This jury has an awesome responsibility. The responsibility you carry on your shoulders is to send a loud and clear message that society will not tolerate an unarmed 17-year-old young man being shot and killed while he's walking home from the store...that vigilantism is wrong...and that law and order demands justice.
It's your son. Watching a football game with a friend -- out to the store for some snacks -- innocently walking home to be with his friend. And suddenly his path crosses with the likes of George Zimmerman. A man who profiled him from jump street. Zimmerman didn't recognize him. Oh, my. He was wearing a hoodie. Oh, my. He was black! Oh, my! He was 'acting weird.' Perhaps talking with his hands on his bluetooth just like you and I do?? It was raining. Trayvon Martin didn't seem to be acting predictably to George Zimmerman. Did I mention he was black?? And he was wearing a hoodie??
And for those reasons alone, George Zimmerman decided to stalk him. His actions, and his actions alone, led to the death of an innocent young man.
Would your son be frightened to find he was being followed in the dark? Would he try to avoid George Zimmerman and get home? Being in a strange neighborhood, could he get turned around in the streets and lose his way? The answer is yes. He could.
And when he ended up close to George Zimmerman? Is it reasonable for him to ask, "Why are you following me??" Are those the words that led to his death??
"Why are you following me?"
Are those the words that struck fear in George Zimmerman's heart? That caused him to "reach for his cell phone," he SAYS. Or would that action..."reaching for his cell phone"...strike fear in your son's heart? Would your son be scared? Would that action alone (reaching into his pocket) cause your son to react to save his own life?
Does that explain everything? Trayvon Martin, an innocent young man walking him from the store, frightened that he was being followed...unable to find the quickest way home in a strange neighborhood...George Zimmerman Vigilante reaching into his pocket for his "cell phone"...
If it were your son!! Would he be allowed to pre-emptively defend himself? Or must he wait until George Zimmerman Vigilante finishes reaching into his pocket, and produces a gun??
George Zimmerman!! Why didn't you just stay in your CAR?? Why didn't you do what every other neighborhood watch volunteer would do? What you were trained to do? Call the police! Wait for the police! Why?? Because, "These ****ing punks always get away."
YOUR son. Walking home from the STORE. A "****ing punk."
Is George Zimmerman devastated because this innocent teen is dead?? That's not what he told Sean Hannity, is it? Nope. He said it must be God's will.
Well, then it's God's will that he's sitting at the defense table on trial for murder in the second degree...
Send a powerful message. Tell every would-be vigilante carrying a gun that it's wrong. That they can't take the law into their own hands. That they cannot target a young man because he's black...wears a hoodie...and walks in the rain.
Find him guilty.