Posted on 07/25/2013 4:25:47 AM PDT by YourAdHere
Rev. John K. Jenkins, Sr. looked out at the congregation of First Baptist Church of Glendarden and sighed.
Less than 12 hours after jurors in Sanford, Fla., found George Zimmerman not guilty in the fatal shooting of unarmed Black teenager Trayvon Martin, he was having “trouble” coming to terms with the verdict and what it meant for justice, and righteousness, or the lack thereof, in this country.
Though the church celebrated its annual Music and Arts Ministry on July 14, Jenkins had a heavy heart. His topic for the day was “Directions for Troubled Times.”
“I was speechless,” Jenkins told his audience about his reaction to the verdict. “It took the breath out of me.”
Jenkins said he found particularly disturbing statements made by one of Zimmerman’s defenders. “I heard the man’s lawyer say he did nothing wrong…I heard the killer’s lawyer say [Trayvon] used the concrete as a weapon.”
At one point, tears began to roll down his cheeks.
Even for men and women accustomed to explaining evil and wrong, the verdict that freed Zimmerman proved difficult. Jenkins and several other pastors from Baltimore to the metropolitan Washington area decried the verdict July 14 and urged their members to understand that the verdict indicated that Black life was not as valuable as White life, despite some race gains over the last 50 years.
While some Americans believe the verdict delivered by the six-woman jury was just, many Blacks found it implausible that the jurors could acquit Zimmerman in the 2012 slaying of Martin, 17.
Rev. Dr. Beryl Whipple, pastor of Asbury United Methodist Church in White Marsh, near Baltimore, said he was not surprised by the jurors’ decision.
“This is a wake-up call not just for America, but for African Americans,” he said.
“This is a call to finally put an end to the senseless violence and be active in their community to make sure a tragedy like this never happens again.”
Whipple, like Jenkins, heard the verdict on television.
“I was watching CNN at home,” he said. “I don’t think he was innocent…Zimmerman killed a minor. In this case, we missed the mark on our opportunity for justice. I can only assume they came to that verdict based on their own life experience….They sided more with the community watch patrol officer than the young man trying to get home.”
Rev. Grady Yeargin, pastor of City Temple Baptist Church of Baltimore, preached in a hoodie, the morning after the verdict, as did Rev. Tony Lee, pastor of Community of Hope AME Church in Temple Hills in Prince George’s County.
Trayvon was wearing a hoodie on the night Zimmerman reported him to police as a suspicious person, then followed, fought with and fatally shot the youth.
"When you have great progress, there is always great pushback,” Lee told his congregation. “We want to act like we're in this post-racial society where everything is ‘Howdy, howdy’ and everything is all good. Just because you found you have a Black woman, Black man, Black baby girls, a Black dog and a Black grandmamma in the White House, you thought it was a post-racial society."
Several pastors said they believe race figured in the verdict, just as it did in the shooting and the investigation by law enforcement officials in Sanford, Fla., where Martin was killed.
Trayvon was “racially profiled from the beginning” to the end of the case, Whipple said.
“With this verdict, it showed that in the 21st century, we haven’t really moved forward as we should have it terms of racism,” he said. “We didn’t have justice in this case.”
Like Jenkins, he took offense at the idea that Trayvon had assaulted Zimmerman during the fight that ensued after Zimmerman refused a police dispatcher’s order to stay inside his car and followed and confronted the youth. Trayvon was returning to his father’s home in the community after going to the store to buy snacks.
“Travon Martin was trying not to get shot, he didn’t use the concrete as a weapon,” Whipple said.
At Turner Memorial AME Church in Hyattsville, the Rev. William H. Lamar IV asked his members to call out the names of the Black men they love—children, brothers, fathers, uncles, cousins, etc.
“I’m very clear that this nation continues to tell us that America does not value Black flesh the way it values the flesh of others,” Lamar told the AFRO after the service. “My whole context was that our ancestors were true freedom fighters, but we are asleep at the wheel. We have confused civil rights victories with the ultimate victory of the freedom struggle. And [Supreme Court Chief] Justice John Roberts told us in the recent decision [on the Voting Rights Act] that they do not even intend to let us keep our civil rights.”
Jenkins, who preached from Psalms 27:1-6, urged his members to continue to praise through the troubled times, as well. The congregation, led by the male chorus and praise and worship team, sang a lengthy rendition of Psalm 3:3 from the Bible.
“For thou, Oh Lord, are a shield for me. A glory and the lifter-up of my head…I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who set themselves against me round about,” they sang.
Be encouraged and continue to pray, Jenkins told his members.
“Although the world is ugly, we serve a beautiful God.”
Teria Rogers contributed to this report.
“I was watching CNN at home,” he (Whipple) said. “
Requires no comment since he told us where he was getting his information.
Mr. Whipple’s been squeezing the Charmin a bit too much.
Same black pastors who turn a deaf ear and blind eye to their Master Barry O while he spouts the wonders of same gender copulations? Credibility = BOZer0.
According to Trayvon supporters, Zimmerman did what he did because of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law, however, none of those supporters believe Trayvon should have fled from Zimmerman instead of attacking him.
Excellent post.
Subject: Re Socialist Injustice
:How an examination of the Neighborhood Watch area of the Zimmerman trial exposes it.
Since the Zimmernan not guilty verdict has been rendered, the facts of this case are still being shamefully being concealed by the media to the extent they are advancing and are complicit in permitting a putrid injstice to be committed of the worst order,organized and instituted by our governent.While denied. It began as a miscalculation when a surname of a Jewish origin shot up and lighted the heavens like a star shell in the darkest of nights. It would have been difused if the media used pictures of both side by side because they look like cousins. And the area where this occured of paycheck to paycheck struggling homeowners of all races trying to protect themselves had been reported and not some ritzy all white enclave.they portrayed..
Instead the party that hypenated itself from God at their 2012 convention into demo-coms, and believe that all groups should be hyphenated , Afro-American, Hispanic-American, etc..Decided Zimmerman to be the egg that is to be broken,. sacrificed, so that we have an omlet..Just like Stalin did to the Ukrainian land owners known as Kulacks whom he executed, (and used that egg example) in a soclal engineering plan to organize collectives during a Russian drought..Because as we have learned there seems to be the intention to use a collective data base to create collectives.where a utopia of uniforimity of conformity exists. As was done in Detroit, and Oakland California.only this time a poor whitey or blacky won’t be able to move,.
Just as with the energy plan where the cost of fuel used for energy and transportation has skyrocketed placing those on fixed or limited incomes dependent on government handouts because of this regimes socialist policies the sacrifice of Zimmerman must die for . This time to another communist plan. We all move together in centers designed and approved by comrades running the collective who (just like Obamacare aren’t in it) won’t and never live there.
Too bad half of the so called conservatives talk show hosts I’ve been listening to can’t seem to be willing to connect the dots to what a heavy hand his imperious highness played in this despicable example of socialist justice which will turn on an innocent staunch supporter and churn out vicious life threatening propaganda against him just to mete out diatribes to serve the policies of the state . Turning this into a show trial replete with wall to wall tv coverage..The least they can do is get the facts out for tthe reason for the trial and its background instead of cope-ing with Obama moving the ball futhur and furthur away from what was done in a “Neighborhood Watch Area” while they’re milking the emotion response.routine like “big brother “does..
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/3044800/posts
An example of this is demonstrated by the “news” circulating in local black or mixed areas in publications like the The New Amsterdam (linked) that unquestionably follow, follow,follow, like martinets., Are they being duped by the handouts of lies they’re getting from this government. and unwilling accomplices to a horrendous and disgusting injustice ? Or are they contributing to it for the good of the collective ? It’s a question only they should be made to answer. For those vehicles which contributed to this demonstration of disinformation of a contemptable injustice should be asked and severly dealt with if they did.. It’s time to hold them accountable” ..
To reiterate; Many Neigborhood Watch areas consist of modest dwellings including the one Zimmerman was a “watch captain in are comprized of single dwelling units or as in Zimmermans case townhouses.His was a mini US melting pot which includes a number of black families which banded together and set up patrols to protect their area.. In this case they were struggling with single and groups of young blacks from other “hoods” on the prowl., In some instances armed, preying on homeowners in his area..Watch activities are closely co-ordinated with local police departments and follow very set protocols. Most conservative hosts demonstrate their ignorance.and are rendering no futhur information then their listeners get from MSM .thus allowing the MSM to set an agenda of distraction from this regimes history of corruption and scandal..
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3043817/posts
Usually such neighborhood watch areas are posted with a window or garden sign announcing that fact and those patrols will observe any one; black,white, green, or blue .If the area is “gated” because it is private property even stop and question them.. When an area is “gated” public right of way is restricted solely to the entrances and exits to it.. .That fact and the area wasn’t ever divulged by any of the so called media because it wouldn’t fit their agenda if true journalisim existed, Because it couldn’t support any racial assertion or questioning of movement .for anyone entering knows and surrenders that right when entering it. ..
It would even explain Zimmerman’s action taken during his surveilance of Martin because this watch volunteer got out of his car and continued his observation on foot because he lost sight of Martin. In many watch areas that’s done frequently when the subject disappears from view they may leave their vehicle and continue surveilance on foot.. ....
According to the testimony there was an exchange after which as Zimmerman was going back to his vehicle Martin doubled back and attacked him and was severly beating him to the extent he feared for his life. To put it bluntly Saint Trayvon was a smart ass punk who attacked a guy with a gun and got killed in the struggle over it when he had the guy on the ground.beating the hell out of him..
Obama in his latest attempt threw more gas on the fire by portraying Saint Trayvon as what he was, an irreponsible pot head and subsequently found to be a petty thief ..That explains Bengahazi, where he left a top American diplomat and his aides die and the rest of his scandals like “travelgate II” Obama hopes his diatribes will hide. .
Even after learning the shooter was a staunch Obama supporter, not Jewish, (very quickly dismissed ?) and a dark skinned “hispanic”. Obama did nothing to curtail the hyperbole or tone down his edict creating this as a white racist episode. Obama the boss of bosses and gets all the information about anybody ignored Zimmerman’s defence of a homeless black maltreated by a local police officer which resulted in the disciplining of the offending officer that Zimmerman fearlessly waged a campaign for and got.. .
The socialists controlling the media propaganda machine oblidged.. They began claiming the exclusive “gated” neighborhood watch captain was a “white hispanic” . Used a picture of a 12 year old Martin instead of the 6 foot 165 pound person he was vs the smaller 140 pound lttle fatty neighborhood watch captain. Worse yet allowed his US Attorney General to use questionable activities to promote a show trial and ignored using a threat of prosecution to black militant groups threatening the watch captain’s life.
Do not confuse todays politicians and their ahearants in the press and academia as followers of “Liberalism”. . These are die hard God denying I’m right you’re wrong socialists incapable of independent thinking running todays media.. Devising political campaigns of lies and manipulated inflamatory languange disguised as “news or reliable information” designed to destroy any opponent or group to what is edict-ed by their leader. You must wind up goose-stepping in unison protecting the collective otherwise we will through the use of the government we control step on you and squash you like some insect..
Why is this being done ? Who accompained Obama on his many trips around the world at taxpayer expence ? Were they the heavy hitters or their friends holding the president’s hand ? Never looked into either by the House and certainly not even speculated about or reported on by the media. Seems like that could be considered pay back at US taxpayer expence. Isn’t that an impeachable offense ? Now if somebody even suggests impeachment. What better way to discourage that by organizing the base for riots in the streets ?
The more I think about this the more I realize that our white kids are defining the culture too.
Anything that embraces a lack of standards and discipline.
Self-control has become both a dirty word and an unreasonable demand.
This country embraces mediocrity.
Mediocrity would be an improvement in a LOT of places in America. I mean Jeantel the 19 year old 11th grader who cannot read cursive brags about her 3.0 GPA
True.
One day, there will be TM statues standing next to MLKs. There will be Trayvon Martin streets and they will flow with blood just like any street named MLK.
Some people will just never see the real truth...
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