Gun enthusiasts start defense fund for George Zimmerman

[kpete]

Source: Sun Sentinal



A firearms website created by some Tampa gun enthusiasts announced today it is collecting money to help pay for George Zimmerman's legal defense.

Christopher Kossmann, 23, and three friends founded Legal Boom: Gun law for the Gunshine State last year to explain Florida's self-defense laws, he said.

Describing legalboom.org as a "hobbyist website," Kossman said none of the members are lawyers and they pay expenses out of their pockets. He has not met Zimmerman, 28, but is trying to reach his attorney, Craig Sonner of Altamonte Springs to discuss the fundraising effort.

Zimmerman told Sanford police he killed Trayvon Martin, 17, in self defense on Feb. 26. The death of the unarmed teen prompted a nationwide controversy and the killing remains under investigation by a special prosecutor.

Read more: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/os-zimmerman-defense-fund-20120329,0,5006191.story

[TheWraith]

1. And of course, this will be used by some as an excuse to treat everyone with a gun as a maniac.

Even though public opinion runs pretty heavily against the guy including among the hundred million or so Americans who own guns.

[hlthe2b]

4. It is pretty damned contemptible, I hope you agree.

[peacebird]

7. I think you are wrong this time. Even Joe s & Mica came out against Z. I think this is a time

When the outrage of normal everyday Americans has crossed political boundaries and the gun issue.

[nanabugg]

35. I do hope you are correct. nt

[lunatica]

21. Is the NRA blameless too?

I've never criticized anyone for owning guns. But I sure as hell think the NRA is corrupt and contemptible in it's corporatist lobbying and it's use of fearmongering and fomenting of racial hatred in order to sell as many weapons as it can.

[2ndAmForComputers]

32. Can we treat THOSE guys with guns who are doing the collection as the maniacs they are?

[hlthe2b]

2. Uggh... it is this extremist attitude and the unquestioning defense of NRA and its policies...

that leads to ambivalence towards even our progressive and (hopefully) more rational gun-owners.

[AtheistCrusader]

16. Hmm. Agree and disagree.

"It is not to be thought of in a civilized community for a moment that any citizen put in jeopardy of life or liberty should be debarred of counsel because he is too poor to employ such aid," the Indiana court wrote. "No court could be expected to respect itself to sit and hear such a trial. The defense of the poor in such cases is a duty which will at once be conceded as essential to the accused, to the court and to the public."

Sounds like Zimmerman was between jobs, so on the one hand, I support his access to legal defense, just as ANY citizen, no matter how apparently innocent or heinous. If some people want to raise some money for that, fine. On the other hand, I don't think 'gun owners' have any particular dog in this fight, as the law didn't protect what he did at all. As a gun owner, I don't particularly want to be associated with this effort.

[Ecumenist]

3. Fucking figures!

[chollybocker]

5. By funding a "defense," they acknowledge that Zimmerman commited a crime,

despite the law designed to circumvent such a lynchi... precarious situation.

Petard >>> Hoist!

[ZombieHorde]

11. No, they are acknowledging they feel Zimmerman will charged with a crime. nt

[Devil_Fish]

6. Gun enthusiasts should sit this one out.

Morons..... ... I Like guns. I don't own one now because I have a two year old. Stupid Gun Nuts jumping to Z's defence just makes sain gun supporters look bad. Oh but what about Poor, Poor Zimerman??

[Major Nikon]

8. The smart ones will

The ones who look at the world through their paranoid fringenut goggles won't. Sadly there's no shortage of the latter.

[guitar man]

9. Not me

You could call me a "gun enthusiast", I have a fair sized collection. They'll get no support from me, what their guy did was wrong, and I'd be willing to bet that "racist assholes start defense fund" would be a more appropriate headline.

[denem]

14. +1

[Speaker]

34. Bingo

"racist assholes start defense fund"

I bleed cosmoline and I wouldn't give these fuckers a penny.

They own guns to impress their buddies at the Klavern.

[madrchsod]

10. i doubt they`ll get enough money for any lawyer who would take this case

[totodeinhere]

12. Think again. A high profile case like this will attract a lot of potential lawyers wanting to make a

name for themselves defending Zimmerman. And that's fine with me. Like any other defendant, if he is charged he will be entitled to competent legal representation.

[shimonitanegi]

13. I still believe it is all about the race.

If Martin were white and the killer were black, I don't think they would defend the perp. Instead, they will propagate a message that says "if only Martin had a gun..."

[Monk06]

15. Wuz a time durin the pistol packin west when if'n a man shot an unarmed man he wuz hung

Now any coward with a gun and a chip on his shoulder can hunt human beings and not be arrested.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

19. 'Lest'n he was stealing a horse

like some sidewinder, bushwhacking, hornswoggling cracker crocker!

[lunatica]

22. Or russlin cattle

[Blue_Tires]

17. if they want to set fire to their money, let them...

[Hawkowl]

18. Murder enthusiasts

Anyone who supports Zimmerman in the name of "gun rights" is a murder enthusiast, not a gun enthusiast.

(I do not own a gun, but am pro gun ownership, anti-gun registration.)

[primavera]

28. Yet yesterday...

... he was a gun enthusiast whose right to own an unregistered fire arm was championed by you. Today, now that he's actually killed someone, it's so easy to distance oneself from that fact and claim that he's a murder who would never be supported by any rational person, and so wash one's hands of any responsibility. Neat trick, that.

[Hawkowl]

31. That's the way it works

Guns are specifically invented, designed, and manufactured to kill people. Owning them is legal. Pursuing, harassing, hunting down and killing people is not.

Criminals have easy access to guns which necessitates that law abiding citizens should have access as well for defensive purposes. I know the statistics, so don't quote them. I do not own a gun because I do not want to kill anyone.

[kenfrequed]

20. Morons!

If they had an ounce of sense they would decry Zimmerman's activites and claim that the law in question offers no protection for his attack.

[ellisonz]

23. Won't matter...

He very well may not be charged at all

[jpak]

24. Right wing douchebag vigilante gun nuts defending the indefensible

yup

[crim son]

25. And the "enthusiasts" wonder why people like me

hold them in contempt. Vile.

[MrMickeysMom]

26. "The Gunshine State" !

That's fucking classic...

I lived in the Sunshine state for 30 years, and I now visit the Gunshine state, remembering what the fucking gun lobby and Republicans did to it.

[mother earth]

27. The cowboys live...he was not the Lone Ranger, but NRA would have you believe he was. nt

[Kingofalldems]

29. I noticed a couple teaching freepers lately

who I am sure are ready to give.

[lovemydog]

30. they should give money to other murderers

because hey, why not completely confuse your love of guns with their misuse

[2ndAmForComputers]

33. THESE are gun nuts.