Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/Politics/National
NationalNewsRace

‘Couldn’t Happen to a Better Guy’ Folks Have Zero Sympathy for George Zimmerman’s Misfortune

Posted byBy Tanasia Kenney | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

zimmerman broke

Accused murderer George Zimmerman has become the laughingstock of society after court documents revealed he’s penniless and millions of dollars in debt, so much so that he can’t even afford his own lawyer.

Zimmerman, who fatally shot unarmed Black teen Trayvon Martin in 2012, requested a public defender earlier this week after being charged with stalking a private investigator working on a documentary on Martin’s life. In court, the 34-year-old claimed that he was broke and unemployed without a dime in his bank account

Since his 2013 acquittal in Martin’s death, Zimmerman has racked up a number of charges, including one for assault and domestic violence. More recently, the Florida man was caught harassing PI Dennis Warren, who he once threatened to feed to an alligator.

Sympathy for the killer’s plight has been slim to none, however. Social media users came out the woodwork this week to celebrate Zimmerman’s financial misfortune.

https://twitter.com/Alt_Political/status/999644552330924033

https://twitter.com/1Natreka/status/999631446225707008

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top