George Zimmerman quotes historian Jim Loewen on his defense page

CBS news is reporting that George Zimmerman, the 28-year-old Florida man who fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida in February, has launched a website to publicly defend himself. His lawyers have confirmed that the website belongs to him.

The site, http://therealgeorgezimmerman.com/, prominently features a quotation from historian, sociologist, professor, and HNN blogger James Loewen: "People have a right to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. Evidence must be located, not created, and opinions not backed by evidence cannot be given much weight." Mr. Loewen has expressed his desire to respond to Mr. Zimmerman's use of his words -- HNN will bring you more on this story as it develops.

The spartan website also features quotes from Edmund Burke, Thomas Paine, and Henrik Ibsen, as well as an appeal for donations and a contact form. Zimmerman does not go into detail about the shooting, only referring to it as a "life altering event which led me to become the subject of intense media coverage."