In Defense of Rachel Jeantel-After days of mocking, viewers of Zimmerman trial speak out...

The Root ^ | June 27, 2013 | Tracy Clayton

[2ndDivisionVet]

The George Zimmerman murder trial has captured the nation's attention since it began. When Rachel Jeantel, the last person to speak with Trayvon Martin (aside from Zimmerman), took the stand, it ignited a dialogue on race, class and the cultural shaming of our own.

Many people have been very critical of the way Jeantel speaks -- her subject-verb agreement, her Southern accent, her tendency to say "axe" instead of "ask." Speech is a cultural marker often used to highlight one's otherness. The problem with "improper speech" is not that people who speak in such tongues cannot be understood. It's that they speak in a way that makes others uncomfortable; that it forces people to acknowledge and deal with an otherness that they may otherwise prefer to step around. It is an otherness that makes whites uncomfortable and, apparently, shames blacks to the point of publicly attacking Jeantel for who she is.

In discussing Jeantel's testimony, news_anchors made sure to point out that she wasn't using "the queen's English," harped on the defense's inability to understand her and questioned whether she understood her importance to the trial. On Twitter, black folks said much of the same but also called her fat, ridiculed her complexion and made memes mocking her.

Writer Sherri Williams of the website Backbone compiled a Storify of some of the tweets and memes and further noted: "The black_respectability_police pondered if her father is in her life. They said if George Zimmerman is acquitted it would be her fault because of her sassy attitude. Black folks said girls like Jeantel are the type to keep away from their children."

The important context of what Jeantel has been forced to endure both on the stand and on the night that she last talked to Trayvon Martin has been cast aside.....

[2ndDivisionVet]

Devolution.

[CottShop]

[[When Rachel Jeantel, the last person to speak with Trayvon Martin (aside from Zimmerman), took the stand, it ignited a dialogue on race, class and the cultural shaming of our own.]]

Which, as I have surmised previously, is precisely what the prosecution WANTED to happen to further inflame the ‘us vs them’ racism- the prosecution knew they had a gold mine with her- because now the emotional pitting of ignorant people vs priviledged ‘white’ folks (meanign george zimmerman) will be fused into the midns of the jury

I think the prosecution deliberately allowed her to act liek an uneducated ass in order to stoke the fires of racism even further

[BigCinBigD]

I’m not critical of the way Jeantel speaks. I’m amazed that she can speak.

[2ndDivisionVet]

George Zimmerman is less white than Barry Soetero is. He’s actually an Hispanic (Peruvian) black.

[Secret Agent Man]

did anyone mention she was’proven to be a liar and therefore an unreliable witness? nobody made her lie but her. she even spoke the way she normally speaks, nobody can claim they made her saythings a certain way, or that her attitude wasn’t her normal attitude. she was acting and speaking like her true self, and she lied, was shown to be a liar, and shown to be an unreliable witness.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

Many people have been very critical of the way Jeantel speaks -- her subject-verb agreement, her Southern accent, her tendency to say "axe" instead of "ask." Speech is a cultural marker often used to highlight one's otherness. The problem with "improper speech" is not that people who speak in such tongues cannot be understood. It's that they speak in a way that makes others uncomfortable

Listening to stupid people makes me uncomfortable. Listening to stupid people who are fat, rude, racist, and can't read cursive also make me uncomfortable.

[Lancey Howard]

“otherness” in this case = illiteracy and ignorance

Celebrate “otherness”.

[Standing Wolf]

I don’t care how much respect liars and racists want. They don’t deserve any.

[Bob]

I didn’t realize that criticizing someone telling a changing story was criticizing her speech.

[Java4Jay]

It isn’t what she says but how she says it. Total disrespect shown in court and not a word from the judge, that’s what pisses me off.

[CottShop]

I realize that- but the msm has turned this into a ‘white on black’ crime- and putting jenteal o nthe stand knowing her bad attitude and lack of respect for anyone will play handily in the ‘us vs them’ scenario of ‘white on black’ crime- they are playign htis up as ‘privilege vs the unfortunates’ because that is ALL they have to go on- the evidence sure as heck doesn’t work in their favor-

[denydenydeny]

In the current culture, we are supposed , mock, for example, the Honey Boo Boo family (even though as bizarre as they are they actually have jobs) because we are presumed to be their superiors.

Meanwhile the mumbling, illiterate, and utterly unemployable Rachel Jeantel is sacrosanct. We just don’t “get” her because It’s A Black Thing, You Wouldn’t Understand.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

The fact that she is a liar doesn’t bother them.

[stormhill]

...in order to stoke the fires of racism even further

Your take on this is intriguing.
As you may be aware, Glenn Beck has been harping on the plan to ignite fires of insurrection in this continent to carry out the "bottom up" portion of the Fundamental Transformation.

The Zimmerman case is just too convenient for a conspiracy theorist like me to ignore.

[CottShop]

[[Listening to stupid people makes me uncomfortable]]

If someoen is truly stupid- I don’t mind it- they can’t help it- however, when peopel CHOOSE to be stupid- that’s another issue- the cursive thing could just be bad schooling- however, I suspect she simply didn’t apply herself in school judging by the attitude she has adopted- Her weight coudl be glandular- but probably isn’t- mostl ikely she just likes to eat a lot of junk food- she is however rude, and racist- just liek trayvon was

[2ndDivisionVet]

What secret weapon do they have in their back pocket that they dared not use in Vietnam, Somalia, Bosnia, Afghanistan or Iraq? Because, to my mind, 150 million heavily armed citizens always beat a million troops, a million police and 4 million gang-bangers.

[laplata]

It isn’t what she says but how she says it. Total disrespect shown in court and not a word from the judge, that’s what pisses me off.

---

All of those “Yes sir’s” were very sarcastic and defiant. IMO

[CottShop]

[[Total disrespect shown in court and not a word from the judge, that’s what pisses me off.]]

Had it been a white woman actign that way- she woudl have been arrested fro contempt of court

[CottShop]

not sure what you’re getting at? If what you are asking is how the govenrment plans on subduing the nation- I beleive Our govenrment is goign to be subduing peopel queitly and one at a time- they learned their lesson abotu mass confiscation back in 1775 or so when the peopel of boston defeated the govenrment who qwas tryign to disarm them- so today, they are simply going door to door queitly and peopel are surrenderign because they aren’t organized in a big and effective enough group- TRhey are ALREADY doign htis in places liek NY-

[CottShop]

[[All of those “Yes sir’s” were very sarcastic and defiant. IMO]]

Yup- but west’s answer to her when she demanded “ASre you listenign to me?” was classic he said, “I’m sorry, coudl you repeat our answer, I waqs distracted”- He should have kept on doing that until the judge itnervened- then said to her “Miss Jenteal, I’m askign hte quesitons, not you- that’s how courts work- if you insist on being rude and and trying to ru nthe show, I’ll have the judge charge you as a hostile witness- do I make myself clear?”