Sunday, July 14, 2013

Guilty of Being a Young Black Male

His killer reported him to the police because he was suspicious of a young black man walking through "his" neighborhood.

Trayvon's killer did not believe a black teenage boy should be in his neighborhood and he was going to do something about it.

The man who killed the unarmed teenager, loaded his gun then stalked, pursued and confronted him because the teenager was a black male.

A scuffle ensued and Trayvon was killed.  The scuffle would not have occurred at all if Trayvon's killer had found him guilty of being a black male teenager.

The jury may have found Trayvon's killer not guilty of murder but the fact remains and will always remain that he is the man who killed Trayvon Martin.

We know that race was the factor in Trayvon Martin's death.  It is doubtful that the man who killed Trayvon would have pursued him if Trayvon looked like Justin Bieber.

But, what we don't know for certain if was race a factor in the results of this trial.

Legal experts are wondering if the Special Prosecutor would have brought lesser charges against Trayvon's killer he may have been convicted.

I have to wonder if the Special Prosecutor from this very conservative part of Florida brought charges that she knew would result in an acquittal in an attempt to placate all sides.  She only brought the charges after a lot of public pressure.  A fair and open trail was held in front of TV cameras and Trayvon's killer was acquitted of murder charges. The Special Prosecutor did her job and the judicial system did it's job.

The system works.  According to the Special Prosecutor.  I do find it odd that she played no part in this trial, she brought the charges but kept herself off camera until after the trial was over.  Then she held a press conference and with a big smile professed her faith in the system and proclaimed the justice was served. She seemed almost happy with the result or at the very least she seemed satisfied.

We do not know what the discussions were like in the jury room and we do not know what is in the hearts of the 6 white women who sat on the jury. But, I can't help to wonder if the man who killed Trayvon Martin was acquitted because Trayvon Martin was guilty of being a young black male.


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/15/us/debate-on-race-and-justice-is-renewed.html?hp

29 comments:

  1. Yeah. You know George made nearly 50 calls in eight years on all kinds of people for all kinds of reasons.He was gung ho .I will say this, I can undestand his disposition a little bit if you look at Sanfords crime rate and crime index .Sanfords index is 4 out of a 100 with 100 being best.Bethlehems by comparison is 30.Property crime there is out of hand.But the more I read the more I am starting to think George might have a mental disorder.If Trayvon was white, it wouldn't have changed a thing.

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    1. Thank you for commenting - I do not understand a vigilante - If I see a crime I will react but if I don't see a crime I will not imagine one. The fact is he saw a black male walking through his neighborhood and he stalked him and he confronted him and he killed him. Had he not started the confrontation he would not have killed Trayvoon

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  2. All I'm saying is that it wasn't because he was black, vigilante or not.

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    1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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    2. Thanks

      You honestly believe that Trayvon's killer did not follow or confront him because he was black?

      I am not saying he killed Trayvon because he was black but the whole thing started because Trayvon's killer was suspicious of Trayvon because he was black - he has said as much according to police reports.

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    3. So you would say that if the only thing different that night was that Trayvon was white, that George would not have followed him?

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    4. Thanks

      No - I would not say that nor did I say that if Trayvon's killer had followed anyone that night and confronted them that person could have ended up dead.

      What I am saying is that it is very clear that Trayvon was followed because he was black.

      I don't know and neither do you if George would have followed a white teenager - Bringing up that is an attempt to offer up a Trojan horse a equivalency and an attempt to distract the conversation. Something I will not do.

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    5. "What I am saying is that it is very clear that Trayvon was followed because he was black. "

      Prove it.Why do you think this?
      I say what I say because of what I read of Georges past, that he had followed other people who were not black or did not know were black.

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  3. Trayvon was far from an angel. No one deserves to die. But certain forms of the media need to stop trying to portray him as a sweet child angel. Look into who he was, what he was into. Trayvon didn't deserve to die nor did Zimmerman deserve to be forced into a position in which he felt he had no other recourse but to defend himself. It is a tragedy for everyone involved. There are people that want to see it as a "race" crime.....adds to the drama I suppose.....personally if I saw someone lurking around at night in a hoodie (hood up to conceal the face, obviously) I would be suspicious as well...black, white or purple. I have heard some outrageous things said about this trial....the "race card" not even being the most absurd.

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    1. Thank you or your comment

      So you are putting Trayvon on trial here?

      His killer followed him because he was black - that is racist - his killer confronted him because he was black - that is racist.

      It was raining so perhaps Trayvon had his hood up because he did not want to get wet.

      To deny race had anything to do with this says a great deal about you.

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    2. Check this out


      http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/05/24/George-Zimmerman-Black-Homeless-Man-Sanford-Police

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    3. Thanks

      Your link does not work.

      You are suggesting a website that edited a tape of a black government official speaking to make it sound as if she hated white people but when the entire unedited tape was viewed it showed just the opposite was true. Is that really where you want to send me to make your point?

      You are sending me to website that edited a tape to show that a social worker was trying to help people defraud the government on taxes and assisting a pimp and his prostitute but when the entire tape was viewed it showed just the opposite and that the social worker knew she was being punked. You are sending me to that website and expect me to learn from it?

      Clearly I am not uninformed so why do you think sending me to a website that built it's fame on fraud, lies and distortions is some where I can learn something? Sorry - I know you think you had a gotcha moment but really Breitbart.com has been discredited even by other conservatives

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    4. Forget the website, anyone reading this just, look up George Zimmerman and homeless black man. Plenty of sites to choose from, I chose the fist one my pointer clicked on.

      Here is one from CNN , same story

      http://www.cnn.com/2012/05/24/justice/florida-teen-shooting

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    5. Thanks
      You list a website and then tell me to forget it and you don't care whether it is accurate or not but you share it to back up your opinion because your pointer was there and just clicked on it. OK

      I'm glad to know that Trayvon's killer has helped black people in his life and that's great.

      My favorite white people quote "I have black friends"

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    6. Thanks

      I am not sure if you are the same anonymous as the person trying to justify Trayvon's death with "facts" for a study so I am going ask you the same question

      Do you feel any sadness of the death of this teenager? Because you seem to be blaming Trayvon for his own death. He had the right to walk to his father's home, he had the right not to be stalked and confronted by the man who ended up killing him.

      This is the United States of America and a black male teenager has the right to walk anywhere he wants. Do you believe that?

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  4. It was an AP report not some BS website , I googled it and used the first one .Like I provided , check CNN , it happened. And I wasn't nor would I try to use these "facts" for that. I was answering something you said on another topic. Sadness? About as much as I can muster for all the shit that goes on in this world.I have at times frequented websites like live leak or bestgore, they have up to date videos of what really goes on in this world. Im talking about people getting beheaded for not being the right kind of Muslim or being slowly beaten to death with a baseball bat for being a family member of a narco fighter in Mexico . I'm jaded when it comes to what the human beast is capable of .I think what happened in Sanford was negative serendipity. If it is at all about race, then it is because of the rash of break-ins at twin lakes and the descriptions of the alleged offenders.

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  5. "To deny race had anything to do with this says a great deal about you."
    That is interesting.....to say it is only about race also says a lot about you, wouldn't that be safe to assume? Why does everyone feel the need to play the race card every-time there is some sort of confrontation between two races. Especially if one of the races is African American. Would there be the same kind of commotion if the victim had been Asian? I feel it is safe to assume not. Why is that? Why is it we live in a time in which certain race cards have to be brought up. The sad fact of this whole thing is that a 17 year old has lost his life....not that he wore a hoodie...not that he was black...that he was a 17 year old human being.

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    1. Are you saying race is not an issue in this country? The history of black people in this country can not be compared to any other minority - and do that is a false equivalency - The only possible comparison may be the Native Americans. Racism very much exists in this country it is real it is prevalent and it is everywhere. Race had everything to do with this. There are no what if there is only one true fact - George Zimmerman followed Trayvon because he was guilty of being black.

      So glib "a 17 year old lost his life." A 17 year old was killed because George Zimmerman did not want him walking in his neighborhood - that is the fact in this. Pretending a different scenario does not change that fact.

      I do understand your perspective I just can't agree with it. I do thank you for the conversation and I appreciate it more than you know. It's nice to know someone reads this thing from time to time.

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  6. What I find interesting is that seeing as you do not know everyone who reads this, how are your comments geared at me as if I am white? Couldn't I be black? Hispanic? Asian? Assumptions happen more often than people give credit. I feel that it may be a dark little thing in everyone to always make assumptions...assuming a race, assuming the worse case scenario, etc etc. I am not implying race is not an issue in this country. You are implying race is only an issue when it comes to African Americans. There are many different racial stereo-types.....Asians are all smart is a big one.
    To address the Native American comment....I feel that white Anglo "americans" did to them far worse than has been done to other races....raped their women, stole their land.....no one is perfect. I know I'm not. I was not trying to be glib but it is the truth.....two lives were forever changed the day Trayvon was shot....whether or not Zimmerman is guilty....his and trayvons "normal existence" ended that day....it is sad no matter how you slice it.
    I do enjoy a good discussion now and then....I enjoy ( and agree with quite a few) of your posts. Now get me started on gay rights, etc...I am with you a million percent. I enjoy seeing and discussing different opinions. That is what keeps us all "alive"....the fact that we all do have opinions....and can freely express them.

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    1. You are right - I don't know who you are and they way you have posted does not allow me to know who you are. So I am working under an assumption. And you are right about assumptions.

      I do not think that racism is only a black / white issue that is just the topic of this post

      What was done to the native people of this continent is beyond a disgrace and continues to this day just as the effects of slavery and segregation continues to this day.

      You're right the two lives were changed for ever - one was ended and my ultimate point is that none of this had to happened had Zimmerman not profiled and stalked Trayvon - all of this is Zimmerman's fault - he is guilty of causing this in the first place and now he wants his life to go back to normal. I have no empathy for Zimmerman.

      This was a good discussion and I appreciate it and it remained civil - Thanks to you (and I am a little proud of myself - I can get a little cranky at times)

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  7. "George Zimmerman followed Trayvon because he was guilty of being black."

    That is conjecture .

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  8. The only other thing I feel I need to comment to is where you said that
    "my ultimate point is that none of this had to happened had Zimmerman not profiled and stalked Trayvon - all of this is Zimmerman's fault - he is guilty "
    Zimmerman may have profiled Trayvon....but do you think it is possible Trayvon saw Zimmerman and profiled him as well? If Trayvon didn't have a guilty conscious and/or was up to no good, then why did he feel the need to fight? He could have easily said "Look man, stop following me. I am going home" or something along those lines. Instead he felt he had to get into a physical confrontation. Again, we do not know for a 100% fact who started the fight and why Trayvon ended up on top of Zimmerman. While I do not agree that Zimmerman using his gun was the best thing....he may have possibly felt that was his last option during that altercation. The facts in this case are pretty simple.....only 2 people really truly know exactly what happened that night. The rest of us will never really know. It is a shame.
    Yes, I agree, a very good discussion. I, too, can get cranky. I have had people get into discussions with me and when they do not agree with my opinion they start name calling, etc....at which I usually reply with "oh gee, whats next...na-na-na-nana". I enjoy a good ADULT conversation and discussion.....thanks, you have given me some food for thought.

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    1. How would you feel if someone was following you as you were walking down the street to your fathers's house? Would you be scared? Would you be angry? Would you get pissed off and ask the guy What the fuck are you doing? I suspect that I would be confrontational. Trayvon did not have to justify is presence there he had the right to walk down any street in this country.

      --------- I am not beyond name calling if the other party is stupid or just talks shit or just gives me talking points he or she learned from someone like Sarah Palin then I can't help myself

      Mazel Tov - ldg -

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  9. If I felt threatened I would call 911. Or at least make it look like I was. My being a female, unless it was another female following me I wouldnt be confrontational. Race wouldnt be whats on my mind. It would be why is this asshole following me? I have been assaulted in my life, and I have asked myself since this case would I have used a weapon to defend myself? If I had a weapon? I honestly am not sure. I would like to think that Zimmerman wasn't profiling Trayvon because honestly it is a shitty thought. We will never know. It is all here say and here say is not enough to convict anyone of anything. It appears at this point we keep going around and around with the same answers to each other. I say we can just agree to disagree. I have enjoyed a few of your other posts....I even commented on one. Once again, thanks for the discussion and don't worry I won't quote Palin.
    Mazel Tov to you too ;-)

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  10. What I want to know is that for "African Americans" calling them the "N" word is a terrible thing....ask Paula....but yet they can call each other "niggas" (I hate that word, just for the record) and it is fine. Why is that? I sat and listened to an entire Busta Rhymes song (don't laugh) and he said the "N" word 37 times. 37 TIMES!!!! I am confused.......

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    1. It is about owning the insult and taking it away from the oppressor. As you have figured out I am gay so I can use faggot or fairy but if a straight person uses it I will kick their ass.

      They are terms created to harm and insult but if we use them they have no power but if folks who are not one of us uses them it is and insult and opens old wounds. It is a bit confusing but it is about empowerment. For the record I don't use faggot or fairy and my partner (of 29+ years) is black and he uses none of the three

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  11. And as a side note, I would love to hear your views on drug testing welfare recipients. That is a topic I feel strongly about

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