George Zimmerman’s Bulletproof Vest, Publicity Trips, And Judicial Dreams
George Zimmerman has been spending his life walking around wearing a bulletproof vest, signing autographs, and dreaming of becoming a civil rights or defense attorney.
Last year, Zimmerman was acquitted of second-degree murder charges for shooting teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012, citing self-defense under Florida’s “stand your ground” law. Since his acquittal, he has been seen regularly in the news. In Florida last August, he smiled and posed for photos while he toured the factory of the manufacturer of the gun he used to shoot Martin.
In February, he granted interviews to several media outfits where he complained about having to wear bulletproof vests for fear of his life. He also lamented about being homeless and unemployed, and confessed to receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. This weekend, he was the special guest at a gun show in Orlando, where he shook hands with his “supporters” and autographed photos.
Local station WOFL-TV interviewed Zimmerman during the New Orlando Gun Show, which was held at the Arms Room store located at the city’s East Colonial Drive. Zimmerman said that even inside the store in the company of around 200 supporters, he was still thinking of his safety, and was always concerned about the threats surrounding him in the light of his acquittal. However, he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see his supporters face to face and “pay them back for what they did for me.”
Zimmerman fails to see why many people are still in a rage over him, he says, but he’s willing to “talk to everyone and try and answer their concerns or questions,” to make people realize that anger is not necessary.
A videotaped interview of Zimmerman was also released on Wednesday, in which he said he was trying to be a good person and hopes to become a lawyer someday. The interview was conducted with his divorce attorneys. Zimmerman and his wife Shellie are undergoing divorce, and the interview was part of the process. In the interview, his attorneys asked him about his daily life, current activities, and plans for the future.
Howard Iken, one of Zimmerman’s divorce lawyers, stated that the release of the video helps his client by allowing him to control his message. It’s a way to show the public that “the allegations that he is a racist or bigot” are unfair and misinformed.
In the video, Zimmerman said that he was trying to figure out who he is. On his hopes of entering law school and becoming an civil rights attorney, he said that he wants to “make enough of an impact” on the judiciary so that he could prevent what happened to him from happening to anybody else. All in all, he said he wants to “show America who I truly am.”
Image via YouTube
