I’m tired of this popular stream of argument spreading amongst detractors of the Trayvon Martin rallies. “…Why is there so much selective outrage on the part of so many?” asked William Bennet in his latest CNN coverage. He’s part of a growing group of people who have the reasons for our outrage confused. The protests around the killing of Trayvon Martin are NOT selective outrage. Yes, black men are murdered daily, but rarely do police departments let the known murderer walk free. That’s what we are protesting. We know the who, what and the when about Trayvon’s murder. We just want 12 of Zimmerman’s peers to find out why. It’s amazing that the “Neighborhood Watch Captain” claims “Stand Your Ground”, when he neither “watched” or “stood his ground”. Even Jeb Bush, the signer of the “Stand Your Ground” law, says that Zimmerman’s scenario doesn’t fall under that law.
The other lame diversionary tactic is that “the protest needs to stop until due process happens”. If there weren’t protest due process wouldn’t have happened! This murder of an innocent young man was, almost successfully, swept under the rug. It was swept so casually that it raises suspicion on what other dirt the Sanford Police has hiding under the rug of all their investigations. Why would they risk the reputation of their department George Zimmerman? He wasn’t even one of their own, a police officer.
Deniers of modern American racism try to draw false equivalencies and have successful distracted their viewers and readers from the real issues we are trying to address in these calls for the arrest of George Zimmerman and a full investigation of the Sanford Police Department. These false comparisons caused Bernie Goldberg to write “…this explains why there are no rallies and no national outcry over Delric Waymon Miller IV. If you just said, ‘Who?’ you are not alone. It’s a safe bet that not one in a million Americans has the vaguest clue as to who Delric Waymon Miller IV is.” Evidently Delric Waymon Miller IV is a 9 month old who was strategically shot as collateral damage from a drive by. A truly horrific story and crime that there currently are no suspects for. No one is protesting this story because there is no one to protest! You organize protests to bring attention to government injustice. If we knew who killed this infant, yet know that the local police refuse to arrest him, we’d be protesting with baby bottles in the streets the same way we are doing so for Trayvon’s case.
Juan Williams wrote in the Wall Street Journal, “Where is the march against the drug dealers who prey on young black people? Where is the march against bad schools, with their 50% dropout rate for black teenaged boys? Those failed schools are certainly guilty of creating the shameful 40% unemployment rate for black teens.” Sigh. I have to remind myself that I can’t expect everyone to know my resume. To know that I keep a stack of flexible pens so my students in the Montgomery County Jail don’t stab each other in class. As a youth worker, who has lost children on both sides of this scenario (as both the victim and perpetrator of murder) I’m sensitive to this issue as well. There is no “MLK at the Capitol giving a speech” moment for this. To combat the violence that our children are dealing with is a long grueling and personal process. One that I am very familiar with.
In all honesty, the people I saw championing the cause of justice for Trayvon Martin’s family (before it became national news) were people who are already address these issues Juan Williams brings up. Whether its Salim Adofo organizing “Feed the Hood” in Washington DC, or Matt Prestbury organizing “Black Father’s Rock” in Baltimore (neither of which will ever get any of these social pundits attention) black people have been working to make our communities better before and after Trayvon. I’m not going to apologize because you don’t notice.
But I will continue to be outraged. To do my small little part by screaming from behind my computer for justice in this case. I spend the rest of the time building up the lives of young people who literally look like Trayvon. I do that in person, daily, and don’t get my outrage over the violence they face in the streets confused with the way their humanity was violated by George Zimmerman and the Sanford Police Department.
Bomani Armah is The Watermelon Man 
Too true. Such criticisms of Trayvon Martin rallies are done in hopes to confuse and wear down in hopes we will give up.
The question for me is would blacks be marching if it wasn’t a supposed racial element to this story if Trayvon was a white kid. I just believe personally that this permanent victim-hood mantra that us blacks have held on to has retarded our growth as a culture and as people. One way this has happened is when you take on the title victim you lose the ability to be truly introspective to be able to determine when you are indeed the one doing the victimizing. Another by-product of this way of thinking is the assumed moral superiority that comes with assuming that you do know harm and just is always the victim of harm which gives one a belief of being without fault and everyone else is at fault. My point is that it is not moral to march for the unjust cause to your child if you do not march under the same circumstances for others children.
how could this have happened to a white kid? every time Zimmerman made non-emergency call to the police about suspicious people they were black. i agree that we must fight all injustice, but this type of injustice is race specific
My point is that the only thing that gets blacks hyped up is some new news of some highly publicized racial event. So if this was any other race we wouldn’t give a shit. If it was black on black we wouldn’t give a shit. The most you would get is “That’s sad”. With all the issues we have if the only thing that gets us this excited is a news of some host calling somebody “nappy headed hoes” or some hoodlums in Mississippi who probably don’t know anything about black history other than what mainstream media gives them find an excuse to beat somebody up and claims they were defending the black culture(Jena 6) or this latest debacle I guess it’s safe to say we’ll be stuck in the predicament were in forever because only through self examination can one better his or herself. We’ll never get nowhere examining everybody Else’s demons only until we’re ready to confront our own demons can we move on. As far as this case it’s unfortunate Trayvon’s untimely demise but for some blacks to try and paint this as if Jim Crow is till alive is so wrong blacks commit way more crimes against whites than the other way around. It looks like us blacks have adopted a moral relativist point of view. Think about OJ nobody was mad when he got off we were kind of happy and we all knew he did it. But that’s neither here or there. I’m done with this case peace I’ll let y’all hash it out.
I get the impression you haven’t read the blog you’re commenting on.
Just to help clear up any confusion for you, “stand your ground” laws just say you don’t have to turn and flee, giving your attacker a free shot at your back, until you’re cornered. They don’t apply in cases where you’re already cornered, or for example, pinned down. Unless Zimmerman physically attacked Martin first, and no-one seems to be asserting that, this was legally self defense. YOU CAN’T ASSAULT SOMEONE FOR FOLLOWING YOU. YOU CAN’T ASSAULT SOMEONE FOR “DISRESPECTING” YOU. THERE IS NO LEGAL VERBAL JUSTIFICATION FOR PHYSICALLY ATTACKING ANOTHER PERSON. When you assault another person, they might kill you. If Martin had called the cops to say “this fat little dude is following me”, he’d be alive today. If he had just gone home, he’d be alive today. Instead, he threw a punch. Then pinned Zimmerman down AND KEPT PUNCHING. Trayvon Martin killed himself as surely as if he pulled the trigger. Trayvon made choices that night. Bad ones.
I am in no way confused. Zimmerman followed him in a car for one block, then chased him on foot for two more. If anyone stood their ground it was Trayvon, even if he swung first. This can all be settled in court, and it will end of up being just one living mans word against a dead man who can’t defend himself, but when Zimmerman says he gave up the chase and then was attacked by Trayvon while he was walking back to his car, I know that’s a bold face lie. Zimmerman thought he was a cop, and that he could physically detain someone. Trayvon just saw a weird guy stalking him and beat his ass like any would who loves their own life.
I am SICK AND TIRED of the LIES AND MISDIRECTIONS OF THE LIBERALS AND THEIR MEDIA ATTACK DOGS.
Here’s the TRUTH of the matter.
Crayon Martin caused his own death.
He was a gansta nigga wannabe (his Twitter name was NO_LIMIT_NIGGA)whose mother sent him to live with his father because he was acting out. Martin had previously thrown a punch at a bus driver, been found on school grounds with jewelry not belonging to him, was found carrying a deadly weapon on school property (screwdriver), and was tossed from school three times for being a troublemaker.
The kid was on his way to bigger trouble FAST.
On the night of his death Crayon Martin COULD’VE CALLED THE COPS to report Zimmerman was following him.
But Crayon Martin CHOOSE TO NOT CALL THE COPS.
Zimmerman, on the othe had, DID CALL THE COPS on Martin…..because Zimmerman WANTED TO COPS TO COME INVESTIGATE WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR.
As for all the jerks saying Zimmerman ‘stalked’ Martin, what you are ignorant of is that ANYONE IN THIS COUNTRY HAS A RIGHT TO FOLLOW, WATCH, OR TAIL ANYONE ELSE.
Zimmerman’s Home Owners Association (HOA) had appointed him as watch captain. A watch captain WATCHES OVER, ABOUT, AND AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
Zimmerman had a LEGAL right to FOLLOW ANYBODY IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD. Crayon Martin also had a legal right to FOLLOW ANY PERSON IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD. Zimmerman had a legal right to carry a firearm. Zimmerman told the police dispatcher that he’d lost sight of Martin.
At that moment Martin came up behind Zimmerman,ANGRILY CONFRONTED ZIMMERMAN….AND THEN PUNCHED ZIMMERMAN IN THE FACE AND KNOCKED ZIMMERMAN DOWN…..CRAYON MARTIN THEN JUMPED ON ZIMMERMAN AND PROCEEDED TO SMASH ZIMMERMANS HEAD INTO THE CONCRETE.
Florida law is very clear and says deadly force can be legally used when a person reasonably believes his life is in danger. Zimmerman claims he was in fear for his life when he shot the man who was violently smashing his head onto the road.
NOT A PROSECUTOR IN THE WORLD CAN DISPROVE THAT ZIMMERMAN WAS AFRAID FOR HIS LIFE. THAT’S WHY THERE WILL BE NO ARREST….AND IF THERE *IS* AND ARREST THERE WILL BE NO CONVICTION….AND ZIMMERMAN WILL THEN SUE FOR WRONGFUL ARREST.
Crayon Martin killed himself.
you don’t even have the decency to call the young man by his name
First one to start pushing out W.W.M.L.K.D. merch wins. I mean really is this what we are going to fight about that he was going to get swept under the rug of justice. Ok fine so why are we marching to his accord when if the “truth” of this department is false, as in what else are they sweeping under, then why aren’t we focusing on that. Granted both we in the wrong just zimmerman was carrying a better defensive weapon. I believe zimmerman should be convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 2 years mostly because he didn’t listen to the 911 operator, because if he had this would never had come up. But had it never come up would that police department have ever been questioned, hum? Why are the black panthers not asking for the jobs of the police officers involved instead of another man’s life, hum? I’m waiting for when we just start calling Obama white because he is the same as zimmerman of mixed race.
i have no idea what you’re saying at the beginning of this comment, but just so you know, the “New Black Panther Party” is as respected in the African-American Community as Vanilla Ice, as dangerous to the white community as mayonnaise, and barely has enough members to run a full court pick up game of basketball. I’m tired of right wingers bringing them up.
Let me try to appeal to peoples common sense. If you know anything about police departments they don’t like bad press especially duriong a election season with that said and considering that the combined manority population in sanford is greater than whites (whites47%, blacks29.8%, and hispanics17.4%) I’m sure there are plenty people of color who are higher ups with in the department and governmeny as well. Don’t you think they would arrest this guy and get there police department out of the press associated with such a negative story if it were as clear cut a case as the press would have you believe. You gotta ask yourself one question to understand why I say this. Who the fuck is Zimmerman that the Sanford police department would saccrifice there reputation for him? He’s not the son of some rich mogul nor is he a mogul hiself. Trust me if this was as clear cut a case as you think they would throw his ass under the jail in order to get this shit out of national news. Especially in this day and age where the worst labele a public official can get is racist in a majority minority town. Think about it. I’ m just saying I rather put my trust in those on the groung in this case rather than mainstream media who has shown the have an agenda to sensationalize this story for rating’s purpose and God knows what other purpose. They purposely put up younger pics of him, why? Does the family not have any other more recent pics of him I’m sure they do in this age of camera phones. So why would the media want to coerse a particular emotional response out of the viewers if they didn’t have an agenda. So all I’m saying is take what they have to say with a grain of salt. I hope justice is served soon and without prejugdice I hope the right thing happens according to facts so that this story and Trayvon can be put to rest. It’s sad and unfortunate that this perfect storm of events took place and it ended with a young man dead and a nation already suffering from financial hardships is stirred up in a nonproductive way. People please look beyond your preconceived notions and be more objective. I’m not saying Zimmerman isn’t guilty I’m just saying I don’t know for sure.
I’ve wondered the same thing. Why would Sanford Police risk their reputations on someone who isn’t their own? My only conclusion is that they are so use to sweeping things under the rug, they thought they could do it here as well. I’m positive then Police Chief would’ve don’t thing differently had he know how the nation was going to react.
As far as the “mainstream media” making this a story, it was a story for me well before TV stations picked it up. I proudly consider myself one of the thousands who made sure the national spotlight was put on this incident. I don’t care what facts the media gets wrong. I don’t care the outcome of a jury trial of George Zimmerman. I just want that trial to happen, and without people making a fuss about it on the internet, Zimmerman would’ve killed an unarmed 17 year-old without ever having to explain why in front of a jury of his peers. I’m still afraid he won’t have to.
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I respect your opinion but your opinion is based on preconceived notions and fill with emotion. I have family in police and it’s not in there interest just form a funding point of view to let easily solved murders go it’s just not and like I said it’s too many balck people who are higher ups in any metropolitan city that i don’t think would let this go. All I’m saying is the difference between me and you is that it sounds like you know for sure as if you were there that it is one way when it you could be wrong and it sounds like your’e not ready to concede to that fact if you may be. Me I don’t have an opinion on who’s guilty I’m just waiting. If you know anything about human perceptionand how the mind feels in blanks with logical conclusion even if that conclusion isn’t factual. I’ll give you a clip to look at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-lN8vWm3m0&feature=share
You’re hilarious. You assume I don’t have family in law enforcement? And you make points against arguments I never made. I concluded my first response with saying I’m not concerned with the outcome of his trial, just that the trial happened. Zimmerman tracked down and tried to detain a man without the proper training or authority. “He looks like he’s on drugs or something”. Toxicology report comes back and he’s wrong. “He looks like he doesn’t belong here”. They finally track down his father, who is staying in a house 70 yards from where he was killed. Once again Zimmerman is wrong. He’s captain of a neighborhood watch, yet he’s patrolling with a weapon. Ask your cousins in the police if he’s suppose to do that one. The confrontation happens half a block from his truck, after a dispatcher advised him not to pursue, yet is said to have “stood his ground”. Since day one there was enough evidence for him to have to see a judge about this. Save your “you’re to emotion to be rational” arguement for someone else.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSzPn9rsPcY&feature=related check this one out peace
anyone read ‘blink’ by malcolm caldwell? its a necessary bit of information right now, regardless of which side you agree with…lots of science about our instincts, snap reactions, etc.
Obviously the people on your page do not understand how systemic racism works, nor how law enforcement works. Point 1 is Zimmerman’s parents are retired law professionals. His father a retired VA judge his mother a law clerk. I do not know alot of people who have been arrested 3 times for various infractions, including violent ones and NONE of them stick unless they are in the mafia OR they have close ties to people in the legal community.
Point 2 these sweeping generalizations about what Black people don’t get mad about reek of detachment. People around the country protest injustice, violence, failing schools etc. So the question is not “Why aren’t Black people protesting when…” The question is where were you Arnold when we were and where was the media that seems to be all over this now.
Point 3 The number 1 rule about a lie is that you never admit it was lie. That is systemic dishonesty 101 people. Sanford PD didn’t not expect to get caught doing completely shoddy and negligent investigation,. When they did get caught, you really believe there were then going to say, “Damn, you caught us. Our bad! We will arrest George right this minute!” NO dears. That is not how it works. Humans when confronted with evidence of their guilt usually dug their spears further into the ground. That is how that works. There is nothing surprising about that.
Here is the truth, yes black people have lots of healing to do in undoing the horrific impacts of CENTURIES of violent dehumanization perpetrated against us. Yes, we have issues and challenges we must address. YES MANY OF US ARE DOING THAT WORK! What is already a Herculean task becomes impossible when we are met with what is ABSOLUTELY old school racist violence. It is NOT unfair or whining to ask people not to trail our children, stalk them and shoot them. It is fair to not ask, people to say that the murder of our unarmed children is acceptable , even desirable because the got in trouble at school, or at home or where standard teenagers with standard teen behavior. It is hard to build your community a new house when you know that as soon as you turn your back to hammer a nail, someone from down the street will be setting it aflame.