The Exploitation of Trayvon Martin

[dldelancey]

You have nailed it. To not put yourself at risk of being shot should be a primary concern of everyone, especially young men, when you know there are uns everywhere.

As much as I like you, sweetie, I really think you're a bit irrational regarding this topic of guns. I don't understand why you have this notion that the US population is heavily armed on a daily basis. Guns are not everywhere, and while I will raise my child to have a healthy and safe respect for firearms (and the 2nd amendment which allows him to choose to own one), I most definitely will not send him out into the world thinking that he should be in fear of being shot at every turn. That is not what I said and not even what I implied. He is more likely to be the victim of a random leaf spring flying through the windshield of his car while driving to work and breaking every bone in his face. Even so, I will not raise him to be afraid to drive his car to work. He is even more likely to die in a fiery plane crash, and yet I won't raise him to be afraid to fly to Disney World for a family vacation.

You say you are not afraid to walk the streets of your hometown. Well, neither am I and neither is my son.

[Selene]

CHARLES BARKLEY: Well, I agreed with the verdict. I feel sorry that young kid got killed. But they didn't have enough evidence to charge him. Something clearly went wrong that night. Clearly something went wrong. I feel bad for anybody who loses a kid, but if you looked at the case and you don't make it -- there was some racial profiling, no question about it. But something happened that changed the dynamic of that night, and I know -- that's probably not a popular opinion among most people but just looking at the evidence I agreed with the verdict.

I just feel bad because I don't like when race gets out in the media because I don't think the media has a pure heart, as I call it. There are very few people have a pure heart when it comes to race. Racism is wrong in any, shape, form -- a lot of black people are racist too. I think sometimes when people talk about racism, they say only white people are racist. There are a lot of black people who are racist. I don't like when it gets out there in the media because I don't think the media has clean hands.

MARIA BARTIROMO, CNBC: I'm glad you made that point.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/07/18/charles_barkley_on_zimmerman_trial_i_agree_with_the_verdict.html

[Selene]

The black alternate juror also agreed with the verdict.

An alternate juror in the George Zimmerman murder case spoke out Wednesday night on WOFL-Channel 35, saying he doesn't understand the post-verdict protests that have spread across the U.S.

"People are going to be angry no matter what the verdict was," the man told reporter Valerie Boey, adding that he doesn't understand why some people think shooting victim Trayvon Martin's civil rights were violated.

The man, whose face was obscured, said he wanted to identify himself but he was concerned for his safety. Circuit Judge Debra Nelson has not made the jurors' names public.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/trayvon-martin/os-zimmerman-alternate-juror-20130717,0,948577.story

[caroljane]

Bawk-bawk-bawk!

One right chicken is righter than any number of wrongheaded penned foxes.

[PDS]

You have nailed it. To not put yourself at risk of being shot should be a primary concern of everyone, especially young men, when you know there are uns everywhere.

As much as I like you, sweetie, I really think you're a bit irrational regarding this topic of guns. I don't understand why you have this notion that the US population is heavily armed on a daily basis. Guns are not everywhere, and while I will raise my child to have a healthy and safe respect for firearms (and the 2nd amendment which allows him to choose to own one), I most definitely will not send him out into the world thinking that he should be in fear of being shot at every turn. That is not what I said and not even what I implied. He is more likely to be the victim of a random leaf spring flying through the windshield of his car while driving to work and breaking every bone in his face. Even so, I will not raise him to be afraid to drive his car to work. He is even more likely to die in a fiery plane crash, and yet I won't raise him to be afraid to fly to Disney World for a family vacation.

You say you are not afraid to walk the streets of your hometown. Well, neither am I and neither is my son.

This is well said.

I think we all like Carol very much, but she knows less about American culture--especially as it relates to dastardly "guns!"-- than she thinks. I gently tried to persuade her of this, to no apparent avail, in the wake of the Connecticut shootings last year. As one example, up-thread, she states that "it takes a long time to beat someone to death." This is demonstrably false, literally false, and otherwise nonsensical to anybody who has served in the military or knows martial arts, but because such statements support her bias about guns in America, she seems to content make them without any foundation for doing so. Such statements--if anybody took them seriously--could actually be dangerous. If I taught this to karate students, I should be sued for malpractice--or at least asked for a refund.

Puzzlingly, Carol would never make this kind of baseless statement about literature.

If all I knew of Canada was what I saw in the (decidedly slanted) press, media, and television--and maybe a personal few visits here and there--I would likely have similarly incomplete views. And it goes without saying that Carol's charms far, far outweigh her odd biases about guns.

[PDS]

Bawk-bawk-bawk!

One right chicken is righter than any number of wrongheaded penned foxes.

In theory, yes.

[George H. Smith]

I think we all like Carol very much, but she knows less about American culture--especially as it relates to dastardly "guns!"-- than she thinks.

I think the recurring reports on American television about the Royal Baby Watch tell us everything about American culture that anyone needs to know. 8-)

Ghs

[Brant Gaede]

GUNS

THIS IS MY RIFLE, THIS IS MY GUN

ONE IS FOR FIGHTING, THE OTHER FOR FUN

--BRANT

GUNNING AND RUNNING

[caroljane]

If the RBW reports on Canadian tv reflect our culture, then it is identical to American culture!

C'mon George don't curmudge. Everybody loves new babies. Even Emile is getting worried.

I was wrong to say "it takes a long time" - of course, even for an amateur fighter it can only take one punch. I was only thinking of regular untrained guys getting into one-on-one brawls. I forgot how many more men train in martial arts these days than ever before (I think I am correct in assuming that)

I like you all very much too and appreciate your tolerance of my oddities.

\

[Selene]

Bawk-bawk-bawk!

One right chicken is righter than any number of wrongheaded penned foxes.

In theory, yes.

As Yogi Berra explained...

"In theory there is no difference between theory and practice. In practice there is."

[merjet]

Obama, Holder, and the New McCarthyism by an OL member.

[BaalChatzaf]

Obama, Holder, and the New McCarthyism by an OL member.

Holder is the reincarnation of Rolland Freisler, the Nazi judge who was killed during a bombing raid in 1945. The bomb that killed that son of a bitch was the best bomb dropped on Germany.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Here's a welcome development to the acquittal for the Trayvon side.

Iran’s Mullahs Demand Justice for Trayvon
Iran’s Foreign Ministry criticizes acquittal of George Zimmerman
BY: Adam Kredo
July 19, 2013
The Washington Beacon

From the article:

Iranian officials said that Zimmerman’s trial for the murder of Trayvon Martin should have been conducted in a more “accurate and fair” manner.

. . .

Iran’s calls for justice came as a surprise to U.S. observers, who pointed out that the Iranian regime is notorious for beating opposition members, arresting journalists, stoning women to death, and publicly executing homosexual teenagers.

That ought to make things better.

And who knows? Maybe it will lead Americans to self-reflection in this teaching moment.

Michael

[Brant Gaede]

Obama, Holder, and the New McCarthyism by an OL member.

A powerful writer.

--Brant

[Brant Gaede]

Obama, Holder, and the New McCarthyism by an OL member.

Holder is the reincarnation of Rolland Freisler, the Nazi judge who was killed during a bombing raid in 1945. The bomb that killed that son of a bitch was the best bomb dropped on Germany.

Ba'al Chatzaf

Do you think the allies might have hanged him?

--Brant

[Darrell Hougen]

Well, it doesn't look like a civil rights case will be filed against Zimmerman. So, I have to give credit where credit is due: Obama may be groaning about the verdict, but I'm glad he decided to take the high road and not file more charges against Zimmerman.

http://news.yahoo.com/-obama--trayvon-martin-%E2%80%98could-have-been-me-35-years-ago%E2%80%99--180734663.html

Darrell

[caroljane]

Iran's Mullahs demand Just ice for Trayvon...

And Texas Christians thank God for Anti-abortion legislation..

Same old.

[caroljane]

Hey Iran, how about justice for Zahra Kazemi, murdered in your custody?

Still waiting

Canada

[caroljane]

Baal and Brant, your two comments on Sully remind me of when I saw a photo of that rescue. If I believed in a god I would have thought only the hand of God could have put that plane down where it did.

[BaalChatzaf]

Baal and Brant, your two comments on Sully remind me of when I saw a photo of that rescue. If I believed in a god I would have thought only the hand of God could have put that plane down where it did.

Well on that day, God was Sully's co-pilot. What a man! He kept his head, he kept his shit straight and he saved all of his passengers and himself. A good day's work

[Dglgmut]

[caroljane]

lol. Great surgeon but not much of a bedside manner.

[caroljane]

Actually I have had a grudge against God since he helped Maradona cheat at soccer.

[Brant Gaede]

Baal and Brant, your two comments on Sully remind me of when I saw a photo of that rescue. If I believed in a god I would have thought only the hand of God could have put that plane down where it did.

Well on that day, God was Sully's co-pilot. What a man! He kept his head, he kept his shit straight and he saved all of his passengers and himself. A good day's work

The co-pilot was the same guy who occupied the right seat when the plane took off. He did his job also. Sometimes we use "God" for a stopper on our ignorance bottles.

--Brant

[BaalChatzaf]

Baal and Brant, your two comments on Sully remind me of when I saw a photo of that rescue. If I believed in a god I would have thought only the hand of God could have put that plane down where it did.

Well on that day, God was Sully's co-pilot. What a man! He kept his head, he kept his shit straight and he saved all of his passengers and himself. A good day's work

The co-pilot was the same guy who occupied the right seat when the plane took off. He did his job also. Sometimes we use "God" for a stopper on our ignorance bottles.

--Brant

It was a facon de parler. Of course the (real) co-pilot did his job well. Sully made the crucial decisions but he did not carry out every step single handed. We have little or no idea what inspired Sully on that day, but whatever did, did and everyone walked away.

Any landing you can walk away from is a good landing.

ba'al Chatzaf