each other? Did they? Is there any record of anyone in the Sanford police department ever questioning what George Zimmerman was doing, or questioning George Zimmerman about what he was doing or why he was doing it, over that period of years, and after all of those tedious, repetitive phone calls from him? Was his considered a flake or a safe bet? Did the police ignore the very kind of citizen watch person that they constantly preach is needed; the eyes and ears of the community? Do any of the regular patrol officers acknowledge knowing him or admit to knowing him? Or, do they all claim total ignorance on the matter of George Zimmerman, citizen patroller and constant caller?

If the Sanford police department, down to every officer and call center operator, denies that they had ever had a doubt or a clue about George Zimmerman’s state of mind or about what he was doing, then there is more of a circumstantial case for “wanton indifference and depravity of mind” against the personnel of Sanford police department, then there is a circumstantial case against the depraved mind of George Zimmerman.

Ben S. writes:

I think that Zimmerman is indeed facing a show trial, but I wonder, is that the worst thing for him? I can almost imagine the prosecutor telling Zimmerman privately: “Look, you know we can’t convict you, but that’s not what matters. Everyone’s screaming for your blood and ours. How about we arrest you and charge you like they want, and then when you’re acquitted we can say that justice has been served.” At this point, Zimmerman might well be relieved to be in the hands of the criminal justice system, rather than being stuck in this Twilight Zone scenario where the whole country presumes him guilty.

Professor Woland writes:

One aspect of the Soviet show trials that bears scrutiny was the emphasis on always getting a confession. Never mind that all of these were obtained under duress such as direct torture or the threat of harm to family members. Not only would the NKVD or Smersh investigators use these to legitimatize their outrageous claims to the public foreign observers but they would then become the springboard to extract the names of fellow imaginary conspirators to keep the ball rolling. In the end, hundreds of people would be swept up never to be heard of again.

Corey’s attempt to overcharge Zimmerman with 2nd degree murder has everything to do with the fact that she is angling for a confession. Her best case scenario would be for Zimmerman to accept a lesser charge in an attempt to save his skin. That would lend legitimacy to the ridiculous charges thrown at him while quite possibly saving a city or two from burning down in the process. A confession would also kill off any silent latent support for Zimmerman by making it impossible to defend him publicly lest the media, politicians, and regular citizens get too caught up in the conspiracy. Corey can then go on with her budding career rooting out more White-Racist-Sexist-Hate Filled-Trotskyite plots.

No matter what, Zimmerman is doomed. At the least he will be financially broken. He is facing a possible prison sentence where his life will be under constant attack. I would rather take my chances in GULAG in Magadan than spend 10 years sharing a cell with someone who looks like Obama’s son, let alone a prison yard full. My only hope is that Zimmerman fights this and wins, not just for his sake but mine and the entire Country as well.

Leonard D. writes:

I wanted to get my own thoughts written down on this matter, because it is very disturbing. We are seeing the justice system perverted at least to some degree, no doubt. But I still do not believe the system is fundamentally broken.

First off, let me second what Forta Leza said. There is at least some possibility that there is evidence we don’t know, or that some of what we know is wrong. Perhaps there is another witness we don’t know. So the murder 2 charge may possibly be defensible. I hasten to add that I think this very unlikely indeed. But it’s still possible. I find a manslaughter charge more believable, although still quite far-fetched.

What I find most likely, by far, is that the decision to prosecute was indeed political, just as Dershowitz says. Corey, Republican though she is, decided that her reelection would go more smoothly if the black community were thrown a bone. This is corrupt and reprehensible, if true. Indeed, if it proves out Corey should be impeached and removed from office, and disbarred. At minimum. Indeed I feel (again if it can be proven) that she should do time in prison. That is exactly what happened to Mike Nifong, the malfeasant prosecutor in the Duke rape hoax. (The outcome in that case is one reason why I still have some faith in the system.)

Back to Zimmerman, I still do not believe he will be convicted of anything. He is being railroaded for political reasons, to make a show for blacks so as to put off electoral backlash past the next election. But there is still a judge and jury between him and any conviction. A judge is a tossup; one wants to believe that he will be impartial, but who can say. Regardless, I think the jury will do what is right. I can see the more groupish and weakminded jurors going along with the state on this one, but this is still America and I find it difficult to believe that you’ll get a full jury of cravens and weaklings.

Returning to Corey’s motives, I would guess that she thinks that a trial is in her interest in several ways. First, as I said before it puts off any immediate problems until after November. Second, she probably knows that a trial will bring out just how innocent Zimmerman is. Here on the right we know a lot more about the shooting than most people do. I.e. right now the witness “John” (who saw Martin on top), is still barely part of the narrative. A trial would force John’s testimony into clear daylight. Similarly the idea that Martin doubled back is not part of the narrative at all, even though it seems rather likely. And there are still many gaps in our knowledge that the trial would bring out, i.e., what was the extent of Zimmerman’s injuries according to the police on the scene and those who treated him? Sharpening the general understanding of Zimmerman’s innocence will help Corey politically, at least if she can maintain her own innocence in railroading him. I expect Corey knows that the black community will never change its opinion on this one, and that a trial will tend to separate the races on it even further. Whites (and Hispanics) will support Zimmerman based on what comes out in the trial. Blacks will publicly and privately maintain increasingly unbelievable conspiratorial and counterfactual notions about the shooting. This will weaken any Democratic opponent that may challenge Corey, since the opponent will have to either publicly oppose or support his or her black voters.

Zimmerman’s attorney Mark O’Mara

Alexis Zarkov writes:

Zimmerman’s new attorney looks like the incompetent, stuttering public defender John Gibbons in the hilarious 1992 movie My Cousin Vinnie. Gibbons (played by Austin Pendleton) appears at 7:01 to 8:50 here. The resemblance to Mark O’Mara picture is chilling—see still photo here.

On a more serious note, Zimmerman is going to need a first-class attorney like Barry Slotnick (Bernard Goetz’s attorney). As Slotnick is now retired, he should get someone like Ben Brafman (DSK’s attorney). Brafman knows how to handle a high profile case and use the press to his client’s advantage. [LA asks: Isn’t his name Branfman?]

In charging second-degree murder, special prosecutor Angela Corey has to prove had Zimmerman had a “depraved mind” and that he was not acting in fear of death or grave personal injury. Absent new and compelling evidence, I don’t see how she’s going to do that. Will she try to play the race card by asserting that Zimmerman whispered “coon” while talking to the police on his mobile phone? [LA replies: The media and the prosecution seem to have dropped the claim that Zimmerman said “coon.”] If so, Zimmerman’s attorney will need to challenge Corey’s expert witnesses. Unfortunately for Zimmerman, Florida (along with New York and California) adhere to the Frye standard for the admissibility of scientific evidence instead of the more stringent Daubert standard. Under Daubert, Zimmerman’s attorney could bring a motion to exclude a weak expert using questionable scientific methods. If Corey goes this route, then forensics will be critical to the case, and Zimmerman’s attorney will need to be well-informed as to how to proceed.

I have no idea as to how competent special prosecutor Corey might be. Her academic credentials are pretty mediocre. She graduated from the low ranked Fredric G. Levin College of Law (rank 50). But that’s hardly definitive. One of the best defense attorneys of all time, Gerry Spence, graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law. She might be very competent and ruthless. Zimmerman had better be careful or he might find himself in prison for 30 years to placate the black mobs.

Robert B. writes:

If this article is accurate, Zimmerman is in good hands. Interesting that both Dershowitz and O’Mara criticized Zimmerman’s former attorneys for going public.

Jason writes:

Zimmerman’s trial judge:

Yes, it’s a woman.

More comments

Matthew H. writes:

There is irony in the fact that, while certain conservatives have been telling us for years, in the teeth of virtually all evidence, that Hispanics are basically just another variety of white people, when a Hispanic identifies himself with white interests (property rights, community safety) he becomes the target of the biggest media mauling in living memory. It suggests to me that the Left fears the very fantasy that the “Latino-family-values” cons have been peddling all these years. Perhaps Zimmerman’s persecution has come not in spite of but because of his Hispanic background. A Latino who identifies with white society to the point of actually walking armed patrols in its defense must be made an example of.

In this view the fact that his name is Zimmerman and not Rodriguez is icing on the cake that the Left intends to both have and eat. If he had a Spanish name the pile-on might be far more problematic for the Stalinists. As it is, they can give him the two-minutes — (or months or years) — hate treatment with peace of mind. They are only destroying some race traitor with a Latino face and a German-Jewish surname who had the nerve (and the bad taste) to use deadly force to defend himself from one of the Left’s hoodie-clad stormtroopers. Thus, while hiding behind the pretense that they are only engaged in the culturally permissible activity of crushing “white” Zimmerman, the episode serves as a lesson for any other Latinos who might get the wrong ideas about where their interests lie.

Beth M. writes:

Why do people keep saying that the name “Zimmerman” sounds Jewish? Zimmerman means Carpenter, and the only person I ever knew with the name of Zimmerman was Methodist. There are some Jews named Zimmerman, but surely there must be far more non-Jews with a name that translates as carpenter. Most people with German names are GERMAN.

LA replies:

Interesting. How could we find out the percentage of people named Zimmerman who are Jewish?

It’s a funny thing. There are German surnames that sound sort of Jewish but are not, for example, Meyer. I think all people named Meyer are gentiles. At the same time, all people named Meyerson are Jews.

Another is Jacobson or Jacobsen. It think all people with that name are gentiles.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at April 15, 2012 11:00 PM | Send