Last updated on February 8th, 2013 at 12:00 pm
On MSNBC, Alan Grayson explained why the ABC News video of George Zimmerman blows apart his defense and proves that Trayvon Martin’s family was right.
Here is the video from MSNBC:
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Transcript:
ED SCHULTZ: Welcome back to “The Ed Show.” Breaking news in the Trayvon martin case tonight. ABC News has obtained video of George Zimmerman being brought into the police department on the night he shot and killed Trayvon Martin. I am joined by Alan Grayson, former Florida congressman, who is from the Orlando area. Congressman, good to have you with us tonight. You have — you have been at these rallies for Trayvon all week and have been paying close attention to the case. What are your impressions of this police house videotape that was obtained tonight?
ALAN GRAYSON: Well, I think it blows apart the Zimmerman argument that he was acting out of fear rather than out of hatred, but I’ll tell you, I sometimes wonder why people think that’s some kind of good defense. I don’t believe it in his case. I think if you call someone “f’ing coon” then you’re animated by nothing but hatred, but somehow he thinks if he says he feared, that excuses the death of a young boy. It doesn’t. If you did the crime, you have to do the time.
SCHULTZ: do you believe that this tape is inconsistent with the police report?
GRAYSON: yes, I’ve read the police report, I saw the tape, and I think there is an inconsistent.
SCHULTZ: And what would you be thinking right now if you were representing the martin family in this case?
GRAYSON: I think that it proves their point. This is someone who Zimmerman should under no circumstances be allowed to have a gun. It should have been taken from him a long time ago, and he should have been arrested a long time ago. He should have been tried and it looks to me like he’s going to be convicted.
The first question that comes to mind when you see the videotape is where are Zimmerman’s injuries? Where’s the broken nose? Anyone who has ever injured their nose can tell you that you don’t just walk around like it is a day at the park after such an injury. In fact, Zimmerman shows no signs of injury at all.
Here is George Zimmerman’s account of what happened, according to the Orlando Sentinel, “With a single punch, Trayvon Martin decked the Neighborhood Watch volunteer who eventually shot and killed the unarmed 17-year-old, then Trayvon climbed on top of George Zimmerman and slammed his head into the sidewalk, leaving him bloody and battered, law-enforcement authorities told the Orlando Sentinel.”
George Zimmerman’s defense was a bit of a fairy tale that in order to be true would force us to believe that a young man who was unarmed and outweighed by a hundred pounds jumped the much bigger and gun toting Zimmerman. There is no grass on Zimmerman’s jacket. There no wound on the back of his head, which is pretty remarkable considering it was slammed into the sidewalk. According to his own account, George Zimmerman was supposed to be bloody and battered, but he looks completely unbothered by the fact that he just shot a teenage boy in the videotape.
Alan Grayson was correct. This tape shatters Zimmerman’s defense. It seems more likely that he was acting out of racism and fear, not self-defense. The former Florida congressman was also right in stating that fear is no defense. The lack of blood or evidence of a struggle lends credibility to the suspicion that this was a cold blooded killing.
Grayson deserves respect for taking a stand on behalf of Trayvon Martin, despite the fact that he is running to win back his former seat in Congress. Grayson could have played it safe, but he is speaking out and doing what’s right. By arguing on behalf of justice, Alan Grayson demonstrated why this country needs him back in Congress.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
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