The killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin has once again sparked a national dialogue on race.
Each of us has our own identity, whether it is nationality, name, color, profession or culture. Each of us has our own identity that makes us different from other people. The first Americans were dark-skinned people called Indians, they were followed by people from Western Europe and Africa, then Asia, then Eastern Europe, and the Middle East, and now from Mexico and South America. All these groups of people have contributed to American culture and how we as individuals look to and at one another.
When we declared our independence, we said that all men were created equal and that they were entitled by God to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. But something happened when our forefathers stepped out of Independence Hall. They made it legal to kill Indians. They made people of color property. They made it legal to take land from others, by force if necessary. Though our forefathers professed freedom for all, their law said only white, land-owning Protestant people could vote. This also contributed to how we look to and at one another.
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Comments
Sgt. Jpe Friday, Just the facts.
Nobody has bothered to read and understand the Florida laws. People speak about "stand your ground" with no understanding of what and why that is in the law. Street crime is a problem nationwide. Licensing responsible people to carry a concealed weapon for self-defense brought with it a "new" legal issue. In the past it was expected that a person would only be armed for self-defense on their own property, in their own home, at there fixed place of business. So a pharmacist, a housewife, a gas station attendant could be armed. But then the Florida CCW law means that people would be on public streets, parks, waterways and that those arms would be used. So the Legislature wrote and revised the Florida laws so they worked to protect the people, all the people. http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0776/0776.html All the laws that every citizen or visitor to Florida should know are listed. Assuming that Trayvon was being followed, how did he know that with the hoodie up? Why was he looking around? What was on George Zimmerman's mind as he was trailing Trayvon? The unedited 911 tapes will give clues. Doctors will report on injuries to both Trayvon and George. Witnesses will testify. All of the life history of both these men will become public record. We know George Zimmerman passed an extensive background check to get the CCW. Trayvon may or may not have a record that will be introduced in any trial. George Zimmewrman will be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life because a "wanted dead or alive bounty" was placed on his head. No matter what the Florida courts decide, with or without a jury, Trayvon will still be dead and George will still worry about his safety.
Events not reported by the media
A school in Florida where the students left classes in protest only to attempt to trash a local mall.
Black Students in a Michigan high school beating on white students stating, "This is for Trayvon".
Now we will have to wait for over a year for a trial. I wondering if it will be another OJ trial where he unfortuantely received the judgement of his peers. Comments from a juror in that trial of, "All they had was the DNA evidence".
Now, over the next year+, they are going to find that this useless killing was from a gun fired at very close range. They are going to find traces of gunpowder residue on both the shooter and the victim and have to decide what all this means, for there were no witnesses. The screams of "help" are going to be analyzed by "experts" of both sides and each side will say they came from their client. A jury is going to have decide whether this young man was stalked, or whether it was him who was doing the stalking, in which the Florida "Stand Your Ground" law will favor the defendant. In finality we will only learn once again that a useless killing occured whether it be justified or not. Sharpton and Jackson will once again, receive many monetary contributions to their cause from hardworking people who live paycheck to paycheck and the New Black Panthers will be enboldened to go even further in their militant aims.
I pray for Trayvon Morris's parents for they will have to live with this for the remainder of their lives.
the question remains “would he have been shot if he was Hispanic
Why is the Democrats and Liberal Press so afraid to say Hispanic/Latino....?
Come November Latino's/Hispanics will remember ...
Agree
And the fact that that Hispanic/Latino had to hide fearing for his life from the militant bounty hunters, the same ones that our Attorney General Holder refused to prosecute for harassing voters in the 2008 election, the same ones that did much the same tactics in the Duke case.
I understand that he is now being hid in the jail system for fear of reprisal.
What bothers me most
Is that you don't see the outburst for victims of Black on Black crime or for the racial muders committed by persons of color.
The number one cause of death for young black adult males is still other Black males. Where are the calls for justice when the suspect is Black. Where are the Sharpton's and Jackson's when the suspect is black at best they are trying to explain why he should not be punished. Same is especially true if the victim was white.
Racial issues are still alive and being fed by those who make a living off of stirring the racial pot. If they really want justice not to be a racial issue then let justice work regardless of skin color.
Comment
And the choir said "Amen".
Historical accuracy for Mr. Harbit.
Where does it say in the constitution that Indians may be killed? I do recall in my teaching that in almost every case those who were here before us also killed us. Agreed, later the United States moved west after the Civil War and we had a very habit of breaking treaties with Native American Nations. The nortorius "Trail of Tears" was brought out by the State of Georgia laying claim to Cherokee lands. That is a truth, but never so stated in the Constitution.
Right here on the land upon we live today, The Battle of Contentnea Creek in a battle led by Colonel John Barnwell wiped out the remainder of the Pamtico, Coree, and Neusiok Indian tribes that were killing those who took and settled in the land and called it New Berne. When Columbus "discovered" America, named after Amerigo Vespucci, another explorer, he found thousands of people already living here, that had been for thousands of years. That is also fact. However, Columbus was a devout Catholic.
Slaves were counted as 3/5ths of a person for census purposes, an agreement reached by the writers of the constitution to ensure that would not be more representatives in congress from slave holding states. Now, we can cite Jim Crow, Poll tax, etc, laws in southern states that kept people of color from being allowed to vote. However, that was not in 1787. One of the men killed in the Boston Massacre was a black man named Crispus Attakus. One of the men shown rowing in that famous picture of Washington Crossing The Deleware was a black man named Orange. Both fought for our freedom as a nation.
Forced land take over, or eminent domain is a state function, not a federal one, with the exception of later federal military installations established for the defense of our country, and national preserves primarily brought out by President Teddy Roosevelt. Yes, there was the TVA in th 1930's which brought electricity to the South that displaced thousands of farmers in the lowlands between the mountains that were to be flooded, but that was a law called the National Recovery Act signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, not the Constitution. Never was it a White Protestant only. The state of Maryland was founded and, at the time of the writing of the Constitution still primarily Roman Catholic. In fact, the First Amendment to our Constitution states in part the free practice of religion.
Please do not throw out myths as facts of our founding fathers in bland statements.
Most Indian Tribes were wiped out by other Indian Tribes
Don't paint a fairy tail...
Where is he?
His own lawyers cannot find him. This man is so afraid and intimated by bounty hunters that he is deep in hiding. However, history states that just 60+ years ago, black men were hiding from the Ku Klux Klan for the very same fears.
So, I ask, what is the difference? Is it so dark a spot on our history that we now look the other way now when the same thing is happening? Is that part of affirmative action?
Where is our Justice Department? Where is the FBI that hunted down Klan members for the same intimidation? Where is Attorny General Holder, who refuses to bring charges against this same militant group for a federal crime of harassing voters?
In Tulsa, just last week, two so called white men, one being of Asian ancestory, went on a killing spree gunning down black people at random. They were caught in two days by the police. No rabble rousers, no militant bounty hunters. The local NAACP thanked the police department publically for their quick response. What is so different from Tulsa and Sanford Florida?
The only response can be selective victimization brought out by racism and ignorance all the way up to the halls of Washington D. C.
and obama
And Obama is complicite with Jacson and Sharpton in encouraging a racial divide because it helps his re-election chances. He can't run on his record at all, especially the part about unitubg the nation's people.
Justice
The Civil Rights movement established that Blacks were being targeted for crimes because of their skin color. These last several weeks Zimmerman has been targeted for prosecution based only on his color. Where does the difference come from? A Lynching is a lynching whether it is by radicals that base their roles in this world on their skin color or their worth as how much hate they can stir.
The cry for justice is a cry both ways. Imagine people across the nation calling for someone's arrest, not based on law, but based on skin color alone. Imagine a white group placing a boundy on a black man. If it is wrong for one skin tone it is wrong for all skin tones. Imagine a white entertainer falsely placing an incorrect address of a black couple on the tweet. Where was the cry for justice?
Justice is not served by the Sharpton's, Jackson's on the New Black Panthers. Racial division is empowered by their actions and words. When justice is based on skin color there can be no justice. When justice is based on emotional lynch mobs there can be no justice. When the call for justice comes from those who make their living keeping racism alive there can be no justice.
JUSTICE
Dear Justice, to me and other people that are mothers and fathers regardless of race, creed or color. if your 17 years old child was gunned down by anybody you would feel just like the parents feel. Have you ever lost a child to a violent crime then you don't understand how it feel. this is not about color. this is about a crime that should not happen because zimmerman was ask not to follow the suspect.
Don't rush
Are forefathers also said innocent till proven guilty. This case is still investigation by a Special Prosecutor and the U.S. Justice Department. You suggested this was a white on black crime. Zimmerman’s father was white and his mother Peruvian. The press called him white. We don’t know what he calls himself. Two TV networks and a newspaper have doctored information to make him sound guilty. It is self- evident that there are those who want him convinced, guilty or not.
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