Posted on 02/18/2014 7:29:21 PM PST by kristinn
What is the job of the media? Are we here to reflect public opinion or to shape it? Are we the impartial referees of society, or do we pick sides and play as rough as the next guy?
In a world where anyone with an idea and an internet connection can impact public discourse for better or worse, who exactly "is" the media and what is our role in telling the stories that matter most?
Last week, I interviewed George Zimmerman, who was accused and acquitted of the murder of African-American teen Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
I am not impartial.
I believe Zimmerman got away with murder, aided and abetted by a justice system that does not have equal regard for the lives of black and minority youth, and further empowered by self-defense laws that have given citizens of certain states an effective license to kill their neighbors, provided those neighbors are young, black and preferably unarmed.
I think George Zimmerman should not be walking free, carrying a weapon and doing interviews to explain his "side of the story," an opportunity Trayvon Martin can never have.
He should be in jail. And I have little doubt that a black man who shot and killed an unarmed white or Anglo/Peruvian teen here in Florida (or anywhere else in the United States) would be behind bars already. The claim of self-defense is not a luxury afforded equally to black defendants, as suggested by the case of Marissa Alexander, whose conviction and 20-year sentence for firing a warning shot at her abusive husband is currently awaiting retrial.
So why interview George Zimmerman, one of the most hated men in the United States, potentially exacerbating the Martin family’s pain and invoking public ire? Why give him a platform to speak, when Trayvon most...
(Excerpt) Read more at fusion.net ...
The problem has been the focus on irrelevant arguments – some of which are actually unsupported by the evidence.
1. ‘George Zimmerman (GZ) racially profiled Trayvon Martin (TM)’ There is no evidence of this.
2. ‘GZ disobeyed an order by the police’ * The civilian dispatcher, Sean Noffke, testified that he did not give GZ an order and, in fact, he, like his fellow dispatchers, are trained not make comments that sound like commands. * Noffke also testified under cross that, as a result of his asking GZ which way TM was going, GZ could have reasonably interpreted this as being asked to follow Martin. * It is also not a crime in Florida to disregard a comment made by a civilian dispatcher.
3. ‘GZ got out of his car’ Not a crime on public property and not negligent either.
4. ‘GZ followed TM’ Again, anyone can follow anyone on a public street unless the followee has obtained a restraining order against the follower and even there, the RS only places time, place, and manner restrictions on the person enjoined.
5. ‘GZ wasn’t really injured’ * Under Florida’s self-defense laws, one doesn’t have to be injured AT ALL to use deadly force * No one is required to refrain from defending himself while another is engaged in or attempting to commit a felony.
6. ‘TM is dead through no fault of his own’ * If you believe that TM assaulted GZ, then he IS dead as a result of his own actions.
7. ‘GZ could have left’ * Under Florida law, there is not a duty to withdraw rather than use deadly force * TM was straddling GZ so how the latter was supposed to leave the scene is unanswered.
8. ‘GZ was armed and TM wasn’t’ * One’s fists can be considered weapons and can result in severe bodily harm or death. * GZ was legally carrying a weapon * There is no requirement under the law that the same weapon be used by the assailant * A homeowner can kill an intruder whether or not he has been threatened * Those that attack cannot feign surprise if they are met with superior firepower.
9. ‘Stand Your Ground!’ * SYG is NOT at issue in this trial. * The defense is a classic self-defense case.
10. ‘Black men NEVER get to use SYG!’ * Wrong http://tinyurl.com/nboht35
11. ‘GZ is a man and TM was a boy!’ * As if ‘boys’ don’t commit murder, rape, and assault everyday in this country.
I saw parts of the interview. The post-interview chatter was informative. He did it, imo, so that they could twist Zimmerman’s words and gestures, breath and posture to make him look like some sort of monster.
The “reasoning” above is merely an extension of that- Manson, Pol Pot, Hitler, he left off Bush for some reason.
You have a right to your own opinion but you do not have a right to your own facts.
Oh, and as for that “Peruvian/Anglo” nonsense:
George Zimmerman’s Black Ancestry is Revealed
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2876811/posts
George Zimmerman: the black, Hispanic, Peruvian, kind-hearted non-white, not-racist poster boy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2876692/posts
George Zimmerman Has ‘Black Roots’
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2876518/posts
-PJ
All of this stuff is fluff. The only thing in question was, did GZ act in self defense? It was proven in court that he did. TM stalked him and attacked GZ. GZ feared for his life and acted as anyone would. ALL THE REST IS CRAP FOR TV TALKING HEADS.
The truth doesn’t push forward their agenda. That’s why they had to make him out as a “White/Hispanic,” downplay his injuries, bring in Rachel Jeantel, etc. BTW, which prison are the black panthers in that put a bounty on his head?
That is what the facts say and that is what the jury said. End of story. And I still don't care what color either one of them are.
What is the difference between a “White Hispanic” and a “Real” Hispanic? I suppose only if you belong to La Raza, the Sandinistas, MS-13, the Chavistas or the Communist Party of Cuba can you be a true Hispanic!/sarcasm
T Martin was a 6’-2” 170 pound man, with significant expertise in use of fists as weapons; and within a few more minutes could have beaten Zimmerman’s face to a pulp and his brain to a bowl of mush.
When GZ asked whether he should continue to observe (watch, follow?), he was told by the dispatcher (his supervisor) that “No, we don’t need you to do that;” this likely reflecting in part the fact (which I believe he/she told GZ) that a patrol car was being dispatched to the scene; which accounts for the presence of a police car and officer on the scene after a very short time interval .
No I will not link to this so called “source” nor should any one else .
The point of this presentation is to continue a narrative where Obama’s and his communist followers used a cut and dried unfortunate episode and twisted it into the creation of a Racial episode to save his sorry ass which has resulted in murders of innocent white, hispanics. and asians and is an impeachable offense of the first magnitude.
I would like to smash your head on a concrete sidewalk for a while, Derrick.
If the "unarmed white or Anglo/Peruvian teen" attacked the black man and was beating his head against the concrete, the black man should not even be charged for shooting the little SOB, let alone acquited for "murdering" him.
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