Posted on 07/31/2013 10:40:21 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In a recent article I called for economic sanctions against Florida to compel business and political leaders in that state to change the Stand Your Ground Law that provided the basis for the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. There are times when there is a convergence of ideas, a meeting of minds, such that a particular strategy has the potential to galvanize a movement. This appears to be one of those times.
The idea of boycotting Florida is not a Ron Daniels idea or Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW) call. Rather, it is one that is on the minds of many Black people all across the country.
Dr. Patricia Newton, president emeritus, National Association of Black Psychiatrists, was so outraged by the Zimmerman verdict that she walked away from a $1 million dollar contract she was about to sign for a conference in Florida.
I met an elderly Black professional couple at Penn Station in Baltimore who were returning from a conference in Jacksonville, Fla.. When I asked if they would be going back to Florida next year, I had hardly gotten the words out of my mouth.
When the wife said that they discussed the murder of Trayvon Martin at the conference and had already resolved that they would not hold another convention in that state until there is significant change.
Of course, music legend Stevie Wonder said at a concert in Canada, Until the Stand Your Ground Law is abolished, I will never perform there again. Since his pronouncement Eddie LaVert, Stephanie Mills, Dionne Warwick and Mary Mary are among the artists who have publicly stated they will follow Stevies lead.
While celebrities add credibility for the boycott, it will be the actions of the multitude of conscious, committed convention-goers, vacationers and consumers who will make the campaign effective. Economic sanctions against Florida is an idea whose time has come.
Just as Katrina ripped the scab off and exposed the raw naked structural/institutional racism in distressed Black neighborhoods in America, the murder of Trayvon Martin has ripped the scab off the persistent phenomenon of the criminalization of young Black men, racial profiling, stop-and-frisk and the structural/institutional racism in Americas criminal justice system. The problem is that despite episodic protests and periodic mobilizations, there has not been a persistent sense of urgency in Black America about these issues. The murder of Trayvon Martin may be a decisive turning point.
One week after the Zimmerman verdict, rallies and prayer vigils were held across the country to demand that the Justice Department bring criminal charges against George Zimmerman for violating Trayvon Martins civil rights. While we agree that this is a correct strategy, there is little likelihood that this will happen.
At the end of the day, not only must we seek a conviction of Zimmerman, we must also indict and fight to change the law that is so flawed that it would permit an armed adult to pursue an unarmed teenager deemed suspicious and permit a grown man to kill a kid who fearfully sought to stand his ground against a menacing stranger.
Fighting to change this flawed law is about justice for Trayvon Martin, but it is also about all of the Trayvons in the state of Florida and across the nation who are victims of criminalization and racial profiling. It is about Black people consciously and collectively standing our ground against the attacks on the gains of the civil rights/human rights/Black power movements, the abandonment and disinvestment in distressed Black communities and the daily indignities we have quietly suffered for far too long.
The major component of the campaign should be to shut off tourism to Florida. This means Black organizations should not schedule conferences/conventions in that state until the law is changed. Groups that have already scheduled conferences six months to a year out should seek to cancel the agreements and notify the venues that Black people no longer feel safe to travel to Florida, particularly with their sons.
An option is to hold conferences/conventions at a Black College/University or Black owned retreat centers. In the event that your conference is already scheduled in the next few months, resolve to spend as little money/cash in the state as possible.
This campaign requires that kind of discipline. Do not schedule a vacation in Florida until victory is won. Do not travel to an amusement park in the tragic kingdom or golf tournament until victory is won. And dont purchase or drink any Florida orange juice.
IBW has posted a petition on its website www.ibw21.org where organizations, leaders and individuals can sign a pledge to boycott Florida.
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Ron Daniels is president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century and Distinguished Lecturer at York College City University of New York. To send a message, arrange media interviews or speaking engagements, he can be reached via email at info@ibw21.org
I watched O'Reilly's weasel words last night, also....and almost "threw up"....period!
Last week, like a blind pig that finds an acorn once in a while, he delivered a pretty good commentary on the Trayvon case which caused a lot of positive reaction country-wide.
Evidently fearing he had strayed too far off the "fair and balanced" reservation, last night he unbelievably and hypocritically jumped off the fence he perpetually sits on to UPHOLD the false claims of the race-baiting industry he had so roundly upbraided several nights ago.
My jaw dropped about 10 feet!
O'Reilly has zero moral/ideological roots or groundings to guide him. He is apt to support or condemn Left or Right at any given moment, only to take an opposite course at a later date. His MO can be summed up in a few sentences (exaggerated for the sake of effect), to wit:
"Obama and the Democrats steal milk out of babies' mouths. Of course, there are Republicans who do this all the time, also".
"Black rioters burned buildings in downtown Kuckamunga last night. Of course, there are Far-Right white extremists who, as you know, perform acts of violence, also."
I make no apologies for "watching The Factor". I view him every night with pad and pen in hand.
BOR is a dangerous man because his show is watched by millions of low-info morons. His moral-equivalency rants should be noted and reported. My motto is "know thy enemy"....and let others know about him, as well.
No one, not even an arrogant know-it-all like BO'R, can report on both goodness and blatant evil in a "fair and balanced" way. It's impossible. His vacillations, shilly-shallying and pandering to the destructive Left by affording its smooth propagandists unchecked exposure every night is threatening to the underpinnings of this Republic. This man and his show need regular push-back.
Well, the Bloviator has carved out his particular niche. It's profitable for him....and it's certainly his right to do what he considers is working out for his own self-interest.
However, that doesn't mean he's untouchable and should not be regularly exposed for his inner weasel-ness and moral equivalency positions on just about everything. The self-interest of this country comes first, in my humble opinion.
Leni
Excellent! That means I do not have to watch him - which I have done very little of since he told generals during the Iraq conflict how they should fight wars... That was enough for me.
..and then, when I sat there last night....I could only think....
..Bill, you wouldn't know a deeply held passionate conviction if it hit you in the face!....
... for whatever reason he gave that rant last week
... he negated it last night by backtracking like crazy in the light of day (and a few voices who didn't agree with him)
Disgusting!
I am sick up to here with the poor little Trayvon child just going to the store for his skittles.
And do you know on Drudge...if you listen to the whole police report of his 'speeding'.....they actually read out George Zimmerman's full drivers license!!!!
Sure...that’s why he did it. I do not believe a single thing that girl says. But let’s just imagine that that were so. Then by the left’s own definition, Trayvon is guilty of a hate crime too.
Fact is, Zimmerman did him no harm. Trayvon assaulted Zimmerman and was beating him...probably going to either beat him to death, or smother him. Zimmerman was beat up and showed the injuries and scuff marks consistant with it.
Trayvon was unmarked except for bruises to his knuckles and a single bullet wound, and the scuff marks he had were on his knees.
No doubt what happened there.
Zimmerman is a classic case of self defense. Zimmerman is innocent of any wrong doing. Trayvon was guilty of assault and battery, and attempted murder until the moment he was shot.
In his effort to maintain his image of “fair and balanced,” and of “watching out for us,” O’Reilly often panders to the left.
Trayvon Martin was a punk, gangsta wannabe who decided he was going to smack down Zimmerman because he did not like the way Zimmerman was looking at him.
He assaulted Zimmerman and was mercilessly beating him and Zimmerman ultimately shot him for it.
Trayvon did deserve to die in that moment...it had come down to either him, the criminal perpetrating the assault and battery, or Zimmerman who was trying to watch out for his neighborhood.
O’Reilly can take that simple truth and put in his pipe and smoke it.
Excellent. I could not agree more on BOR as a weasel. He is almost unwatchable to me & I seldom do unless the subject matter and guest are exceptional.
I think the right needs to Boycott Chicago until they cut down the murder rate! Every Talk show should start the show with the count of Murders in Chi-Town! “Today 669 people have been shot in Chigago since January 1st” keep the count going. maybe boycott things Chicago—from foods to music—Same thing with Motor City.
Wow. Search for Patricia Newcome, black psychiatrist. She has an amazing resume , but all she seems to do is sit on boards and give speeches in Africa.
Likes to wear the african clothing like the council members in Detroit.
It's long timers like me (almost 40 years)....
... and many many many like minded other Floridians who are fighting against those yahoos who wreck our state.
Best of luck in the fight! :)
I quit reading right there.
That was it for me too. I knew at that point that the writer was either a liar or a fool.
My youngest, my son left Florida after college and chose the West as his place to be.....and I will guarantee you he is an asset to the fine state he chose to make home.
“Well, the Bloviator has carved out his particular niche. It’s profitable for him....and it’s certainly his right to do what he considers is working out for his own self-interest.
However, that doesn’t mean he’s untouchable and should not be regularly exposed for his inner weasel-ness and moral equivalency positions on just about everything. The self-interest of this country comes first, in my humble opinion.”
Bravo, bravo, well said and written. Spot on.
I believe he is saying that he wants there to be fewer blacks in Florida.
Too limiting.
The idea of boycotting Florida is not a Ron Daniels idea or Institute of the Black World 21st Century (IBW) call. Rather, it is one that is on the minds of many Black people all across the country.
What a great way to make Florida a safer place!
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