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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsJust In Case George Zimmerman Walks Free... by Russell Simmons
Like so many people across the country, I have followed the murder trial of George Zimmerman very closely. As we enter what is probably the last week of the trial, I am sure that everyone is anxious about the outcome. For the past sixteen months, I have proudly supported the courageous parents of Trayvon Martin as they have fought for justice for their son. I have greatly admired the grace and humility that they have exuded throughout this entire tragic ordeal. For them, the day of judgement in the courtroom will be a very difficult day and I certainly will say a prayer for them when that day comes.
Even with this important day coming soon, I remind myself that we have already accomplished a tremendous amount in the memory of Trayvon. All we ever asked for was for equal justice for the young man who was killed that drizzling night in Sanford, Florida. If George Zimmerman had rights, so did Trayvon Martin. And that is why Mr. Zimmerman was properly arrested and charged with murder in the second degree. He will soon be judged by a jury of his peers, and that is the best we can do. Whatever decision they make, is a decision that we must live with, whether we like it or not. Whether George Zimmerman is found innocent or guilty by the jury, I am firm believer that all of us live by karmic law, and he will ultimately be punished for the death of Trayvon, no matter what. However, if he walks free out of that courtroom, I understand that some people will be very sad, but we must remember the mission we are on. As I have heard Trayvon's parents say time and time again, they are not only fighting for justice for their son, they are fighting for all of us, especially those parents who have to live through the misery of burying their child and the sadness that comes after.
Their inspiring leadership has already led to action. In 2012, for the first time in 8 years, not ONE state in our nation passed a new "Stand Your Ground" law. The power of the NRA and their gun-toting cronies in business were stopped in their tracks by the Justice For Trayvon Martin movement. That is an incredible accomplishment. That is the mission we must continue after this trial is over. Led by the heroism of Trayvon's parents, we will support their efforts to not only block new laws from being enacted, but also repeal the laws in the twenty five states who already passed "Stand Your Ground" type legislation. And we will certainly support their healing process, as they have become great protectors of our nation's compassion. It is the future that needs to be protected and everyone who stood up for Trayvon plays a part in that protection. If we failed to protect Trayvon on February 26, 2012, we will pledge to never make that mistake again.
Read more: http://globalgrind.com/news/just-in-case-george-zimmerman-walks-free-russell-simmons-blog#ixzz2Ya326oKv
NoOneMan
(4,795 posts)Has Bush been struck by lightening yet?
Politicalboi
(15,189 posts)Granted he fucked up again and is in jail, but otherwise he would be free. Casey Anthony another murderer who walked free. I don't think karma is enough in these cases. Any mother who would leave a 2 year old at the top of the stairs to wait for the "nanny" speaks volumes to me. But to each his own I guess. She lied more than OJ or GZ and she still walked.
NoOneMan
(4,795 posts)But that alternative is the reality I deal with daily.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)He believes in karmic law?
Okay, what did Trayvon do to piss off karma so much that a deranged hillbilly decided to use his chest as a bullet repository?
This article is pabulum, a writer patting themselves on the back about how fair-minded they are and trying to convince themselves and others that no matter the outcome, it'll be A Good Thing
russspeakeasy
(6,539 posts)Demo_Chris
(6,234 posts)Response to Scootaloo (Reply #5)
Post removed
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)"It's his fault for not running away" are you fucking kidding me?!
NoGOPZone
(2,971 posts)if ever a PPR was deserved for one post that was it.
Response to JaneyVee (Reply #39)
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naaman fletcher
(7,362 posts)You served on a randomly-selected Jury of DU members which reviewed this post. The review was completed at Tue Jul 9, 2013, 08:45 PM, and the Jury voted 1-5 to LEAVE IT.
Juror #1 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Just because this is the OP's first post does not mean he/she is a troll.
Juror #2 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: How is asking for proof of a claim being a troll? Alerter should be banned for a month for wasting our time.
Juror #3 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #4 voted to HIDE IT and said: No explanation given
Juror #5 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: No explanation given
Juror #6 voted to LEAVE IT ALONE and said: Another useless alert.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)naaman fletcher
(7,362 posts)looks like he was just a troll
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)Cirque du So-What
(25,941 posts)Nobody is forcing you to 'waste your time' serving on a jury, yunno. (S)he would ban the alerter for a month, yet give a just-banned troll a pass. All except #4 are doing it wrong.
madashelltoo
(1,698 posts)Ilsa
(61,695 posts)even got a new heart.
Still waiting. Tick-Tock.
SomethingFishy
(4,876 posts)and the aftermath...
ieoeja
(9,748 posts)... on a murderous rampage this time. This is a different era and with too many people looking on. They can't just massacre the whole African-American population in Sanford with nobody paying attention as has happened far too many times in the past.
Maximumnegro
(1,134 posts)abortion. But Todd Akin and the wing nuts make it clear that it isn't a 'different era'. If they believe 'women have ways of shutting these things down' you best believe they think the only good n*gga is a dead n*gga. THEY DON'T CARE who's looking. Look at Texas. THEY DON'T CARE. Look at Zimmerman with his pathological stares and sociopathic behavior that gets neo-nazis driving to Sanford to defend against the coming 'race war'. THEY DON'T CARE. If anything they have made it clear that they WANT a confrontation, they want conflict.
'different era'. that's hilarious.
SomethingFishy
(4,876 posts)wearing a fucking hoodie. In whatever fucking city they want.
I mean really, there is nothing at all to be concerned about, it's not like letting this asshole walk would set a precedent or anything.
friendlyFRIEND
(94 posts)this is no precedent, self defense cases are heard every week throughout America.
You don't like the possible verdict? Then work to change the laws. Where I live in SoCal there is very little if any legal carry of firearms so there is little chance of something like this happening.
Most everyone here feels that Z did something REALLy fucking wrong. But the question will remain, was it LEGAL?
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)"Very sad"? Like the people in L.A. were "very sad" that the cops who beat Rodney King walked?
bunnies
(15,859 posts)"very sad". What a joke.
cigsandcoffee
(2,300 posts)ieoeja
(9,748 posts)etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)There is no point alerting on racist posts, either ...apparently only the use of racial epithets rise to the level of hideworthy
lbrtbell
(2,389 posts)Record labels are part of the problem, promoting misogynist and thug culture to youth. Robin Thicke is as misogynist and objectifying as anything, and he's about as white as the background of this page.
And if you honestly think a lot of African-Americans aren't seriously considering rioting and looting if Zimmerman is acquitted, you need to read Twitter more. A lot more.
Hugabear
(10,340 posts)African Americans are just itching to riot and loot, aren't they.
Response to Hugabear (Reply #37)
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Response to Hugabear (Reply #37)
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NoGOPZone
(2,971 posts)Starry Messenger
(32,342 posts)I hope there is a blizzard of bannings after this trial.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)"Gangsta rap" promotes a black culture of guns, violence, misogyny, and greed. It portrays one kind of woman - the bitch - and two kinds of men - thugs (good!) and bitches (bad!) It's a paean to bring a crook, and sells the notion that "fat stacks" are the sole key to success.
Interestingly the primary consumers of gangsta rap? White men between the ages of 16 and 30.
Gangsta rap is simply an audio minstrel show, entertainers inflating black stereotypes for the consumption of a white audience, that then takes these portrayals as fact, presuming the minstrel show depicts realities of black life. No different in 2013 than it was in 1913.
of course the primarily-white audience of this genre has made it "mainstream" (in music, that's what 'mainstream' means, popular among white middle-class audiences) and so gangsta rap and it's increasingly-shitty derivatives dominate the hip-hip charts, fill the popular culture, and end up seducing some in the black audience into believing that this is what it's all about; they internalize the same racist bullshit tropes - the savage brute, the black-as-criminal, the hypersexualized black woman - and imagine it to be reality, creating a messy-ass feedback loop.
However, while I think that gangsta rap is a culturally-damaging phenomenon for all races involved, I don't think it can be classed up there with the fucking National Rifle Association. The record labels are putting our socially-dulling garbage, but they're not lobbying government for increased access to firearms and decreased regulations on using them.
Nor does Def Jams Records have a single fucking thing to do with Trayvon Martin or the trial of the cretin who killed him.
galileoreloaded
(2,571 posts)Maximumnegro
(1,134 posts)especially as the 'gun/gangster' culture is most devastating within the black/minority communities - something which the media and entertainment industry has been ALL too willing to promote. The NRA is national (international actually) in its reach and political clout. Can DefJam get Congress to buckle? Can Russell Simmons threaten a politician's chances of re-election?
Ninja please...
bunnies
(15,859 posts)Well said.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)How do you make the incomprehensible comprehensible?
Avalux
(35,015 posts)Thereby, making him the victim.
DemocratSinceBirth
(99,710 posts)I made a thread about two weeks ago that I wasn't going to allow myself to get too emotionally invested in this case but if Zimmerman walks I'm still going to feel bad for the Martins.
Avalux
(35,015 posts)It's just heartbreaking how the defense has put Trayvon on trial, made him the bad guy, and the prosecution has allowed it to happen.
yardwork
(61,650 posts)southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)to the Martin family. I don't think they will get the justice they are seeking. Bottom line for me was Zimmerman was the aggressor who should of never gotten out of the car. Nothing would have happened if he had listen to the 911 operator. Zimmerman judged him because of his color. I have a terrible feeling he will walk. He will get away with murder but he will have to meet his maker some day and live with what he did.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)The prosecution is going for Murder 2 trying to prove he had a depraved mind but he will get Manslaughter because he did kill Trayvon He's admitted to it already.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)JimDandy
(7,318 posts)manslaughter has a mandatory sentence of 25 years when the victim is a minor like Trayvon.
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)Blue Bike
(65 posts)If he is guilty.
HipChick
(25,485 posts)He will spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder
He'll never be a free man. Exactly what I was going to say.
virgogal
(10,178 posts)If every time some one is acquitted is someone else going to get even,or even go so far as killing them?
kwassa
(23,340 posts)HockeyMom
(14,337 posts)my wish is that George Zimmerman will never be able to do this again to any other mother's son. I believe the only way for that is for his being in prison, or at the very least, that he is never allowed to own a gun ever again in his life.
Response to HockeyMom (Reply #27)
Post removed
JimDandy
(7,318 posts)of contempt for George Zimmerman, then, who, as an adult, was arrested and charged with 2 felonies, (one of those felonies was for assaulting a police officer!), had a restraining order filed (and granted) against him by his ex-fiance, sexually molested his cousin, and was fired from his job as a bouncer for being overly aggressive and injuring a woman on the job. So Trayvon's murder was already his second arrest and third felony!
And get ready for almost certain jail time for him, for lying by omission to this same court about his finances in his bond hearing, in an effort to defraud the county (and bail company?) out of sufficient security to ensure his return to court, and for possessing a second valid passport that he instructed his wife to hide from the court.
ETA 2: Good , that sick post got hidden, so fixing mine and going to go calm down and get happy hugs from my grandson.
Avalux
(35,015 posts)A mother has lost her son, yet all you can do is have contempt for her? You have a hollow soul.
uppityperson
(115,677 posts)dionysus
(26,467 posts)Hugabear
(10,340 posts)That was a truly hideous post, basically saying Trayvon was going to get it sooner or later, yet 2 jury members thought it was just fine.
dionysus
(26,467 posts)friendlyFRIEND
(94 posts)but why the focus on SYG? SYG wasn't used as a defense in this case.
Maybe tighter restrictions on legal carry or a change in self defense law??
HockeyMom
(14,337 posts)1. Restraining Order for Domestic Violence - Dropped
2. Assault on Female Bar Patron - Dropped
3. Assault on Police Officer - Dropped
Begs the question why all these charges dropped? Who did he know? Oh, never mind, I think we know that one. If any of these charges had held, he would not have been able to carry, or own, a gun.
DirkGently
(12,151 posts)It'd be great to get some traction on repealing Stand Your Ground laws -- it's a terrible, ALEC / NRA monstrosity.
But Zimmerman is going to get whatever he gets without Stand Your Ground -- he's arguing plain self-defense. With a legally carried gun. Which is the real problem.
What I think gets missed there is this is an example of the NRA notion of "armed citizenry" under very ordinary laws.
The offensive thing to me about the situation is that this is EXACTLY what I think the very worst people who want to be armed all the time anticipate. *Some* people would like nothing more than to roam the streets, accosting anyone they deem undesirable or "suspicious," confident if anything goes sideways, they can kill in an instant.