Free Republic

Earlier this week, I stated that it might make sense for the family of Trayvon Martin to get off of the media circuit. I saw no meaningful value in all of the television and radio appearances, since George Zimmerman has now been arrested and charged. At this stage in the game, the only individuals who benefit from additional media coverage are those who make a living by highlighting (and at times exploiting) grief-stricken mothers like Sybrina Fulton (the mother of Trayvon Martin). After seeing that Fulton was somehow advised to appear on “The O’Reilly Factor,” I’ve become deeply concerned that...

A well-known, mainstream media-vetted college professor named Dr. Boyce Watkins states that it’s time for Trayvon Martin’s parents to “step to the side,” out of an apparent fear that “being honest” could negatively affect the race-baiting political agenda that Obama allies like Al Sharpton have carefully crafted. Dr. Watkin’s stark admonishment, “Get her off the stage right now,“ came in a recent blog post that shows the goal of the politicization of the Martin shooting is not truth or justice. Who is Dr. Boyce Watkins? He’s a professor at Syracuse University and his website shows that he’s been a frequent...

For many centuries, the epitome of African American achievement has been to become the first black president. We once talked about it like it was the impossible dream, or the ultimate sign that we have arrived. Well, Barack Obama didn’t just talk about the dream, he went out and turned it into a reality. So, here we are, with the keys to the Oval Office. When the Obamas moved in physically, many of “us” moved into the White House psychologically. The Obama’s marriage was our own, and our sense of protection of the president and his family was the kind...

DR. BOYCE WATKINS, AUTHOR AND PROFESSOR: Well, they're very different. But I want to ask you, have you ever really been to New Orleans (search) and really seen the poverty that people live under? New Orleans resets the definition of what it means to be poor. I went to about 25 different cities this year, promoting college attendance for inner city students. And New Orleans led the nation in terms of being the worst educational system in... - - - WATKINS: Well, if you define looting as going into someone else's turf and taking something that doesn't belong to you,...