Posted on 10/29/2013 2:03:18 PM PDT by SoConPubbie
10/29/13 - Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed by George Zimmerman in early 2012, appeared on Capitol Hill Tuesday for a hearing regarding the controversial "Stand Your Ground" laws. When it came time for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) to speak at the hearing, he informed the still-grieving mother that Stand Your Ground laws actually benefit African-Americans as much as, if not more than, they do whites.
Cruz began by offering his condolences for Fulton's loss, but quickly moved on to defend the trial by jury process that found Zimmerman not guilty of murder. He also noted, correctly, that the "subject of this hearing, the Stand Your Ground laws, was not a defense that Mr. Zimmerman raised. So this entire hearing--the topic of this hearing--is not the issue on which that trial turned." Though Zimmerman's defense team did not end up using Stand Your Ground, it did come out during the trial that Zimmerman was likely aware of the law's protections when he shot Martin.
"We know that some in our political process have a desire to exploit that tragic, violent incident for agendas that have nothing to do with that young man who lost his life," Cruz continued. "We have seen efforts to undermine the verdict of the jury and, more broadly, to inflame racial tensions that I think are sad and irresponsible."
Then, Cruz got to one of his primary points, which concerned that effect of Stand Your Ground laws on African-American communities. He rejected the notion, put forward earlier in the hearing that "no one could reasonably believe that Stand Your Ground laws protect those in the African-American communities who are victims of violent crimes." He found that idea particularly remarkable since "a great many African-Americans find themselves victims of violent crime and have asserted this defense to defend themselves, defend their families, defend their children."
Cruz also cited the fact that "in 2004 a state senator in Illinois by the name of Barack Obama co-sponsored an expansion of Illinois' law providing civil immunity for those who use justifiable force to defend themselves" as evidence that similar laws could not possibly be racially biased. "The notion that stand your ground laws are some form of veiled racism may be a convenient political attack," he said, "but it is not borne out by the facts remotely."
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Seriously, this is the level of rhetoric that the World's Greatest Deliberative Body has fallen to?
Alas, how the mighty have fallen...
I am physically cringing at the media beatdown he is gonna receive after this goes public. Even this guys mortal enemies cannot possibly deny his courage and conviction in the face of public scrutiny at this point.
Cruz, you get my vote for next President. I don’t care if your father is from Cuba, He’s more of a patriot than any GOP or Dem Senator I’ve seen. I think its because he lived under a tyrant and socialism that he is the patriot he is today.
Exploitation of tragedy to promote racial resentment and a political party’s agenda (Democrat). That’s what I see here and thank you Ted Cruz for speaking truth to the situation.
I wonder if Rick Scott could make that kind of a speech in Florida in such a circumstance??????
I don’t think so.
Media’s going to eviscerate Cruz over this, despite the fact that he was an angel to this grieving woman.
While Mrs. Fulton is wrong on the SYG issue, she has to take a good look around and see how many Democrat politicians exploited Trayvon’s death for political gain.
Zimmerman did not use SYG in his defense, and the fact that they’re making Fulton a “face” in this debate is clear politicization on the Demoncat’s part.
Wonder is Ms. Fulton is capable of understanding what the senator said. I doubt it.
They will find something to take out of context
and why is the federal Congress holding such a hearing anyway?
Somebody starts needing to tell these people they are full of crap. Good going, Cruz.
Was he aware that double parking is a violation in most cities? It doesn't matter what laws he was aware of the only thing that matters is whether or not he was justified in using deadly force in self defense. He was.
Was he aware that Skittles are commonly used to make Purple Drank?
Dems need to continue to turnout minority voters in the midterms, so the Trayvon Martin case is a convenient prop for them to continue to stoke anger and race bait.
Thumpin’ administered by Ted Cruz!
We are all Africans.
It is kind of hard to run away when some little SOB is on top of you bashing your head into a concrete curb.
TrayvonMommy is going to be the next negro senator.
Bet on it.
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