Posted on 03/30/2012 4:44:59 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
AS a black man who has been mugged at gunpoint by a black teenager late at night, I am not naive: I know firsthand the awkward conundrums surrounding race, fear and crime. Trayvon Martin's killing at the hands of George Zimmerman baffles this nation. While the youth's supporters declare in solidarity "We are all Trayvon," the question is raised, to what extent is the United States also all George Zimmerman?
Under assault, I didn't dream of harming my teenage assailant, let alone taking his life.
Zimmerman reacted very differently, taking out his handgun and shooting the youth in cold blood.
What gives?
Welcome to gate-minded America.
From 2007 to 2009, I traveled 27,000 miles, living in predominantly white gated communities across this country to research a book. I threw myself into these communities with gusto - no Howard Johnson or Motel 6 for me. I borrowed or rented residents' homes. From the red-rock canyons of southern Utah to the Waffle-House-pocked exurbs of north Georgia, I lived in gated communities as a black man, with a youthful style and face, to interview and observe residents.
The perverse, pervasive real-estate speak I heard in these communities champions a bunker mentality. Residents often expressed a fear of crime that was exaggerated beyond the actual criminal threat, as documented by their police department's statistics. Since you can say "gated community" only so many times, developers hatched an array of Orwellian euphemisms to appease residents' anxieties: "master-planned community," "landscaped resort community," "secluded intimate neighborhood." No matter the label, the product is the same: self-contained, conservative and overzealous in its demands for "safety." Gated communities churn a vicious cycle by attracting like-minded residents who seek shelter from outsiders and whose physical seclusion then worsens paranoid groupthink against outsiders. These bunker communities remind me of those Matryoshka wooden dolls. A similar-object-within-a-similar-object serves as shelter; from community to subdivision to house, each unit relies on staggered forms of security and comfort, including town authorities, zoning practices, private security systems and personal firearms.
Residents' palpable satisfaction with their communities' virtue and their evident readiness to trumpet alarm at any given "threat" create a peculiar atmosphere - an unholy alliance of smugness and insecurity. In this us-versus-them mental landscape, them refers to new immigrants, blacks, young people, renters, non-property-owners and people perceived to be poor.
Zimmerman's gated community, a 260-unit housing complex, sits in a racially mixed suburb of Orlando, Fla. Mr. Martin's "suspicious" profile amounted to more than his black skin. He was profiled as young, loitering, non-property-owning and poor. Based on their actions, police officers clearly assumed Zimmerman was the private property owner and Martin the dangerous interloper. After all, why did the police treat Martin like a criminal, instead of Zimmerman, his assailant? Why was the black corpse tested for drugs and alcohol, but the living perpetrator wasn't?
Across the United States, more than 10 million housing units are in gated communities, where access is "secured with walls or fences," according to 2009 Census Bureau data. Roughly 10 percent of the occupied homes in this country are in gated communities, though that figure is misleadingly low because it doesn't include temporarily vacant homes or second homes. Between 2001 and 2009, the United States saw a 53 percent growth in occupied housing units nestled in gated communities.
Another related trend contributed to this shooting: our increasingly privatized criminal justice system. The United States is becoming even more enamored with private ownership and decision making around policing, prisons and probation. Private companies champion private "security" services, alongside the private building and managing of prisons.
"Stand Your Ground" or "Shoot First" laws like Florida's expand the so-called castle doctrine, which permits the use of deadly force for self-defense in one's home, as long as the homeowner can prove deadly force was reasonable. Thirty-two states now permit expanded rights to self-defense.
In essence, laws nationwide sanction reckless vigilantism in the form of self-defense claims. A bunker mentality is codified by law.
Those reducing this tragedy to racism miss a more accurate and painful picture. Why is a child dead? The rise of "secure," gated communities, private cops, private roads, private parks, private schools, private playgrounds - private, private, private - exacerbates biased treatment against the young, the colored and the presumably poor.
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Rich Benjamin is the author of "Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America" and a senior fellow at Demos, a nonpartisan research center.
Look at the picture, read the narrative...’Nuff said...
Picky, picky ~ he was there, and Trayvon, still a minor, was also there. That appears to have been lawful behavior.
Trayvon...Trayvon?!! as in “Now Trayvon, have you finished the heat balance calculations for that new back pressure turbine that we’re considering for the co-gen plant?”
Yeah, Trayvon.
THEY ARE COMPLICIT IN INCITING VIOLENCE AGAINST HIM
Absolutely. Sue every news outlet that reports the “bounty” on Zimmerman without calling for prosecution of the organizers of it, and most especially sue the AP if they have a feed of it.
Which came first? Crime or gated communities?
“Private companies champion private “security” services, alongside the private building and managing of prisons.”
Big whoop. Private security and a few privately-owned police departments have been around for over a century, if not longer. They’re ultimately accountable to the very same laws as the public ones. And neither organization has very much to do with a neighborhood watch in any case.
[[Trayvon Martin’s killing at the hands of George Zimmerman baffles this nation.]]
There’s nothign baffling about it- The ONLY ones ‘baffled’ are those who REFUSE to admit the TRUTH abotu what went down and those who want to fuel a race hate war- Folks liek Rich Benjamin-
Trevon initiated an ASSAULT (A CRIME BTW) on George Zimmerman, (Hey Rich- can ya at the very least admit that trevon Commited a CRIME on George first? No? Didn’t think so)- they wrestled some, Trevon bashed George’s head agaisnt the sidewalk, Trevon spotted George’s holstered gun, went for it, George got it first and defended himself-
Had Trevon been white, there woukld be absolutely NO outcry over a man defending himself and having to end up using deadly force as a LAST result in order to save his own life
Well done Rich- Way to keep hate and race issues alive and in the forefront bty making up facts and inuendo. Tell ya what Rich- IF you have evidence that George, the kid that witnessed the fight, and the fella that witnessed the fight are all lying, then present it- Until then the rest of the nation is goign to go on the facts- unlike you apparently
He says he had no thought of harming the ARMED mugger who robbed him. Gee, I guess not, with a gun in your face. But I suspect his thought process would have been different if he had the gun & the mugger unarmed.
The idea that gated communities are somehow at fault here is just bizarre. Freedom of speech is fine, but I don't give credence to idiots.
I haven't visited many crime ridden countries, but I did visit Costa Rica. It has a bad theft problem. As you travel the country, you will notice that EVERY home & business is surrounded by some combination of high walls, barbed wire, broken glass, & iron bars. I saw carports enclosed in iron bars, behind a concrete wall topped with glass surrounding the entire property. Often, the enclosure seemed more expensive than the house being protected. Even in the smallest villages of only a few houses, all were equally protected.
Oh yeah, my wallet was stolen with $100, drivers license, & credit cards, from my luggage, either at the hotel or in transit to the Pacific coast.
Clearly, fortifying your home is the only resort when crime overwhelms the justice system. Even the immoral understand this.
Benjamin would have us all live in crime ridden ghettos as his people have chosen to live. He doesn't want people to be safer. He wants us to all to live in fear & danger. Honest people living in relative safety is secondary to the needs of thieves, rapists, & murderers.
Sorry Bub, but I'm not biting your rotten apple.
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I always heard Costa Rica was an ideal retirement haven for American expats.
He doesn’t like the gated communities because it it makes it harder for homies to make a living.
Well the problems for the folks this fellow cares about would be somewhat reduced. It would make their professionss less dangerous.
>> RB: Zimmerman reacted very differently, taking out his handgun and shooting the youth in cold blood.
As an eyewitness, Rich Benjamin should probably contact the prosecutor.
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AS a black man who has been mugged at gunpoint by a black teenager late at night, I am not naive: I know firsthand the awkward conundrums surrounding race, fear and crime. Trayvon Martin's killing at the hands of George Zimmerman baffles this nation. While the youth's supporters declare in solidarity "We are all Trayvon," the question is raised, to what extent is the United States also all George Zimmerman?
Under assault, I didn't dream of harming my teenage assailant, let alone taking his life.
Zimmerman reacted very differently, taking out his handgun and shooting the youth in cold blood.
*********
Compare this to the completely opposed example of Thomas Sowell:
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Much has been made of the fact that the teenager was unarmed. The only time I have ever pointed a loaded gun at a human being, I had no idea whether he was armed or not. All I knew was that I could hear his footsteps sneaking up behind me at night.
Fortunately for both of us, he froze in his tracks when I pointed a gun at him. If he had made a false move, I would have shot him. And if it had turned out later that he was unarmed, I would not have lost a moment's sleep over it.
You know that someone was unarmed only after it is all over. If he attacks, you have to shoot, if only to keep the attacker from getting your gun.
From Geraldo's Point (Thomas Sowell)
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Now, which of these seems to be realistic, eh?
(The underlining above was inserted by myself for emphasis)
Benjamin's pretensions are supremely both naive and asinine. And dangerous.
Sowell's reaction was quintessentially pragmatic, and saved the life of the right person -- himself. Trayvon's death is not at all baffling. Death by misadventure, I think.
I am not interested in details of this story. What I am really interested in is why THOUSANDS of young black men are murdered EVERY year by other black people. Why Sharpton & co. never makes that a big issue. Magnitude of anything happening is more important to me than a single incident.
Even more concern to me is why US has a much bigger murder rate than other G-20 countries.
Because there's no money in it.
“Under assault, I didn’t dream of harming my teenage assailant”
...who then had no incentive to not assault many others.
...and the author wonders why some subcultures favor the “bunker” mentality.
I lived in a gated community for a year.
One night, around 3am, I happened to glance outside to see two guys emerge from the forest and hop over the tall spiked iron fence with little effort. My faith in “gated communities” evaporated.
Since then, I read there are road holdups, where the thieves block the road & rob people passing by. An elderly American might be in jeopardy - easy pickings for thieves. If you do not speak Spanish, you will be at a great disadvantage. I cannot help but think that poor Costa Ricans may not appreciate “rich” Americans as residents of that country. Certainly, everyone we encountered were friendly, but that may have had more to do with our wallets rather than a genuine welcome.
The roads are horrible, BTW. Huge potholes on major highways are marked by sticking a board or log upright in the hole. Approaching one of these things in the dark will scare the pants off you. If you hit one at speed, you are dead, for sure. We bounced so violently on one dirt road to a restaurant that the car constantly fishtailed for 2+ miles. The driver frequently had to stop to regain control of the car. I needed a kidney transplant later that night. - :)
A 4x4, high clearance vehicle is a requirement if you live in a rural area, ie., anywhere but San Jose, the capital city of CR. Leave your Lexus in the States. That little car you have is gonna bounce like a rubber ball on many CR roads.
Most rural bridges are one-way, even on the major roads. Long lines form on either side of the bridge as one side crosses while the other side basically has a social gathering. Food & drink stands are usually on both sides of the bridge to take advantage of idling cars & buses. My wife bought a very nice beach towel from a vendor at one of the bridges. Homemade Chicherones (sp?) - pork rinds - are very popular in CR & are sold at every bridge. Watching the crocs below the bridge is also a popular way to pass the time.
There are certainly many reasons to retire in CR. Prices (in 2003) were very low. A steak dinner with all the trimmings & drinks, served in a fancy restaurant on white tablecloths & a full silver service, costs $20 a person. Food service was excellent. Everything was cheap to buy, even obviously imported goods.
The country itself is a gardener's dream. The plants you buy at Lowe's grow wild along the roadside in CR. Fences are made by jamming green sticks into the ground in a row, which grows into an impenetrable wall for cattle. Beef is plentiful.
All this fertility is a result of the numerous volcanoes in CR, many active, & the almost daily rain. It rains buckets in CR, even in the “dry” season. No wonder the roads are roller-coasters, especially the many dirt roads. Most rural homes had awesome gardens & numerous fruit trees. It would seem impossible to starve in CR.
If you are thinking of living in the jungle, be aware, it truly is a jungle. There are many deadly, creepy things in the jungle, & most are not afraid of humans. Some of the deadliest creatures in the world live in CR. The jungle goes right up to the edge of the ocean in most places.
Costa Rica is a beautiful place, but it has its problems. I would say that if you plan to move there, be prepared to protect yourself & your property. That might not be easy for the elderly.
Ethnic group by ethnic group, Americans have lower murder rates than their cousins back in the old homeland, and lifespans equal to or greater than those same cousins.
I say that just in case you thought this country wasn't the greatest place on Earth.
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