I have been watching the news coverage of the George Zimmerman trial in the murder of Trayvon Martin, and if its one point a few pundits have gotten right, this case comes down to one thing—pursuit.
This case cannot be about race. We, of all races, with our opinions and biases, must acknowledge that. We, as reasonable, responsible human beings only have to ask ourselves 1) who was in pursuit of whom? And, 2) what were they pursuing that night? After all, we are about to celebrate Independence Day, and if this case isn’t about our unalienable rights, then I don’t know what is.
The Declaration of Independence states, unambiguously:
We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
The pursuit of happiness… Fact. We know at least one person, Trayvon Martin, was in pursuit of happiness that night. That happiness, we know, entailed a bag of candy and a conversation with a girl. George Zimmerman, we know from his own testimony, was in pursuit of a solution to a perceived problem. That’s a fact.
George Zimmerman should be found guilty because one important thing has already been established from the 911 tape, an answer to the question of who pursued whom. The evidence and testimony thus far, have only confirmed my initial concern, that George Zimmerman pursued and killed an innocent seventeen year old that night.
The reason pursuit is so important in this case is because self-defense cannot be claimed by the initial aggressor, or at least the law suggests that even if a person is the initial aggressor, he or she must be in imminent danger (to use deadly force) and also has the option to retreat.
The call to 911:
Zimmerman: “Shit, he’s running,” (sound changes, suggesting he has left his vehicle to run after Martin).
Dispatcher: “He’s running? Which way is he running?”
Zimmerman: “Down towards the other entrance to the neighborhood.”
Dispatcher: “Which entrance is that that he’s heading towards?”
Zimmerman: “The back entrance … fucking [unintelligible]”
“Are you following him?” the dispatcher asked. Zimmerman replied: “Yep.”
“OK, we don’t need you to do that,” the dispatcher warned.
Pursuit established.
I’m not sure why we’re all stuck on who was on top and who was on the bottom during the fight? We’ve established that George Zimmerman was initially in pursuit of Trayvon Martin from his own testimonies, the 911 call, and from the testimony of Rachel Jeantel, the friend of Martin, who testified that Trayvon said someone creepy was following him.
At this point, you can reasonably assume too many other things based on facts and testimony.
It is reasonable to conclude that Zimmerman’s desire to rid his neighborhood of ill-intended persons was the fuel for a confrontation and that he indeed was the initiator and aggressor.
I agree that George Zimmerman must have seemed creepy following a young teen around on a dark, rainy evening. But, more importantly, we are completely ignoring one glaring fact. George Zimmerman has a psychiatric disorder—Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), onset from childhood, and he was carrying a registered gun.
ADHD is quite common. Fact. In recent years diagnoses have been on the rise. People who struggle with ADHD exhibit symptoms that include hyperactive-impulsive types of behavior. These behaviors include difficulty processing information as quickly as others, becoming easily confused, an inability to listen or focus for extended periods, and they struggle with following instructions or directions.
I have several loved ones who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, so I know that it is quite manageable, and many believe, ADHD can actually heighten ones drive and other creative abilities. In fact, I have believed for a long time, that the constructive side of ADHD can often include a predisposition for brilliance. Some examples of this are scientist, Albert Einstein, American author, Ernest Hemingway, and film director, Alfred Hitchcock, to name a few. And, more recently, a greater number of celebrities have publicly acknowledged a personal challenge with the disorder—the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, Michael Phelps; celebrities Justin Timberlake and Jim Carey; and entrepreneur, adventurer, Sir Richard Branson.
I have also witnessed the less productive characteristic symptoms of ADHD in my friends and family, whether they take medication regularly or not. While the effects of ADHD vary from person to person, its sufferers can, at times, become impatient and even aggressive, especially if they perceive pressure. They share a propensity to sometimes over react to circumstances that don’t seem to warrant it. I have seen this enough, in my personal experiences, to conclude that people who struggle with these types of behaviors should not be allowed to carry firearms.
Reportedly, Zimmerman was on the often-abused prescription drug Adderall, which has gotten increased attention because it is known to cause worsening mental stability or mood problems like aggression, anxiety, delusions and hostility.
I acknowledge the spectrum of pervasive psychiatric disorders is wide, but in general, I don’t think most people who struggle with mental disorders should be carrying firearms. Or at a minimum, we should be, by law, required to conduct a thorough investigation into the state of mental health and stability of anyone attempting to register a gun.
Interestingly, most of my friends who struggle with ADHD agree with me. We cannot continue pretending this is about something other than our own ability to successfully govern ourselves and live amongst each other, peacefully, in the pursuit of life, liberty and happiness. This case is yet another tragic example of why we must dramatically modify our gun laws.
George Zimmerman did not exhibit the behavior of a responsible, clear thinking, twenty-seven year old adult. He exhibited the behavior of a rash, impulsive, self-appointed neighborhood-watch vigilante, who perceived danger where there was none, and he should never have had a legal weapon. By his owns words on the 911 tape, Trayvon was running away. His responsibility, at that time was to not pursue, but to wait for law enforcement, and point in the direction that Trayvon ran. I don’t believe for a moment that Trayvon sought him out.
Let’s get one thing out-of-the-way. There was a struggle. That is not in dispute and it has been corroborated by several of the witnesses. And, it appears, that Trayvon Martin was winning the fight—we know this from George Zimmerman himself, who said Martin had repeatedly banged his head on the concrete. I think seventeen-year old Trayvon Martin was whooping George Zimmerman’s, twenty-seven year-old, martial arts trained-ass. I think its safe to assume, at that point, Trayvon believed he was defending himself from the creepy dude who had been following him.
George Zimmerman was a civilian, with a common psychiatric disorder, not an agent of law, in pursuit of resolution to what he believed was a problem. Sadly, “the problem,” in this instance, was an unarmed teenager in pursuit of a fix for a sweet tooth. If I were on the jury in this case, I would be comfortable in assuming that Mr. Zimmerman’s mental state, which is established, instigated his irrational theory that Martin was up to no good. Remember, the police investigators found no evidence that Trayvon was doing anything wrong. This was his disordered perception of events. A rational, mentally stable individual might have approached the situation more objectively and cautiously, aptly contemplating the grave consequences of taking the law into their own hands, and ultimately, ending a life—the life of a child, in this instance.
As we approach the 4th of July, Independence Day in America, let us focus on the actual meaning of the words that are so boldly spelled out in The Declaration of Independence—that all men have certain inalienable rights (meaning you cannot deny them) endowed by their creator, and among those are the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness. Clearly, Trayvon Martin was pursuing nothing other than his own life, liberty and happiness that evening.
George Zimmerman, must be found guilty, and the State of Florida held accountable, and held up as an example of why we must have sweeping modification of our gun laws across the country. Because, if we do not, tragedies of this magnitude will continue to happen. Legally registered weapons will end up in the hands of people who really shouldn’t have them.
Seriously, Enough Already 