The Mo’Kelly Report: Undressing the ‘Rush to Judgment’ of Zimmerman

*Often times, things are as they seem, not what others wish them to be. Often times, people suffer from paralysis from over-analysis.

The Trayvon Martin tragedy would be one of those times. As of late, George Zimmerman supporters and those supposedly on the side of “fairness” (chuckle chortle sniggle guffaw) suggest that we don’t have “all the facts” or should avoid a “rush to judgment.”

Stop the stupidity please.

Trayvon Martin died February 26 under a cloud a suspicion and a questionable story at best.

At best.

It’s been more than 40 days since Trayvon Martin died. Noah and his ark endured less time amid the rain sent down by God than the time in between Travyon’s death and you reading this editorial. Despite the still-sagging housing market, it is still possible to clear escrow in fewer days than the time between Martin’s death and this moment. The NCAA tournament has even come and gone in less time.  You get my point.

Rush to judgment?

Or maybe you’ve heard “this” from those wishing America to be “fair-minded” (chuckle, chortle, sniggle, guffaw)…”Zimmerman is innocent until proven guilty.”

No, he isn’t.

George Zimmerman is innocent until proven guilty…in a court of law. If there is no arrest, there is no court of law and no chance to prove one’s guilt. The whole movement afoot to discredit the justifiable outrage regarding the shooting death of an unarmed youth is nothing short of laughable. It needs to be called out for what it is.

Where were the calls to not “rush to judgment” in regards to O.J. Simpson? Had America formed its opinion in fewer than 40 days with OJ? In fact, if I remember correctly, people immediately formed their opinions and because the verdict didn’t match, raised holy hell. Rush to judgment? Somebody please remind me. Casey Anthony? Robert Blake? Jon Benet Ramsey, Natalee Holloway?

Did you wait more than 40 days to form your opinion then? Did O.J. suffer in his trial despite the overwhelmingly negative opinion of the nation?

Bueller…Bueller?

Didn’t think so.

It is more than reasonable to form legitimate opinions around the information available…the facts available. Even in a trial, jurors will not hear the same evidence in the same manner that we will as outside observers.

I am well within my rights to assess and reassess as we go. There are genuine facts available to all of us to use as a foundation. The 911 calls really did happen and I really did hear them with my own ears. There is a dead body and we know who the shooter is, those facts are not in contention.

From that point, it only matters whether George Zimmerman and his story are credible; and whether he can substantiate his narrative of self-defense. My opinion is not bound by his timetable. It’s not for me to wait to form an opinion because he refuses to speak on the record publicly and instead uses surrogates such as his retired magistrate father and somewhat estranged brother.

Meaning, it is fair to surmise whether George Zimmerman is a credible party in this situation as we move along; despite what Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity would have you believe. In fact, Sean Hannity is still apoplectic over O.J. and he was found “not guilty.” But we can’t be outraged about the man who for some strange reason can’t be arrested and brought to trial after killing an unarmed youth?

But I digress.

As more information comes out, it will either solidify my opinion or push me in the other direction. But it is nothing short of ridiculous to indict those with common sense over being outraged over the death of Trayvon Martin. It is nothing short of ridiculous to castigate those who doubt or disbelieve the underwhelming story of George Zimmerman. It’s flimsy on its best day. It’s not my job to wait until George Zimmerman comes up with a better, less flimsy alternative before stating the obvious.

Zimmerman (through his father, brother and lawyers) would like me and the world to believe that although he witnessed no illegal behavior and instructed by police not to pursue Martin, (as verified by the 911 call) he in no way provoked the confrontation.

Zimmerman felt comfortable enough to pursue and engage Martin but didn’t provoke a confrontation?

I choose not to believe such a sorry “testimony.”

After 40+ days, I’ve yet to see anything to suggest Zimmerman’s story is anything less than ridiculous. I reserve the right to change my mind in the future, but until compelling information is offered to encourage such, I’m remaining on the side of common sense and reason. There was no “rush” to judgment, I never had to go anywhere, just remained where I was in the Land of Good Sense.

Zimmerman (also through his father, brother and lawyers) attempted to weave the narrative that unarmed Trayvon Martin spontaneously attacked Zimmerman, unprovoked and did so having nothing to do Martin being followed by an unknown man at night…with a gun no less.

Zimmerman wants us to believe that Trayvon Martin attacked George Zimmerman, when it has already been established (by Zimmerman’s own 911 call) that Martin first ran away from him.

I choose not to believe such a sorry “testimony” and will continue to do so until evidence is presented to suggest otherwise. It is not my responsibility to take Zimmerman at his word, especially not when it conflicts with common sense and his own voice on 911 calls.

Knowing this, I will rest comfortably in the Land of Common Sense. I reserve the right to change my opinion in the future, but for now…common sense wins out and in no way did I rush to get here.

Zimmerman (again…through his father, brother and lawyers) will have us believe that his nose was broken and he engaged in a death-struggle, necessitating the use of lethal force; although he has no EMS report, doctor’s note or any other form of corroborating evidence in support of his contention. Even if I “wanted” to believe Zimmerman, he has offered nothing to help me do so.

If anyone has a reason to lie, it’s Zimmerman, so unlike the Sanford police, a healthy skepticism is reasonable to me when someone turns up dead and the killer is the only one available to give an account of what happened.

In the absence of any coroner’s report which substantiates Zimmerman’s narrative, I rightfully and reasonably choose not to take Zimmerman at his word. In addition to his highly questionable “injuries,” he alleged to having been the person heard screaming for his life on the 911 calls…which was easily debunked by multiple experts.

It is both reasonable and well within my right to not believe such a shaky story.

The truth of the matter is that when you kill someone alleging self-defense, it’s not a good look when experts easily pick apart a key component to your story. It is not my job to figure out where Zimmerman’s lying begins and ends. I just know that if he’s lying about who’s screaming, he’s likely lying in regards to other key details.

My opinion will remain ensconced in the realm of common sense. Again, there was no rush to get here and it’s foolish for those of you out there to suggest otherwise.

This case is not about Al, Jesse, Skittles, iced tea, hoodies or some sordid combination. At the heart of the matter is a dead boy who can’t speak for himself and his killer who seems to be at best, not wholly truthful when speaking for himself.  You don’t get to kill someone and “mostly” tell the truth. You don’t get to kill someone and get to lie about key aspects of your “testimony.”

That’s not how it works.

This, having nothing to do with a police department which did not verify sobriety of Zimmerman on the night in question. Sanford PD didn’t (publicly) offer an M.E.’s report to corroborate Zimmerman’s account. Such information (or its absence in this case) is inextricably linked to “why” people have rightfully and reasonably demonstrated their outrage.

And notice, I’ve mentioned race not once.

The reasonable individuals, you know, the ones who are my neighbors in the Land of Good Sense and those in the Land of Common Sense haven’t rushed to any sort of judgment. We’ve been more than patient, waiting more than 40 days for George Zimmerman to provide a scintilla of evidence to support his seemingly unbelievable storyline.

The onus is not on us to then wait indefinitely for Zimmerman to stop using surrogates or start making sense.

People didn’t give O.J or Casey Anthony 40+ days and they were both found “not guilty.” So I’m only guessing that George Zimmerman will not suffer from having the nation of people with good sense…actually using it. If you were mad about O.J. before he was arrested and after his acquittal, then I know I’m well within my right to be angry about the murder of an unarmed boy with no arrest…at all.

Morris W. O’Kelly (Mo’Kelly) is host of The Mo’Kelly Show on KFI AM640 in Los Angeles, a political correspondent for the BBC Radio and Television networks and author of the syndicated column, The Mo’Kelly Report. For more Mo’Kelly, go to http://mrmokelly.com Mo’Kelly can be reached at mrmokelly@gmail.com and welcomes all commentary.