The Trayvon Martin incident

As to the racist angle - of the other people that GZ called to inform the police about (and perhaps followed as well) during his time on neighborhood watch, how many were black? Also how many of those did he confront or question? If there were as many incidents as reported, I would think that is his MO to question everyone irregardless of race or age or gender he deemed suspicious rather than just this one black teen. And apparently he never had a physical altercation with any of those people either.

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Originally Posted by peggy

You are a mouth breathing assh**e and I suspect you will be getting a warning e-mail from the moderators soon. You are evil and despicable.

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LOL, whatever.

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Originally Posted by peggy

Then you are evil and despicable too.
Shame on you.

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Jesus, peggy, it's just an internet discussion. Are you this volatile in real life?

Well, this is quite entertaining. Now I'm off to attend to important stuff in real life for a few hours, but will check in later for some more chuckles.

I wonder how things would have gone if the neighborhood watch person had been a female instead of GZ? Assuming everything else remained the same.

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Originally Posted by bae

Kumbaya.

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Lol.

I've so far tried to avoid this thread like the plague that it is. GZ is/was innocent until proven guilty. The prosecution did not have enough evidence to prove him guilty so he went free. That's how we roll in the US and so in that regard justice was served. There is not a single person here that has even the slightest clue what the detailed events of that night were. But just like everywhere else there are plenty of people here who are willing to fill in a whole lot of blanks with presumptions that mold the story to a point where it satisfies some dark craving to show the rest how horrible we are. Plenty on both sides, btw.

In the past few days I've listened to Sean Hannity, to Democracy Now and to several other sources that fall in between those extremes. Most have been disgusting. The two sources listed above were absolutely gross*. I do not know if GZ was racially motivated or not, none of us do, but I have no doubt that almost all of the reports I heard were. Its sickening. The major media outlets have everything to gain by whipping up a frenzy and the citizens of this country bought into it hook, line and sinker. Calm discourse to address deep issues doesn't sell ad time. Images of molotov cocktails and cops in riot gear does. A possible race angle and all the potential hype that comes with it are the only reason this story got any play at all outside Sanford, FL. General Electric and Rupert Murdoch should have a record quarter thanks to all the folks who couldn't stay away. Mission accomplished. Preview for the next quarter? Keep things whipped up at least until the 50th anniversary of MLK's 'dream' speech. You never want to let a serious {opportunity to totally $*% up the American public in the name of ratings} go to waste. I'll pass, thanks.


* NPR overall was not terribly far from center in presenting different views and really neither was FOX. It was just the two shows listed that were beyond comprehension in their bias which, of course, plays straight to each of their respective audiences.

+1 to Gregg.

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Originally Posted by Gregg

The major media outlets have everything to gain by whipping up a frenzy and the citizens of this country bought into it hook, line and sinker.

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I agree with this, and it is troubling to me because I don't see is any positive way to wrap this up. There doesn't seem to be any basis for a Federal case, so Holder has switched to attacking "stand your ground" self defense laws, most of which are quite popular, wasn't an issue in the trial, and are controlled at a state level and unlikely to change. Florida already had a panel review of the law and decided to keep it unchanged. So you have some parts of the country whipped up over something for which I don't see any remedy. And other parts of the country that see the process as a political abuse, and that just creates ill will or fans the negative feelings that they already have toward the other side. So where do we go from here? Is there any way you get some reconciliation or healing? I don't see it.

This will eventually fall off the front page, but it feels to me the divisiveness created by the poor journalism will linger longer than it does after most of these circuses.

The ongoing themes of our local newspaper is race baiting in this, one of the most racilaly divided cities in the U.S. It must get them something but I haven't figured out what it gets them, exactly. Our friend who is black pointed this out to me years ago, it never would have occurred to me.

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Originally Posted by iris lilies

It must get them something but I haven't figured out what it gets them, exactly.

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Sales. If it didn't they would try a different tactic.