Friend: Zimmerman called Trayvon a "term of endearment" ("goon," not "coon") before killing him

[Amerigo Vespucci]

After reviewing a 911 call George Zimmerman made before gunning down Trayvon Martin, many believe they hear the shooter calling the 17-year-old a “fucking coon.”

But a friend of Zimmerman’s family told ABC on Sunday that people were jumping to the wrong conclusion.

“I spoke with my teenage daughter yesterday, and the word in question, it’s the difference between a ‘C’ and a ‘G’ from what I understand,” attorney Craig Sonner explained.

“And ‘goon’ is apparently a term of endearment in the high schools these days,” he added. “I don’t know of anyone younger than 40 who uses ‘coon’ as a racial epithet.”

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/03/25/attorney-zimmerman-used-term-of-endearment-before-killing-trayvon-martin/

[Richardo]

1. So.... 'fucking goon' = term of endearment; 'coon' = not racist.

Sounds legit.

[louis-t]

2. Yeah, I'm sure he was referring to 'blah' people.

If his parents used the term, he's heard it before. Sorry,
weak argument. Very weak.

[edgineered]

3. Buy his books and send to school,

but in put him in the limelight and ...

praise the wisdom of his teenager.

I want him to defend me!

[mac56]

4. This is one of the most bizarre stretches I have ever seen or heard.

Unbelievable.

[pkz]

5. "goon" according to Urban Dictionary

Goon

A ridiclulous irritating and mind numbingly annoying person, who embarks on acts of sheer stupidity

hardly a term of endearment

[Bluerthanblue]

6. just asked my H.S. senior son,

and he said neither goon or coon is a "term of endearment" at our H.S.

Especially with the word fucking preceding it.



The fact that they are trying to minimize the words, makes me more inclined to believe that he did say something stupid.

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. And Craig Sonner is a "loon" n/t

[Mariana]

8. So they didn't go with claiming it was "fucking punks"

Quite a few people have said they thought it sounded more like he said "punks" than "coons".

This tells me he DID say "coons", not "punks" and certainly not "goons".

[UnrepentantLiberal]

22. Very good point.

[etherealtruth]

9. Yeah ... and Limbaugh called Ms. Fluke a "suit" ....

.... because she is attending law school.

do these people even think before they speak?

[goclark]

10. You are so right!

Their total IQ is below "0."

[pokerfan]

11. “These assholes always get away.”

Also heard on Zimmerman's 911 call. Is 'asshole' a term of endearment?

[ibegurpard]

12. so a fucking "goon" is a term of endearment??

seriously people...

[MMJjestic]

13. Try that stunt at work

Yea call a client a Goon. Thank you for calling, may help you Goon? And try someone a coon at work, even if you are younger than 40 years. Jesus this guy is stupid beyond the bounds.

[Union Scribe]

14. That has to be one of the weakest arguments

I have ever heard.

[arthritisR_US]

24. You can't fix stupid ....

not even with duck tape!

[ecstatic]

15. FAIL

Shame on that attorney.

[lob1]

16. Shooting someone dead is NOT a term of endearment.

[Initech]

17. Still doesn't make it any better.

[Cali_Democrat]

18. So what's his point? That Zimmerman was actually fond of Trayvon

and called him a term of endearment?

You just can't make this shit up....

[ScottLand]

19. Who cares? Make it a G. Still doesn't exhonerate him for murder.

[Monk06]

20. A bald faced lie. It's the old fuck/fuddy duddy switcheroo. It will all come out in the trial if

there ever is one. But one thing is for sure evidence of what friends may have heard on a 911 tape is prejudicial and hearsay. These interviews are meant to put pressure on the DA office not to press charges. They are an obstruction of justice.

[eShirl]

21. ridiculous

[rustydog]

23. Friend, whatever you say fuck face. Oh, don't be pissed, this is my tearm of endearment

I use it all the time. Don't be offened fuck face.

[Honeycombe8]

25. I've been saying in a few posts that "coon" is an outdated term & not likely used...

by anyone who isn't elderly, these days. I'm familiar with the term. I've known a lot of racists in my life, being from Louisiana and residing now in TX. I've known of the term being used in old cartoons, maybe old movies, and I've heard a couple of elderly people say it. But I've never heard it used by anyone under 60, for sure.

There's a chance it's an hispanic term, I guess, or it's something that Zimmerman's family uses. But "coon" just isn't used these days, generally.

I think some people just want to believe that's what he said, or assume that's what he said

There's plenty wrong with the incident w/o adding the "coon" thing that may or may not have been uttered. I would guess that the FBI can clarify the tape, and we'll all know for certain in the future exactly what he said.

Of course, "fucking goon" ain't exactly a term of endearment and is a weird thing for him to say about a kid who hasn't done anything to Zimmerman. Unless he was getting nervous because Trayvon was walking toward him, holding something in his hands.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

26. My guess is "learned behavior"...

...as you wrote, perhaps "it's something that Zimmerman's family uses."

Not mainstream, but neither is a self-appointed "Neighborhood Watch Captain" packing a concealed weapon.

[Honeycombe8]

29. Yeah, that's possible. But "goon" just makes more sense.

It's a fairly common term used for thugs and criminal types, which is what Zimmerman thought he had in his sights.

But I'm hoping the FBI can clarify that tape. When I heard it, I heard "goon."

[wellst0nev0ter]

28. You Know What Racists Call Martin Luther King Day, Right?

I'm gonna have to call bullshit on that argument.

[Honeycombe8]

30. Then I'm gonna have to see you, and up you one.

The racists in my family don't use the term coon, except to say "coon ass," which means cajun.

[okieinpain]

31. I work in I.T. at my job and I have one user

that has a whole crap load of "coon", jokes on his computer. so the term is not that outdated.

[Honeycombe8]

37. So we have one person we've heard of who uses that word derogatorily. Younger than middle

aged, I presume?

[greyl]

44. No, we have 1 person (YOU) saying the word probably wasn't used

and that it isn't used generally.

You're simply wrong.

[Mopar151]

36. I've heard it, in refrence to our current president

And by a multiracial friend of mine, to describe his uncle. Not to mention the old farts.... I've heard goon much less often, generally in refrence to hockey players or strikebreakers.

[greyl]

43. And you're wrong. nt

[WillyT]

27. UnFUCKINGBelievable !!!

[CakeGrrl]

32. Bullshit.

I hope every one of these people trying to excuse the inexcusable get caught out in this ridiculous spin.

[Ecumenist]

33. Excuse what I'm about to say BUT why the f%ck would you use a term of endearment

for someone you don't know, you think appears "suspicious" and you're about shoot dead? That makes no damn sense. They searched for something that could be construed as matching that word and I would love to ask the highschoolers if theyuse that term. I have NEVER heard that term used in mondern day language by teenagers and young adults.

[name not needed]

34. "Goon" is Miami slang for a low-level gang member.

And unless you're slinging crack in Opa-Locka, it's not a term of endearment.

[MrScorpio]

35. I believe that...

OH YEAH!

I'm putting a down payment on a bridge tomorrow too. I'm financing it through a Nigerian bank.
The email says that everything's on the up and up.

[Nye Bevan]

38. Reminds me of George Allen's "I didn't say Macaca, I said Mohawk!"

and equally lame and unbelievable.

[Lil Missy]

39. He sure didn't sound like he was feeling endearment toward Trayvon.

[Liberal_in_LA]

40. ..

[jmowreader]

41. It doesn't matter if Zimmerman called him a fine upstanding gentleman

George Zimmerman got out of his car, tracked Trayvon Martin down on foot, took out a gun and shot him dead with it. What he referred to Mr. Martin as before killing him is of little import, except maybe in turning this from a murder case to a hate crime case.

[guitar man]

42. Oh really?

Here's the audio with a little enhancement on the offending phrase. I ran some spectral subtraction noise reduction based on a sample of the wind noise right before he said it, then a high pass filter at 450hz and raised the volume a bit.

http://soundcloud.com/jftm4931/911-clip-1

I extracted the audio from this youtube video using the mp3 feature at keepvid.com