George Zimmerman, Model Citizen

Standard & Poors says that the shutdown cost $24 billion.

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers bore the economic brunt of the shutdown. But small businesses also suffered from frozen government contracts and stalled business loans. Tourism suffered from closed national parks, and military families had to cope without childcare and other services. Federal workers will receive back-pay under the deal, but contractors will probably not get their lost wages. The stall in cash-flow could affect spending during the holiday shopping season.

Is there some reason for a sensible person to think Standard & Poors is wrong but albeadle33 is right?

Hahaha, I crack myself up!

Oh let's see that number if one figures in ALL cost will be in the billions. Our "leaders" in Washington have fucked around with this "law" for the better part of 4 years.

This still does not make Travon Martin an innocent young man. He was a thug.

If 4,000,000 people have to pay $500 per month or $6,000 per year in additional insurance premiums the cost comes out to $24b. This is a cost that will continue for years while the shutdown was a 1 time cost. So the obamacare fiasco could wind up costing consumers hundreds of billions per year

Even assuming your laughable characterization of Trayvon is accurate, here is a simple fact: If you murder a thug, you are guilty of...murder. Even if he wears a hoodie, or smokes pot, or gets into a fight at school - it's murder. And if he likes hardcore rap - you guessed it - it's still murder.

"Thugs," - even if they're uppity - have just as many civil rights as the rest of us. The only real question in this case is whether Zimmerman was the aggressor. At this point, the answer to that question should be obvious. Even to the dim and the prejudiced.

Another fact: If one is found "Not Guilty" of murder, one is not guilty of...murder.

Them "facts" is pesky things.

I totally agree with you on this one. As much as it pains me O.J. Simpson is not guilty of murdering his wife. This is the only way our justice system can work.

"The only real question in this case is whether Zimmerman was the aggressor"

That question was already decided in the courts

Agreed. You obviously believe that both Zimmerman and OJ Simpson are equally "not guilty," as do I.

And those that defend OJ's innocence are on par with those who defend Zimmerman's innocence; both camps commonly being fueled by racial fears.

Don't confuse the fact that one court found OJ Simpson not guilty of murdering two people for conclusive proof that OJ Simpson did not murder two people. Our legal system gets stuff wrong all the time. Anyone recall a court saying that, because of his inferior nature, a "Negro might justly and lawfully be reduced to slavery for his own benefit"? Now that melbedewy's gone, anyone else care to vouch for that court decision?

Recall that a second court declared that OJ Simpson was responsible for the wrongful deaths of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.

That a court could declare that dogs have five legs doesn't mean that dogs have five legs.

The George Zimmerman trial established that the State of Florida cannot criminally punish Zimmerman for his altercation with Trayvon Martin. We all, however, remain free to draw our own conclusions about what happened that sad night.