I’m a little shocked to see so many conservatives (on social media, mostly) not exactly defend the killing of Trayvon Marin, but try and turn the tables or say, “what’s the big deal?”
I’ve heard or read all of the following:
1) Zimmerman had his nose broken before he shot.
2) Blacks kill whites all the time.
3) Holder is a racist.
4) We only care about this because the victim was black and the killer wasn’t (see #2).
5) We shouldn’t judge because we don’t know all the facts.
6) Actually, the Stand Your Ground law shouldn’t apply in this situation.
All this talk is insane. What people do not understand is that people are most upset not at the crime or the race of the victim, but because the killer of an innocent teenager hasn’t been charged with a crime!
Why is this so hard to grasp?
Sure, some who don’t understand the point are just racist. But most, I think, actually just have such a gut reaction to any perceived liberal issue that they just take the other side.
If, after all, you think the country is at war with liberals and white-hating Obama and socialists and the 2nd Amendment and national health care, you can’t let your guard down just because one innocent kid was killed.
Why is it so hard to let your culture-war guard down and say, gosh, maybe the NRA and Republicans advocated a bad law and maybe Trayvon shouldn’t have been followed, assaulted, and killed? And maybe the killer should be charged with a crime, to be settled in a court of law.
Update: If (like many liberals I know) you haveno conservative friends, see this piece for an example of “not getting it” and to learn what the other side is saying:
Last weekend in the city of Chicago alone, gangbangers slaughtered ten people and wounded another forty. The youngest fatality is only six years old. The youngest person wounded is only one-year-old. Many of the victim were pedestrians sprayed with bullets in drive by shootings. The national news has said nothing about this.
So why does one shooting in Florida warrant weeks of national news? Why has there been thousands of articles a day, for the last four days, about one single shooting?
Almost all of the news items about George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin contains a combination of false statements, opinions presented as facts, transparent distortions, and a complete absence of some of the most relevant details.
…
I think you will come to the conclusion that the “mainstream” clearly is pushing an agenda. Even when they have to grossly alter and adjust a story to fit that agenda.
What is insane about point number 5? I keep reading different things all of the time. Facts are reported that seem to contradict each other.
Put me down as one conservative who's incredulous Zimmerman hasn't been arrested.
Unlike the press, I'm still waiting for the facts.
We can judge based on the facts we know. And in this case I'm willing to say we know enough facts to make a judgement. To wit, an innocent black teenager was shot and killed.
And then if at a later date we learn different facts, we're allowed to change our opinion.
This column out of Chicago highlights some of the stupidity of some "conservative" folks regarding the Martin killing and other things as well.
suntimes.com/news/steinberg/11520018-452/some-whites-feel-self-pity-at-shooting-of-trayvon-martin.html
I refuse to hyperlink because I'm in a fowl mood. That means I need to head out for some broasted chicken.
Hmmm… broasted chicken. Is it broiled? Or roasted? And what does it actually mean?
Speaking of broasted chicken Heather MacDonald wrote a piece on the Martin killing.
nationalreview.com/corner/294357/why-manipulate-tragedy-trayvon-martin-heather-mac-donald
She addresses some of the points of the "conservative" commenters have made on this case, but with more finesse.
The thing is it should be possible to walk and chew gum at the same time. We can condemn the killing of Martin while deploring the level of violence in the black community. It doesn't need to be an "either/or" thing.
I'm unsure of exactly what broasted means. Itz sorta like fried, but not quite. I don't cook it, I just eat it.
broaster.com/
I get mine at Jake's Pup in the Ruff on North Sheridan.
uptownavenger.blogspot.com/2007/06/only-rooster-can-get-better-piece-of.html
I did a little research. It's fried. I like fried. Also pressure-cooked, like KFC. I like KFC.
I going to try and visit Chicago this summer. If so, you're buying the broasted chicken. I'm buying the drinks. (Or at least the first two rounds.)
More from conservatives:
foxnews.com/on-air/hannity/2012/03/27/witness-reportedly-saw-trayvon-martin-beating-george-zimmerman-shooting
The way I see it, Trayvon was standing *his* ground. Why shouldn't he?
"These assholes always get away," Zimmerman said. I'm still trying to figure out who "these assholes" are.
So not only was Zimmerman a paranoid bully with a gun, but he couldn't even fight?
We know now that Zimmerman was interrogated at the police station and gave his version of the story in a written statement:
abcnews.go.com/US/trayvon-martin-shooter-teenager-gun/story?id=16000239#.T3Hr0WGkfTo
Zimmerman had physical injuries consistent with his story. And if Fox News is correct, there's an independent eyewitness who saw the scuffle, and he backs up Zimmerman's version of events.
Do I necessarily believe that witness over the others? Am I convinced Zimmerman didn't initiate physical contact? Nope. But put yourself in the shoes of a prosecutor. Does this case feel like a winner? What do you think will be the composition of the Florida jury? They'll have to search far and wide to find people who don't know about this case. How many of those people do you think will be black?
We still don't know everything the police and prosecutors know, so if there's any chance they can find more witnesses, or develop a stronger case, how questionable is it that Zimmerman hasn't been charged yet?
Zimmerman initiated this whole messy situation. IF, and it's a big IF he's telling the truth regarding Martin attacking him he still started the whole friggin thing.
There are plenty of inconsistencies in his story or stories that have appeared in the media. It will be interesting to see what the FBI determines regarding the screaming for help during the fight. If it was Zimmerman screaming he will likely get off given Florida's screwed up SYG law. If it was Martin………..he should take a plea.
Trying to defend Zimmeman is not helping the gun rights cause. The truth is if you give cops or civilians gun they are on occasion going to shoot people who didn't need to be shot. Hell, even Navy Seals screw up on occasion. Like my gramer dere ain;t no perfection in this life.
As for any chicken, Pedro, I don't drink much. You'd be better off paying for the drinks. My late dad was a alcoholic with anger issues. I just have anger issues.
Going to comment more about this upblog, but just one note – a collection of comments from social media mashed together doesn't add up to a developing narrative. For conservatives or any other group.