The Mirror finds it dangerous to place power into the hands of people who are not necessarily qualified to wield such authority.
The world has been closely following the case of a February shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by a Neighborhood Watchman named George Zimmerman.
Zimmerman, who was on watch in a gated community located in Sanford, Fla., had called 911 to report suspicious activity. Zimmerman told the operator that the suspect was black teenager wearing a hoodie and jeans. That teenager, the world learned later, was Martin.
“Something’s wrong with him,” Zimmerman said to the 911 operator in an audio clip released by various media networks. He continued to say that Martin had something in his hands.
The official asked if Zimmerman was following Martin, and he said yes. “Okay, we don’t need you to do that,” the operator said.
Later, the authorities found Martin dead and Zimmerman with a gun in hand, covered with bruises and blood that he said was caused by Martin. In Martin’s possession, contrary to what Zimmerman believed, were a packet of Skittles and ice tea. Zimmerman used Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ law as his defense, citing that since he felt threatened, he needed to use deadly force.
The Sanford police did not arrest Zimmerman. He is now in seclusion after receiving multiple threats against his life.
People accuse him of being racist. According to reports and also the 911 recording, Zimmerman used some hate slurs to describe Trayvon. He also judged Martin by the way he dressed, something that obviously can’t always be the case.
We want to know more about Zimmerman’s background as a Neighborhood Watchman. Some sources say he was self-appointed. If this was the case, could this be a sign of a false belief that Zimmerman believed himself capable of protecting a community? And if Zimmerman was nominated, who nominated him, and what made others believe him to be qualified for a position?
Secondly, we wonder why Zimmerman had chosen to pursue Martin when he said he believed the teenager was armed, when the trained 911 operator told him not to follow Martin. Was this act only putting risk on Zimmerman? And for what?
We need to learn more about who George Zimmerman is, where he came from, and how, or why, he was considered competent enough to be a Neighborhood Watchmen. But at the least, because of the controversy (and continued mystery) around this incident, because of the fact that there are some angry people hunting for Zimmerman’s blood, he should be brought in. We believe this would be prudent both for the integrity of the investigation and the safety of the perpetrator.
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