Just as Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, was getting past her 5th Mother’s Day without her son, Trayvon, George Zimmerman was getting ready to sell the gun he used to shoot and kill her son. Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman on February 26, 2012. Earlier this week, it was reported that Zimmerman was set to auction the gun with Gun Broker.com. They later withdrew the gun as an auction item. But there’s always someone willing to do gun business, and another company, United Gun Group, listed the gun for auction on the same day that the other company withdrew it.
Zimmerman once again shows he has no remorse for taking the life of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman’s position appears to be that the gun is his property and he can choose to sell it if he desires. And while Zimmerman may have the legal right to sell his property, he should seriously ponder if he should morally be selling the gun he used to take the life of an innocent teenager. Trayvon Martin was merely walking home from a store with iced tea and a bag of Skittles candy when Zimmerman encountered him.
A moral compass clearly does not exist within George Zimmerman. And it shows a lot about our society that someone would want to auction Zimmerman’s gun and someone may want to buy the gun used to take a teenager’s innocent life as a collector item. Although Zimmerman was found not guilty on July 13, 2013, it doesn’t change the fact that the gun was used to take the life of a teenager whom Zimmerman felt did not belong in his Sanford, Florida neighborhood.
For me as an African American, selling the gun used to kill Trayvon Martin is akin to selling a noose used to hang around a black man’s neck by a white man who escaped justice. Historically, Zimmerman’s act is similar to what occurred following some lynchings of African Americans in the Jim Crow south. History records show that some whites who witnessed the hangings of blacks as a public activity later sold items such as photographs of the lynching and the body parts of the victim. Or perhaps imagine if today an accused rapist who was later found not guilty decides to sell personal items of the victim worn during the alleged sexual assault. Yes, it’s sickening and repulsive. And Zimmerman’s act is also sickening and repulsive.
George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin because he had no regard for human life. And by attempting to sell the gun used to kill Martin, Zimmerman continues to show he has no regard for humanity. He only has a desire to continue to be seen in the public spotlight, regardless of his reprehensible acts. And it’s likely that we haven’t seen the last of George Zimmerman.
George Zimmerman is like a bad dream that won’t end. My heartfelt thoughts of support go out to the family of Trayvon Martin who must continue to grieve the loss of their son amidst the shenanigans of George Zimmerman—one bad dream after another.
UPDATE: Zimmerman’s gun used to kill an innocent teen was sold for over $120,000 according to accounts from TMZ. And beforehand, Zimmerman verbally attacks the parents of Trayvon Martin for not properly raising their son.
Washington, DC based Debbie Hines is a trial lawyer, legal analyst and former prosecutor. She covered the George Zimmerman trial on multiple media outlets.
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