Race-Obsessed Radicals and Guns

The Breitbrats are still “vetting” Derrick Bell and his critical race theory. Apparently to even suggest that U.S. institutions might be rigged to favor white people is an outrageous lie promoted by “race-obsessed radicals.” Worse, say the Breitbrats, critical race theory is even being used “as a foundation to encourage teachers, students, and school systems as a whole to talk about race,” at taxpayers’ expense.

Wow, imagine that. Just you watch; next schoolchildren will be indoctrinated with the idea that it’s not nice to beat up gay people, or something.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is taking an interest in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old African American male killed by a “neighborhood watch” captain. Martin had been walking from a 7-11 holding a suspicious bag of Skittles and a very threatening can of Arizona Ice Tea.

This would normally have been a local case, but law enforcement officials in Sanford, Florida, seemed disinterested in prosecuting the shooter, George Zimmerman. And the forensic evidence plus eyewitness testimony plus a 911 call made by an obviously hysterical Zimmerman all suggest that Zimmerman chased down, assaulted and shot Martin for no rational reason. But Zimmerman claimed the shooting was self-defense, and the local police bought that and were making no effort to investigate further.

Part of the problem here is that Florida self-defense laws are so broad and loose that just about any shooting — well, unless perhaps the accused shooter is a black gang member and the victim is a comatose nun — could be considered self-defense. Pretty much all the perpetrator has to do is say it was self-defense, and it’s like holding a Get Out of Jail Free card. The prosecution has such a high burden of proof to meet to declare otherwise that it’s pretty much open season for homicide in Florida. Remarkably, Louisiana has a higher homicide rate than Florida, which makes me wonder what the bleep is going on in Louisiana.

For the details in this case, please see Adam Weinstein, Charles Blow, and Ta-Nehisi Coates. For possible future further developments, see Steve M.

20 thoughts on “Race-Obsessed Radicals and Guns

  1. Anyone want to bet, that if Zimmerman was an adult black male, and Martin a white teenager, that any questions the police wanted addressed to the shooter would have been asked posthumously?

  2. Conservative Blogger POV:
    Oh, so now our Nigra President is sending down his Nigra AG to frame a white man for shooting a threatening N*gger teenager.

  3. Pretty much all the perpetrator has to do is say it was self-defense, and be white, and it’s like holding a Get Out of Jail Free card.

    Fixed that for you. I’m thinking that if it had been a black guy who had followed a white guy walking down the street, and then the white guy was shot dead, that black guy wouldn’t be walking around free right now. That black guy might not be walking around at all.

  4. I don’t see why any white person in 2012 needs to take critical race theory personally. It’s simply a fact that race and racism have profoundly shaped our culture and institutions. But a lot of white people do have some curious need to defend themselves whenever anyone mentions slavery. Personally, if I imagine myself back to 1830, as a white person I imagine myself among the abolitionists. I don’t imagine myself as a slave driver, so I don’t see what I have to feel guilty about.

    • I don’t see why any white person in 2012 needs to take critical race theory personally.

      Yes, but you are intelligent and rational, unlike the Breitbrats.

  5. I disagree with Trayvon’s mother that he was killed because of his race. Zimmerman was already primed and pumped to blow somebody away, and circumstances just made Trayvon an easy quarry. Although race shouldn’t be discounted in Zimmerman’s assesment of his target.

    It’s a daly occurence here in Florida that someone gets wasted because some yahoo is empowered to provoke with the assurance that his provocations are rewarded with his being able to” just blow away” his target.

  6. I remember when this law was up for passage in Florida and thinking that surely no even semi-rational legislature would pass it. Wrong – again.

    I’m seriously beginning to question Lincoln’s drive to save the Union.

  7. OT – but important – Paul “If You Can’t Throw Granny From the Train, Then Starve The Old Bitch To Death” Ryan, and the Republicans have introduced a new “budget:”

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/03/20/1076086/-House-GOP-s-budget-shreds-the-safety-net-gives-big-tax-nbsp-breaks-

    You’ll be glad to know, I’m sure, that it has Medicare, Medicaid, S-CHIP, SS, and Food Stamp cuts, to go along with no cuts for the defense budget, but plenty of tax cuts for the rich!
    YAY!!!

    It’s a Conservative “wet-dream!”
    And a national nightmare…

  8. It could be just my perception, but when I heard parts of Zimmerman’s 911 call, he didn’t sound hysterical– he sounded intoxicated. During the call, he said “these a**holes just think they can get away with it” (walking in his eyeline, I presume), which could refer to African Americans or teenagers or just anyone cutting across his lawn.

    It looks to me like race unquestionably entered the picture when the cops stepped in. The Sanford PD’s “investigation” was appalling by any standard, even if I had a time machine that could take me back to 1955. It also bothers me that Zimmerman’s dad tried to defend against charges of racism by saying, “Hey, my son is Hispanic”… for what does that mean, other than the Zimmermans believe a person’s ethnicity can explain behavior?

    I do know this much: comparing the photos I’ve seen of the victim compared to the shooter, I know which one I’d be more worried about meeting in a dark alley. 50 phone calls to 911 in a year, dude? Really? There’s nothing scarier than a paranoid with a gun.

  9. “Martin had been walking from a 7-11 holding a suspicious bag of Skittles and a very threatening can of Arizona Ice Tea”

    Hey he was black and wearing a hoodie, what else do you need?

  10. Ah, thank you for posting about the “Stand your ground” law in Florida. One thing to keep in mind is that this is a recent development… Jeb Bush signed that bad boy into law, which is surprising – when has a son of George HW Bush ever done something stone-cold stupid that appealed to wingnuts? (Just in case I need to say it – j/k)

    This is exactly what was warned about when the law was passed… that people would be able to engage in murder, and unless there were direct witnesses (who weren’t “threatening” to the gunman – I suppose “you’re going down, pal, Florida has a death penalty!” could be construed as a threat to one’s life), there’d be a big chance that the murderer would walk.

  11. Just 2 weeks ago there was another stand your ground killing just down the street from where I live…A road rage incident at 1:30 in the morning where the killer followed his victim into the apartment complex where the victim lived.. The killer could have easily just moved on by dismissing the victim as an asshole when he turned off the main road.

    When you’re packing a rod there is a tendency to get a little more assertive in your refusal to take shit from anybody. And sometimes you’re just itching for an opportunity to blow some little ungodly pimple faced creep away..

    I remember the early days of the Castle Keep law…And how the prayer went up to heaven..”Oh Lord, deliver onto me this night an intruder, that I may in my righteousness smite them mightily with a .357 magnum. All glory be unto you”

  12. No inspired thoughts on the matter, just a sadness that a young man with a great smile is gone. And we need everybody who smiles so much to counterbalance the assholes who can only be and look bitter.

    May Trayvon rest in peace with the Lord; may his family find solace and comfort.

  13. a very threatening can of Arizona Ice Tea.

    That’s suspicious right there — a minority voluntarily purchasing a product associated with the state of Arizona.

  14. I knew when the “Stand your ground” law was passed, trouble would soon follow.
    I think the Sanford PD is scared shitless of the NRA.
    I’m glad to see the Feds are getting involved.

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