George Zimmerman trial raises questions of race and racial language (White guilt warning)

The Oregonian ^ | June 29, 2013 | Kathleen Parker

[2ndDivisionVet]

The trial of George Zimmerman, accused of fatally shooting Trayvon Martin, inevitably and quickly devolved into a contest of who is more racist -- the victim or the accused?

The question was inevitable because the prosecution is basing its case largely on the suggestion that Zimmerman profiled the 17-year-old African-American, allegedly deciding he was a potential threat by virtue of his race.

This assumption was somewhat complicated Thursday during testimony by 19-year-old Rachel Jeantel, a friend of Martin's who was talking to him by cellphone shortly before he was shot. Sidebar: Poor Jeantel. Whether she is a credible witness will be determined by the jury, but the rest of us really ought to cut the girl some slack. She is young, obviously playing on alien turf and having a tough-enough time on the witness stand without further commentary. She may, indeed, be the best argument yet for keeping cameras out of the courtroom, but that is another discussion. Jeantel's contribution to the race discussion included a quote she attributed to Martin when he told her a "creepy-ass cracker" was watching him. No doubt Zimmerman did seem creepy. He was following Martin after all, who, as far as anyone knows with certainty, was merely walking home from a convenience store. Does Martin's use of "cracker" mean he was a racist and, therefore, may have instigated the struggle that, according to the defense, compelled Zimmerman to shoot Martin in self-defense?

Jeantel told defense attorney Don "Knock-Knock" West that, no, she doesn't consider "cracker" a racist term. Apparently, most whites don't either. In street interviews aired Thursday, CNN found that whites are not as offended by the term "cracker" as they are by the N-word......

[2ndDivisionVet]

George Zimmerman’s Black Ancestry is Revealed
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2876811/posts

George Zimmerman: the black, Hispanic, Peruvian, kind-hearted non-white, not-racist poster boy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2876692/posts

George Zimmerman Has ‘Black Roots’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2876518/posts

[2ndDivisionVet]

The problem with an all-female jury and a female judge is that, chances are, none of those ladies have ever been in a serious physical altercation of any kind, much less had their head beaten against concrete. Their only reference to that kind of violence is movies, television and video games. In those, a person gets back up and bashes their opponent, instead of dying from a concussion.

[bannie]

I refuse to accept the left’s claim that “19 is young” in this kind of situation.

[Verginius Rufus]

It's very nice to speculate from a place of perfect safety how someone should react when they are being severely beaten and their attacker is telling him that he will die tonight--and is trying to grab control of a deadly weapon. Like all those limousine liberals in gated communities who want everyone except the cops to be disarmed.

There was a Democrat on FNC the other night who was opining that GZ should have just hit Trayvon on the side of his head with the gun. What a maroon.

[yldstrk]

well maybe she did

[SC_Pete]

When Reagan provided her with content, she was good. When she relies on her own analysis, she sounds like a sorority girl descending from Mt. Sinai with a box of Chicklets.