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Max King of the Wild on 16 July 2013
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bluesinG said:
timmah said:
bluesinG said:

In contrast, this is what happens when a black man shoots an unarmed teenager who comes to his house and threatens him and his son:

Man Convicted for Shooting Teenager

A Suffolk County jury on Saturday night found a black man guilty of manslaughter for shooting of an unarmed white teenager outside the man’s house last year, ending a racially charged trial. The jury began deliberating on Wednesday, and on Friday indicated that it was deadlocked and racked with discord. But late Saturday night, it delivered its verdict: The man, John H. White, 54, was guilty of the second-degree manslaughter charge that prosecutors had sought, and of criminal possession of a weapon. Mr. White was allowed to remain free until sentencing, when he will face a maximum term of 5 to 15 years in prison.

Mr. White was convicted of shooting Daniel Cicciaro, 17, point-blank in the face on Aug. 9, 2006. Daniel and several friends had left a party and showed up Mr. White’s house just after 11 p.m. to challenge his son Aaron, then 19, to a fight, and had used threats, profanities and racial epithets. Mr. White awoke and grabbed a loaded Beretta pistol he kept in the garage of his house in Miller Place, a predominantly white hamlet on Long Island.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/23/nyregion/23trial.html

Was he being beaten or attacked at the time he shot the teen? Nope. Did the trial take place in Florida (which has strong self-defense laws) or New York (which has weak self defense laws)? Oh... New York. The jury has to consider the laws in the state, had this been in Florida, he would very likely have gotten off on the 'Stand your ground' law. No such law exists in New York, so that defense could not be made. Very different story, but good job grasping at straws. Seriously, use some reasoning when trying to compare stories. Yeesh.

Of course I understand the legal differences between Florida and New York. But morally/ethically, do you think that both Zimmerman and White are guilty, neither are guilty, or only one is guilty?

Personally, I think that both are guilty.



Yes, only the New York one is guilty. Two things are required in all self defense cases. 1. you need to be fear you are in immediate grave danger or bodily harm. 2. is it reasonable that the ending of the life is the only way to prevent that. Zimmerman was getting his head bashed in. So obviously it's reasonable to believe he was in danger. Is it reasonable to believe that if he didn't kill Trayvon then the beating would have continued? Well yes it is. Zimmerman can't know what Trayvon is thinking or when he will stop.