What was "suspicious" about Trayvon Martin ?

[Emperah]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

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[SmoothOperator]

Re: What was &quot;suspicious&quot; about Trayvon Martin ?

Just listened to a snippet of the 911 call. Zimmerman is reportedly heard muttering fvvcking cooon under his breath in reference to Martin at around 1.54 mark during his 911 call to the police. It is a whisper but you can hear it. This dude needs to go down.

http://politicartoons.livejournal.com/3001255.html

[Skelly]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: St_Bess</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As the mother of a black 36 year old male I cannot tell you how many times my son has been stopped and thrown on the ground with a cop boot in his back - countless times. You see, although I have explained to him that he does not have the same rights as &quot;others&quot; he does not believe me -- he thinks he does. The worst time was when cops followed him to our Long Island home and right into my drive way, dragged my son from the car because they thought he stole the car. It was 1:30 AM and I had to get up out of my bed to prove that the car belonged to me and why? The car was brand new and no young black male should be driving it unless they stole it. If it was not for the grace of God that could have been my son - shot dead on the street like a dog. Not only should they arrest that idiot but the cops on the scene should be suspended for derelection of duty. </div></div>

St Bess

I have a young teen who love to chat bout how it is 'my era' dat these things gwan. We spoke last night and ended up having a conversation that I thought initially could wait another year.. The 'What to do when you are stopped by a cop' speech. </div></div>
The Black Parent's Burden in America

[Nunya]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

Everyday, no matter how good a day I am having, it's always at the back of my mind that something, if not as lethal, but certainly degrading, could happen to my kid at the hands of the police. Every day I think this.

I try to prepare him, I try to get him to see that he and his friends are not viewed as equal in the eyes of the law.

He says he gets it, but I don't think he does.... *scared*

[MsExced]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

Listen to me man mi head nuh stop hurt since this happen. I was at the protest Tuesday with the Law Students.

I'm with you nunya mi fret fi mi son everyday, we will not let this go away.

We going after the Chief of Police too we need to get him out of office. Him was the same one that did not want to arrest him police friend son who beat up the homeless man.

[Peasie]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

I thank God for you Ms. Exced and I stand with you.

I tell you this hits home. When 5 yt cops surrounded my son two years ago as he walked with his African friend in their college neighborhood, then threw my boy in jail overnight on trumped up charges I was When those same cops checked my son's background from college records, they were like &quot;oh ish! we messed up...&quot;

Trayvon could have been my son

I am incensed and if yuh need me to march dung deh inna Florida to show solidarity, I will be there

[ILP]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Nunya</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Everyday, no matter how good a day I am having, it's always at the back of my mind that something, if not as lethal, but certainly degrading, could happen to my kid at the hands of the police. Every day I think this.

I try to prepare him, I try to get him to see that he and his friends are not viewed as equal in the eyes of the law.

He says he gets it, but I don't think he does.... *scared* </div></div>

Nunya when me say me sick...mi sick bad. Since mi hear this story....I have almost been paralyzed with the thought of Hunter. He has such a free spirit, which to some in this country is viewed as a threat. I almost feel incapable of teaching this lesson to Hunter. As I do not believe I have the tools to teach him how to save his life...it all seems so counterintuitive. How do I teach him that he is a human, but at the same time teach him what to do when others may not see him as such?

My heart is so heavy. Mi cyan look pon the mother when mi see har on tv. Mi juss cyan do it.

[kia027]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A webpage about the march told supporters if they couldn't make the rally to, “Send bags of Skittles to the Sanford Chief of Police, demanding that George Zimmerman be brought to justice.” Trayvon Martin was found to have an Arizona Iced Tea and Skittles on him when police responded.</div></div>

Bill Lee
Chief of Police
815 West 13th Street
Sanford, Fl 32771
Phone: 407.688.5070
Fax: 407.688.5071

[Nunya]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HIELPEE</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Nunya when me say me sick...mi sick bad. Since mi hear this story....I have almost been paralyzed with the thought of Hunter. He has such a free spirit, which to some in this country is viewed as a threat. I almost feel incapable of teaching this lesson to Hunter. As I do not believe I have the tools to teach him how to save his life...it all seems so counterintuitive. How do I teach him that he is a human, but at the same time teach him what to do when others may not see him as such?

My heart is so heavy. Mi cyan look pon the mother when mi see har on tv. Mi juss cyan do it. </div></div>

(((<span style="font-weight: bold">ILP</span>)))

And so the plan to dehumanize us continues....

[Blackstar*]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Skelly</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: St_Bess</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As the mother of a black 36 year old male I cannot tell you how many times my son has been stopped and thrown on the ground with a cop boot in his back - countless times. You see, although I have explained to him that he does not have the same rights as &quot;others&quot; he does not believe me -- he thinks he does. The worst time was when cops followed him to our Long Island home and right into my drive way, dragged my son from the car because they thought he stole the car. It was 1:30 AM and I had to get up out of my bed to prove that the car belonged to me and why? The car was brand new and no young black male should be driving it unless they stole it. If it was not for the grace of God that could have been my son - shot dead on the street like a dog. Not only should they arrest that idiot but the cops on the scene should be suspended for derelection of duty. </div></div>

St Bess

I have a young teen who love to chat bout how it is 'my era' dat these things gwan. We spoke last night and ended up having a conversation that I thought initially could wait another year.. The 'What to do when you are stopped by a cop' speech. </div></div>
The Black Parent's Burden in America </div></div>That's one of the reasons I'm not in favor of white people adopting black children. I know, I know, save it for another thread...

[Skelly]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

here's an op-ed piece i submitted to a local paper here...


I’m a current events junkie, I must admit that. However, I generally try not to try to get too emotionally entangled with major news stories. It’s uncanny how even when you don’t know the victims they repeatedly show from channel to channel, you can get so caught up in the injustices that in the end, you become so emotionally drained. It had been weeks ago when I first heard of the slaying of the 17 years old Florida teen, but never paid any attention to it. Why? It’s not because I did not care, but because I was just jaded. Innocent young, black men being killed just because they “looked suspicious” was nothing new. And 9 out of 10 times it can be said that justice was never done. I stashed Trayvon Martin into my “another one bites the dust” pile. But what changed for me? When did it start to matter? Nearly a month later when I saw his parents shed tears on the television after they reported that the police department had done nothing at all in handling the case and the gunman had not been arrested, even after the 911 tapes were released.
My attention was captivated. I just could not believe that the man was still free based on the “stand your ground doctrine”. Now it behooves me that the police did not do their policework to ensure that the shooter was legitimately acting in self defense. Thanks to an investigation that was sparked by national outrage, the media was able to pick up information that the police should have been able to recover from their own investigations. George Zimmerman, the self appointed neighborhood watchman, has a history of making frivolous 911 phone calls. As a matter of fact, 46 calls were made to 911 since January of 2011. He reported suspicious activities, which most of the time appeared to have been black males who just happened to be going about their business. When he called 911 on the day of the tragic event, he admitted to have been following Trayvon Martin, at which point the dispatcher instructed him not to do so. Zimmerman did not heed to the instruction and the result was the death of a young, black teen who was armed with a bottle of iced tea, a bag of Skittles, and a cell phone.
Zimmerman claims that he acted in self defense, but from a logical perspective it does not seem reasonable for a skinny teenager to attack a very husky fully grown man with just a bottle of iced tea, a bag of Skittles, and/or a cell phone. The damning 911 phone calls where you could here Martin screaming for help right before being shot in the chest provides an even clearer perspective. An attacker does not scream out for help. Even more damning is the revelation that Martin was on the phone with a girlfriend right before the attacks. She told him to run when he said he was being followed. The teen instead decided to ask his would be murderer why he was following him, to which the man asked him what he was doing there. A single gunshot followed.

This case has rattled my nerves. I cannot fathom what this family must be going through. But even worse, what millions of black parents in America must be feeling at this time. I think back to the days when little girls were being bombed in churches, young black men were being slaughtered just because they were black, and I feel horrified because not much has changed. I grieve for these parents, because even though we are in the 21st century and we teach our children that everything is better now, it really is not.
Although, we have a black president in this country for the first time in our entire history, not much has changed. Yes, young, black men are free to go to college with their white counterparts, compete for decent jobs, and live in the suburbs and upscale neighborhoods. They can shop in nice stores, drive nice cars, eat in nice restaurants, and marry who they please. But no, I know in my heart that I cannot tell my children that everything is OK. There is still a deep rooted hatred for blacks in this country. We pride ourselves on being a great big melting pot where everyone has equal access to all opportunities and yet still poor, black mothers, some homeless, are being arrested and jailed for sending their kids to schools outside of their school districts. And many black mothers have to constantly worry about their son being pulled over for driving a fancy vehicle that “they could never possibly own”. I’m surprised that President Obama has not had at least one assassination attempt at this point.

I am deeply disappointed and fearful. I do not have any sons, but I fear for my daughters. They too, someday, may have to worry about their sons. That is of course unless they marry someone who is not black and their child can pass for something other than black. But is this the only solution for us: to basically whitewash our people? To erase our blackness that has long since been a stain and pariah in the American culture? I have only questions and no answers. And that is the case for many of us who wonder when institutional racism will end. We have no doubt whatsoever that if it were Martin who was the shooter, and Zimmerman the victim, he would have been arrested on the spot. Even the writer of the castle doctrine law, Republican Dennis Baxley, announced that a case of this nature is not covered by the law. But it does not matter. Trayvon was a suspicious black male and his shooter was acting within the law. Let us not forget the fact that the officer in charge of the investigation had previously been under fire for not arresting a lieutenant's son who was caught attacking a homeless black man back in 2010. The blatant mishandling of the case, and witness tampering by the police screams subliminal racism.

And so, the black parent’s burden continues. No my son. No my daughter. No matter how straight a line you walk in this country, you will never be guaranteed a fair shot at anything, even just being alive. The parents of the slain young man must pick up the pieces of a shattered hope that one day, their son may become something great in life. I weep for the mothers who have lost their sons to acts of racism. I feel sad for the ones who have to sit their young sons down and tell them what to do if stopped by the police. And I feel betrayed. I feel that the law that is supposed to govern and protect us is actually being used to support a very racist agenda.

[RichD]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

[kia027]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

what Rich said but using less bandwidth. Well stated Skelly!!

[Nunya]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kia</div><div class="ubbcode-body">what Rich said but using less bandwidth. Well stated Skelly!! </div></div>

Dis mek mi BOAL! Mek yuh so cheap??? cha... Good going Skells!!

Remember though, that while our daughters may not be readily shot or lynched, they face the very real possibility of being raped, or fondled or degraded in some other way... ways that can be as devastating as a bullet...

[lonewolf]

Re: Orlando Watch Shooting Probe Reveals Questionable

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> That's one of the reasons I'm not in favor of white people adopting black children. I know, I know, save it for another thread</div></div>

You can't make a racist statement like that without explanation...