503 replies to this topic

[Timothy]

truth is probable some where in the middle of all the political bullshit posturing.

[freedom78]

So did the guy call because he saw a "suspicious" (i.e. black) person in his neighborhood OR did Martin accost him while he was trying to get in his vehicle? Which was the start of this event? It can't be both.

[wedjat]

We have that stupid castle law here & a man just got off for shooting a guy who was hiding on his screened in porch. What happened was there was a loud party going on, the guy called the cops, the cops tried getting into the party's garage but couldn't so they went back to their cars & waited. In the meantime, the owner of the place that was having the party got into the garage & told the kids the cops were there. The kids scattered. This one kid ran into the screened in porch of the next door neighbor to hide from the cops. The shooter went out onto his porch, saw the kid stand up & he shot him. Sorry, but I just don't agree w/that. People are too quick w/their trigger finger. Sure, the kid shouldn't have been in there but I'll admit, when I was underage & the cops came to a drinking party, we too all scattered & went wherever we could hide. That's what stupid young kids do. These laws just make it incredibly easy for people to scream self defense & get away w/it.

[PERM BANNED]

I don't necessarily agree that because Zimmerman approached/questioned Martin that he is necessarily that aggressor/instigator. We can have a discussion based on what little we know about why Zimmerman may have thought Martin was out of place if you'd like, but that until we know the conditions of their initial contact with one another, little is known. We know that neither party is a perfect citizen, so all the crap about innocence and pretty pictures can end now. Past history of either person has dick to do with this case. I don't know if Zimmerman approached Martin, harrassed him, threatened him or whatever else you can imagine. I don't know if Martin approached Zimmerman after realizing Zimmerman was following him and iniatied force. I don't know, and neither does anyone else. That's my whole issue with this tragedy is that a bunch of clueless joiners are voicing their anger, demanding "justice" without a clue as to what really happened. Let's say that hypothetically, (and I'm not saying I think this is what happened, but play with me) Zimmerman questions Martin who explains why he is there, and Zimmerman leaves. Martin is agitated, and won't let Zimmerman get off that easy for insulting him. Martin initiates physical violence, catching Zimmerman off guard, Zimmerman draws his firearm as a deterent to stop Martin. This act angers Martin more, who then attempts to take the weapon from Zimmerman, so Zimmerman fires.

If that is what happened, then Zimmerman isn't a bad guy. I'm not going to begrudge someone for having some balls and actually taking an interest in the security of their community, rather than bitching and waiting for cops to come. But I don't know that's how it went down. Zimmerman could have been a racist out to hurt a black kid. But testimony from his black friend on national TV today makes that claim unlikely in my opinion. But I'm not going to wear a hoodie and post in on facebook or join some local rally because I have nothing better to do with my life than to create easy causes to contribute to with minimal sacrifice. That's what this tragedy has become. An outlet not that different from the Kony bullshit a few weeks ago where a bunch of bored people feel that by giving up a second of their time and experiencing some emotion, they're making the world a better place. If you want to end violence, read the article Art posted and take that into consideration. Get informed is what I'm advocating. Every damn time we allow predators like Sharpton to takeover a tragedy like this to hype their own personality and agenda, you're doing a huge disserivce to the victim. This isn't about race or discrimination. This is an instance where one man shot another and the reasons aren't exactly clear. A shit ton of other people get shot every day and not a peep from the masses. I saw something on Facebook over the weekend where 2 white 20 somethings were brutally raped and murdered by 5 blacks. That wasn't about race either, it was just violence. But that's not gaining the attention of Sharpton, Jackson or the media because it doesn't sell. Bad things happen every second in this world, and if you're going to pick one to get angry about, at least have all the god damned facts before you start putting bounties out on the alleged bad guy's head.

[Zimbochick]

Why in all your hypotheticals is Martin guilty of being the agressor and Zimmerman merely defending himself if you are so intent on getting all the facts before passing judgement?

[PERM BANNED]

Because we've heard for the past week that Zimmerman was the aggressor. I didn't feel the need to parrot the numerous theories the talking heads have had on repeat. As I've said numerous times, I'm waiting for the facts to come out in this tragedy before I have a real opinion. But my concern is how this tragedy will be exploited. Nothing can bring Martin back.

[Zimbochick]

Since one of the two parties involved is dead, killed after the police specifically told Zimmerman not to follow him, we will never really know the truth will we.

[wedjat]

Good point Zimbo. And, why is it "emotional", said w/a sneer on your face I'm sure, to be outraged by something like that? And yeah, there are thousands of people who are killed everyday....is the news supposed to have a story on each & every one every day, every hour? There would be no other news. And guess what? If it WASN'T for the news, we wouldn't know about the very few who were killed that we know about now! So, how could one be annoyed by THAT? Was there complaining coming from you when that Holloway girl was missing & she was on the news? These certain stories are on the news to SPREAD AWARENESS. God forbid.

[PERM BANNED]

Since one of the two parties involved is dead, killed after the police specifically told Zimmerman not to follow him, we will never really know the truth will we.

A dispatcher told him that. Not an officer of the law. My uncle is a dispatcher. He has no authority.

[Zimbochick]

We don't know if the dispatcher was a sworn Law Enforcement Officer or not. Many injured cops move to dispatch.

And why call 911 if you are not going to follow their advice. We know Zimmerman was a big fan of 911.

[freedom78]

A shit ton of other people get shot every day and not a peep from the masses. I saw something on Facebook over the weekend where 2 white 20 somethings were brutally raped and murdered by 5 blacks. That wasn't about race either, it was just violence.

I'm guessing that the five offenders are either under arrest or being sought by police...and that's the difference a lot of people see. This isn't about the violence. This is about a justice system that has long been perceived as having a racial bias, for a number of reasons. The only fact that matters to most people is that a young black person was unarmed and shot to death, we know who shot him, and that person isn't being arrested or charged as of yet. And while that might be a limited look at the facts, they also know that if it were a white person who ended up dead while walking through a black area of town, then it's pretty damned certain that someone would be in jail awaiting charges. These aren't absolutes, but they're commonalities as people see them and that's enough.

[PERM BANNED]

I'm guessing that the five offenders are either under arrest or being sought by police...and that's the difference a lot of people see. This isn't about the violence. This is about a justice system that has long been perceived as having a racial bias, for a number of reasons. The only fact that matters to most people is that a young black person was unarmed and shot to death, we know who shot him, and that person isn't being arrested or charged as of yet. And while that might be a limited look at the facts, they also know that if it were a white person who ended up dead while walking through a black area of town, then it's pretty damned certain that someone would be in jail awaiting charges. These aren't absolutes, but they're commonalities as people see them and that's enough.

The police found Zimmerman innocent by self defense. They were there, and had all the facts. We didn't even know that Martin assaulted Zimmerman until yesterday because of the one sided propaganda war going on. What anout the MS college kid who was killed Saturday by 3 blacks? They have yet to be apprehended. Will Jackson and Sharpton assist the white kids parents and demand justice? Will Obama say that this kid looked like his son. Of course not, because it's bullshit political posturing. When someone provides the masses with facts, such as 80% of black crime victims were assaulted by other blacks, it falls on deaf ears and we are forced to listen to made up accusations of a war on blacks. It's a bullshit double standard. And those who get caught up in the Martin case do nothing but show their own ignorance.

[freedom78]

#iThing #word

Now THAT is exploiting the situation.

[Mr. Roboto]

Trayvon Martin's mother Sybrina Fulton is seeking to trademark phrases with her son's name.

According to applications filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the family's attorney last week, Fulton wants to trademark "I am Trayvon" and "Justice for Trayvon" for use in DVDs and CDs memorializing the slain teenager.

In the wake of the news that her son had been suspended from school after traces of marijuana were found in his book bag, Fulton said Monday that those leaking information were trying to blame the victim. "They killed my son, and now they are trying to kill his reputation," Fulton said.

Fulton's trademark application could be fuel for critics who contend Martin's parents—and civil rights activists like Rev. Al Sharpton—are trying to capitalize on the killing for personal or financial gain.

But Martin—who was unarmed when he was shot by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watchman, in Sanford, Fla., last month—and the hooded sweatshirt he was wearing at the time he was killed, have become symbols of the country's racial divide and the pursuit of justice. Martin's family may simply be trying to gain some control over his name, which has been cropping up on t-shirts and hoodies across the country.

Zimmerman's image, meanwhile, appears on a t-shirt that is causing even more furor in Florida. Zimmerman's face appears on the shirt under the phrase "P*** A** CRACKER." A photo of a Florida rapper—Plies—wearing the shirt was posted on Twitter, sparking outrage among Zimmerman's supporters.

[freedom78]

The police found Zimmerman innocent by self defense. They were there, and had all the facts. We didn't even know that Martin assaulted Zimmerman until yesterday because of the one sided propaganda war going on. What anout the MS college kid who was killed Saturday by 3 blacks? They have yet to be apprehended. Will Jackson and Sharpton assist the white kids parents and demand justice? Will Obama say that this kid looked like his son. Of course not, because it's bullshit political posturing. When someone provides the masses with facts, such as 80% of black crime victims were assaulted by other blacks, it falls on deaf ears and we are forced to listen to made up accusations of a war on blacks. It's a bullshit double standard. And those who get caught up in the Martin case do nothing but show their own ignorance.

What in the world makes you think that I care when and where Jackson and Sharpton will be pushing their agenda? I roll my eyes mighty high when they get involved with nearly anything.

I don't know what "war on blacks" accusations you're referring to. If it's that whites kill lots of blacks then that is, indeed, false. If it's that blacks have higher rates of poverty, incarceration, a lower life expectancy, less education, and are broadly treated differently in our justice system than are whites, whether those individuals are victims or criminals, then yes...there is a war of sorts.