With sadly predictable results:
This happens every day in America.George Zimmerman trial: Not guilty in shooting death of Trayvon MartinSANFORD, Florida -- A Florida jury acquitted George Zimmerman on Saturday for the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Trayvon Martin, setting free a man who had become a polarizing figure in the national debate over racial profiling and self-defense laws.The panel of six women deliberated more than 16 hours over two days until nearly 10 p.m. on Saturday (0200 GMT Sunday) before delivering the verdict, which drew immediate condemnation from some civil rights groups...
This time it happened on CNN, MSNBC and Fox.
The next 1,000 times it will happen on page 13 of your local paper.
Ta-Nehisi Coates offer his usual, thoughful insights:
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4.) I think Andrew Cohen is right--trials don't work as strict "moral surrogates." Everything that is immoral is not illegal--nor should it be. I want to live in a society that presumes innocence. I want to live in that society even when I feel that a person should be punished.
...
6.) I think the message of this episode is unfortunate. By Florida law, in any violent confrontation ending in a disputed act of lethal self-defense, without eye-witnesses, the advantage goes to the living.
An intelligent, self-interested observer of this case, who happens to live in Florida, would not be wrong to do as George Zimmerman did--buy a gun, master the finer points of Florida self-defense law and then wait.
7.) Circling back to the first point, it's worth remembering that caused a national outcry was not the possibility of George Zimmerman being found innocent, but that there would be no trial at all. This case was really unique because of what happend with the Sanford police. If you doubt this, ask yourself if you know the name "Jordan Davis." Then ask yourself how many protests and national media reports you've seen about him.
34 comments:
As many have said, the situation will get attention when the person killed is a straight WASP-ish middle or upper-middle class white person, and the defendant is lacking at least two of those categories.
This is why it is so important for White America to stockpile guns. By sheer probability, it keeps the news stories in their favor. Once the news gets stories of blacks or Mexicans or Muslim immigrants or gay neighborhoods defending themselves from "crazy-ass crackas", the laws may change against their stockpiles of guns.
Mike.K.
Mike.K.
"Hi,I am George Zimmerman, and I am afraid of you."
BANG!
Of course, Martin was Standing His Ground, albeit without killing force.
I would say the message for young black men is to make sure you have a gun and shoot to kill, but the record indicates that won't work either; since blacks get convicted in those cases FAR MORE than other races. It's almost as if the law is not applied equally, or something ridiculous like that.
Anyway, it is apparently neither rabbit hunting season, nor duck hunting season, but Young Black Man hunting season. God help us all...
George Zimmerman is a small man who had a big gun, and that made him brave enough to accost a teenager; but when the teenager did not meekly submit to being unfairly treated as a criminal and in self defense against this unknown assailant, his shriveled soul demanded that rather than accept that he lost a fight with an 'asshole and thug' that he use the weapon that made him feel like a man. Rather than simply take his well-deserved beating like an actual man would have done, recognizing that he was the one acting like an asshole, and that there was a lesson to be learned.
Instead, Old George the killing monster can load his gun and go out hunting tonight.
Mike, there already are plenty of those stories. In Wisconsin, a relatively heavily armed state, plenty of white folks get shot.
Out east last year, there was even a case of white schoolchildren getting shot by a creepy-ass cracker. Perhaps you heard about it.
Still nothing as far as changing any laws.
A cop-wannabe, thinking with testosterone molecules instead of brain cells, stalked a thug-wannabe.
The thug-wannabe, also thinking with testosterone molecules instead of brain cells, took exception to that.
Hilarity did NOT ensue.
More proof of evolution. No benign and intelligent Creator would have made an indispensable reproductive hormone have such devastating side effects on the faculty of judgement.
Mike, there already are plenty of those stories. In Wisconsin, a relatively heavily armed state, plenty of white folks get shot.
Thug wanna-be?
You just played the "both sides do it" card. Irrestible white privilege meeting immovable thug culture. You should be ashamed, but I know you won't be, because your only care in the world is whatever Greenwald tells you is important. Then your sanctimony frequency shoots off the charts.
Dead thug wanna-be? A broken egg to make the omelette of individual liberty. Droned US citizen affiliated with Al Qaeda? ZOMG DRONEGLASS TYRANNY EVILZ!!1!!
I disagree with Coates' overly-measured post. Just because the state laws allow a jury to acquit in clean conscience because "no eye witnesses" doesn't make this reasonable or even arguably just. He plainly disobeyed a dispatch officer to confront an unarmed youth. The muddying about eye witness only gave a fig leaf for the jury to hide behind in order to bury a "thug wanna be" in clean conscience in order to declare Thug Hunting Season in gated communities.
In the same manner that we should be advocating for limitations to the Iraq AUMF, PATRIOT Act, and FISA legislations to embolden Congress to reassert its primacy in lawmaking, we should be advocating for limitations on state laws that allow "thug wanna bes" to be killed by vigilantes.
But, of course, all of these travesties have been declared legal. I just note that you, Hamfist, give a shit about one aspect of civil liberties, but wave off another using racial profiling.
I would call you a hypocrite, but that is too kind.
Zippy, you're right--I don't feel ashamed.
I think my "Privilege Guilt" button broke in 2008, from guilt grifters pushing it too many times.
Actually, at first I held the orthodox Received Pwogwessive Opinion on this trial--then it actually started, and I learned a few unsavory things about the luckless Mr. Martin.
Of course, he did NOT deserve to die for doing something stupid, but in the real world, people die of stupid actions every day, and few of them, if any, deserve their fates.
Oh, about that "privilege"--I wish my bank account agreed with your assessment. :P
BTW, I do not respect Zimmermann, either. The moron should have taken the suggestion of the police dispatcher, backed off, and let the actual cops investigate the situation.
I think if Martin had killed Zimmermann and then a jury had decided Martin acted in self-defense, I would feel an equal level of indifference.
Both were testosterone-intoxicated shitheads. Both are eminently expendable.
A few unsavory things that made him a thug wannabe. Just like we the people learned a few unsavory things about Awlaki that made him a terrorist wannabe. Turn both individuals are at the wrong place and time, faced with the power of privilege, and suffered Justice, American style.
If you can clutch your pearls over one and disregard the other, then you sir are echoing the arguments of white privilege.
Bank account or no, you are toeing the authoritarian line. But only for thug wannabes, because they don't count.
I live in South Florida. We too have C.O.P.S (Citizens on Patrol Service) They are Unarmed, the only thing they are allowed to do is call the regular police in case of an emergency.... Unless it's an 'open garage door' @ 3:00a.m. or something like that. Then they're allowed to call the homeowner. I believe Zimmerman is guilty.... He stalked Trayvon Martin, instead of backing off as he was instructed to do.
Yeah, true enough, Zippy--as I said above, my "Privilege Guilt" button is broken.
Testosterone-drunken thug-wannabes don't count for me. Neither do testosterone-drunken cop-wannabes, so I would be equally indifferent if Martin had killed Zimmermann.
Martin wins a Darwin Award.
Zimmermann survived, so he only gets a Dishonorable Mention for a Darwin Award.
As for what you perceive as my inconsistency: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."--Emerson
Do you wish to continue arguing with someone who finds your denunciations amusing rather than painful?
If TM had been walking down the street with a boombox on his shoulder, a large afro, smoking a crack pipe, with a hoodie emblazened with the words "Crack is Wack"!....
the most Zimmerman should have done was call the police and drive on.
Anything that happened when he did not take that course of action should have landed Zimmerman in jail for a very long time.
The only crime committed was the stalking and eventual murder of a citizen legally walking down the street.
Speculations on the lifestyle habits or intent of the murder victim at this point are only a poker tell by their authors.
...caught you being a bigot!
Indeed, Zimmermann should have taken the police dispatcher's suggestion, backed off, and let the professionals investigate the situation.
Two stupid young men confronted each other, as stupid young men tend to do. One died. Yawn.
It would have been equally worthy of a yawn had the other one died instead.
Boombox and crack pipe?
Anon, the '80s called. They want their pop-cultural references back.
Hamfist Idiot, Are you serious? It all evens out in the end? huh? What? Zimmerman and Martin were BOTH just testosterone addled fools. End of story - No sympathy for Martin, he asked for it. And they are at best both equally guilty.
Nevermind that Martin was minding his own business, walking home from the store, nevermind that Zimmerman stalked and followed him in his SUV and then chased him down with a gun.
An unarmed teenager against a paranoid, guntoting, wannabe cop. Totally fair and equal.
"Privelege guilt button" What a total ass.
Yeah, I know. I'm a Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Citizen.
Oh well, every Sesame Street needs an Oscar.
Oh, and SBL--how do you know the version of the story you have heard is accurate?
Shorter Hamfast: Martin wasn't dronekilled by a president I despise so meh.
Almost right, Drifty.
The Darwin Award winner does not provide a useful club to bash the Empire with, so meh.
If I could feel the deaths of all the people who die every day, and allowed myself to do so, I'd have a nervous breakdown on Day One.
Hamfist Rubberdick:
Hey, I put those references there just for you. I guess you missed the implied message ..no surprise there.
It is pretty obvious that pop culture, and a sense of history are things you derive from another epoch.
Maybe I should have made it something from the 1880's?
Whats that Ham? Privileged white commenting douche says what..?
The Darwin Award winner does not provide a useful club to bash the Empire with, so meh.
Wow. That's appalling.
The death of an innocent young man, so cavalierly dismissed, because his death doesn't serve YOUR PURPOSES?
Bring back mahakal. He may be a credulous nincompoop, but at least he's human.
So, you don't feel any of the deaths by drone that you are ever so concerned about, but drone warfare is the worst thing ever done when it is done by the administration of a Democrat. The dead are merely a small part of the club you want to use.
"Hey, I put those references there just for you."
D'awww, how sweet of you! ^_^
What part of the story "I heard", could I possibly have gotten wrong?
Martin WASN'T walking back home from the store after buying a couple of snacks?
Zimmerman didn't trail Martin in his SUV, and get out and foot-stalk him, WITH A GUN! AGAINST police directives?
None of what I originally commented on is even in dispute.
How can you seriously compare the two as equals? One was ARMED with a gun and one wasn't. Duh.
While I could always have received inaccurate information, I am given to understand that Young Idiot Martin could have gone home, escaping Young Idiot Zimmermann.
Instead, YIM chose to go back and confront YIZ instead, not stopping to consider "Hey, this crazy dude is stalking me, and I don't have a gun. What if he does?".
Likewise, YIZ failed to consider the possibility that YIM might be armed. Of course, he wasn't, but YIZ couldn't have known that. YIZ was a fool to take the chance he took. He should have just broken off pursuit and gone home, as the police dispatcher suggested.
Nope, both Stupid Young Men felt the need to prove Who Had The Biggest Phallus in the "sacred" masculine ritual of confrontation.
One of them died.
It is an ancient scenario.
Well, honestly we'll never know what exactly happened. Maybe Martin could have even handled the situation better, maybe he even, mistakenly in hindsight, hung back and lashed out at the creepy asshole who was unnecessarily following him. Can you honestly blame him? How do you like being stalked by scary morons? Put yourself in his shoes...
Do you think if Martin was white with blonde hair this would have happened? ...No of course it woyuldn't have. That's the point hamfist - it was racist. and you're "white privelige button worn out" nonsense is part of the problem. Can't you see that?
"That's the point hamfist - it was racist. and you're "white privelige button worn out" nonsense is part of the problem. Can't you see that?"
No he can't....because he doesn't see a problem!
Outside of public Klan meetings, have you ever seen a racist who claimed they were a racist?
This case is a perfect barometer.
Hamfist up there, is just trying to make up another excuse with his "it was both their faults" bullshit.
He doesn't believe it himself.
Just another cracker with P.C.
I would like to follow Ham around on a dark street, slowly stalking his Hoveround, and see how he would like it.
If he didn't whip out a gun and start shooting out my windshield.
Racists are cowards...and pussies. Just look at Zimmerman.
So Anon has revealed himself as an Internet Tough Guy(tm).
Go and boil your bottom, son of a silly person! I fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries! ^__^
Be quiet, White Racist Weeaboo Souther.
Oh no, Zombie, murder--by drone or other means--in the service of the transnational Malefactors Of Great Wealth (who are the true owners of the Empire, the US Govt. being merely a wholly-owned subsidiary of the MOGW) is equally evil under Reptilian administrations as well as Dinocratic ones.
I also condemned the Chimperial Cheney Assministration. I didn't suddenly decide quasi-imperial wars to force recalcitrant swarthy folks to submit to perpetual exploitation by the transnational MOGW--and make no mistake, that is, and always has been, the primary purpose of the National Security State--were good when a Dinocratic administration was waging them, the way it seems you did--or did you support the wars of the Chimperor as well?
Pinkie Pie's words have no power over me except those I choose to give them, and I choose to give them none.
Although I am ever so slightly impressed that PP knows the term "weeaboo".
The Stand Your Ground law, and the lenient definition of self defense that allows disproportional force, will be changed when a black kills a white man and walks away from it using the existing laws.
Note that gun control as a national issue only made headway after the Black Panthers introduced the spectacle of armed black men marching down the street to the white community. All of a sudden open carrying a gun was seen as problematic.
Shorter Hamfast Ruddyneck:
"Yeah, I'm a racist asshole and I choose to be one. So what?"
If you're gonna troll at least try to provide some content.
The Stand Your Ground law, and the lenient definition of self defense that allows disproportional force, will be changed when a black kills a white man and walks away from it using the existing laws.
...and when I hear that that has happened here in the Primary World, I will be so astonished that I'll probably lose my grip on the leash of my pet winged pig.
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