The Killing of Treyvon Martin

[HOOKS]

I'm not sure of the context of this picture, but I will say this about it (and the stand your ground law). One reason the law was created was to protect women of domestic violence from prosecution if they killed their husband in self-defense. Since domestic violence happens at home the Castle Rule doesn't quite apply to women defending themselves against an abusive mate. The stand your ground law provides for that, and in my opinion this is the messsage of that picture - a woman has the right to defend herself and her kids against an abusive mate (I interpret the picture as saying, "I'm through with being abused. I'm leaving, I'm taking the kids, and you are not going to stop me").

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I think that picture is about domestic abuse and doesn't have any relation to the Martin case.

das

There was a case in Florida where a woman named Marissa Alexander (IIRC) was imprisoned for firing a shot above her husband who was attempting to kill her. She did not strike him, but she was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and faces 20 years.

She was trying to protect herself from domestic violence and SYG failed her.

Spoiler:

For what it's worth, the woman is black.

[Jason California]

I wonder who in the Zimmerman family was lying when they said they had no knowledge of the website, and how much it had raked in when they pleaded he was indigent in order to get a reduced bail?

[dasNdanger]

If it doesn't expressly say it's about domestic abuse, then it's open to interpretation. It's the ambiguity of what's written on (and with) the picture that makes it frightening to those of us who are clearly not represented by the picture.

First, let me just say I'm not defending the picture - just trying to see it from both sides. Second, I don't do guns, so if anything the picture is a bit off-putting to me. I can see that the interpretation is open, and I happened to get a domestic violence vibe from it (perhaps because I am a woman). In this case it's apparently a family group, so I can also understand why only one race is represented. That said, I'm pretty sure there aren't similar images with a black, hispanic, or asian family, so I can also understand how this can be offensive to those not represented in the picture.

Now, let me ask - have you ever considered how images of black rappers in similar poses with guns make some white people feel, especially knowing that rap was born out of the gang culture? It can be just as frightening. So the 'I've got a gun and I know how to use it' attitude isn't just about race, but it's part of the culture of violence that's given birth to the 'shoot first, ask questions later' world we live in now.

In other words, we live in a world where everyone feels they need to be armed against everyone else, regardless of race. White people do it. Black people do it. Hispanic people do it. Asian people do it. The big difference is that of those groups, white people are the ones mostly associated with the NRA and their idealogy, giving the impression that white people are more justified in their use of violence than other people.

There was a case in Florida where a woman named Marissa Alexander (IIRC) was imprisoned for firing a shot above her husband who was attempting to kill her. She did not strike him, but she was convicted of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and faces 20 years.

She was trying to protect herself from domestic violence and SYG failed her.

Spoiler:

For what it's worth, the woman is black.

Yeah, see...that's all sorts of f'd up and certainly looks like a case of bias. And this is where the issue comes together - there is certainly a bias in the legal system and the courts, or - in certain courts. Many black people have received justice through the court system, but it is a harder fight. But why?

I'm sincerely asking that - why? There certainly are black people working in the legal system from cops to judges. Don't they have a positive influence? Or are there just not enough in the system yet? And if that is the problem, then why don't more black people reach out for careers in the legal field to help see to it that it is a fair system?




das

[Black Roman]

George Zimmerman('s legal fund) has an official website and Facebook initiated by his defense team:

http://www.gzlegalcase.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GeorgeZimmermanLegalCase

Some of the comments:

"Hang in there George, you did the right thing"

"We don't live far from you George. So if you still want to live in FL and close to the same area...you can move in right beside us! I would love to have a neighbor that loved us and would want to protect us just as we would do the exact same thing for him!"

"George Zimmerman is a good man who STOOD HIS GROUND....and won!"

"With alot of people u do have to take that stance. If u dont show that u are willing to protect urself and or others...they can smell weakness and will attack! if the kid was really up to no good...and he was checking out ur house...u would have been happy with someone like george to protect ur family. We cant have it both ways. And so what he was watching where the kid was going...he wasnt chasing him with gun in hand! This kid was a trouble maker...and needed to be watched by his parents but they let him go off by himself and he wasnt just walking by and got attacked. He was up to something. Otherwise he would have just walked back to his dads and let his father know what happened."

"I chose to donate when CNN convicted you One of the Best contributions I have ever made..."

And then there's this:


"The law is sound. People have the RIGHT to defend themselves. I have no control over how those laws are enforced or prosecuted. Sorry..."

Ugh, I want to vomit in rage and disgust. Even if you agreed with his actions, a boy is DEAD. A BOY. Fucking people.


Also, I can definitely see what Das sees in that picture, and that actually makes me angrier, because it's intentionally manipulative. It doesn't make a clear point, it relies on someone having an immediate and intense emotional reaction, without having to dirty it's own hands by clarifying one way or another.


It's cheap and shady as fuck.

[HOOKS]

Das, between the high costs of education, especially for law school, an education system that doesn't support inner city schools (thus making it harder for students to get accepted into post secondary schools), a general lack of trust in the legal system by the community, amongst many many other factors, it is not a simple matter of saying "hey black kids! Be judges and change the system!"

[Black Roman]

"Making change in life requires everyone to break a dollar..."


- Me, just now.

[michealdark]

My thought is that it's not so much that the department showed an active interest in protecting Zimmerman as they did a passive lack of interest in ensuring that a potentially innocent man wasn't murdered. Not so much conspiracy as incompetence.

Pretty much this. Which means the department should be open to civil procedure, shouldn't it?

[Fourthman]

Pretty much this. Which means the department should be open to civil procedure, shouldn't it?

Are you asking? If so, yes. If you're suggesting that at some time I expressed otherwise, I don't think I did.

[dasNdanger]

Das, between the high costs of education, especially for law school, an education system that doesn't support inner city schools (thus making it harder for students to get accepted into post secondary schools), a general lack of trust in the legal system by the community, amongst many many other factors, it is not a simple matter of saying "hey black kids! Be judges and change the system!"

That all makes [painful] sense. Knowing that my cousin was a civil rights lawyer back in the 40s makes me wonder when and where the system failed.



das

[russw]

If it was a black guy shooting and killing an unarmed white kid in Florida, I would be amazed that the guy wouldn't end up dead fairly quickly.

If we assume all of the roles were reversed and it was a black neighborhood watch kid that killed a white kid then I think the only thing difference would be how the cops treated the original investigation.

My point being - Given how both families in this case rallied, I suspect no matter which way the cops did (or didn't) mismanage the case I think it would play out into a similar media spectacle