Zimmerman’s behavior towards the co-worker, when combined with his apparent animus towards Black males — judging by the dozens of 911 calls he made to Sanford Police to complain about suspicious Black males in the neighborhood, including in one case, a six year old boy– leaves a disturbing impression.
[Black Star News Editorial]
Much has been written about the lacerations on the back of George Zimmerman’s head and the reported broken nose. Not
enough has been written about his reported hateful taunting of a
co-workerof Middle Eastern ancestry. The co-worker reported the bullying
to the authorities investigating Trayvon Martin’s killing. This was
part of the evidence disclosed by the State last week. The
co-worker said Zimmerman constantly harassed him by portraying him as
“Achmed The Dead Terrorist”a ghoulish puppet character created by a standup
comedian. The co-worker said whenever he said anything at the
workplace, Zimmerman would taunt him by saying “Noooo,
I kill you..” or “I kill your family….” or “I bomb you..” in what
Zimmerman imagined to be his attempt at a Middle Eastern accent. When
the co-worker first complained to a manager he says he was told
Zimmerman was “just playing with” him. It was was no laughing
matter to the co-worker, who is not identified by the authorities –for
obvious reasons. He said he felt so tormented that he actually
considered beating up Zimmerman — that he weighed the benefit against
the cost before deciding against it. The incompetent managers
obviously couldn’t even place themselves in the shoes of an employee of
Middle Eastern ancestry to imagine how he must have felt to be referred
to as a “terrorist” on a daily basis at the workplace. The
former co-worker said he was close to “snapping” as a result of the
constant taunts and humiliations. At meetings, in the presence of other
employees, whenever he said something Zimmerman would say “Noooo!” (as
in “Nooo, I kill you!”). The co-worker says he simply stopped talking.
Clearly, other co-workers and managers at that work establishment will
be able to help the state draw a fuller picture of Zimmerman when his
case for the murder of Trayvon Martin goes to trial. Zimmerman was later fired after making too many calls to Human Resources, complaining about the managers whom he claimed didn’t know how to do their job — he seemed to be a serial complainer, given his multiple calls also to Sanford Police complaining about “suspicious” Black males.
The
co-worker also says Zimmerman would not have approached the “victim” if
he was 250 pounds. This is not surprising — Zimmerman knew what he was
doing when he approached Trayvon Martin: he could tell that he
significantly outweighed the teenager. This is the MO of most bullies –rarely do they pick on people their own size. Zimmerman
was good at deception, the former co-worker said. “He’s such a
convincing guy,” the former co-worker said of Zimmerman — so much so
that when he met with management to explain away his taunting of the
co-worker, he sounded so credible that even the co-worker started
doubting himself. (Mind you this is the same man who, much
later, went into hiding after killing Trayvon Martin then started
raising money on his website by making appeals tailored to attract
racist groups to contribute. Soon after his arrest, he appeared in court
in a suit and tie, belying his earlier tilt towards the racists out
there via his website). Zimmerman’s behavior towards the
co-worker, when combined with his apparent animus towards Black males —
judging by the dozens of 911 calls he made to Sanford Police to
complain about “suspicious” Black males in the neighborhood, including in
one case, a boy aged between seven and nine– leaves a disturbing impression. On
the night of the fateful encounter with Trayvon Martin, he added one
more phone call to the 46 he had made in the past to the Sanford
Police. He was told not to follow Trayvon, whom he’d told the
authorities was suspicious. But, he had just told the dispatcher that
the “assholes” always got away. It would not happen that night. Why
would someone follow a “suspicious” Black man who could have been armed
if indeed he was “suspicious”? What would embolden a person to follow
the “suspicious” Black man? Zimmerman knew that he had a gun with him. Zimmerman is the one who walked away alive from that evening’s encounter.
It was was no laughing
