Backing Away Slowly...

[shipperx]

The Trayvon Martin case has been both heartbreaking and infuriating. Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that a boy was killed for going to the store to buy Skittles, wearing a hoodie, for a culture infatuated with guns, and because of racist stereotypes (and mindsets). This can't be divorced from racism because when listening to people argue about this case, the underlying racial problems are obvious when 'somehow' Trayvon is being indicted for the POSSIBILITY that he MAY have tried to defend himself in the 1 minute gap between the phone call and his being killed... indicted by the same people 'defending' Zimmerman by arguing that Zimmerman was 'just defending himself' and therefore justified for following Martin and--according to the phone call--confronting Martin. Why is it that Zimmerman's defenders see no contradiction in their indicting a slaughtered boy for possibly/maybe defending himself from the guy who had just stalked him on a dark, rainy street with their saying that Zimmerman is 'justified' for feeling 'threatened' after he stalked the boy and brought about a confrontation while Zimmerman was armed?!.

That's where bias is very most definitely on full display.

Putting aside the ABC released video footage of Zimmerman in the police station (where he doesn't appear to have any injuries that match the desciption he and his defenders have given) my jaw dropped at Zimmerman's father's statement:

I never foresaw so much hate coming from the president, .

For the record the President said:

"If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon Martin"

...which is the truth! It's called empathy.

Trayvon Martin was just a boy. He was someone's beloved son and brother. His life was violently ended and his parents left grieving. Expressing empathy for a child and his parents in no way whatsoever qualifies as 'hate. That it's interpreted as such says a hell of a lot more about the person reading his statement that way than the President showing empathy for the grieved in a human tragedy.

...and Zimmerman Sr. calls the President's statement hateful? WTF? Seriously, WTF.

Comments

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

Which is an excellent demonstration of how institutional bigotry works. On the one hand, shit like this must be called out. On the other hand - anyone daring to call racism, homophobia or misogyny for what it is will be painted by many as the aggressor, and the original perpetrator will be readily adopted by those unwilling to see their own prejudice and declared the victim of "haters".

Godfuckingdamnit.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Yes. Where the HELL is the autopsy? Why did the police behave the way that they did? How was the gun, the shooter's clothing, and the physical evidence in the case not handled better? Why did it take three days to contact Martin's parents? Why did they accept the 'word' of a guy who had a restraining order from his girlfriend for physical harassment.

Listening to people now force it into a discussion of how Trayvon Martin was behaving, whether he fought back, etc. Good grief, he was an UNARMED KID who was frightened, being followed, and just trying to make it home!

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

And then there's this... Somehow, I think the debate about it will quickly be spun into Santorum being the victim.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Holyl fucking cow!