Bill Cosby: Gun Mentality Led to Trayvon Death
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Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Jackie Robinson Foundation(NEW YORK) — Bill Cosby has weighed in on the Trayvon Martin case. The famed comedian told the Washington Times that neighborhood watch volunteers like George Zimmerman, who shot and killed the unarmed black teenager, should not be allowed to carry guns.
“We’ve got to get the gun out of the hands of people who are supposed to be on neighborhood watch,” Cosby said in his first public remarks about the case, published Monday.
“Without a gun, I don’t see Mr. Zimmerman approaching Trayvon by himself,” Cosby added. “The power-of-the-gun mentality had him unafraid to confront someone. Even police call for backup in similar situations.
“When you carry a gun, you mean to harm somebody, kill somebody.”
The Cosby Show star’s remarks were immediately circulated on the Web, including conservative sites that took issue with Cosby’s pinpointing “the gun” as the problem.
Cosby, 74, steered clear of mentioning race in a case that has sparked allegations of racism and a nationwide outcry for justice. In the past, however, he has been unafraid to jump into the fray and has even caused controversy of his own.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio