The race issue in the George Zimmerman shooting of Trayvon Martin has been pushed early and often.
We’ve covered the false accusations that Zimmerman called Trayvon Martin a “coon” on the initial 911 call, and that Zimmerman suggested that Martin was suspicious because black (that was an NBC editing fabrication).
The entire focus on a “hoodie” was a concoction of activists trying to portray a racial angle, and gullible students fell for it around the country:
The hoodie has become the symbol of protests regarding the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman.
From images of former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm wearing a hoodie, to the “million hoodie march,” to Havard law students wearing hoodies with a sign “Do we look suspicious?,” to Congressman Bobby Rush appearing on the House floor in a hoodie, the hoodie has come to symbolize alleged racial profiling by Zimmerman which led to the shooting.
The symbolism is powerful, and addresses wider concerns about racial profiling and actual use of hoodies by gangs and criminals of many races.
But as relates to the Zimmerman-Martin case, the hoodie at best is speculative symbolism, not based on any known facts connected to the shooting. While Martin was wearing a hoodie that night, there is nothing other than surmise to suggest that Martin was considered suspicious by Zimmerman for that reason.
In the 911 call (audio, transcript) in which Zimmerman reported a suspicious person, the clothing Trayvon was wearing was not initially mentioned …
A hoodie was mentioned but only in response to questioning by the dispatcher as to what the suspicious person was wearing
There is no evidence that George Zimmerman is racist and strong evidence to the contrary. The media ignores Zimmerman’s own mixed-race background when discussing racial aspects of the case.
On April 14 … 2012, The Saturday Night Card Game called BS on the race narrative based on facts, Saturday Night Card Game (What is left of the Zimmerman-Martin racial narrative?)
The net result of a fair assessment of the racial narrative of the case is that there is no racial narrative based on currently known facts. There are only assumptions and speculation drawn from historical events and experiences in which George Zimmerman was not involved.
We will find out in a few weeks how the jury rules. But based on what we know, I don’t think anyone with credibility can rule out a not guilty verdict. Perhaps there is evidence we have not heard (I’m waiting to find out about bullet trajectory and whether it jives with Zimmerman’s account), but based on what we have heard a not guilty verdict seems like a distinct possibility.
A significant portion of the community is ill-prepared for a not guilty verdict, because for over a year they have been subjected to a steady stream agitation portraying the case as race-based.
Here’s a tweet I saved as the jury selection of 5 white women and 1 Hispanic woman was seated on Thursday.
The Black & Latino communities are represented by 1/2 of a juror on the #GeorgeZimmerman jury.
— bPositive (@bPositive_) June 21, 2013
The Saturday Night Card game predicted all this on March 24 … 2012, Saturday Night Card Game (What happens when Zimmerman is found “not guilty”?):
With the evidence not seeming to be as conclusive as public opinion in the Martin case, this is being set up for a major blow-up, in which expectations and agitation confront the legal rights of the accused.
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Comments
It’s been almost 1 1/2 years since Trayvon died. How many young black men have died by violence since then?
Nobody cares about those killings because most of the perpetrators were also young black men.
Fox News Special – African American Conservative on Sean Hannity:
http://commoncts.blogspot.com/2013/06/video-fox-news-special-african-american.html
“The Black & Latino communities are represented by 1/2 of a juror on the…jury”
And 100% of the accused in the dock.
Or some damn proportion of some damn thing.
How ’bout just seeing Zimmerman…and everyone else…as simply human beings?
“How ’bout just seeing Zimmerman…and everyone else…as simply human beings?”
Rags, you dummy, need to buy my new book,
“Hi-Tech Lynching of Uppity White Hispanics for Race-Card Dummies.”
Save 20% when ordered with,
“Crowdsourcing Irrelevant Racial Details to Taint the Jury of Public Opion for Race Hustling Dummies.”
And save an additional 10% when ordered with,
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Those are good books, but I suspect Trayvon was found and recast as innocent young black child, by Obama’s election team, fitting the “BLACK youth GUNned down by WHITE guy” profile. Election over … Team Obama no longer cares.
Lately it seems, some black folks aren’t so thrilled to ride in the back of Obama’s bus, nor to be run over by it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eGD6O283ipo
Awww…you wrote books for ME…!?!?
I…I…I can’t talk right now…(choke, sniffle…)
I’m sticking to my prediction of a conviction at the trial level that will be later overturned at the appeals level.
There is too much emotion, politics and just plain old ignorance in the mix now…
“How ’bout just seeing Zimmerman…and everyone else…as simply human beings?”
For many black Americans, that suggestion is simply inconceivable. Racism–even fascistic racism–has become mainstream in black America. (This now beyond all doubt: If it were not true, monsters like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would not be so successful.)
And males are represented by 0/2 of a juror on the jury. Or is that 0/12? Too funny. Let them stew in their unsavory juices.
Don’t you think if there was something about the bullet trajectory that didn’t mesh with Zimmerman’s account, we would have heard it? I can’t imagine that the prosecution would not have circulated that to the news agencies if they had anything of substance.
As I have mentioned before, with the voice “experts” being disallowed, I think the prosecution’s only chance is to prove that Zimmerman actually attempted to detain Trayvon. They need to show that Zimmerman was the first to put hands on the other, and I certainly haven’t seen anything to suggest that. Simply following Trayvon (they can’t even prove that) is just not going to cut it.
There seems to be no plausible argument for conviction. Even if Zimmerman “followed” Martin, at the point at which he had cause to fear for his life in the confrontation he was entitled to use deadly force in self defense.
What evidence we have says Zimmerman was attacked by a violent thug.
Josh McDaniels is black?
A race based narrative works in the media’s favor because it’s a winner either way.
If Zimmerman is convicted, it’s obvious.
If Zimmerman is acquitted they shift the narrative to a racist and unfair “system” with a history.
On the merits, this is a simple case. Prosecution has to disprove the self-defense claim beyond a reasonable doubt to get a conviction. Suppose they come up with a brilliant argument and even some new evidence, all undermining self-defense. Given the documentation of Z’s wounds after the event, how likely is it that the jury will have no lingering doubts that he may have been defending himself?
The prosecution would be better off using non-judicial methods such as intimidation!
More seriously, though, is there a possibility that after an acquittal Z may face a second trial on federal charges? It has happened before.
I don’t see how a civil rights case would win. If he is acquitted because the self-defense holds with the jury, then it doesn’t matter what the race is of you and the person trying to kill you (or at least assaulting you with the high perceived risk of serious bodily injury or death). If a civil rights case wins, then does that mean we don’t have the right to defend ourselves against minority attackers? Ohhh kaaaay. Sounds like a recipe to start a race war.
Rags, Professor
Am I wrong to think Judge Nelson is favoring the prosecution? I base this on her allowing derogatory descriptions of Zimmerman while disallowing descriptions of Martin that are similarly derogatory and the slow-rolling of evidence from prosecution to the defense while denying continuances so the defense can review the information?