Racial Profiling and A Heartbreaking Tragedy.

reply to post by femalepharoe


Of course not. You got to remember who most the audience is. It's the reason why when the shoe is on the other foot, a thread like this would have a a load of flags and pages of replies, like a thread about growing racism against white people.

Take a look at the hornets nest those threads kick then compare it to it.

This is event is just a tragedy, through and through. And if the Fed's probe shows this incident was racially motivated then sic the dogs on that idiot. You want to know why i feel like that? Hell, that could have been me or one of my brothers.

This is totally uncool and simply reinforces my opinion, who and what are these soldiers fighting for hm? So i can get shot and killed because some white person thinks i don't or shouldn't live in "their" neighborhood? Whew, hate like that needs to be let go. Nothing good ever comes from it, nothing

reply to post by cenpuppie


It just goes to show you no matter how much the majority of ATS would like you to believe things have changed and they are oppressed now. The facts are they haven't. You can have a confession on 911 tapes, witnesses, DNA, and voice analysis of a kid screaming for someone to help them, and still come out with a unreasonable doubt trying to connect to a law that states in title Stand Your Ground not chase down and hunt.
Guess that's the complexion for the protection for you, must be nice.

Just heard the 911 tapes with the poor kid screaming for his life right before the gun shot, than complete silence.

The police are saying with a straight face that the bloody screams were coming from the 28 year old gunman... completely disgusting. Fck the police.

This video pretty much sums up my feelings about this.

Just got an email from the parents with a little good news:

Despite all this, we have hope. Since we started to lead a campaign on Change.org, more than 500,000 people -- including you -- have signed our petition calling for Florida authorities to prosecute our son’s killer.

Our campaign is already starting to work. Just last night, the FBI and Department of Justice announced they were investigating our son’s killing. Newspapers around the globe are reporting that it’s because of our petition.

reply to post by Believer101


Words can't sum up how I feel about this extremely unfortunate cold blooded murder

Whether it will be proven to be racially motivated or not (I personally feel it was racially motivated) will not bring this "CHILD" back. What has been done can not be undone and a life has been taken away from a family who had dreams for their "CHILD". Let's not forget this was a "CHILD", with a bag of skittles and a can of tea in his hands...not some crazy, deranged, drugged out random person who had a concealed weapon attempting to commit a crime. This "CHILD" was walking down a street he had every right to walk down regardless of his ethnicity, clothes he was wearing or shoes on his feet trying to get back to his starting point. To make matters worse, the self admitted killer wasn't arrested nor was he drug tested nor was a background check done...WTF America? That's INSANE!!!!!!!

Wow...just wow I really can't get over this. This is just sadness to the core of my soul, so sad that I cried. I feel so bad for this "CHILD's" parents, family, friends and community. I also feel very bad for the young lady he was speaking with on the phone during the last few minutes of his precious life.

I went through something similar when I was 18. I had just dropped my boyfriend off at a friends house to celebrate his brothers 21st birthday. He (my boyfriend) was 18 also. He got into a "bagging/joking" match with another youth and won. It turned violent which ended up with the two of the them having a fist fight and I heard my boyfriend won. My boyfriend called me to tell me what just happened and if I could come back and pick him up because he had just got into a fight, I said yes. I told him I was on my way and that he should just start walking down the street, I would be there in 10 minutes. When I got there 10 minutes later, he was dead on the floor from 5 gunshot wounds to the back and a cracked skull from being hit over the head with a pipe from behind. Although that situation wasn't racially motivated, it is still a horrible thing to live through. For years, I dealt with the guilt of wondering what would have happened if I had just gotten there earlier, maybe I should have ran that yellow light or sped through the stop sign just blocks away. I'll never know. I hope the young girls family will get her counseling because she will probably need it. I can only imagine what she is going through right now, smh. What a horrible thing to live with.

This grown ass man had no right...NO RIGHT, to shoot and kill and unarmed human who posed no threat what so ever to his life. I hope he gets the death penalty. If proven guilty, it would be more satisfying if the courts allowed the father of this "CHILD Treyvon" to push the death delivering drugs into his veins while he sits there and stares into his eyes while he dies. Better yet, let this "CHILD'S" entire family drag this piece of trash Zimmerman, through his community he so cherished first then the community that was robbed of a life, before shooting his crazy ass with a 9mm...Now that would be JUSTICE in it's truest form.

I'm very angry over this and at the same time disappointed at some of the comments that have been made in this thread. Whether racially motivated or not an innocent life has been taken for no reason at all...that is all that matters. It could have been one of you or your loved one.

Instead of arguing racism, why don't some of you ask why and how could this happen in America?
(Not directed at OP)




ETA
Star & Flag OP

Where is George Zimmerman? Why hasn't he been arrested even now?

Strip away all of the hotly debated topics such as race and gun laws and what you have left is simple - A grown ass man stalked and gunned down a teenager in America and was not charged.

Who made the Sanford police department the soul arbiter of justice? Even if the every ignorant argument of the "stand your ground" law is used, Zimmerman should be charged and have to make the self-defense argument in court. The Sanford Police denied Trayvon even that justice.

But yeah, it is racial because if the situations had been reverse, Trayvon Martin would be in jail.

Originally posted by sad_eyed_lady
Just got an email from the parents with a little good news:

Despite all this, we have hope. Since we started to lead a campaign on Change.org, more than 500,000 people -- including you -- have signed our petition calling for Florida authorities to prosecute our son’s killer.

Our campaign is already starting to work. Just last night, the FBI and Department of Justice announced they were investigating our son’s killing. Newspapers around the globe are reporting that it’s because of our petition.

Thank you for posting this. I got the same email while I was in class and was going to post it when I got back.

In other news, I found this article during class as well.

Florida’s 2005 “Stand Your Ground” law, which says a citizen doesn’t have to retreat before using deadly force against an attacker, could throw a legal wrinkle into the case of a neighborhood watch captain who shot to death an unarmed black teenager.


Police in the central Florida town of Sanford have said that 28-year-old George Zimmerman claims he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defense during a confrontation in a gated community. Police have described Zimmerman as white; his family says he is Hispanic and not racist.

In all of my years of experience, families will do anything to help their kids. Not to mention the fact that they won't admit someone in their family is racist if it comes to that family member going to jail.

Legal experts, gun-rights advocates and gun-control groups contacted by msnbc.com offered varying opinions on whether Zimmerman can avoid criminal charges under Stand Your Ground.

Richard Hornsby, an Orlando-based criminal defense attorney, says he thinks the grand jury is likely to indict Zimmerman for manslaughter, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Less likely is a more serious charge of second-degree murder, a crime that implies intent and that is punishable by up to life in prison, he said.
“This case isn’t even a close call to me. This is a case of a guy trying to be a vigilante,” Hornsby said. “It wasn’t like he was trying to avoid trouble. He brought a firearm to a fistfight.”

I could not have said it any better than he did there. Zimmerman brought a gun to a fistfight. End of story. There's no justifying what he did.

“My gut feeling he will ultimately be charged with some type of manslaughter charge,” agreed Philip Sweeting, retired deputy police chief for the Boca Raton Police Department and a law enforcement consultant who has testified in court cases as an expert in police shootings and use of force.

Watch the entire news conference.
“My gut reaction was this was an accidental discharge,” Sweeting added. “If you put yourself in the shooter’s position and you’re wrestling with this kid and a gun goes off, what are you going to tell the cops?”

Apparently, according to Zimmerman, you yell "self-defense" even when you were the one who started the altercation in the first place.

Daniel Vice, senior attorney with the gun-control group Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, contends “Stand Your Ground,” combined with Florida laws allowing people to carry guns in public, have made it difficult to pursue criminal charges against people who shoot others and then claim it was self-defense.

“All you have to say is that you reasonably believed you were threatened, and the only person who can dispute that is the person you have just killed,” Vice says.

"It's very hard to bring these types of cases because the 'Shoot First' law combined with public carrying of loaded guns protects people who engage someone and shoot to kill."

This is the biggest problem with this case. The "shoot first" law. Which, IMHO, shouldn't even exist in the first place. That entire law is messed up big time and should be gone.

According to a 2010 review by the St. Petersburg Times, reports of justifiable homicide tripled after the law went into effect. It has been invoked in at least 93 cases with 65 deaths, used to excuse violence in deadly neighbor arguments, bar fights, road rage and even a gang shootout, the newspaper reported.

That is EXACTLY why that law should not be in effect. People can just go around and shoot anyone they have a small disagreement with and be completely fine with it. What is going on with our country?!?!?!!!

The article is here if you wanna keep reading. It's a fairly large article.

Did this boy have a record of violence?
How big was he?
Big enough that Zimmerman thought he was a threat?
Really, would he be hostile enough to approach a man with a gun?
Unseemly that a man with a gun would be screaming for help.
The voice on the tape could/should be anylized and identified.

Just looked at the article with the pics.
He's just a skinny kid. Definitly no threat to large grown man with a gun.

Originally posted by birthcannon
Reply to post by MaryStillToe

 

i lived in a black neighborhood in detroit for about 8 months. i watched at least 20 white kids getting mobbed on by groups of black guys and sometimes girls. i heard numerous cries of get that white mother f!$&#er. so. shut up. you have no idea what you are talking about.

 

Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

 

Absolutely true. happened to me when I was growing up in Detroit on the East Side many times. This has been going on since the riots.
Why do you think whites left the city? No one wants to live around that and white get the blame. lolol

Originally posted by femalepharoe
reply to post by birthcannon

 

the difference is - if the police would have arrived and seen those black kids jumping those white people (or anyone else) they would have been arrested (and beat) promptly.

This man is walking around and he admitted to shooting him. to murdering him

It has just been released that they questioned the murderer - not even giving him an alcohol or drug test , which is against protocol for someone killing someone else whether they claim self defense or not.

You're right. it is NOT the same thing.

You have obviously never been to detroit. The police, if they show it is days later.

reply to post by Believer101


The thing you fail to understand with these laws is they have become popular and exist because there aren't adequate protections in place for those legitimately defending themselves. Granted this particular law is way too wide open for this kind of nonsense. As details of this come out, it has become increasingly clear that this was in fact racially motivated. And the "stand your ground" law shouldn't even apply. He had no business following this kid to begin with let alone the authority to confront him. But keep your focus where it belongs because outlawing acts of self defense is not the answer. Narrow the scope of this particular self defense law and get this guy behind bars where he belongs.

Originally posted by femalepharoe

Originally posted by Ameliaair
A white hispanic guy named George Zimmerman? Private police in a gated community? Only one group in this country have their own private police force in their private communities and they are neither hispanic nor white.


There is more of a cover up than what is being told here.

yes, I peeped that. Not only that - if you read closely they state that George Zimmerman is a "Spanish SPEAKER" - its a clever liitle trick of linguistics.

Notice the way the press is drilling 24/7 that he is white. It really pisses me off that white people are being blamed for this crapola when its obvious what racial make-up that man is.

More fuel to the divide and conquer fire.

Originally posted by KillerQueen
This story is outrageous.

The kid is guilty of being black and walking down the street. Period.

He's minding his own business, got some Skittles and an iced tea. All of the sudden he is confronted by some dude - one hundred pounds bigger and ten years older - following him and harassing him. For all he knew the guy could have been a pervert trying to abduct him or something.

I live around the area where it happened and they talk about it on the radio alot. According to a lot of things I've been hearing, they only show pictures of the kid when he was 13. He actually weight about 230 and was 6'2 when this happened. By accounts, Zimmerman was about 190 and 5'8.

Originally posted by KillerQueen
Where is George Zimmerman? Why hasn't he been arrested even now?

Strip away all of the hotly debated topics such as race and gun laws and what you have left is simple - A grown ass man stalked and gunned down a teenager in America and was not charged.

Who made the Sanford police department the soul arbiter of justice? Even if the every ignorant argument of the "stand your ground" law is used, Zimmerman should be charged and have to make the self-defense argument in court. The Sanford Police denied Trayvon even that justice.

But yeah, it is racial because if the situations had been reverse, Trayvon Martin would be in jail.

George Zimmerman if arrested will also get off. Not because of the castle law. Not because he is supposedly white or hispanic.

Its a cover-up and whites and latinos are getting the blame.

Florida's stand your ground law makes sense when used properly and by someone mentally competent to pass a gun safety course. I had weapons training through the US Military and conditions have to be met to justify using deadly force. Given the information I have read this situation was not even close, no way using deadly force was an option here.

Give the DOJ a reasonable amount of time to make the arrest, they need a little bit of time to gather evidence. It will happen and I do believe 1st degree murder is an appropriate charge.

reply to post by WhatAreThey


That's a lie the kid is 100 lbs lighter and 10 years younger he was not an intimidating force and he was minding his own business running from a stranger who was following him at night. You have the stats reversed Zimmerman is 250 kid was a 140. Its easy info to find out who did you hear that from. Pretty soon the kid will be a rabid animal with hulk like muscles and a fist full of ecstasy by those accounts

I just find it appauling
the MSM kept saying
white person killed black
person when the guy is obviously
latino when you see the picture..

Kid's not even white, this is a total
race war they are trying to wage..

Originally posted by popsmayhem
I just find it appauling
the MSM kept saying
white person killed black
person when the guy is obviously
latino when you see the picture..

Kid's not even white, this is a total
race war they are trying to wage..

edit on 20-3-2012 by popsmayhem because: (no reason given)

He is neither latino nor white

Originally posted by Ameliaair

Originally posted by popsmayhem
I just find it appauling
the MSM kept saying
white person killed black
person when the guy is obviously
latino when you see the picture..

Kid's not even white, this is a total
race war they are trying to wage..

edit on 20-3-2012 by popsmayhem because: (no reason given)

He is neither latino nor white

You would think he is
by the way it is being reported
and reading peoples posts going
on how this is a white racist crime.
The MSM have been saying white person
ALL day.

Originally posted by popsmayhem

Originally posted by Ameliaair

Originally posted by popsmayhem
I just find it appauling
the MSM kept saying
white person killed black
person when the guy is obviously
latino when you see the picture..

Kid's not even white, this is a total
race war they are trying to wage..

edit on 20-3-2012 by popsmayhem because: (no reason given)

He is neither latino nor white

You would think he is
by the way it is being reported
and reading peoples posts going
on how this is a white racist crime.
The MSM have been saying white person
ALL day.

Oh I know. That little enclave is afraid to death right now of being found out and the media is hiding their true identity and passing the blame off on whites again as usual.