Trayvon Martin

[PhuturePriest]

Honestly, I think the media needs to shut up about the whole situation. The media is trying to make it about racial tension as it is wont to do, and it is trying to cause controversy because that makes money. It's the media that should be on trial for inciting so many riots and murders. This man may be guilty, he may not be, but the media needs to put its gigantic nose out of it and let the cops do their job.

[Anomaly]

The Stand Your Ground law is starting to really get some scrutiny. I think I've changed my position and don't think the police screwed up as much as I thought. It's a fundamental problem with SYG laws in Florida. here:
[url="http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/article1222930.ece"]http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/article1222930.ece[/url] is a link to the Tampa Bay Times with some good articles. It seems that SYG laws have kept shooters from being prosecuted even when they chased after 'suspects' and a confrontation ensued.
Sadly, it seems the Martin's tragedy is about a flawed law and making it about race distracts from the real issue.
We have a society of laws to maintain order. Sadly, Zimmerman may never be legally charged or convicted of anything. It's an injustice to society to have protests claiming it's about race and believing that public opinion will force justice on Zimmerman. There are other lives being lost under the same circumstances with the killer not being tried in court, or if tried, having charges dismissed even if they pursued the victim after a confrontation.

The Times explains a couple of other similar tragedies with 'cop wannabes' or regular citizens confronting real criminals or just annoying people and a confrontation escalates to use of deadly force with the killer not being charged (regardless of race).
My understanding of the law, and the legislators who crafted the law said there is no way the law would protect someone who pursues the suspect, even after a confrontation originally ends. That is not the case.

Well intentioned people ask well intentioned law makers to make a law to protect citizens if they act to protect themselves. We're human and imperfect and sometimes we have to make corrections to well intentioned acts. Whatever the societal issues, confronting a stranger in your neighborhood is part of reality. Having laws that make it okay to do so with a gun in your pocket puts too much life and death responsibilty into the hands of an average citizen.

[Groo the Wanderer]

Well well well. It seems NBC (national barack channel) has been caught doctoring the 911 call to stir up racial tensions....

[url="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/02/nbc-launches-internal-probe-over-edited-11-call-in-trayvon-martin-shooting/"]http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/02/nbc-launches-internal-probe-over-edited-11-call-in-trayvon-martin-shooting/[/url]

[color=#000000][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3][left]NBC has launched an internal probe after running an edited version of the 911 call from George Zimmerman -- the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin -- that made Zimmerman sound racist.[/left][/size][/font][/color]


[left][color=#000000][font=arial, sans-serif][size=3]NBC's "Today" show ran the edited audio of George Zimmerman's phone call to a police dispatcher in which Zimmerman says: "'This guy looks like he's up to no good … he looks black." [/size][/font][/color]

[color=#000000][font=arial, sans-serif][background=transparent]
But the audio recording in its entirety reveals that Zimmerman did not volunteer the information that Martin was black. Instead, Zimmerman was answering a question from a police dispatcher about the race of the "suspicious person" whom Zimmerman was speaking about.[/background][/font][/color][color=#000000][font=arial, sans-serif][background=transparent]
A transcript of the complete 911 call shows that Zimmerman said, "This guy looks like he's up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about."[/background][/font][/color][color=#000000][font=arial, sans-serif][background=transparent]
The 911 officer responded saying, "OK, and this guy — is he black, white or Hispanic?"[/background][/font][/color][color=#000000][font=arial, sans-serif][background=transparent]
"He looks black," Zimmerman said. [/background][/font][/color]


Anyone surprised? really? [/left]

[kujo]

Apparently the video that everyone said "proved" that there was no broken nose or welts on the back of George's head has been further scrutinized and shows, clearly, that he had several injuries to his head:

[url="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/trayvon-martin-case-enhan_n_1397022.html"]http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/02/trayvon-martin-case-enhan_n_1397022.html[/url]

[Groo the Wanderer]

I believe the media should be charged with a hate crime for manipulation of the evidence and deceiving the public.


I demand public floggings immediately

[arfink]

[quote name='Groo the Wanderer' timestamp='1333448813' post='2412250']
I believe the media should be charged with a hate crime for manipulation of the evidence and deceiving the public.


I demand public floggings immediately
[/quote]

Flogging media people would just [i]make my day.[/i] Well, some of them anyways. I'm sure they don't all deserve it of course. Maybe they could just give us, say, Brian Williams and call it a day?

[Jesus_lol]

sean hannity did volunteer to be waterboarded to prove it isnt torture, but he never made good on that. i would like to see that happen though.

[MIKolbe]

lol how does getting waterboarded prove it isn't torture? lololololool oh, silly Sean!!!

[Luigi]

I've been waterboarded, AND I [b]LIKED[/b] IT!

It ain't torture at all. In fact, I go waterboarding every chance I get!

[Groo the Wanderer]

its overrated. been there, had it done. meh

[Mercy me]

The media has a fiduciary responsibility to report the news honestly without fear and free of coercion. It is so important that it is protected in the Constitution.

What we have here is a flagrant violation of that public trust with the intent to stir the public and sensationalize a story and drive up ratings. This kind of behavior can get people killed.

This really makes me sick.

[eagle_eye222001]

It seems that a not-so innocent young person entangled with a neighborhood defender.

Race aside....because there is REALLY NO reason to think this was racially motivated except people of the opposite color were in the same incident. AND THIS IS WHY AMERICA HAS ISSUES....because the media ASSUMES racism before proof.

Anyway, as I said before about race being a non-issue.....

The probable incident was someone who was defending his neighborhood...but mistakenly overstepped his role, ended up killing someone who was not so innocent.

However it seems only three people really know what happened. One is dead, the other is one in three persons, and that leaves us the suspect. But I don't see enough evidence to go either way convincingly beyond a shadow of a doubt.

I am sorry someone was shot. But I really don't see a need to do anything. Of course the liberals will scream about seizing all the guns...........although ironically they should be shouting about arming their youth to protect them against neighborhood watchers.

[4588686]

[quote name='Mercy me' timestamp='1333510997' post='2412733']
The media has a fiduciary responsibility to report the news honestly without fear and free of coercion. It is so important that it is protected in the Constitution.

What we have here is a flagrant violation of that public trust with the intent to stir the public and sensationalize a story and drive up ratings. This kind of behavior can get people killed.

This really makes me sick.
[/quote]

No it's not. Even a charlatan like Al Sharpton doesn't compare to the Colonial press. The idea of an objective press didn't even emerge until the 1830's-1840's and didn't really dominate the press until the mid-early twentieth century.

[Mercy me]

[quote name='Hasan' timestamp='1333512961' post='2412747']
No it's not. Even a charlatan like Al Sharpton doesn't compare to the Colonial press. The idea of an objective press didn't even emerge until the 1830's-1840's and didn't really dominate the press until the mid-early twentieth century.
[/quote]

I have read the colonial press. They could be very scathing and actually pretty funny as well. I really love reading old publications when I can get my hands on them.

I know that my post sounds naive as I read it now. But today our press claims impartiality but in reality they are no where near it. This behavior in this case is wrong on so may levels. There are those out there that are trying to incite people, Sharpton et al. When I hear a story and the actions of authorities don't make sense it me as questions and want to know the truth. These people had the raw facts and chose to manipulate them to further incite people.

We have laws against crying fire in a theater. What responsibility would the media have if someone is hurt by people that they have incited? My guess is that they would not be held responsible and that there may have already been people hurt because of their irresponsible behavior.

[4588686]

[quote name='eagle_eye222001' timestamp='1333512909' post='2412745']
It seems that a not-so innocent young person entangled with a neighborhood defender.

[/quote]

If I weren't so nice I'd say something about reflexive fornication.