“Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passion, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence.” — John Adams, 'Argument in Defense of the Soldiers in the Boston Massacre Trials,' December 1770
The verdict was met by "mostly peaceful" demonstrations, as the media likes to call them, when they're not interested in discussing the demonstrators who weren't peaceful. The liveliest protests occurred not in Florida, where the Zimmerman-Martin incident and trial occurred, but in California and New York. Windows were broken, police were pelted with rocks, reporters were assaulted, American flags were burned, and roads were shut down.
It could have been a lot worse - many authorities feared it would be. Perhaps underplaying the violence helped to keep things from getting worse. But what was the point of even the entirely peaceful demonstrations? During the height of unrest in Sanford, Florida after Martin died, we were told the angry demonstrators just wanted a fair trial. Well, they got one, even though Florida law had to be bent out of shape to produce it. Outrageous charges were filed, less outrageous charges were introduced at the last minute, the prosecution withheld evidence from the defense, the judge sometimes seemed to conduct herself as an assistant to the prosecution... and Zimmerman still won a full acquittal.
Profiting from the death of a child is sick and disgusting. Unfortunately, this describes the circle of exploiters promoting the Trayvon Martin traveling show after his death in February 2012. And if you're Trayvon's parents, there's nothing like having the president, the attorney general, the state attorney general, several civil rights lawyers, and invested others to help you in your campaign.
Shame on Sybrina Fulton, Tracy Martin, the State of Florida, the lawyers, and all the vultures picking a dead kid's bones clean for a lousy buck and political points.
In his column "Race Hustlers" last Thursday, Mark Alexander wrote:
"Once the race hustlers and DoJ had plowed the Florida fields, Obama, the consummate racial agitator, nationalized the Zimmerman/Martin case by sowing this seed a month after the incident: 'This is a tragedy, uh ... uh and when I think about this boy, uh, I think about my own kids, uh ... I think that all of us need to do some soul searching to figure out how something like this happened. ... If I had a son he would look like Trayvon, and, uh, you know, I think [his parents] are right to expect that all of us as Americans, uh, are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves."
On the Zimmerman verdict, Alexander notes, "Now that Zimmerman has been rightfully exonerated, perhaps Obama can nationalize the race-based murder of a white man in Georgia by a group of black gangbangers. I suggest he start by declaring, 'If I had a son, he would look like those thugs'.. who murdered Josh Chellew last week."
"Benjamin Jealous of the NAACP is already lobbying Attorney General Eric Holder to indict Mr. Zimmerman on federal civil-rights charges. Millions of Americans would see such federal charges as an example of double jeopardy, and a politicized prosecution to boot. There is no doubt that many law-abiding black men are eyed suspiciously in some quarters because they are black. The motivation may sometimes be racial. But such a discussion also cannot exclude that the main victims of crimes committed by young black men are other blacks. Mr. Zimmerman made many mistakes that February evening, not least failing to heed police advice not to pursue Martin. Despite his acquittal, he will pay for those mistakes for years as he defends against a possible civil suit and must wear a bullet-proof vest to protect himself from threats of violent revenge that he has to take seriously. If there is any satisfaction in his acquittal, it is that the jurors followed the law's requirements that every defendant deserves a fair trial, even one who becomes a symbol of our polarized racial politics." — The Wall Street Journal
I have been reluctant to comment on the Zimmerman case while the trial was in progress
I will not comment on the case, the evidence presented, or the verdict but I will comment on three elements of the media circus surrounding the trial. Those three things are:
- The media coverage,
- The politics and misconduct surrounding the prosecution, and
- The racial politics that we are deluged with today
The Media Coverage.
From NBC doctoring the 911 operators tape to the AP calling George Zimmerman a “self-identified” Hispanic the mainstream media has been in the tank for a conviction of Zimmerman. A conviction would have fit their narrative of racism and the acquittal did the same. Even with the trial now behind us, and a verdict of not guilty, Trayvon's parents and their exploiters will no doubt get a maximum rate of return on a kid they hardly knew.
Sybrina's and Tracy's fictionalized image as doting parents has been woven into the Trayvon narrative. How ironic that Martin's and Fulton's detached, aloof, and controlled affect so soon after their ordeal has managed to elicit such emotional responses from the public. Whoever was coaching these people deserves some kind of award -- but then again, money and fame are powerful motivators.
The famous pastor Jamal Bryant called Fulton the "mother of the new civil rights movement" when she addressed his Black Empowerment Temple in Baltimore in 2012. The Baltimore Sun went so far as to describe the "grey cocktail suit with sparkling buttons" Fulton was wearing for her debut. Fulton told the congregation she couldn't cry, because "she had work to do" and God was "using her."
The media also bears a real responsibility for sensationalism. After all, most people can’t spend their days reading police reports or listening to trials. But in Zimmerman’s case, "NBC Nightly News" and the "Today Show" went so far as doctoring tapes of Zimmerman’s 911 call to make it look as if he was fixated on Trayvon Martin’s race.
Even late in the trial, media coverage still showed pictures of a much younger 12-year-old Martin continually reinforcing the image in many minds that Zimmerman had shot a young child, not a six-foot, 17-year-old football player.
Many readers might be surprised to learn that 17-year-olds are almost 50 percent more likely to commit murders than 28-year-olds such as Zimmerman.
While the national media’s rush to judgment against George Zimmerman was going on they seemed to overlook a few cases that did not fit their racial narrative.
Let’s begin with the case of the 13-year old son of Melisa Coon of Kanas City, MO. On March 12, 2012 the New York Daily News:
“A 13-year-old boy who police say was doused with gasoline and lit on fire last week while walking home from school is recovering from first-degree burns to his face and head.
The boy was just two blocks from his home in Kansas City Tuesday when two teenagers began to follow him and then attacked him, his mother, Melissa Coon, said.
Police have described the suspects as black 16-year-olds, while the victim is white.
"We were told it's a hate crime," Coon told KTLA.
"They rushed him on the porch as he tried to get the door open, Coon told KMBC. "(One of them) poured the gasoline, then flicked the Bic, and said, 'This is what you deserve. You get what you deserve, white boy."
By lighting the gasoline, the second attacker "produced a large fireball burning the face and hair" of the boy, according to a Kansas City Police Department report obtained by KCTV.
"It was pretty bad stuff," Detective Stacey Taylor told the TV station, adding that police are concerned the boy may have suffered damage to his eyes and lungs.
Coon said her son put out the fire with his shirt and called 911 himself. He was rushed to the hospital and was treated for his injuries.
She believes the students also attend East High School with her son, and said he will not be returning to the school. She also told KMBC her traumatized family plans now plans to move.”
As you can see black on white is not considered a hate crime by the media.
Then there is the case of Sherry West in Georgia and her 13-month old baby. The woman was pushing the baby in her stroller when approached by two black youths. The youths wanted money and when the woman said she had none De'Marquise Elkins, 17, and Dominique Lang, 15 said they would shot here and her baby if she refused their demands Once again the woman stated she had no money so the De'Marquise shot the woman and the baby in the face. Fortunately the bullet on grazed Sherry West but the baby died instantly. According to CNN Justice:
“A Glynn County, Georgia, grand jury indicted two teenage defendants in the death of a 13-month-old boy, the district attorney announced Wednesday.
Because the defendants were younger than 18 when the killing took place on Thursday, they cannot face the death penalty if convicted.
De'Marquise Elkins, 17, and Dominique Lang, 15, were charged with murder last week and made their first court appearance Monday.
CNN is identifying Lang because he is charged as an adult and media in the community have been naming him since he was arrested.
Elkins faces malice and felony murder charges. Lang is accused of felony murder.
Among other charges, each teen is accused of aggravated assault, criminal
attempt to commit armed robbery and first-degree cruelty to children. Elkins also is accused of attempted robbery on March 11.
According to the indictment, the gun used in each case was a .22-caliber revolver.
Last week, Sherry West told reporters she was pushing her baby, Antonio Santiago, in a stroller in broad daylight in Brunswick, Georgia, when two teenagers approached her.
One demanded money and pointed at her what West first thought was a fake gun. But he fired at her twice, missing her head and hitting her in the leg, West said. The teen then shot the baby Antonio in the face, West said.
Neither teen entered a plea during Monday's court hearing.
The indictment also includes charges against Elkins' mother, Karimah, his sister, Sabrina Elkins; and an aunt, Katrina Elkins.
Karimah and Katrina Elkins are accused of making a false statement. Karimah and Sabrina Elkins are charged with tampering with evidence by throwing a firearm into a pond. The mother also is accused of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Mom to teenage son accused of shooting baby: 'I love you'
Baby's death marks 2nd time Georgia mom loses a son to violence.”
Once again the national media did not think this a story worthwhile of its time or concern. Of course this was a case of black on white crime and we know these crimes do not merit our attention. Will Eric Holder investigate this as a hate crime?
And finally we have the report from Chicago that over the Fourth of July weekend there were 72 shootings in Chicago, President Obama’s hometown, with 12 dead. According Channel 5, NBC Chicago:
“Twelve men were killed and at least 60 other people were wounded in shootings throughout Chicago during the holiday weekend, including eight people who were shot in a West Side attack Saturday.
The weekend's latest shooting took place Sunday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. in the 4700 block of South Ashland when two men were shot, one fatally.
According to preliminary information, one man, whose age was not known, was killed in the shooting after being shot in the back and another was taken in critical condition with wounds to the arm and chest, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Joshua Purkiss.
Two men reportedly fired on a group of people at a home in the 2800 block of West Flournoy Street in the Lawndale neighborhood around 6 p.m. Saturday, police said.
The evening shooting left one person dead, four people in serious-to-critical condition at John H. Stroger Hospital and another in fair-to-serious condition at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to fire officials.
Police said a total of six people were hospitalized after the incident.
One man, 49-year-old Terry Patterson, of an unknown address, was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
One of the victims also included an elderly woman, 72, who was shot in the ankle, police said.
No one was in custody for the shooting as of Sunday morning.
A 5-year-old boy was among the wounded -- shot early Friday alongside two men at a West Pullman park. Several hours earlier, a 7-year-old boy was also shot in a park -- this one in Chatham.
A 24-year-old man was charged Saturday in connection with the shooting of the 5-year-old boy.
Chicago Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy released a statement on the weekend's violence stating "no shooting or murder is acceptable."
"While to date we've had significantly fewer shootings and significantly fewer murders this year, there's more work to be done and we won't rest until everyone in Chicago enjoys the same sense of safety," McCarthy said in the statement.”
How many of those killed or wounded looked like Barack Obama? I guess he nor Eric Holder just don’t give a tinker’s damn about black on black or black on white crime. These crimes just do not fit their racial agenda.
The politics and misconduct surrounding the prosecution.
This was a politically motivated prosecution from the get go. When the Local District Attorney and Chief of Police would not bring charges they were fired by the local politicians and the Governor appointed a special prosecutor as he bowed to the pressure of the race baiters who were brought in from New York and Washington D.C.
Judicial Watch announced last week that it had obtained documents proving that the Department of Justice played a major behind-the-scenes role in organizing protests against George Zimmerman. Zimmerman is on trial for second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in February 2012.
Judicial Watch filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the DOJ on April 24, 2012. According to the documents JW received, a little-known DOJ unit called the Community Relations Service deployed to Sanford, FL, to organize and manage rallies against Zimmerman.
Among JW’s findings:
- March 25 – 27, 2012, CRS spent $674.14 upon being “deployed to Sanford, FL to work marches, demonstrations, and rallies related to the shooting and death of an African-American teen by a neighborhood watch captain.”
- March 25 – 28, 2012, CRS spent $1,142.84 “in Sanford, FL to work marches, demonstrations, and rallies related to the shooting and death of an African-American teen by a neighborhood watch captain.”
- March 30 – April 1, 2012, CRS spent $892.55 in Sanford, FL “to provide support for protest deployment in Florida.”
- March 30 – April 1, 2012, CRS spent an additional $751.60 in Sanford, FL “to provide technical assistance to the City of Sanford, event organizers, and law enforcement agencies for the march and rally on March 31.”
- April 3 – 12, 2012, CRS spent $1,307.40 in Sanford, FL “to provide technical assistance, conciliation, and onsite mediation during demonstrations planned in Sanford.”
- April 11-12, 2012, CRS spent $552.35 in Sanford, FL “to provide technical assistance for the preparation of possible marches and rallies related to the fatal shooting of a 17 year old African American male.” – expenses for employees to travel, eat, sleep?
JW says the documents it obtained reveal that CRS is not engaging in its stated mission of conducting “impartial mediation practices and conflict resolution,” but instead engaged on the side of the anti-Zimmerman protesters.
On April 15, 2012, during the height of the protests, the Orlando Sentinel reported, “They [the CRS] helped set up a meeting between the local NAACP and elected officials that led to the temporary resignation of police Chief Bill Lee according to Turner Clayton, Seminole County chapter president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.” The paper quoted the Rev. Valarie Houston, pastor of Allen Chapel AME Church, a focal point for protestors, as saying “They were there for us,” after a March 20 meeting with CRS agents.
Separately, in response to a Florida Sunshine Law request to the City of Sanford, Judicial Watch also obtained an audio recording of a “community meeting” held at Second Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Sanford on April 19, 2012. The meeting, which led to the ouster of Sanford’s Police Chief Bill Lee, was scheduled after a group of college students calling themselves the “Dream Defenders” barricaded the entrance to the police department demanding Lee be fired. According to the Orlando Sentinel, DOJ employees with the CRS had arranged a 40-mile police escort for the students from Daytona Beach to Sanford.
These documents detail the extraordinary intervention by the Justice Department in the pressure campaign leading to the prosecution of George Zimmerman,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “My guess is that most Americans would rightly object to taxpayers paying government employees to help organize racially-charged demonstrations.”
Organizing such protests falls well within both President Barack Obama’s and Attorney General Eric Holder’s wheelhouses. Obama was a “community organizer” in his career prior to elective politics, a position that uses protests and street theater, along with threats, to obtain concessions from businesses and other political opponents. Holder has accused America of being a “nation of cowards” for not discussing racial issues enough. He also described black Americans as “my people” during a congressional hearing.
Harvard Law professor Alan Dershowitz says the prosecutors in the George Zimmerman murder trial should be charged with "prosecutorial misconduct" for suggesting the defendant planned the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin.
"That is something no prosecutor should be allowed to get away with … to make up a story from whole cloth," Dershowitz told "The Steve Malzberg Show" on Newsmax TV.
Dershowitz called Guy's statement "such speculation. How does he get into the mind of Zimmerman? He hasn't cross-examined him, he hasn't met him.
"To ask the jury to believe that is to ask the jury to convict based on complete and utter speculation and that's not the way the law operates."
A day earlier, prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda said Zimmerman — whom he labeled a "wannabe cop" — "followed" and "tracked" Martin after profiling him as a criminal.
Dershowitz said not only should Zimmerman have not been charged with second-degree murder, but prosecutors should not have pushed to have manslaughter and child abuse added to the list of possible jury verdicts.
“It's utterly irresponsible. The idea that the prosecution can try the case on a murder theory and then, at the last minute, substitute manslaughter, even though it seems to be permitted generally under Florida law — it's a big mistake to allow it in a case like this,” he said.
"And then the very idea of even suggesting child abuse in a case like this is so irresponsible."
Dershowitz praised the closing argument of defense lawyer Mark O'Mara.
"He did the right thing by being methodical and factual because this is a case where the prosecution's case is all emotion and the defense case is all factual," the famed civil-rights lawyer said.
"Emotionally, obviously everybody can identify with a young, unarmed 17-year-old who ends up dead, and emotionally, as President Barack Obama said, he's all of our children."
Dershowitz — whose clients have included Claus von Bulow, Mike Tyson, Patricia Hearst, and former televangelist Jim Bakker — said the case had "reasonable doubt" written all over it.
"Nobody knows who started the initial physical encounter, who threw the first blow — and if you don't know that you have to have a reasonable doubt," he said.
"Nobody knows for sure who screamed, 'Help me, help me.' You have to have a reasonable doubt about that. Nobody knows for sure who was on top and who was on bottom, though the overwhelming forensic evidence suggests that Zimmerman was on the bottom having his head banged by a younger, stronger man. You have to have reasonable doubt there."
Immediately after the verdict was announced, however, the NAACP and outspoken activist Al Sharpton called on the Justice Department to launch a federal civil-rights probe, charging that the case had been racially tainted.
Dershowitz is calling for a civil-rights probe as well. But he contends the person whose rights were violated was Zimmerman.
“I think there were violations of civil rights and civil liberties — by the prosecutor,” said the criminal-law expert. “The prosecutor sent this case to a judge, and willfully, deliberately, and in my view criminally withheld exculpatory evidence.”
He added: “They denied the judge the right to see pictures that showed Zimmerman with his nose broken and his head bashed in. The prosecution should be investigated for civil rights violations, and civil liberty violations.”
Dershowitz said the second-degree murder case should never have gone to trial considering the flimsy evidence against Zimmerman. He also does not believe it was strong enough to be submitted to a jury for deliberation.
“If the judge had any courage in applying the law, she never would have allowed the case to go to the jury,” Dershowitz told Newsmax. “She should have entered a verdict based on reasonable doubt.”
Dershowitz singled out special prosecutor Angela Corey for “disciplinary action.”
He criticized the state’s probable-cause affidavit for not including evidence indicating Zimmerman could have been acting in self-defense, including graphic images of blood streaming from his scalp and nose.
“The prosecutor had in her possession photographs that would definitely show a judge that this was not an appropriate case for second-degree murder,” the Harvard professor told Newsmax. “She deliberately withheld and suppressed those photographs, refused to show them to the judge, got the judge to rule erroneously this was a second-degree murder case.
“That violated a whole range of ethical, professional, and legal obligations that prosecutors have. Moreover, they withheld other evidence in the course of the pretrial and trial proceedings, as has been documented by the defense team,” he said.
Dershowitz described the prosecution’s attempt late in the case to add a third-degree murder charge by asserting the shooting constituted child abuse “so professionally irresponsible as to warrant sanctions and investigations.”
Dershowitz said various legal and bar association organizations could investigate how the state handled the prosecution. He added it could warrant a federal investigation as well.
“I think people’s rights have been violated,” the famed attorney told Newsmax, “but it was the rights of the defendant and the defense team, by utterly unprofessional, irresponsible, and in my view criminal actions by the prosecutor,” he said.
Dershowitz went on to express his opinion that Corey is “basically a prosecutorial tyrant, and well known for that in Florida.”
Dershowitz and Corey have had run-ins before. She contacted Harvard Law School demanding that he be disciplined for voicing his opinion that she had improperly omitted information that could have exonerated Zimmerman.
“Of course, the Harvard Law School laughed at her complaint,” he said.
As of Sunday evening Newsmax had not received a response to a request for Corey’s reaction to Dershowitz’s remarks. Even after the verdict was rendered Saturday, Corey continued to defend her decision to charge Zimmerman with second-degree murder.
“We charge what we believe we can prove,” she told the media. “That’s why we charged second-degree murder. We truly believe that the mindset of George Zimmerman and the words that he used and the reason he was out doing what he was doing fit the bill for second-degree murder.”
Corey said the case “has never been about race,” but also said there was “no doubt” young Trayvon Martin had been “profiled to be a criminal.”
Although Zimmerman was cleared of all charges, Corey told the media: “This case was about boundaries and George Zimmerman exceeded those boundaries.
Dershowitz tells Newsmax he expects there will probably be a lawsuit filed against Zimmerman for civil damages. He said civil-damage cases require a lower standard of proof that a wrong has been committed, and Zimmerman would not be able to avoid testifying.
But Dershowitz adds: “I don’t know where you’ll find a lawyer who is prepared to bring it, because it has very little chance of success.”
Asked if he expects Attorney General Eric Holder’s Justice Department to launch a civil-rights investigation targeting Zimmerman, Dershowitz stated: “I don’t think that’s going to happen, and if it happens, I don’t think it would succeed.”
Dershowitz told Newsmax the prosecutor overcharged the case, and never should have sought a second-degree murder conviction.
“The theory was clearly to charge second-degree murder, and hope for a compromise verdict of manslaughter,” he said.
The prosecution is coming under withering criticism from some legal experts for their handling of the Zimmerman case, with some believing that the second degree murder charge was unwarranted.
The Miami Herald ran an article that stated:
“After five weeks of trial and 56 witnesses, few legal observers believed prosecutors came close to proving Sanford neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman committed second-degree murder when he shot and killed Trayvon Martin in February 2012.
So for many legal analysts, it was no surprise that jurors rejected even a lesser "compromise" verdict of manslaughter, acquitting Zimmerman outright of all criminal charges and deciding he acted in a reasonable way to protect his own life.
The acquittal was a stinging blow for prosecutors and their decision to file the second-degree murder charge against Zimmerman, who was not initially arrested by Sanford police after claiming self-defense. And it was a resounding embrace of the defense's strategy during closing arguments not just to establish that prosecutors hadn't proven Zimmerman guilty, but also to show he was "absolutely" innocent.
"Justifiable use of force is one of the most difficult areas of the law," State Attorney Angela Corey acknowledged Saturday after Zimmerman's acquittal. "Make no mistake, Trayvon Martin had every right to be on the premises as did George Zimmerman that's what makes this case unique."
Zimmerman defense attorney Don West Zimmerman defense attorney called the prosecution's case a "disgrace."
"We proved that George Zimmerman was not guilty," he said.
Jude M. Faccidomo, the former president of Miami's Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said the jury clearly believed in the right to self-defense: "Especially when cases are so gray, like this one was, self-defense really resonates because people can associate with being afraid."
And while some also have questioned the state attorney's office acceptance of a mostly white jury, a more diverse panel would have returned the same verdict, lawyers who have watched the case believe.
"After seeing the quality of the evidence presented by the state, the diversity of the jury really didn't matter in the end," said Larry Handfield, a prominent African American Miami criminal defense lawyer. "But it would have helped the community in giving more credibility to the decision to acquit Zimmerman."
This is a fascinating article in that it rehashes the trial, step by step, witness by witness, showing how incredibly weak the prosecution's case was. It just wasn't credible and the jurors weren't buying it.
One telling remark is the notion that even a "diverse" jury would have found Zimmerman innocent. Could a jury with several African Americans on it given Zimmerman a fair shake? I don't know if it's universally true, but I've told by attorneys and jurors alike that a remarkable transformation occurs when people are faced with deciding the fate of a fellow citizen as they sit on a jury. They take their responsibilities very seriously and try to do the right thing without regard to race or class. I'd like to think that Zimmerman would have been found innocent regardless of who was sitting on the jury.
But now, something has happened and it’s sure to be something that won’t sit well with Angela Corey. “The indictment accuses Corey of allegedly withholding photographs of Zimmerman’s head after the incident. Also, Corey allegedly falsely signed an arrest warrant under oath without including the pictures as evidence. Critics claim that Corey rushed the arrest warrant through because activists were rallying around the Trayvon Martin shooting, demanding that Zimmerman be charged with murder. Critics argue that Corey was attempting to secure a reelection with the support of the activists.
I feel no pity for people who deliberately obfuscate facts because it is politically expedient for them to do so and are eventually discovered because of it. Such is the case with Corey. As noted above, Corey deliberately appeared to withhold key evidence and then falsified everything by signing an arrest warrant under oath. In spite of her denials to the contrary, it appears that Corey did what she did to placate the activists who were screaming for Zimmerman’s blood. This is not justice! It is political correctness and we know that under political correctness, it is not justice that is sought, but “equality,” whatever that means.
Of course, we need to be clear here. This is a citizen’s grand jury and while the results of their findings may harm Corey’s career politically, it has no power to put her in a court of law that might result in a jail sentence. Citizens’ grand juries carry little weight, but they do make a statement.
Who knows, but maybe in the not-too-distant future, a real jury will preside over a court case involving Angela Corey and her illegalities. One can only hope.
The racial politics that we are deluged with today.
The George Zimmerman case should never have been brought. Saturday night after the “not guilty” verdict was delivered, State Attorney Angela Corey justified bringing the case “to put the facts out there.” But criminal cases should never be brought simply to put the facts before the public.
No one should be charged with a crime unless prosecutors themselves really believe that the person committed a crime.
Yet, the prosecution and their own experts’ language consistently showed a lack of certainty. Prosecutors aren’t supposed to bring cases where the best they can say is that something might “possibly” have happened or that there was a “chance” that it did.
Comments by President Obama, Al Sharpton, and others surely stirred up the racial aspects of the case and appear to have led some blacks across the country to attack whites to avenge Trayvon Martin (e.g.,Gainesville, Florida; Oak Park, Illinois; Mobile, Alabama; Toledo, Ohio; Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Norfolk, Virginia).
This farce of jurisprudence would never have occurred without leading “liberals” like Al Sharpton and his mainstream media buddies beating the drums endlessly for an indictment in a case the local Florida authorities never wanted to try (and for good reason).
Barack Obama helped out too, injecting the presidency (and race) in an unfortunate, but minor regional death by saying “If I had a son, he’d look just like Trayvon.”
I guess all black people look alike to Obama who, unlike Trayvon, attended the most exclusive private school in Hawaii followed by Occidental, Columbia and Harvard in that order. No such luck for Trayvon and, most likely, not much more had he lived. He wasn’t exactly an honor student and evidently dabbled in petty crime. But he did share something with the president, an attraction for cannibis sativa.
According to former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy writing in National Review:
“Attorney General Eric Holder's minions, it is worth remembering, consulted with the NAACP before the Justice Department dropped the New Black Panthers voter intimidation case that the government had already won. There would have been no Florida prosecution of Zimmerman absent the extortionate pressure brought to bear by Attorney General Eric Holder.
We knew that even before learning last week that Justice's 'Community Relations Division' (Alinsky-style rabble-rousing under the guise of 'peacemaker') colluded at taxpayer expense with the NAACP and other agitators to demand that charges be brought against Zimmerman — managing, in the process, to get Sanford police chief Bill Lee cashiered for daring to do his job faithfully, tune out the politics, and decline to arrest Zimmerman because the evidence didn't support it.
Recall that contemporaneous with the spring 2012 demonstrations against Zimmerman that the Justice Department abetted — and with President Obama's nod-and-wink incitement that, if he had a son, the son would 'look like Trayvon' — Holder sped down to Florida. There, he sang the praises of race huckster extraordinaire Al Sharpton, joining Rev. No Justice, No Peace in calling for Zimmerman's scalp. Holder's M-O was to threaten a federal civil rights prosecution if Florida failed to act."
Race relations is an industry in our country. Many non-profit groups, who long ago out lived their own stated goals, must continue race-baiting and doing exactly what Martin Luther King preached against. What is truly sad is that they are not as passionate about solving the real problems in the ghettos and inner cities, in places like DC, Detroit and Chicago. Instead they use these disastrous places as justification to try and disarm all law-abiding Americans and demand even more tax dollars be spent on failed programs. Their main concern and focus today is to raise money and gain power. They really don’t give a damn about the people they supposedly speak for.
"Over the past several years I've read numerous articles from Mark Alexander that were great. However, Race Hustlers is outstanding and I believe it should be required reading for all who are allowed to vote in this country.
The civil rights movement in 20th century America attracted many people who put everything on the line for the sake of fighting against racial oppression. But the eventual success of that movement attracted opportunists, and even turned some idealists into opportunists. Over the generations, black leaders have ranged from noble souls to shameless charlatans. After the success of the civil rights insurgency, the latter have come into their own, gaining money, power and fame by promoting racial attitudes and actions that are counterproductive to the interests of those they lead. None of this is unique to blacks or to the United States. In various countries and times, leaders of groups that lagged behind, economically and educationally, have taught their followers to blame all their problems on other people — and to hate those other people.
Groups that rose from poverty to prosperity seldom did so by having racial or ethnic leaders. While most Americans can easily name a number of black leaders, current or past, how many can name Asian American ethnic leaders or Jewish ethnic leaders? The time is long overdue to stop looking for progress through racial or ethnic leaders. Such leaders have too many incentives to promote polarizing attitudes and actions that are counterproductive for minorities and disastrous for the country.
Will we graduate to full-blown mob rule, where the "Justice for Trayvon" community decides that verdict wasn't good enough, and demands a rerun of the legal drama - perhaps under the auspices of federal civil-rights charges — until the "correct" verdict is returned? Is this really getting anyone in any community where they want to go? The odds of a young black person dying violently remain terribly high, but the odds of a "white Hispanic" neighborhood watch volunteer pulling the trigger are vanishingly small. America should not tear itself apart pretending otherwise.
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