Current Event Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Current Event - Research Paper Example -related hooded sweatshirt and â€Å"up to no good.† Although not all specific facts of this case are known and may never be, enough evidence has been presented to make some rational conclusions. The general public was not aware of Martin’s killing for a week after it happened. The story didn’t go national for another week. Since then, the media frenzy has focused on three basic questions; who started the fight, did Zimmerman fear for his life and how impartial were Stanford, Florida law enforcement officials in response to this case? The mainstream news coverage, though very thorough, has not been able to or hasn’t ventured to answer these important questions conclusively. To answer the impartiality question theorize if the police, prosecutors and local press would have reacted differently if the races were reversed. Yes. No hesitation in anyone’s mind, not even among the right-wing media. The answers to the other two questions are almost if not as certain. Much depends on what Zimmerman did after the dispatcher told him â€Å"we don’t need you to do that† instructing him not to follow Martin. Zimmerman responded â€Å"ok† bu t what did he do? The unelected, unofficial self-appointed neighborhood â€Å"watchman† continued to follow Martin who was on the phone with his girlfriend well after the directive for Zimmerman to stop. Had he followed that directive, Martin would not have died that night. As for feeling threatened, it was Martin who was being pursued. He was fearful for his safety and may or may not have reacted physically as he was approached by a stranger in the dark. One of the last things Martin’s girlfriend hears before the phone and her boyfriend went dead was him saying â€Å"why are you following me?† Good question for local police and the prosecuting attorney. Zimmerman is hanging his hopes of not being hung on Florida’s â€Å"stand your ground† law. If he can prove self defense he is set free which is, by the grace of skin tone, his