In most of the threads about Zimmerman/Martin, very very few have posed the point that

[shraby]

Trayvon Martin is the one who should have felt threatened. In these days of children of all ages disappearing some never to be found again, this young man had a total stranger who was a substantially large man following him and no idea why. For all he knew, he was about to be abducted. If he did fight back, it was probably because he was terrified of what that man had in mind.

[monmouth]

1. Also, if Zimmerman felt he was in the right in the shooting, why has he gone into hiding?..n/t

[LisaL]

10. I dunno. Could it be because he is getting death threats?

[monmouth]

16. How sad that would be....(sarc)...n/t

[ashling]

2. I think that's been either said directly

or indirectly in most threads I have seen on this.

[Enrique]

3. i think getting shot is the more likely fear

Trayvon was over 6 feet tall, and an athlete, and 17 yrs old. I dont think abductors go for that type.

On the other hand, getting shot is a real danger, and the 911 calls and the call to his girlfriend show that they both were afraid.

[shraby]

4. How big were the John Wayne Gacy victims? To be a victim of that sort, there are no parameters.

When the perp has a gun, he pretty much controls a situation.

[marshall gaines]

15. apologist

PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[RobertEarl]

5. From what I can tell

Trayvon was standing his ground. He was not backing down. He was being attacked by the gun-loving idiot dangerous asshole. But he stood his ground, fought to protect himself and was murdered.

[pnwmom]

7. What does that have to do with anything? His girlfriend, who asked him to run,

said he was speed-walking away from the stalker. Not standing his ground -- but so what?

[RobertEarl]

8. so what?

He was murdered is what. He stopped, and fought back, and then was murdered. What about being murdered do you not understand?

[Solly Mack]

6. Yep. Stalking is an act of violence.

When you stalk a person, you are the one that has created the hostile, fearful environment. You are the one that sets into motion the chain of events that can (and did) lead to violence.

Even if we use the word follow, nothing changes. You follow people - they will become fearful and assume you're out to cause them harm.

If they fight back, they're fighting back in self-defense because your actions (stalking, following) created the hostile environment they are responding to.

[AlbertCat]

9. In these days of children of all ages disappearing some never to be found again

These days?

You mean since the beginning of time?

[hfojvt]

11. and yet

he never thought of calling 911 on his cell phone. Or calling his dad.

[sendero]

12. I've made that point.

... as have many others. That's why this whole SYG bullshit such a chimera, if anyone had a right to shoot someone else it was Trayvon.

[moriah]

13. I'm one of the few.

+1

[onenote]

14. I think that point has been made quite a few times, actually.

[H2O Man]

17. Valid point.

From what I've heard reported about the phone conversation that he was having with a female friend, I believe that he was concerned about the maniac following him. And the 011 tapes show he was frightened in the moments before being murdered.

[krispos42]

18. I've been making that point

If Martin has wrested the gun from Zimmerman and shot him after Zimmerman started stalking/threatening him, Martin would be protected under Stand Your Ground.