Gary Younge: Open season on black boys after a verdict like this

[muriel_volestrangler]

Calls for calm after George Zimmerman was acquitted of murdering Trayvon Martin are empty words for black families

Let it be noted that on this day, Saturday 13 July 2013, it was still deemed legal in the US to chase and then shoot dead an unarmed young black man on his way home from the store because you didn't like the look of him.
...
There is no doubt about who the aggressor was here. It appears that the only reason the two interacted at all, physically or otherwise, is that Zimmerman believed it was his civic duty to apprehend an innocent teenager who caused suspicion by his existence alone.

Appeals for calm in the wake of such a verdict raise the question of what calm there can possibly be in a place where such a verdict is possible. Parents of black boys are not likely to feel calm. Partners of black men are not likely to feel calm. Children with black fathers are not likely to feel calm. Those who now fear violent social disorder must ask themselves whose interests are served by a violent social order in which young black men can be thus slain and discarded.

But while the acquittal was shameful it was not a shock. It took more than six weeks after Martin's death for Zimmerman to be arrested and only then after massive pressure both nationally and locally. Those who dismissed this as a political trial (a peculiar accusation in the summer of Bradley Manning and Edward Snowden) should bear in mind that it was politics that made this case controversial.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/14/open-season-black-boys-verdict

[MADem]

1. How many parents are sitting down with their kids today and giving them "the talk" with renewed

fear and urgency?

Don't walk "suspiciously," don't dress "suspiciously" and whatever you do, don't do anything--like talk on the phone with a friend-- that will make anyone want to stalk and murder you.

You want candy? I'll DRIVE you to the store. Walking in some neighborhoods is just too dangerous, because someone might not know you and decide to shoot you dead.

[uriel1972]

3. The "talk" I got...

was about being kidnapped, but I guess that's because I am white (actually I'm pink in summer and blue in winter). This seems a much more visceral and real threat to black kids. It's stunning and disturbing to me, it must be terrifying to be young and black in the US of A.

[MADem]

5. And it's even more terrifying to be young, black, and male.

Don't wear a hoodie, whatever you do! Don't walk on the street at dusk! Dress like Erkel or the Zimmie gonna getcha....

[uriel1972]

7. It's Russian Roulette to even open your door it seems...nt

[erpowers]

8. How Was He Dressed Suspiciously

I am not trying to attack you. I am trying to attack the notion that Travyon Martin was dressed suspiciously. I saw the picture of Travyon Martin that was on the home page of Democratic Underground and my first thought was what was suspicious looking about what this young man was wearing. Those clothes look like the clothes of any other young man.

[MADem]

9. Didn't you get the memo? "Black hoodies = Thugs, Up To No Good."

Of course, that mostly applies if you're black. If you're very large, you can pull off the "thug" impression no matter how pale you are--but you need your black hoodie to make it work.

Eminem tried to make the black hoodie look seem tough for the skinny little white kids, but even he looked more dorky than threatening. You gotta have some "depth" in order to strike that fear, doncha know.



He even tried to threaten George Bush with the hoodie--it didn't work, unfortunately.

Do I really need to pull this out, or is everyone here on the Excessively Literal Wagon today?

You can't 'attack' me, so please don't worry.

I know where I'm from and what I'm about.

[uriel1972]

2. I read this on another site (Pharyngula)...

According to them it's been taken down pending "Investigation". /sigh

On edit: it seems to be back up. Hmmmmm

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. It's been up since I posted it here

I too saw it at Pharyngula, and it had just been reposted when I started this thread. As the Pharyngula thread shows in a tweet from Younge, there was something they wanted to check with him, and they had to wait for him to wake up (in Chicago). Could have been a worry about libel laws, for instance (UK media has to tread carefully because our laws can make it hard to defend against an accusation of libel).

[uriel1972]

6. Ah ty... nt

[blkmusclmachine]

10. .

.

[Brigid]

11. This piece says exactly what I have been thinking today.

It's almost spooky. I think I'm more upset now than I was on Saturday night when I saw the bad news here on DU.