George Zimmerman's DV mug shot
If an Orange County, Florida circuit court judge had been more savvy about domestic violence in 2005, Trayvon Martin might still be alive today. There has been a huge dust-up over Florida’s “stand your ground” statute without much judicial accountability for the judge who taught George Zimmerman that blaming the victim was a good way to get away with murder.
Domestic violence survivors are too familiar with a perpetrator’s penchant for turning the tables on their prey. It’s like blaming the mouse for becoming a cat’s dinner. We learn quickly that we are as expendable as that mouse.
If a woman being brutally battered by her husband defends herself, she will probably go to prison. But, a vigilante like Mr. Zimmerman somehow gets a pass because he’s such a control-freak nut-job that he perceives a kid talking on his cell phone to his girlfriend is a threat to his safety. Gimme a break.
Trayvon Martin
We’ve all been teenagers. We all remember the silly, giggly conversations we had on the telephone. Our hormones were so raging that we were oblivious to anything but our fantasies. The only thing at risk at the moment that Trayvon Martin was murdered were two teenage hearts. If the girlfriend’s father had been a player in his youth, I can imagine that he might have thought he needed to defend his daughter’s virtue, but a risk to Mr. Zimmerman? Please.
Yes, we need justice for Trayvon Martin and his family. He was a good kid with a bright future cut down because a vigilante nut-job didn’t like the color of his skin.
But, we also need to take this dangerous precedent seriously. . .especially if we have experienced domestic violence. We’ve all heard “I can kill us and get away with it.” With this precedent on the books, he can.
Veronica Zuazo, Mr. Zimmerman’s ex-fiáncée, has to know she’s lucky to be alive. She probably wouldn’t be if this law had been on the books in 2005. If George Zimmerman had been held accountable for domestic violence in 2005, Trayvon Martin would probably still be alive. As a domestic violence perpetrator, Mr. Zimmerman shouldn’t have had a license to carry a gun. I think it is telling that the photo we see of him in the media is his DV mug shot. The D.C. Sniper was identified by his DV mug shot too. He murdered seventeen people.
Anne Caroline Drake 
In this case, the Stand Your Ground law does not apply. Zimmerman should have heeded the advice of the police dispatcher and not stalked this young man. Why am I not surprised by his domestic violence charge. He is a control freak and he needs to pay for what he has done. If not, this powder keg will explode, I promise you that.
Zimmerman was the aggressor, it is as simple as that. He also lied about being injured. The police video tape does not support this claim. As you have stated, he should never have been allowed to carry a gun. Neighborhood Watch means just that, WATCH! It does not mean take the law into your own hands; shoot to kill unarmed teenagers. What a tragedy for Trayvon’s family. Racism is alive and well.
Peace