Posted on 03/26/2012 10:52:53 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
The fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin was driven by the stereotype of black men as criminals and the designation of the Young Black Male as the fall guy for the nation’s neighborhood fears.
The killing of Trayvon Martin (essentially for the “crime” of walking while black) and its aftermath provides one of those riveting moments in American history when the curtain of our still-all-too-rampant racism normally hides behind is pulled back … exposing the ugly underbelly of prejudice and hatred that still exists in too many corners of our society.
Through decade after decade of scurrilous application of Jim Crow laws—combined with other forms of racially motivated biases that keep minorities marginalized—our country has created the near-perfect target for the majority culture’s collective hatred, fear, and opprobrium: the Young Black Male. Hoodie optional.
And thanks to new laws on the books in various parts of the country, the demographic many seemingly love to loathe and despise now have legalized targets pinned on their backs; the Young Black Male is now officially considered fair game in some parts of America. Game on—lock and load.
Under the “Stand Your Ground” laws that have been enacted in many states anyone can do what George Zimmerman did in Sanford, Fla.: shoot someone (preferably a Young Black Male) to death and then claim self-defense. Of course, it won’t work too well if the shooter is black and the victim is white. Oh, and after the “kill” the shooter should bop him or herself upside the head with that trusty Glock … just hard enough to raise the self-defense knot right above the left eye.
In spite of the fact that the shooter in this case will, in all likelihood, stand trial on state or federal charges, Southern “justice” being what it historically has been, there’s no assurances of a fair and unbiased jury being selected—or of a conviction … even if the evidence is overwhelming. This is why so many blacks were lynched in America a century ago: whites knew they could carry out their murderous acts with impunity. And, to quote an NAACP slogan: in America, “much has changed, much has not.”
The emerging facts surrounding Trayvon’s death are so glaring as to be mind-boggling. Most important among them is the fact that when Zimmerman told a police dispatcher that he was following a Young Black Male (who, according to Zimmerman, “appeared to be on drugs”), the dispatcher responded, “We don’t need for you to do that.” At that point Zimmerman should have gotten back into his vehicle and simply followed Trayvon until police arrived, but he continued his pursuit; a deranged white man on the hunt of the elusive Young Black Male. Zimmerman even said, “These assholes always get away.” But not this time.
Supposedly, a number of break-ins had occurred in the gated community that served as Zimmerman’s hunting and killing grounds, and while no suspects had been arrested or even spotted … it was assumed by him and others that the dreaded “Young Black Male”—the fall guy for all our nation’s collective neighborhood fears—was responsible for them.
It’s abundantly clear by a preponderance of (albeit) circumstantial evidence that Zimmerman wasn’t simply “standing his ground” … he actually was out looking for what he considered “fair game” (read: the Young Black Male) and clearly was the aggressor in the confrontation with Trayvon, whom he ran to ground and slaughtered.
And if Zimmerman is not prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, expect other killings to occur in states with similar laws and even some where laws are not so unambiguous. There are an untold number of other Zimmermans out there, waiting to protect the white race by offing a Young Black Male.
The “investigation” (if you can call it that) carried out by the Sanford Police Department was so slipshod one has to wonder what relationship—if any—Zimmerman had with local police prior to the killing. Because Travyon’s body was tested for drugs and Zimmerman was not (all police officers involved in a shooting, deadly or not, are routinely tested), does this suggest a special relationship between the shooter and the police? Was Zimmerman on their payroll? Was he a cop wannabe they tolerated? Why did police never investigate someone who had called them dozens of times (always with unfounded, wacky suspicions about Young Black Males) just to see if he had a screw loose? The questions just keep coming and coming.
The silver lining of this darkest of clouds is that while the majority of protesters at the rallies protesting Travyon’s killing are people of color, there have been enough whites in attendance to prove that all people of good will find this killing abominable and not to be tolerated. Travyon’s death could bring about a new era of multiracial civil-rights activism in America.
Now, if we can just convert some of the extant outrage over the killing of a Young Black Male by a white vigilante … to similar outrage when Young Black Males senselessly kill each other, we would be paying fitting tribute to the life—and tragic death—of Trayvon Martin.
Maybe. Or perhaps Martin simply ends up getting shot dead by a cop instead of an armed citizen. Happens all the time.
See, that's fun part of the "What If" game - it's all 100% immaterial.
I doubt that Zimmerman is legally guilty of anything. Clearly, he feels like something went wrong, though, because he spent a lot of time crying afterwards.
I repeat: If Zimmerman had never gotten out of the truck, which the dispatcher said, “we do not need you to do,” neither the fight nor the shooting could have taken place.
Zimmerman’s action was ill-advised. Against advice, actually.
This has nothing to do with “what if,” except in your mind. Dispatch discouraged Zimmerman from getting out. He ignored dispatch and continued. Too bad for him and Trayvon Martin, wouldn’t you say? He ignored Neighborhood WATCH policy and did more than watch.
Zimmerman bears a heavy responsibility in this, regardless of legalities.
And the primary perpetrator is another Young Black Male!
So the guy pretty much makes a living calling for race riots.
Where is the outrage over the millions of young black male babies that are aborted? Same rules apply or how about the outrage over the 2 black youths lighting that white male on fire in Kansas City.
Too bad the drop in credibility won't prove to be career ending.
Doesn't change your point that if Zimmerman had stayed in the truck, Martin would have had a more difficult time decking him, and might not have.
I hope nobody patrols your neighborhood.
—So the guy pretty much makes a living calling for race riots.—
Those are hand picked by my out of over 500 articles. And he does not call for race riots. Rather, he warns of them. And putting the first five articles in the context of how old they are is interesting.
Are you Trayvon’s mom?
‘Doesn’t change your point that if Zimmerman had stayed in the truck, Martin would have had a more difficult time decking him’
Thats the answer we should all just stay in our homes and let thugs run loose in the streets.
‘Doesn’t change your point that if Zimmerman had stayed in the truck, Martin would have had a more difficult time decking him’
Thats the answer we should all just stay in our homes and let thugs run loose in the streets.
If by “society’s target” he means other black males, then he’s pretty much right. Because 93% of black homicides are blacks murdering other blacks.
It ain’t cracker whitey killing off the black males pal. It’s other black males. Tell your own people to get their sh1t together and stop murdering each other.
Funny that we know so many details about this case and practically nothing about the three black men who charged into the male dorm and shot the (white) MSU student in the face. And by “funny” I mean not funny at all.
Kinda like how the only name of any slain soldier’s mother we know is, Cindy Sheehan.
If some creep was following me I would assume he was a mugger not some wannabee copper who thinks I’M a criminal.
The smart play would be to run but if I was feeling brave and didn’t SEE a gun I might confront the dude.
“Don’t forget: That “someone” should have stayed inside his vehicle. “
That’s like saying, “She shouldn’t have dressed so sexy.”
Attn TROLLS: (The Facts)
Fellow Citizens:
There has been a lot of media attention to the recent incident where George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. This is indeed a tragic situation and has caused a flood of questions and strong emotions from within our community, the region and nation.
On behalf of the employees of the City of Sanford, Our deepest sympathy and prayers go out to the family and friends of Trayvon Martin. As a father, I can only imageine the pain Trayvon’s family must be going through.
The City of Sanford is committed to insuring that justice is served and, therefore, the City of Sanford has contacted the United States Attorney General’s Office for assistance in this matter.
In an effort to continue to be as responsive as possible to the public seeking information on the incident, I have asked Chief Lee to provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding this matter. Below are his responses. Please understand that since this is still an ongoing investigation, the Police Department is limited in what information it can publicly release.
The men and women of the Sanford Police Department extend our heartfelt sympathies to the Martin family. This is indeed a tragic situation. The death of anyone due to violence, especially a 17 year old young man, is morally appalling.
As this incident has generated a lot of media attention, we wanted to provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Why was George Zimmerman not arrested the night of the shooting?
When the Sanford Police Department arrived at the scene of the incident, Mr. Zimmerman provided a statement claiming he acted in self defense which at the time was supported by physical evidence and testimony. By Florida Statute, law
enforcement was PROHIBITED from making an arrest based on the facts and circumstances they had at the time.
Additionally, when any police officer makes an arrest for any reason, the officer MUST swear and affirm that he/she is making the arrest in good faith and with probable cause.
If the arrest is done maliciously and in bad faith, the officer and the City may be held liable.
According to Florida Statute 776.032 :
776.032 Immunity from criminal prosecution and civil action for justifiable use of force.—
(1) A person who uses force as permitted in s. 776.012, s. 776.013, or s. 776.031 is justified in using such force and is immune from criminal prosecution and civil action
for the use of such force, unless the person against whom force was used is a law enforcement officer, as defined in s. 943.10(14), who was acting in the performance of his or her official duties and the officer identified himself or herself in accordance with any applicable law or the person using force knew or reasonably should have known that the person was a law enforcement officer.
As used in this subsection, the term “criminal prosecution” includes arresting, detaining in custody, and charging or
prosecuting the defendant.
(2) A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures for investigating the use of force as described in subsection (1), but the agency may not arrest the person for using force unless it determines that there is probable cause that the force that was used was unlawful.
Why weren’t the 911 tapes initially released?
There are exemptions to the public records laws for active criminal intelligence and for ongoing investigations. In this instance, the 911 calls made by neighbors in the
subdivision, and the non-emergency call made by Mr. Zimmerman are all key to the investigation by Sanford Police Department.
In consultation with the Office of the State Attorney, the Sanford police department had decided not to release the audio recordings of the 911 calls due to the ongoing investigation. Many times, specific information is contained in those recordings which is vital to the integrity of the investigation.
At the time, it was determined that if revealed, the information may compromise the integrity of the investigation prior to its completion. The 911 tapes have since been released.
Why did Mr. Zimmerman have a firearm in his possession while acting in the role of a neighborhood watch member?
Mr. Zimmerman holds a concealed weapon permit issued from the State of Florida.
He is authorized to carry the weapon in a concealed manner wherever Florida Statute dictates. Neighborhood Watch programs are designed for members of a neighborhood to be “eyes and ears” for police and to watch out for their neighbors. They are not members of the Police Department nor are they vigilantes.
Training provided by law enforcement agencies to Neighborhood Watch organizations stresses non-contact surveillance of suspicious situations and notifying police of those situations so that law enforcement can respond and take control of the situation.
Mr. Zimmerman was not acting outside the legal boundaries of Florida Statute by carrying his weapon when this incident occurred. He was in fact on a personal errand in his vehicle when he observed Mr. Martin in the community and called the Sanford Police Department.
If Zimmerman was told not to continue to follow Trayvon, can that be considered in this investigation?
Yes it will; however, the telecommunications call taker asked Zimmerman “are you following him”. Zimmerman replied, “yes”. The call taker stated “you don’t need to do
that”. The call taker’s suggestion is not a lawful order that Mr. Zimmerman would be required to follow.
Zimmerman’s statement was that he had lost sight of Trayvon and was returning to his truck to meet the police officer when he says he was attacked by Trayvon.
Why was George Zimmerman labeled as “squeaky clean” when in fact he has a prior arrest history?
In one of the initial meetings with the father of the victim the investigator related to him the account that Mr. Zimmerman provided of the incident. At that time the
investigator said that Mr. Zimmerman portrayed himself to be “squeaky clean”. We are aware of the background information regarding both individuals involved in this event. We believe Mr. Martin may have misconstrued this information.
What about media reenactments of the shooting incident?
Any media reenactments of the shooting incident are purely speculation. To date the Sanford Police Department has not released any rendition of the events of the evening to anyone other than the Office of the State Attorney. The renditions we have seen are not consistent with the evidence in this case.
The Sanford Police Department has conducted a complete and fair investigation of this incident. We have provided the results of our investigation to the Office of the State Attorney for their review and consideration for possible criminal prosecution.
Although the Police Department is the target of the troubling questions, let me assure you we too feel the pain of this senseless tragedy that has dramatically affected our community. Therefore, as we move forward and strive to answer the questions that are a point of controversy in the community, we ask for your patience, understanding and assistance in getting the correct information to the community
We trust that this information is helpful to you.
Norton N. Bonaparte, Jr., ICMA-CM
City Manager
March 23, 2012
I bet the crime right goes down in the neighborhood with one more gangbanger out of the way.
*rate
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