Posted on 07/18/2013 4:44:00 PM PDT by Red in Blue PA
On Thursday’s “Closing Bell” on CNBC, former NBA and Auburn University basketball star Charles Barkley sounded off on the George Zimmerman trial verdict with what he called “not a very popular opinion.”
According to Barkley, the verdict was the proper one — but he took it further, criticizing the media for its coverage of racism evinced during the trial.
“I agreed with the verdict,” Barkley said. “I feel sorry that young kid got killed. But they didn’t have enough evidence to charge them. Something clearly went wrong that night. Clearly, something went wrong, and I feel bad for anyone losing a kid. But if you looked at the case and you don’t make it — there was racial profiling, no question about it. But something happened that changed the dynamic of that night. And I know — and that’s probably not a popular opinion among most people. But looking at the evidence, I agree with the verdict.”
(Excerpt) Read more at dailycaller.com ...
Barkley speaks true.
Barkley didn’t say Zimmerman wasn’t without fault, but he offered his theory that Martin was an aggressor in the incident.
“Mr. Zimmerman was wrong, too — he was racial profiling,” he said. “But I think Trayvon Martin, God rest his soul, I think he did flip the switch and start beating the hell out of Mr. Zimmerman. But it was just a bad situation. Like I say, the main thing, I feel bad, but it gives every white person and black person who is racist a platform to vent their ignorance. You know, that’s the thing that bothers me the most because I watched this trial closely. And I watch these people are television talking about it. A lot of these people have a hidden agenda. You know, they want their racist views, whether they are white or black … the bias — it definitely comes out. It was a bad situation. We all lost. And I feel bad for his parents. You don’t ever want to see anybody lose a kid.”
Barkley’s no “blind squirrel”. He’s right more often than wrong.
I believe he once considered running for governor of Alabama as a Republican.
The “unarmed” “child” was armed with his arms! I feel bad for Zimmerman because of the hassle he had to go through — he will never back the 2 years of his life. As for the thug, rot in hell you piece of shit.
Barkley, one very interesting dude.
Hard to predict his take on anything, but I didn’t quite
expect this. It takes no small amount of integrity to say
what Barkley said, given the milieu he travels in—he could have hemmed and hawed and qualified his words, but he spoke like a mature adult.
How was there racial profiling?
As I’ve said before, most blacks know self-defense when they see it.
I may be wrong, but isn’t he a gun owner?
I seem to remember him saying something in support of the 2nd amendment
Never know what's going to come out of his mouth.
That is true. It took guts to say that in this environment. Hats off to anyone who does so.
Gutsy call for sure.He won’t be endearing himself with “the usual suspects”.
Hope his recent tax returns are in order.
(I posted this in the other thread, but here is good too.)
Like him or not, Charles Barkley has usually been a straight shooter. I remember early on when he utterly rejected the notion that sports figures should be role models:
“I’m not a role model... Just because I dunk a basketball doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.”
Other quotes:
“Poor people cannot rely on the government to come to help you in times of need. You have to get your education. Then nobody can control your destiny.”
“I don’t care what people think. people are stupid.”
“My family got all over me because they said Bush is only for the rich people. Then I reminded them, ‘Hey, I’m rich’.”
“I love New York City; I’ve got a gun.”
“If I weren’t earning $3 million a year to dunk a basketball, most people on the street would run in the other direction if they saw me coming.”
Baloney. Zimmerman had no idea what Trayvons race was .."I think he's black". He was assuming most likely because of prior burglaries. But I tell you who was profiling: Trayvon Martin who came to the conclusion Zimmerman was a homosexual rapist as per Martins girlfriend, and to me he went "gay bias" on Zimmerman.
I think that is true as well. He was on talk radio, making the rounds and then he kinda libbed out. I get the feeling he is a Colin Powell Republican.
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