[The Zimmerman Trial] How the Media Has Distorted a Tragedy

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/07/21/how_media_lies_have_distorted_a_tragedy_119311.html ^ | 07/21/2013 | Cathy Young

[SeekAndFind]

A week after George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the fatal shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin, the backlash continues, with nationwide protests and calls to boycott Florida. President Obama spoke some undeniable truths when he noted that the African-American community’s reaction must be seen in the context of a long, terrible history of racism. But there is another context too: that of an ideology-based, media-driven false narrative that has distorted a tragedy into a racist outrage.

This narrative has transformed Zimmerman, a man of racially mixed heritage that included white, Hispanic and black roots (a grandmother who helped raise him had an Afro-Peruvian father), into an honorary white male steeped in white privilege. It has cast him as a virulent racist even though he once had a black business partner, mentored African-American kids, lived in a neighborhood about 20 percent black, and participated in complaints about a white police lieutenant’s son getting away with beating a homeless black man.

This narrative has perpetuated the lie that Zimmerman’s history of calls to the police indicates obsessive racial paranoia. Thus, discussing the verdict on the PBS NewsHour, University of Connecticut professor and New Yorker contributor Jelani Cobb asserted that “Zimmerman had called the police 46 times in previous six years, only for African-Americans, only for African-American men.” Actually, only six calls—two of them about Trayvon Martin—had to do with African-American men. At least three involved complaints about whites; others were about such issues as a fire alarm going off, a reckless driver of unknown race, or an aggressive dog.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Seems the facts embarrass the fear mongers over and over

[SkyDancer]

Any outcome from the Zimmerman trial that leads to death and the destruction of property can be laid at the feet of the MSM who should be sued back to the papyri era.

[JoeProBono]

[Republican Wildcat]

President Obama spoke some undeniable truths when he noted that the African-American community’s reaction must be seen in the context of a long, terrible history of racism.

No - it should be viewed in the context of them being repeatedly lied to in order to spark their outrage and having this whole thing ginned up by the Obama Administration Justice Department, Jackson, Sharpton, et al, to assist Obama's re-election campaign and now being recycled to try to assist with the upcoming 2014 election. There was no evidence at all to support a 2nd degree murder charge - case should have never been brought.

This nation is more divided than it has ever been in recent memory, and race relations as bad as they have been in at least a generation - tragically, it appears, by design.

[Republican Wildcat]

Thus, discussing the verdict on the PBS NewsHour, University of Connecticut professor and New Yorker contributor Jelani Cobb asserted that “Zimmerman had called the police 46 times in previous six years, only for African-Americans, only for African-American men.” Actually, only six calls—two of them about Trayvon Martin—had to do with African-American men. At least three involved complaints about whites; others were about such issues as a fire alarm going off, a reckless driver of unknown race, or an aggressive dog.

Truth is relative to the left - whatever you want to say to promote a certain narrative is appropriate in their world. I'm sure this professor has not retracted this statement, nor been disciplined by the university and continues to "educate" students at the institution with garbage in the classroom as accurate at this.

[Crucial]

The media was the biggest loser in this whole Zimmerman fiasco. They lied and distorted as many facts as possible. They edited Zimmerman’s 9-11 call, failed to mention the trouble Trevon was into, how he was 6’2”, much taller than Zimmerman, how he was into fighting MMA style, ignored the stolen property in his school locker, and so on.

[tacticalogic]

I also saw some references to a suspension for fighting with a bus driver. I’d be interested to get the bus driver’s account of how that “fight” started, and compare it to GZ’s account of how Travon approached him that night.

[Sherman Logan]

46 calls in 6 years for a neighborhood watch guy doesn’t seem like a lot. I would think one a week would not be unreasonable.

Which would be 300+.

[A_perfect_lady]

Actually, he was only 5’11” and 158, according to the autopsy report, but still bigger than Zimmerman, who seems to be about 5’8”. I don’t even know if it’s accurate that Zimmerman outweighed him by 27 pounds... I think that was his weight when he was arrested 41 days later, by which time he had put on quite a bit of weight. If you look at the video the police recorded of him the day after the incident, he doesn’t look any more than 160 to me.

[Sherman Logan]

The “funny” part about this is that the MSM is hoist by its own petard.

There really are wannabee cop neighborhood watch or security guard types out there who are likely to gun down somebody for no good reason. Itching for the chance to use their gun.

The MSM jumped to the not unreasonable (from their POV) conclusion that this was who Zimmerman was.

Unfortunately for them, the facts show that Z was about as far from this stereotype as it is possible to be.

Hopefully, the eventuality of this will be a major black eye for the msm.

[Political Junkie Too]

Hopefully, the eventuality of this will be a major black eye for the msm.

That's...

-PJ

[Steve_Seattle]

"Zimmerman had called the police 46 times in previous six years"

Actually, the calls ranged from 2004 through 2012, which - counting on my fingers - is nine years. So Z averaged about 5 calls per year, less than one every two months. As noted in the article, those calls involved a wide variety of situations - stray dogs, speeding cars, cars with no headlights, public disturbances such as loud arguments and vandalism, doors left open at night, loud parties and/or music, cars apparently surveying the neighborhood, etc.

For someone involved in a neighborhood watch program, in a multi-racial neighborhood of relatively modest income, this does not seem like the pathologically excessive meddling that it has been portrayed as, much less as the actions of a racist. Yes, Z may have a bit of Barney Fife in him, but that is not the same as being a KKK maniac.

[Steve_Seattle]

"46 calls in 6 years for a neighborhood watch guy doesn’t seem like a lot. I would think one a week would not be unreasonable."

I agree. And, contrary to the claim made on the television show, it was actually 9 years, so that Z only made an average of 5 calls a year.

[MestaMachine]

The obamafia does not care how much blood they have already spilled or how much will follow. They could care less if it is white people, hispanic people, Asians, or black people et al. ALL of it is red, isn't it? How many did ayres say would need to die? 25 MILLION? We haven't gotten close to that yet. But we will if he pushes hard enough long enough.

This is a Black Rage Ping List, (by request,) to cover the aftermath of the GZ trial and archive the incidents. Let me know. And please add "blackrage" to the keywords. Click the link for anything you might have missed. Thank you.

[Fantasywriter]

There was some discussion that Bao had incorrectly measured Trayvon after muscle contractions set in. Perhaps Bao was sensitive on this subject; here is his testimony on cross:

West: OK. You mentioned Trayvon Martin’s height. That’s 71 inches, 5’11”.

BAO: I never said height, because the dead man cannot stand.

[A_perfect_lady]

I wonder where so many people get the information that he was 6’1” or 6’2” then...? Do you have any idea?

[2ndDivisionVet]

[T-Bird45]

I think those TM stats came from the football team rosters, notorious for wishful thinking on height/weight.

[SunTzuWu]

Bookmark.