The writer who said that a 17-year-old kid should be polite to his "elders" is missing a crucial point: Zimmerman was not, say, 50 years old, he was young, young enough that no one should feel that s/he was battling an incapable person.

On the other hand, a 29-year-old could be expected to have better judg(e)ment than a teenager.

I continue to believe that Zimmerman was carrying an "equalizer", and most likely had it out of the holster when he was following Martin.

Speaking of following: when Z was asked "Are you following him?", Z answered "Yes"; he did not say I WILL follow him, or I am THINKING of following him, he clearly implied he had already been following. Quite possibly Martin was already aware that there was a man in pursuit.