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I agree with the premise that the Trayvon Martin shooting and the politicization of that event, hallmarked by Obama's quote, "If I had a son, he would have looked like Trayvon.", was a watershed in the deterioration of race relations in this current era.
In fact, I would say it may go down as Obama's biggest gaffe. I don't believe it was calculated, I don't think Obama's reaction to the case was that devious. I think he really wanted to simply highlight the issue of unarmed deaths of black men, but the case was handled very poorly. A popular trial was carried out by the media as "facts" came in whether ultimately discredited or confirmed, and the press was complicit in a rather hamfisted game of favorites with the infamous "White Hispanic" label and the near exclusive use of a picture of a 12 year old Trayvon in a fuzzy, baby-blue hoodie as his more recent photos were... unflattering in light of the case.
I do believe that Zimmerman created the situation. Even if he were in fear for his life, he instigated the confrontation by all accounts. If he were really concerned that Trayvon was up to no good, he should have called the police.
But what we got from the whole debacle was a dead young man who was ostensibly not looking for trouble, a representative for self-defense, Zimmerman, who has proven to be an unstable loser, and a new era of identity politics which confers the label of "racist" on anyone who does not stick to a strict narrative that decides who is innocent (minorities) and who is guilty (oppressors) before a crime is even committed.
I agree with the premise that the Trayvon Martin shooting and the politicization of that event, hallmarked by Obama's quote, "If I had a son, he would have looked like Trayvon.", was a watershed in the deterioration of race relations in this current era.
In fact, I would say it may go down as Obama's biggest gaffe. I don't believe it was calculated, I don't think Obama's reaction to the case was that devious. I think he really wanted to simply highlight the issue of unarmed deaths of black men, but the case was handled very poorly. A popular trial was carried out by the media as "facts" came in whether ultimately discredited or confirmed, and the press was complicit in a rather hamfisted game of favorites with the infamous "White Hispanic" label and the near exclusive use of a picture of a 12 year old Trayvon in a fuzzy, baby-blue hoodie as his more recent photos were... unflattering in light of the case.
I do believe that Zimmerman created the situation. Even if he were in fear for his life, he instigated the confrontation by all accounts. If he were really concerned that Trayvon was up to no good, he should have called the police.
But what we got from the whole debacle was a dead young man who was ostensibly not looking for trouble, a representative for self-defense, Zimmerman, who has proven to be an unstable loser, and a new era of identity politics which confers the label of "racist" on anyone who does not stick to a strict narrative that decides who is innocent (minorities) and who is guilty (oppressors) before a crime is even committed.
Instead, GZ should have waited until he was either brain-dead or just plain dead before he reacted in self defense?
I'll let you figure out why your statement is ridiculous.
Florida should not have the oldest law in the history of mankind? Why not?
Why should anyone be required to suffer severe bodily harm or death before acting to defend him/herself from the same?
Do you believe that women have the right to defend themselves against rape attempts?
You are wrong. GZ was NOT told not to follow TM. But, had GZ followed TM, that still would have been legal.
You are ignorant of the facts and of the law.
GZ did not follow TM.
TM came back to where GZ was awaiting the cops and the fight began there, 100 yards away from where TM had already reached safely running to his Father's girlfriend's place.
Your ignorance sickens me.
LOL Whoa relax. Why so hostile?
My "ignorance sickens you"? Ignorance about what, exactly?
Zimmerman WAS told not to follow Martin. This is in the record. He did not listen. He was told to WAIT for the police. Zimmerman had no business doing what he did given the context and facts. And FL's law that allows you to just shoot and kill people for the premise that Zimmerman did SHOULD NOT EXIST. Martin did nothing wrong at that moment. He was minding his own business walking in the neighborhood where he lived, and he was shot close to the home he was residing in. There was some type of confrontation that began after Zimmerman refused to just wait for police and after Martin told a friend on the phone that a man was following him. Zimmerman should have left action to the police. Zimmerman initiated the whole incident by playing cops and robbers. Zimmerman wouldn't have had to resort to self-defense in whatever fight occurred if he had listened to the dispatcher.
I'm fine with self-defense laws when the situation is proper. I'm not fine when some vigilante stalks a teen just because he seems suspicious then ignores advice to wait for police and winds up in an altercation with the kid. This is an abuse of the intent of the law. Zimmerman had other options in the whole situation and he resorted to what ultimately happened.
In reality, we only have one story to go off of - Zimmerman's. Because the other guy (a 17 year old) involved is dead. Zimmerman was facing a murder charge, that he could beat by claiming self-defense... so he claimed self-defense. Whatever he claims happened, however it went down, is just his side of the story. Martin couldn't rebut and there was just one witness who saw the end of the altercation, but not what happened before it. And like anyone, Zimmerman will say what he needs to to beat a murder charge when his victim can't speak and he's the only one who knows what actually happened. You can't be this naive. What they did also have in evidence was statements by a friend Martin had been on the phone with just prior to the shooting who testified that Martin told her some creepy guy was following and watching him.
From the arrest warrant: "the encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and waited the arrival of law enforcement or conversely if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialog in an effort to dispel each party's concern.... There is no indication that Trayvon Martin was involved in any criminal activity at the time of the encounter."
I'm not ignorant of facts or law. I'm a law student. What the hell are you?
I had you on ignore then removed you. Thanks for reminding me why I had you on ignore.
I agree with the premise that the Trayvon Martin shooting and the politicization of that event, hallmarked by Obama's quote, "If I had a son, he would have looked like Trayvon.", was a watershed in the deterioration of race relations in this current era.
In fact, I would say it may go down as Obama's biggest gaffe. I don't believe it was calculated, I don't think Obama's reaction to the case was that devious. I think he really wanted to simply highlight the issue of unarmed deaths of black men, but the case was handled very poorly. A popular trial was carried out by the media as "facts" came in whether ultimately discredited or confirmed, and the press was complicit in a rather hamfisted game of favorites with the infamous "White Hispanic" label and the near exclusive use of a picture of a 12 year old Trayvon in a fuzzy, baby-blue hoodie as his more recent photos were... unflattering in light of the case.
I do believe that Zimmerman created the situation. Even if he were in fear for his life, he instigated the confrontation by all accounts. If he were really concerned that Trayvon was up to no good, he should have called the police.
But what we got from the whole debacle was a dead young man who was ostensibly not looking for trouble, a representative for self-defense, Zimmerman, who has proven to be an unstable loser, and a new era of identity politics which confers the label of "racist" on anyone who does not stick to a strict narrative that decides who is innocent (minorities) and who is guilty (oppressors) before a crime is even committed.
There was ZERO racism involved in the GZ justified killing of TM.
The Feds and Obama's agenda-driven AG and the FBI investigated GZ for more than a year and in the end the evidence showed that not only was GZ not a racist, but, GZ had gone out of his way on many instances to advocate on behalf of blacks:
a) GZ led the charge to hold accountable the white son of a white police chief for the beating of a homeless black man,
b) GZ tutored black kids in his community,
c) GZ called the coppers to demand safety measures be taken to protect black kids playing in the street of his community,
d) GZ had dated black women,
f) GZ is ethnically/racially part black,
h) when GZ reported TM to the coppers, GZ only stated that TM "might be black" when asked by the coppers what race the suspect TM was.
In fact, the Obama Justice Department, which wanted so badly to bring civil rights charges against GZ, had to run off with its tail tucked between its legs because there was absolutely no evidence that GZ acted due to racism.
That's right. And GZ rejected an offer from the cops to play an enhanced role as a special official neighborhood watchman.
1. The evidence clearly shows that GZ did not follow TM, nor obviously did GZ "run up" on TM.
2. The evidence shows clearly that GZ did not profile TM racially.
Fine, but, irrelevant to the GZ - TM incident because GZ did not follow or "run up" on TM.
Then you have not been listening, at all.
The transcript of the call GZ made to the coppers non-emergency dispatcher clearly show that:
1. GZ was frightened of TM
2. GZ did not exit his car until TM had already taken off running and the dispatcher asked GZ where TM was running to.
How is that not "logical" to you?
I get it. You have no idea what really happened.
Take the time to review the trial record, objectively. Then come back and tell us why you think it unreasonable for GZ to have been exonerated.
Nothing rightful about anyone's feelings when the facts so clearly contradict those feelings.
Get the facts. Look at the record. Stop being spoon-fed by a dishonest media.
TM was in the wrong. GZ did not harrass TM. GZ was not a wanna-be cop. GZ rejected offers from the coppers to play an enhanced role as a special official Neighborhood watchman.
You are wrong about everything. Does that not bother you?
My bad, Zimmerman. I didn't know you had an account on C-D. I'm gonna assume that you're not a black kid from FL that has been profiled and harassed numerous times while minding your own business. Trayvon was. I was too. Maybe I understand these types of situations a little better than you do.
Look dude, I'm not some typical brainwashed liberal black man. I'm pretty much down the middle. I don't watch MSNBC, nor do I watch Fox News. I'm able to objectively look at things from both sides before I make a determination, rather than let someone else think for me. Look through my post history if you need verification of that.
Here's the thing though: if Zimmerman never got out of his car to pursue Trayvon Martin, there would be no case to discuss. Whether or not we agree on the actual details of what happened, THAT statement is the truth.
Why don't liberals get that they would have a lot of allies if they would be also be inclusive in their Black Lives Matter movement. Not that they should give up the message that blacks are disproportionately more killed by cops based on their population, but to also say that this also affects Latino and poor white communities too. In case they didn't realize, cops and poor whites in rural areas don't exactly get along either and what this really all boils down to is an economic/poverty issue. Every single Cops episode takes place in the ghetto or the trailer park.
Sometimes cops and upper middle class white people can be racist toward "rednecks" and poor whites just as much as POC in the inner city. It's an elitist issue with racist implications but the former part gets lost in elevating the latter into oblivion. It does no one any good.
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