One fatal shot echoes across a divided US (Unbelievable!)

The Peninsula Weekly ^ | March 31, 2012 | Nick O'Malley

[2ndDivisionVet]

FOR a while it seemed the killing of Trayvon Martin was different.

It took three weeks for the story to creep up the Florida panhandle, seep into America's consciousness and take over the news.

But once it had, for a few days at least, the horror would overwhelm the fault lines in this divided nation.

The reporting was initially temperate, and sympathy for Trayvon and his family universal. That time has now passed and the details of the killing are just more fodder for an endless culture war.

No matter how often the story is retold, the bare facts remain chilling: on February 26 a boy carrying a packet of Skittles was shot dead by a man carrying a nine-millimetre handgun. The boy was walking home from a shop during a break in the basketball game he had been watching. The man was a self-appointed Neighbourhood Watch ''captain'' patrolling the streets of a gated community.

The boy, Trayvon Martin, was black. The man, George Zimmerman, is white.

Mr Zimmerman has not been arrested because under Florida's so-called Stand Your Ground law it is legal to kill someone you fear may be threatening you.

Mr Zimmerman says he feared for his life. Trayvon can no longer speak for himself. For weeks the story boiled away on local news broadcasts, with Trayvon's family campaigning for Mr Zimmerman to be arrested and for police to release the tapes of the 911 emergency calls Mr Zimmerman made as he followed Trayvon before the scuffle that lead to the shooting.

Reporters for three national news organisations took notice - Ta-Nehisi Coates, of The Atlantic, Charles M. Blow, of The New York Times, and Trymaine Lee, of The Huffington Post. Suddenly it was a national story.

Brooke Gladstone, the host and managing editor of the National Public Radio program On the Media, noted the role the journalists had played, and interviewed two of them. Trymaine Lee says he was contacted, soon after the shooting, by contacts in Florida and went there because he thought the story would resonate. For days it did not. ''We are still dealing with the complications of race, even in our newsrooms,'' he said.

Until the chilling tapes of the 911 call were released - in which screams of what sounds like a young boy and a gunshot can be heard - it seemed to be ''just another garden variety killing''.

Ta-Nehisi Coates says he was aware of the story and avoided it for days, simply because he was exhausted by the thought of reporting on the needless death of yet another young black man.

''Generally, this stuff just sort of goes away and, generally, covering it you sometimes suffer from a sort of fatigue,'' he said. ''When we see these cases, we see our sons, we see ourselves. It is like covering a war when you live in the war zone.''

With national attention focused, a sluggish police investigation began to move. Finally the 911 tapes were released, and soon afterwards the police chief resigned.

While there was a sense of dread in the national reporting and commentary of the case, for a time the discussion remained largely non-partisan. It is hard to pinpoint when that changed. Perhaps it was when President Barack Obama offered his sympathy to Trayvon's parents.

''If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon,'' he said at a White House press briefing on March 23. ''I can only imagine what these parents are going through.''

Two of the Republican presidential candidates attacked Mr Obama's comments.

''What the President said, in a sense, is disgraceful,'' said Newt Gingrich. ''Is the President suggesting that if it had been a white who had been shot that would be OK because it didn't look like him?'' Rick Santorum took a similar line. ''This is, again, not what the President of the United States does. What the President of the United States should do is try to bring people together, not use these types of horrible tragic individual cases to try to drive a wedge in America.''

Since then, much of the media has reverted to type, with many voices of the right publishing commentary that tends to undermine the reputation of the dead boy, and much of the left focusing on the campaign to see Mr Zimmerman arrested and charged.

This week Democratic state politicians wore hooded sweatshirts to a press conference in support of Trayvon, who was wearing a hoodie when he died. The right-leaning New York Post called them ''race hustlers'' on its front page.

As left and right accuse one another of politicising the issue, and the media focuses on the wearing of a hoodie, less attention has been drawn to the laws that allow people to use lethal force if they believe they are under threat in public.

Professor Donald Tibbs, of Philadelphia's Drexel University, explains the laws, now in 24 states, as about ''gun empowerment.''

''The laws give the individual the right not only to carry a weapon out there but comfort in using it,'' he says. This is why they have been supported by the National Rifle Association. He says that on the facts that have been made public in the Trayvon shooting, it appears that Mr Zimmerman should not be protected by the law, because he was the aggressor.

Conversely, he says, it seems Trayvon might have been protected by Stand Your Ground laws had he killed Mr Zimmerman.

Professor Tibbs says the needless killing of a young black man is common enough to be banal.

Now, he says, the protection that was once afforded to the police in such incidents appears to have been extended to the general public. ''That is what is scary, that is what makes it dangerous to be a young black man.''

[tumblindice]

`One Fatal Shot (blah blah blah)’
http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/swhite/swhite1001/swhite100100010/6338129-a-pile-of-fresh-horse-manure-on-green-grass.jpg

[pennyfarmer]

And if Zimmer-dumbass had stayed in his car instead of acting like 007 then they would both be better off.

As much as I hate to say it, the dispatcher was correct in his instructions for Zimmerman to not pursue. Pretty tough to claim self defense if you are actively chasing someone even if they lose you and then surprise you.

[steve86]

I think you mean melanin, just for the record.

[Ronin]

Why are they launching a race war?

Everyone needs to chill, and start thinking!

The Treyvon Martin story is starting to stink worse than a cesspit. And, the more it stinks, the more it is becoming obvious that it is and was manufactured from the start to exacerbate racial tensions. The big question are why and why now.

Let’s go through it again quickly.

A run-of-the-mill shooting incident that took place more than a month ago suddenly and without warning bursts on to the national stage from coast-to-coast, Occupy goes on a semi-rampage and all the professional race agitators immediately jump in to whip up the flames…

Then what happens? Well, let’s see. Word comes out that Zimmerman is Hispanic (and Hispanic looking) but he magically is transformed into “White-Hispanic” which is a term I doubt many people have ever heard; Martin gets outed as a thug and at least a wanna-be-gangbanger, his misogynistic and provocative tweets spread all over the media – and instead of quieting the furor, causes the Left to double down and even turn up the heat.

Why?

Why in the springtime of a year with a terrible economy and an unemployment situation that has drastically worsened for all Americans, but most seriously for minorities? Why with a long hot summer ahead and a national election on the horizon?

Why? And why now?

Look for clues people! This is not spontaneous! This is an orchestrated operation proceeding on a schedule, launched by persons unknown to deliberately stoke racial tensions and possibly even racial violence between black and white Americans.

Why?

Whatever the plan is, and whoever is running it, the worst thing we can do is let them bulldoze us on their schedule – and by us I mean everybody of all races who is not interested in becoming cannon fodder in an artificially stimulated race war!

Wake up, people. Calm down. Talk to your friends of other races. Let’s all reaffirm our ties of dignity and our commitment to civil behavior. Everyone, let’s stop and remember that we do not have to follow those banners. We don’t have to take the bait they are leaving.

We are not stupid bulls you can just wave a flag in front of and expect to charge.

Something is going on. Let’s figure out what it is and find a way to respond intelligently and calmly.

Chill!!!

[lucyblue]

The voice of reason!
It’s hard to hear over all the noise, but there it is.
Thank you for your post. I hope many read it and heed it.

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

My North 40 needs fertilizing. Think I’ll use O’Malley’s POS to do so. Will save me a lot of money.

This is one of the worth hack-writer pieces I’ve seen in many years, and I’ve seen a lot of them.

Never let the truth get in the way of a good smear story.

[1_Rain_Drop]

It’s obvious. Election year. zero wants a second term. He will do anything to get it. A stage is being set for Martial Law.

[meatloaf]

Dispatchers have no authority to instruct anyone. They are telecommunicators. From all accounts it was Martin who chose to ignore his girlfriends advice and confront Zimmerman.

Have you heard about the knockout game? How did Zimmerman end up on his back? Was he in fact sucker punched?

[Ronin]

That much is obvious, but we need to get deeper into this. We need to find out the details. This is being coordinated by someone or some group, or some number of groups.

It can’t be airtight. There has to be a way we can get a handle on who the operators are and where they are working from. Everyone, of all races, needs to do some serious thinking right now because we are being deliberately goaded towards a confrontation.

I personally expected all this to start going away when Martin’s gangbanger pics started making the rounds. It certainly should have started dying down when the “tweets” hit the media, but the race hustlers and poverty pimps are escalating.

Sharpton, who one would expect to be happy to leave his rabble-rousing past behind now that he has an excellent MSM gig, is back in the fray calling for “peaceful civil disobedience and economic sanctions”.

And if you believe for a moment that any such demonstration has any chance of remaining “peaceful” I have a wonderful land deal for you, cash only, small bills.

You see, the point that makes it smell so bad to me is that they are obviously (to me anyhow) trying to stoke the flames of “white anger” by championing a thug they know elicits no sympathy and little respect from anyone.

It’s the “in-your-face” provocation that makes me cringe.

We can’t allow our reactions to be stampeded.

[wolficatZ]

"Until the chilling tapes of the 911 call were released - in which screams of what sounds like a young boy and a gunshot can be heard "

 

By now it's fairly indisputable it's Zimmerman screaming on the 911 call. The voices match on both calls ( Zimmerman's 911 call), it fits the testimony and evidence.

 

Remember this is a NEW article, just published.

 

"

We are witnessing planned, premeditated, manufactured BS churning out from the mills of Obama's propaganda monster. 

 

Deliberate lies crapping out of the 10 little anuses that are Nick O'Malley's fingertips.

 

What slime these people are, the actual available evidence simply doesn't matter to them.

 

 

 

[2ndDivisionVet]

All four of the individuals named by the author are very close to this administration. They might as well be employees.

[cynwoody]

As much as I hate to say it, the dispatcher was correct in his instructions for Zimmerman to not pursue.

He said, "OK", and, as far as we know, he broke off pursuit.

Pretty tough to claim self defense if you are actively chasing someone even if they lose you and then surprise you.

Depends.

If the person you were watching is pissed off and feeling dissed that you were watching him and starts pounding on you as a result, then you are within your rights to kill him. That's more or less what Zimmerman claims happened. To convict him of a crime, you would have to disprove his version beyond a reasonable doubt, the opinions of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Barack Obama and legions of MSM talking heads and Twitter morons notwithstanding.

Of course, it could have all been a horrible mistake. Perhaps Martin confronted Zimmerman, they exchanged words, Zimmerman went for his phone, Martin thought it was gun, ... well you get the picture.

We have proof, however, that Martin idolized a convicted murderer.

So, my bet is, Due to justified outrage at being profiled for walking while black with his hands in his pockets while wearing a hoodie, Martin lost it and unjustifiably jumped Zimmerman and starting beating the hell out of him. Which turned out to be a fatal mistake, since Zimmerman was packing and had stronger hands.

End of story. And justice requires that Zimmerman walk even if Miami burns. Issue miniguns to the Korean grocers!

[fortheDeclaration]

You are correct, this is a self-defense case, not ‘stand your ground’ one.

[TigersEye]

Another hack pundit submitting his resume to the LMM. (Lynch Mob Media)

[Oztrich Boy]

He said, "OK", and, as far as we know, he broke off pursuit.

He said "OK" within ¼ minute of leaving his truck. That is not compatible with the location of Martin's body.

[tomkat]

Surprise !

[tomkat]

We are legion, and we have all the requisite tools to fight a multi-front war with this internal enemy and win !
The drive of liberty is on our side, and the true spirit of innovation, and the determination and faith of our forefathers.
But all those blessings, like a closet full of weapons, are useless without the will to employ them.

The 'race war' the enemy seems to determined to ignite is no chimera, but at the moment it's mostly cover fire to distract
from the communist destruction of our market economy and the open treason to America's security interests by Øbama,
his puppeteers, and their useful idiots.  Let a dead thug take the heat off the ever-worsening economic news this month,
and to the extent that the 5th column traitors of the enemedia are unable to keep a lid on all of it, gin up something else next month.
Rinse, repeat.

Make no mistake, the race pimping bastards - Øbama being one of the more odious examples, having been schooled in pure evil
by the likes of Wright, et al - really do imagine that they want a 'race war'.  However, one of the more delusional aspects of the psychopathy
of their hate-filled totalitarian minds is thinking they can actually spark one off with 6 to 1 manpower odds against them and not be exterminated.

Hopefully, at the moment, there are still enough of us who remember what this Nation was meant to be.
Enough who were schooled in those principles of freedom, limited government, and personal responsibility that are its core.
Enough who will shoulder arms if needed to prevent its descent into the black pit of evil that is the penultimate wet dream of our communist enemies.

It may well be that the lives of many of us who understand the evil that's attempting to wrap chains of tyranny around America's soul will be required
as sacrifice to drive home the reality of the imminent mortal danger to the naive survivors, their families, and the American ideal.

And then it'll be up to them . . .

/.02

[StonyBurk]

If they are all “useful idiots” being played by the black agitators in the Socialist washing machine. Just folk being used by “Community Organizers” to distract the sheep from what that ravening wolf in the peoples House is up to. Maybe that’s it. In all this dustup— and rabbit trail I sense an
ambush.Maobama’s private army on the march.

[Smokin' Joe]

Due to justified outrage at being profiled for walking while black with his hands in his pockets while wearing a hoodie,

In a gated community?

Let's be fair a moment shall we?

Get a 'white boy' walking through a black neighborhood at night and you don't think he will be asked what he is doing there?--hoodie or no hoodie.

[StonyBurk]

Ronin— you ask a rhetorical question— I suspect you already know the answer. “they” are trying to spark a race “war” because “They “ are Revolutionaries.”They” tried to provoke a “war” with the TEA Party.”They” failed .Now they are trying to provoke their own (former slaves?) in their child like (in the eyes of the revolutionaries) way to act in way reminiscent of the 60’s Civil Rights Riots.(it’s all they have) and they desperately need to provoke a serious distraction -even one fabricated by racists.