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CBC wants Trayvon Martin's death investigated as potential hate crime
http://www.politico.com ^ | | 3/19/12 5:55 PM EDT | By KEVIN ROBILLARD

Posted on 03/19/2012 5:45:25 PM PDT by redreno

The Congressional Black Caucus wants the Justice Department to investigate the shooting death of a 17-year-old, unarmed black Florida high school student as a potential hate crime.

“This case compromises the integrity of our legal system and sets a horrific precedent of vigilante justice,” Congressional Black Caucus Chair Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said in a statement. “Members of the Congressional Black Caucus stand together in the name of justice for Trayvon. As a nation we cannot, should not, and will not ignore, Trayvon’s brutal murder and the inconceivable fact that his killer remains free. Contrary to the flippant way this case has been handled, his life had meaning and purpose. Trayvon had a family, friends and a future all taken away because of the color of his skin

(Excerpt) Read more at politico.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: banglist; blackcaucus; blackracists; cbc; ccw; florida; georgezimmerman; hatecrime; lmm; prejudicethejury; racecaucus; selfdefense; trayvon; trayvonmartin; zimmerman
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To: biggredd1

The calls seem to indicate a guy who was borderline paranoid and lookin for a fight. None of the previous calls resulted in arrestable actions, just unfounded allegations of mostly black youths doing nothing.

Sorry, I believe there are plenty of circumstances where a person might fear for his life, but not this one. Not even close.

One person had a soda and Skittles. The other had a GUN.


41 posted on 03/20/2012 3:45:48 AM PDT by SJSAMPLE
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To: brent13a
You get stopped in my town if you do something wrong….not if you look funny.

I wouldn't call a professional black man that's driving a BMW 5 series, "looking funny". And yea, it's paid for!

I'm curious though, how long were you detained each time?Were you handcuffed? Were you forced out of your vehicle? Did the officers forcefully search your vehicle? Were you given any frivolous traffic citations?

Never detained, never handcuffed, never forced out of my vehicle, never searched, nor did I received a traffic citation!

I did go to the local police station to raise hell and I haven't been pulled over since then.
42 posted on 03/20/2012 5:32:05 AM PDT by ForAmerica (Conservative Christian Black Man!)
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To: Trailerpark Badass
And you put up with that?

Not at all, I started raising hell after the third time, I also went to the station and told them that this was ridiculous that I can't drive down the street in my own neighborhood while black (DWB)!
43 posted on 03/20/2012 5:35:54 AM PDT by ForAmerica (Conservative Christian Black Man!)
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To: stephenjohnbanker
Seems to me you have a legit harrassment suit if you wanted to push it.

They knew that when I got to the station (I told them!) and that's why they don't bother me anymore. But it's a shame that a black man can't drive around his own subdivision and have a house that I pay for without being a suspect or guilty until proven innocent!
44 posted on 03/20/2012 5:40:29 AM PDT by ForAmerica (Conservative Christian Black Man!)
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To: ForAmerica
I had one last question…..was it the same police officer who pulled you over every time?

Never detained, never handcuffed, never forced out of my vehicle, never searched, nor did I received a traffic citation!

Well at least they had that much sense, to not add injury to insult.

I did go to the local police station to raise hell and I haven't been pulled over since then.

Good. So a Lt., a Capt., or a Chief listened to you. I assume you made your complaint in a calm and succinct manner……most people just go screaming into the PD and expect that will illicit the reaction they desire.
45 posted on 03/20/2012 6:39:17 AM PDT by brent13a (Freerepublic is a great site for conservative news, if you can stomach the cop hating.)
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To: HEM

I agree. Wonder if LaRaza or the Hispanic Caucus will get involved?

Of course it also leads to the question of what criteria is used for federal governemnt and/or “FBI involvment”. They don’t seem too concerned when black thugs murder or maim whites.


46 posted on 03/20/2012 6:52:10 AM PDT by Altura Ct.
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To: SJSAMPLE; All
Sorry, I believe there are plenty of circumstances where a person might fear for his life, but not this one. Not even close.

The MSM is creating a lynch party for Zimmerman on this one.

The police where there within minutes. They found Zimmerman bleeding from wounds to the face and the back of the head. Trayvon was dead. Everyone agrees that there was a fight.

Zimmerman says that he was attacked and that it was self defense.

The police say all the physical evidence is consistent with Zimmerman's story.

Young men attack people with little provocation all the time. for being just "looked at wrong" or for being "disrespected".

Trayvon was on a weeks suspension from his High School. His father refuses to say why. Perhaps it was for drawing a picture of a gun. I do not know.

To claim that this cannot be self defense is simply being manipulated by the media, who are working very hard to make this a racial murder instead of self defense.

47 posted on 03/20/2012 7:24:52 AM PDT by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Here’s Holder’s finding in advance.

“No clear evidence of a crime, but a culture of racism contributed to the shooting.”


48 posted on 03/20/2012 7:30:17 AM PDT by morphing libertarian
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To: biggredd1
zimmerman had two head wounds and there may have been a struggle for the gun.

_______________________________________________

Here's a clue sparky.....

If you have a gun, follow and then approach an unarmed person who doesn't know you and a struggle ensues, you are not defending yourself if you then shoot and kill the unarmed person you followed and accosted.

Based on the known facts - the kid was carrying candy and iced tea and had every right to be where he was -- zimmerman was told by the 911 op to back off -- zimmerman approached the kid --- zimmerman shot the kid --- this should be a slam dunk -- murder.

49 posted on 03/20/2012 7:39:19 AM PDT by wtc911 (Amigo - you've been had.)
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To: muir_redwoods
a reasonably good kid

__________________________

"reasonably"???

What exactly is there about the kid's benahior that makes you qualify your judgement of him?

50 posted on 03/20/2012 7:41:10 AM PDT by wtc911 (Amigo - you've been had.)
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To: biggredd1
if there was a struggle and zimmerman was in fear of his life, it was self defense.

________________________________

No genius, not if zimmerman initiated the contact --- you can't start a fight then claim self-defense when you're getting your ass kicked and then murder the guy you accosted.

51 posted on 03/20/2012 7:45:25 AM PDT by wtc911 (Amigo - you've been had.)
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To: wtc911

He is described by his teachers as s cheerful kid with an A or B average in school. He has no police record and no record of trouble at school and was unarmed when he was shot to death carrying nothing more threatening than a can of ice tea and a bag of skittles.

He sounds like a reasonably good kid to me. The guy who shot him sounds like a trigger happy jerk to me but I’m not the cops or the DA on this case so I’ll reserve judgement.


52 posted on 03/20/2012 8:15:09 AM PDT by muir_redwoods (No wonder this administration favors abortion; everything they have done is an abortion)
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To: muir_redwoods

Again, given the fact that you describe him as a B+, cheerful student with no history of trouble, why do you qualify your judgement of Martin with the word, “reasonably’. It is diminishing.


53 posted on 03/20/2012 8:20:50 AM PDT by wtc911 (Amigo - you've been had.)
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To: muir_redwoods

I think this is, ultimately, a story about a trigger happy cop wannabe and a reasonably good kid who got within range. I don’t think it’s a hate crime so much as a jerk crime.


I don’t know the details of this incident but I can personally say I saw (From the viewpoint of a small town ER) exactly the scenario you are describing. A sheriff’s deputy who was known by the small town to be trouble shot someone over a girl and tried to make out that it was “in the line of duty”. Based on that one personal experience I can easily see how something like this could occur.


54 posted on 03/20/2012 8:23:42 AM PDT by 2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten
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To: wtc911

Because I don’t know all the facts yet and probably never will. Do you? I think most people can be fairly described as reasonably good. It’s the whole, bell-curve, average thing. If that’s diminishing in your eyes, well so be it. This ain’t Lake Woebegone where all the kids are above average.


55 posted on 03/20/2012 8:27:06 AM PDT by muir_redwoods (No wonder this administration favors abortion; everything they have done is an abortion)
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To: brent13a
I had one last question…..was it the same police officer who pulled you over every time?

Out of the six stops, one got me twice and I told him "that I had already been checked out"

Good. So a Lt., a Capt., or a Chief listened to you. I assume you made your complaint in a calm and succinct manner……most people just go screaming into the PD and expect that will illicit the reaction they desire.

No screaming or yelling, just told the Sargent that I was tired of the harassment and if I take this any farther that it would look bad on their department. I haven't been pulled over since the day I went to the station.

The Houston police don't mess with me, just in the suburbs.
56 posted on 03/20/2012 8:35:27 AM PDT by ForAmerica (Conservative Christian Black Man!)
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To: ForAmerica

My position is that Zimmerman was wrong and Martin was a victim, and I hope for a more in-depth investigation. But, right now, I just want to comment on your situation specifically:

You shouldn’t be stopped and questioned without reason, and your handling of the situation was perfect. Many people of all backgrounds are pulled over and questioned by police when they aren’t doing anything wrong. I’m a white female, and when I was younger, I was pulled over and questioned once just because I looked out of place in a neighborhood. Another time because my car and I fit a description. Yet another time, I was questioned for standing at a corner waiting for a trolley. (And, no, I wasn’t dressed like a streetwalker.) I have a relative who claimed he was constantly pulled over because he had a permit to carry. Where I grew up, teens were constantly pulled over and questioned just for being young and driving around. Or fitting a description. So, it has happened to all of us for different reasons. It’s worrisome because someone could make a wrong move when he (or she) is “under suspicion”... That’s why your handling of the situation was a good move.

But, this story about Martin and Zimmerman is very different. Zimmerman wasn’t even a police officer. It sounds like Martin was just as suspicious of Zimmerman. I’ve been wondering: What if Martin had called 911, too? What might we have heard? Martin might’ve thought the guy chasing him looked like a criminal. And, sure enough, the latest news is that Martin was on the phone with a girl who is claiming he was running from Zimmerman because he was afraid. I don’t know how true that story is, but we’ll find out more soon enough. It’s a very sad story, no matter how it happened.


57 posted on 03/20/2012 12:46:59 PM PDT by Tired of Taxes
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To: Tired of Taxes

The best part is that the CBC and Sharpton are getting involved, it’s Florida so it will be a show and I bet Zimmy skates on the charge. That means summertime entertainment for us here in the Appalachian hills.

It’s gonna be a LONG HOT SUMMER for you city folkds and we are glad to get to watch it.


58 posted on 03/20/2012 12:54:45 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If you really want to annoy someone, point out something obvious that they are trying hard to ignore)
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To: petitfour

adopted?


59 posted on 03/20/2012 1:41:47 PM PDT by TwoSue
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To: wtc911

“B+, cheerful student with no history of trouble”

He was suspended from school when this happened, supposedly for a week. That will always hurt the GPA


60 posted on 03/20/2012 1:50:34 PM PDT by AppyPappy (If you really want to annoy someone, point out something obvious that they are trying hard to ignore)
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