George Zimmerman -- Not Guilty

     After being asked again yesterday why I haven't written about what has become known as the Trayvon Martin story, I'm passing along my personal opinion--knowing full well that  it won't sit well with a majority of readers.

 I begin by acknowledging that if George Zimmerman had heeded the request of a 911 dispatcher, and not followed someone he viewed as suspicious on the night of February 26, Trayvon Martin would still be alive.

That is  fact that must weigh heavily on Zimmerman as he awaits trial on second degree murder charges.

But aside from disobeying an order from higher authority, and being an overly zealous community watch volunteer, George Zimmerman did nothng wrong.  As more information comes out of the investigation, it is obvious, at least to me, that Zimmerman is guilty neither of murder, as charged, nor even manslaughter.

I believe that the injuries he sustained, especially the two lacerations to the back of his head, support his version of what happened--that he was assaulted to the point that he feared for his life, and only then fired the gun that killed Trayvon Martin.

A hooded stranger within a gated comunity would evoke concern from a lot of people.  And Trayvon must be considered a stranger in that he was only visiting his father for a brief period while being suspended from school.

The death of a teenager--any teenager, by any means--is a tragedy.  But to convict George Zimmerman of murder is to make the Trayvon Martin story all the more tragic.