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Zimmerman's Gun Sale Will Fund Anti-Clinton Effort
On Wednesday, George Zimmerman announced he will sell the gun which he used to kill Trayvon Martin in February 2012 (Zimmerman claims he acted in self-defense). The gun went up for auction on May 12, and bidding began at $5,000. The New York Times reported that Zimmerman said of the gun sale on gunbroker.com: "I’m a free American. I can do what I’d like with my possessions." And what he wants to do with them is further his own anti-gun-control mission. Zimmerman's gun sale will fund anti-Hillary-Clinton efforts, since she is an advocate for stringent gun control laws.
Update: As of Thursday morning, Zimmerman's auction had been deleted from GunBroker.com.
However, Zimmerman will not only use the money he earns from the sale against Clinton:
I am proud to announce that a portion of the proceeds will be used to: fight BLM [Black Lives Matter] violence against Law Enforcement officers, ensure the demise of Angela Correy’s [sic] persecution [sic] career and Hillary Clinton’s anti-firearm rhetoric. Now is your opportunity to own a piece of American History.
That's not all. The Dallas Morning News reported that Zimmerman finished his description of the sale with the Latin phrase, "Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum," which translates to, "If you want peace, prepare for war."
Zimmerman is clearly ready to fight, no matter how insensitive his actions and words may seem. Black Lives Matter was sparked in part by Zimmerman's acquittal in 2013, and it seems as if he feels he is the victim and must fight back. Suggesting that those in favor of gun control "prepare for war" makes it clear that Zimmerman is not above inciting violence himself.
It's obvious why Zimmerman is targeting Clinton. The Democratic presidential front-runner has promised to work for stronger gun control legislature if elected. Furthermore, Clinton campaigns alongside Trayvon Martin's mother, as well as the mothers of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Sandra Bland, and Tamir Rice — just a few of the unarmed people of color who have recently been killed in the United States.
Zimmerman referred to the gun as a "piece of American History" that can be owned by the top bidder. He's right. That gun has played a big role in current events, as have the weapons that have been used to kill other people of questionable "guilt."
However, the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-gun politicians such as Clinton are attempting to use deaths like Martin's to make sure that history does not continue to repeat itself. Sadly, it seems as if Zimmerman is glorifying Martin's death with this auction — which will not help move the United States forward, but rather keep the country stuck in its violent history.