Trayvon Martin

[scoutingagain]

I tend to agree with CP but the one thing that is perfectly clear is this case is currently being tried by the media and court of public opinion. If Zimmerman wants a fair trial such a venue is hardly fair or in the interest of justice.

 

SA

[Papadaddy]

My heart goes out to Trayvon's family. I can't imagine burying one of my sons, and I wish an arrest can be made so that a court of law can discover the facts. But hundreds of youth get shot or stabbed every week. Why the outrage over this one? Any loss of someone's child is tragic. Why are Jackson and Sharpton picking this one? Because that's where the TV cameras are? Where are they when a white or hispanic youth is killed for no good reason? Do we not deserve equal outrage despite the color of our skin?

[Engineer61]

Fact is racism is alive a well in the USA. It's not going to go away ... ever.

 

While most of us want it to end, there are still too many people with racial hatred in their minds.

 

In 1985, I worked in Raleigh, NC. Most of us became layoff victims...so to keep our sanity, a group of us would go to golfing once a week while we were looking for work.

 

Four of us went to a course just south of Raleigh...can't remember the place. I went in, said we needed fees for four, the reply was, "Three green fees would be X." When I repeated that we need fees for four, the man behind the counter said one of our party could not play...he was Japanese-American.

 

We left.

 

 

[perdidochas]

The problem is that the critical portion of the story hasn't been revealed. We know that Zimmerman followed the boy. We know that he killed the boy, claiming self defense. We don't know what happened in between those points. Until we have a good indication of what happened during that time period, there is really no intelligent way to discuss this.

[Lisabob]

PappaDaddy: If there are situations in which a white youth is shot and killed in the light of day for no apparent reason and the shooter's actions, identity, and current location are not in question, and more than a month after the shooting that shooter hasn't yet been arrested, well yes, that would be wrong, too. But that's not the story most of the time, now is it?

 

 

 

SRBeaver, I'll grant you that media bias exists, but I don't think that's a decent explanation for much here. For one thing, it assumes that liberals are somehow pro-black and anti-white to the point of covering up relevant (or irrelevant) details that are bound to come out anyway, eventually. If anything, the media in the US has historically been pro-white and anti-color in its coverage and portrayal of crimes, especially "vigilante" sorts of crimes.

 

Anyway, this info is being reported right now on both CNN and Fox. Heck, I bet the news outlets are salivating, because all this sensationalism will sell. Call me cynical but I think the media (of all biases) are MORE likely to report every breathless claim and detail, true, half-true, or not-true, to try to keep viewers tuned in.

 

And I notice that Rev. Jesse Jackson has spoken out against the New Black Panther "reward," too. So people could, I suppose, jump all over the incendiary and non-mainstream NBP response, pretend that this represents black Americans' views by and large, and completely ignore the fact that many other community leaders (black and white) are speaking out against that response - Or, people could recognize that the NBP is a pretty fringe group whose views probably don't reflect the behavior, thoughts, or desires of most Americans (of any color).

 

 

 

 

[Scouter.]

I'm not going to take a stand either way on this issue as I don't know enough.

 

But...I did just hear that a bit of new information on the background info has surfaced in the last 24 hours or so. It is quite eye opening.

 

Peace...S.

[Stosh]

I have serious concerns about why the police have not arrested Zimmerman, is it because of the law or is it because of Zimmerman being a victim. We have no idea.

 

Has this issue been hushed because of it's Zimmerman's racial issues or because a white man shot a black man in self defense and all *$@%'s going to hit the fan anyway.

 

Operating on partial media hype-reports and a silent legal system trying to get to the bottom of the issue correctly, always makes for more "news" than what really might be there.

 

Out of ALL newsworthy issues that I have been involved with over the years the media has NEVER gotten the story correct.

 

That's not my opinion, that's my experience.

 

I'm going to hold out until it hits the courts in an appropriate forum before deciding judgment. The courts tend to be a bit more forthcoming with their evidence than the hype/speculation of the "news" media.

 

Stosh

[Basementdweller]

Kinda what I thought

 

 

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gb_Rn0Lb5s07TIXaDIDtF6vsiVog?docId=fdc24692537e4c00a4dfbaf3f9d9e35

 

 

who knows what words were exchanged........I wonder if the break ins around the community have dropped.....

 

The young man is not the angel as protrayed by the family

[Tampa Turtle]

You know I gotta agree with the President in this. Let some other LEO's like the FBI (if they have jurisdiction) look into it and figure out what probably happened. The jury pool I was in had 4 possibilities:

 

(1) Stand your ground

(2) 1st Degree Murder

(3) 2nd Degree Murder

(4) 3rd Degree Murder with a Felony

 

From what I recall in Florida (4) if he you do a felony and use a handgun and someone dies you can be charged with 3rd Degree Murder. (Think of a bank robbery and gun accidentally goes off) I think penalties are stricter than Murder 2. So It would be hard for a DA to even KNOW what to try the guy on.

 

I think regardless Zimmerman got pretty hot and was, at the very least, put himself in a stupid situation. I know I have been stupid--once got in a yelling match with a cop. Fortunately he was cooler than me.

 

I know in my dealings with the Police (and I am sure there some LEO's on Scouter) that they are reluctant to ever arrest someone if there is the DA is not likely to pursue. And stand your ground makes everyone reluctant.

 

All I know in the neighborhood I work in there were A LOT of hoodies yesterday. I guess Old Navy is selling a few extra.

[Gunny2862]

As much as I am reluctant to use Wikipedia as a source, they seem to have as many gathered facts in one place as any of the media outlets.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shooting_of_Trayvon_Martin

 

According to at least one account, the shooter had returned to his vehicle, then got out to check his location on a street sign(sounds slightly odd but plausible) when he was accosted and attacked by the youth - In this scenario I might revoke my problems with the claim of self-defense.

 

Waiting for further revelations.

[Beavah]

Yah, it's really more than a bit disturbin' that the underground chain-mail media is now spreadin' the usual disinformation fog on this matter. I hear now that there's a doctored photo goin' around showin' Zimmerman in a coat and tie and some other young African American in prison orange and a gangsta pose... and the young man is not Trayvon.

 

the shooter had returned to his vehicle, then got out to check his location on a street sign(sounds slightly odd but plausible)

 

Let me see if I understand this correctly. A man who is neighborhood watch captain in a small gated community where by all accounts he has been patrolling regularly for months if not years, who has phoned in dozens of police calls from around the neighborhood suddenly doesn't know where he is without checkin' a street sign? When I moved at age 9 I knew every street by sight within a mile of my new house within a week.

 

The fellow deserves a trial, and a fair one. The young man deserved a sound police investigation and a DA who didn't ignore the recommendation of the lead detective on the case.

 

But when we look at it from afar, I can't see as how we can ever condone an armed man pursuing, harassing, and shooting an unarmed kid. By Florida law, as close as I can tell, I would have been perfectly within my rights to shoot Zimmerman dead on sight for the behavior he chose to engage in. In fact, so would Trayvon.

 

Beavah

 

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[Gunny2862]

Beavah,

As maligned as Wikipedia may be in Academic circles, it's hardly "chain-mail media". The Trayvon wiki I referenced in the previous post is in fact(at this time) a moderated, protected page so that not just any yahoo can get on and post what ever trivia factual or not. New information may be posted to a protected area and then a group of moderators decides if it fits with the facts they have, an/or what attribution is available before they post it.

 

That said, if the Main stream media outlets would do their job and report all the facts and not pick a side, then those other media sources might dry up and go away.

[SR540Beaver]

You know, the fact of the matter is that none of us were there, so our opinions on the "facts" we choose to believe in this case are pretty meaningless. The one thing we know for sure is that two people were at the wrong place at the wrong time and one died as a result. The media played fast and lose with the facts early on and folks like Sharpton and Jackson have taken advantage of the situation to fan the fires of their cause.....and make a little money. None of us know the truth. The folks closest to knowing the truth are the police and the DA and to date, they have not felt a compelling need to arrest Zimmerman. They must know something that the media, Sharpton and we don't know. What I do know is that claims of racism and folks like the Black Panthers putting out a bounty will do nothing but make a bad situation worse. Let's let the professionals handle it and determine if there is enough evidence to take it to trial. Eventually, we will be made privy to it too. Let's trust the system to work.

[scoutingagain]

"Let's trust the system to work. "

 

Well now that it's fully engaged I'll go along with that.

 

The "system" initially was going to write this off as "self-defense", no investigation, no arrest. Ironically if a police officer had shot Trevon there would be a full investigation with respect to the use of deadly force. But apparently a private citizen with a weapon can approach someone who unarmed, is lawfully present and walking, get into an altercation, shoot a person and simply walk away.

 

SA

 

 

 

 

[Basementdweller]

With people in the street believing half truths and that it was a race motivated attack...

 

Irregardless of guilt or innocent zimmerman will pay for this.....Maybe with his life.