George Zimmerman Acquitted in the Death of Trayvon Martin

Wow. At the very least I thought the jury would seek a compromise verdict and find Zimmerman guilty of manslaughter (esp. what with the huge race angle played up by the race baiters on the Left and the idea that Zimmerman might've been guilty of yunno....something). But then maybe it's about time blacks in this country see the light and understand that it really is back to the back of the bus again (figuratively and literally). But the harsh reality is if Trayvon Martin got shot and killed by another black kid, would he have even mattered?

George Zimmerman is not guilty of murder in the death of Trayvon Martin, a Florida jury decided late Saturday.

The fact that Zimmerman fired the bullet that killed Martin was never in question, but the verdict means the six-person jury had reasonable doubt that the shooting amounted to a criminal act.

The verdict caps a case that has inflamed passions for well over a year, much of it focused on race and gun rights.

The six-person jury -- all women -- had three choices: to find Zimmerman guilty of second-degree murder; to find him guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter; or to find him not guilty.

The jurors deliberated for 16½ hours total, including 13 on Saturday alone, before delivering their verdict.

When he learned his fate, a subdued Zimmerman had little visible reaction. His face was mostly expressionless. He turned and shook one of his attorney's hand before sitting back down. His parents, Robert and Gladys Zimmerman, were seated nearby, but Martin's parents were not in the courtroom.

Earlier in the day, the jury had asked the court for clarification on its instructions regarding manslaughter. The jury couldn't have even posed such a query a few days ago: Judge Debra Nelson ruled Thursday, over the defense's vehement objection, to include manslaughter as an option for jurors, in addition to a second-degree murder charge.

To convict Zimmerman of manslaughter, the jurors would have had to believe that he "intentionally committed an act or acts that caused the death of Trayvon Martin." That charge could have carried a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, though the jury was not told of that possible sentence.

For second-degree murder, the jurors would have had to believe that Martin's unlawful killing was "done from ill will, hatred, spite or an evil intent" and would be "of such a nature that the act itself indicates an indifference to human life."

Ultimately, they believed neither. And that means Zimmerman can walk free.

Ann Coulter Shreds George Zimmerman Coverage: Media Wants To Show Racist U.S. Is ‘Trying To Rape And Murder Black People’

Mediaite.com:

Ann Coulter sat down with Sean Hannity tonight lambasting the way the mainstream media has been covering the George Zimmerman murder trial since if began mere weeks ago. Both of them agreed that the media proclaimed Zimmerman guilty long before the trial began and overplayed the racial angle, while Coulter compared this case to the Duke Lacrosse rape case from a few years ago, saying that the media’s trying to tell the public here that “racist America is out trying to rape and murder black people.”

Coulter proclaimed that liberals always “gin up the racial demagoguery” in cases like this, and doubted anyone would have cared about the trial if the races were reversed. She compared the Zimmerman trial to the Duke Lacrosse case that was also hyped up in the media to explain why this particular case is getting so much attention.

“They need their fake cause of how racist America is out trying to rape and murder black people.”

She also found it ludicrous that a lot of the media coverage seems to assume that Zimmerman has to prove “he did not engage in racial profiling,” because it’s not a crime to do so, and added that Trayvon Martin never even needed to lift a finger for Zimmerman to think his life was in danger.

Hannity added it bothers him that it looks like the prosecution started out by overcharging and are only now putting out lower charges with the hope that the jury “cuts the difference.”

RELATED: Geraldo: Al Sharpton And ‘Race Politics’ Forced Florida To Pursue ‘Weak’ Case Against Zimmerman

Rush Limbaugh Quote of the Day!

“I really believe the Democrat Party needs a permanent underclass. They need a permanent dependent class of people low-educated, low-wage, low-skill dependent on government. They need that. Now as Americans climb the ladder of success and elevate themselves through the middle class and are less dependent on government, the Democrat races to replace them. They clearly see 11 million votes here.”

- Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh on immigration reform

Predictions Of Riots If George Zimmerman Acquitted Display Appalling Lack Of Faith In Black Community

Mediaite.com:

Imagine the pleasant surprise I encountered after reading the headline “just in case George Zimmerman walks free…” adorning the top of a post composed by hip hop mogul and GlobalGrind.com founder Russell Simmons. It was my hope that Simmons, a respected voice in the black community, would spell out for an attentive audience why pundits preparing their audiences for riots in the wake of a possible acquittal were wrong. Instead, Simmons identified a variety of “victories” that resulted from the killing of Trayvon Martin. He cited setbacks for the National Rifle Association and state-level “Stand Your Ground” laws which he believes the activists who turned the trial into a political proxy war made possible. Simmons’ post is just one of many reckless provocations that have become a lamentably familiar aspect of the coverage of this trial and its “effect of inflaming passions without enlightening,” as National Journal’s Matthew Cooper put it. 

But worse than the base impulse to score political points and threaten national comity by implying that one or another cultural worldview is threatened by a verdict in a far-flung murder trial are the pundits and officials readily preparing for – and, in some cases, stoking through innuendo – a violent reaction from African-Americans should the jury find Zimmerman not guilty. What is most striking is that few bristle with offense at the obscene implication that African-Americans will be unable to internalize such an outcome without lashing out in an uncivilized fashion. 

“Do you think bad things are going to happen if Zimmerman is acquitted?” Fox News Channel host Bill O’Reilly asked on Monday, not ruling out the “possibility” that a not guilty verdict could result in damage done to “the fabric of the nation.”

He was quick to note that, if Zimmerman is found guilty of second degree murder or a lesser charge, the threat of violence would dissipate entirely. 

“If George Zimmerman is acquitted, there will be racial animus,” O’Reilly predicted on Tuesday night’s program. 

“The only thing the American press will embrace is the specter of oppression,” he continued, lamenting the media’s disinterest in chronic black-on-black violence in favor of rarer instances of white-on-black or black-on-white crime. “That is, if a white American kills a black American, or any other minority, then the story gets covered. That’s wrong, and it causes racial division.”

Displaying an uncharacteristic lack of faith in his fellow Americans, O’Reilly correctly identifies the bait but also appears to presume that the public will take it.

But the specter of violence arising from Zimmerman’s shooting of Martin has always been a feature of the story. Indeed, CNN contributor and Columbia University associate professor, Marc Lamont Hill, told Piers Morgan on Tuesday night that Zimmerman was only charged in the first place because of the burgeoning “civil unrest.”

One of the reasons why there was burgeoning “civil unrest” before Zimmerman was charged was because one of MSNBC’s hosts, Rev. Al Sharpton, traveled to the Sunshine State last year to rally the public against the Florida Justice Department for not identifying a charge – any charge – with which to seek an indictment against Zimmerman. The result was that the state overcharged and seems unable to conclusively prove their case against Zimmerman in court. 

On Tuesday, as the writing on the wall grows ever more legible, the consistently irresponsible political commentator and Georgetown University professor, Michael Eric Dyson, warned the public that there would be no acceptance if justice – as he defines it – is not done in this case. 

Dyson identified the American “legal system” as the problem in this case because it does not “speak to the issues that are being raised here.” 

“Time and again, for one reason or another, young black people lose their lives and it is seen as the necessary condition for the justice system to prevail,” Dyson declared. “And the George Zimmermans of the world continue to get away, if it is true, with the killing of our children without necessarily facing the kind of consequences that a justice system would demand.”

Most unfortunately, the intentional inflaming of passions surrounding this case by the pundit class may have its desired effect. “Raise your voice, not your hands,” a headline on the Broward County Sherriff’s Department website warned residents. “Freedom of expression is a constitutional right. While raising your voice is encouraged, using your hands is not.”

The media has undoubtedly comported itself in an embarrassing and arguably immoral fashion in their coverage of Martin’s shooting. There is a detectable undercurrent in the editorializing coverage of Zimmerman’s trial that appears to tacitly welcome a violent reaction if the defendant is acquitted. 

But the media would be advised to display a bit more faith in the American public to react rationally if a not guilty verdict is the ultimate outcome of this trial. I may be wrong, and my pride will certainly be the last thing that I mourn should violence in the wake of a possible acquittal materialize, but I do not believe that I will be wrong. The American people are stronger – and better — than that. 

RELATED:  Florida Authorities Release PSAs To Warn Against Post-Zimmerman Trial Violence, The Five Hosts React

Elisabeth Hasselbeck Leaving "The View" To Co-Host "Fox & Friends"

Smart decision esp. considering the rumors that slutty wench and serial liar Jenny McCarthy is close to joining "The View":

View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck is making the jump from network to cable, with the announcement today that she will be leaving ABC’s The View to co-host Fox & Friends.

In Fox’s press release, Hasselbeck says, “I have been a long-time fan of Fox & Friends and am excited to be joining their team in September as it is an honor to call the FOX News Channel my new television home.”

The press release also includes Ailes welcoming Hasselbeck and praising her for her “warm and engaging personality,” and a statement from Barbara Walters saying, “We will miss her and wish her everything good.”

There were rumors back in March that Hasselbeck would be leaving The View this year. Walters denied that Hasselbeck was being pushed out for her conservative views, or at all, for that matter, only to be rebutted by a report a week later saying that Hasselbeck is “toast.” Another rumor sprung up that CNN head Jeff Zucker was interested in bringing Hasselbeck on CNN right after leaving ABC. Hasselbeck will officially start on the couch with Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade in mid-September.

Meanwhile, current Fox & Friends co-host Gretchen Carlson will be leaving the morning show to anchor her own daytime program, debuting sometime this fall.

RELATED:  Elisabeth Hasselbeck's Last Day on The View Is Wednesday

Former Fiancee Carolyn Moos Blasts Gay Con Artist Jason Collins for Ignoring Her & Making Media 'The Priority' Since Coming Out

While Barack Obama, the far-Left media, gays, their obtuse advocates and Godless, white liberals everywhere celebrated resident tool Jason Collins' "coming out" party some months back, one woman got little attention: Carolyn Moss, Collins ex-fiancee and girlfriend of 9 years. Well, now, she's speaking out:

Not everyone is hailing Jason Collins for the way he has handled the past few months.

Former fiance Carolyn Moos is frustrated with the NBA veteran for keeping her in the dark when he called off their engagement in 2009 and since a Sports Illustrated article came out in April in which he came the first active athlete to come out as gay in the major sports.

“A month before I was set to marry the man I loved, he called off the wedding. I had no idea why," Moos said in the August issue of Cosmopolitan.
 

"He and I had been together for eight years. We had planned to have children, build a family. Nearly four years later, I got my answer. My former fiancé, Jason Collins, a pro basketball player with the Washington Wizards, announced last spring in Sports Illustrated that he is gay. Jason told me he’s gay over the phone on a Monday morning in April, the same day the magazine hit newsstands. However, he didn’t mention the article – that came as a surprise when I heard about it from a friend.”

Collins and Moos met at Stanford where they both played basketball, but it wasn't until they graduated with Moos on business in Dallas and Collins who was with the Nets, in town playing the Mavericks in 2001, that they met up and began a long distance relationship. Collins then bounced around from one NBA team to another, which is why Collins waited so long to propose, or so she thought.

In July 2009, upon coming back from a road trip with his brother, Collins went to the home he lived at with Moos and told her, "You may want to sit down," before adding "I'm just not sure," and cancelling the wedding. 

Collins has been hailed as a hero by many, and his status and Twitter following have skyrocketed. After admitting he was gay, there were many interviews and TV shows he appeared on, but Collins still hasn't talked to Moos since that first call and Sports Illustrated article came out three months ago.

"The phone call this April ended the mystery. He left a message on a Sunday, saying, 'I have something important to talk about—please call me back.' I was working and called the next morning. He uttered an eerily familiar phrase: 'You may want to sit down.' Then he said, 'Carolyn, I'm gay.' I was stunned. I managed to say, after a silent moment and then a deep breath, 'I had no idea. I'm sure a huge weight is off your shoulders.' During all the years I had known him, I never would have guessed that he would come out as gay," Moos said. 

"We talked again briefly that night. He answered a few questions, but there was much left to discuss and he said he had to go."

She expressed more disappointment than anger at the way Collins handled the situation.

"I wish he could have been honest with me years ago. I feel like there are two Jason's now—the man I fell in love with and the man I’m trying so hard to understand. He’s being hailed as a pioneer, but I believe true heroism is a result of being honest with yourself and with those you love.”

Having known Collins for so long, Moos doesn't like that he has spent more time with the media than clearing the air with her. 

“I empathize with Jason and support him. But at the same time, I remain deeply hurt by him," Moos told the magazine.

“As I tell this story, it has been several weeks since he told me his news and he has made no further time to talk, despite saying he would do so. I am sad that the media seems to be a higher priority. I hope this changes in the coming weeks, as I value open dialogue more than anything.”

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