Trayvon Martin is Our Brother

Shout out to 3chicspolitico for the video.

Apparently, the defense will not be able to dehumanize and niggerize Trayvon Martin in court.   The Washington Post reports that:

Lawyers for George Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Trayvon Martin, will be barred from mentioning Mr. Martin’s marijuana use, history of fights or high school suspension during opening statements in Mr. Zimmerman’s trial, which begins June 10.

At a hearing Tuesday in a Seminole County court, Circuit Judge Debra Steinberg Nelson denied a string of defense motions concerning evidence that was intended to portray Mr. Martin as a troubled teenager with a propensity for fighting and an interest in guns. Prosecutors argued that such evidence had nothing to do with Mr. Martin’s death.

 

Mr. Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, was killed in Sanford, Fla., on Feb. 26, 2012, by Mr. Zimmerman, who said he shot him in self-defense.

 

Mark O’Mara, Mr. Zimmerman’s lawyer, argued that Mr. Martin’s drug use could have made him aggressive and paranoid, which the defense said might have prompted him to attack Mr. Zimmerman, 29, a neighborhood watch volunteer.

 

“All of that fits in squarely to what the defense is going to present: that George Zimmerman was put in the position that he had to act in self-defense,” Mr. O’Mara said. “How could you keep us from arguing that?”

 

Judge Nelson replied, “The rules of evidence keep you from doing it.”

 

The judge left open the possibility that some of the information, including Facebook postings and text messages, might come up at trial, but she set a high hurdle for the defense. Mr. O’Mara called the decision a victory, saying that it would force prosecutors to be careful in how they portray Mr. Zimmerman.

 

Mr. O’Mara, as he has in the past, asked that Judge Nelson delay the trial because the defense is still taking depositions and reviewing material that was turned over by prosecutors only recently. That request was denied.

 

Judge Nelson denied a request that jurors be allowed to visit the gated townhouse complex where Mr. Martin was shot, calling it a “logistical nightmare.” Mr. O’Mara said he wanted jurors to get a feel for the shadowy path between two rows of town houses where Mr. Martin was shot.

 

The judge also denied a request that defense lawyers and prosecutors be prevented from talking publicly about the case, and she refused to sequester the jury pool, which could number 500 people, during the selection process. Prosecutors said it would be too expensive and unwieldy to sequester that many people. The judge has not ruled on whether the jurors who are selected should be sequestered.

Whether the defense likes it or not, Trayvon Martin is not some worthless piece of human garbage.  He is our brother, imperfections and all. We will stand by him and his family until we obtain Justice for Trayvon.

Stuff You Didn't Hear on the Sunday Shows

Good morning fam. I am sure that all of the Sunday shows hailed Obama's national security speech as some major policy shift. For a different prospective, listen to Medea Benjamin of Code Pink and Jeremy Scahill of the Nation discuss it. To view Mr. Scahill's interview, click this link.

The Niggerization of Trayvon Martin

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As reported in the Associated Press,

George Zimmerman's defense attorneys have released photos and text messages from 17-year-old Trayvon Martin's cell phone ahead of a hearing that will determine whether they can be used at the neighborhood watch leader's trial.  

The photos released Thursday show Martin blowing smoke and extending his middle finger to the camera. The photos also show a gun and what appears to be a potted marijuana plant.  

In the text messages, Martin tells a friend that his mother has told him he needs to move out of her house and move in with his father since he was caught skipping school.  

Zimmerman is charged with fatally shooting Martin last year during a confrontation at a gated community. Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense.

George Zimmerman's attorneys want to inflame prejudice. They are attempting to pollute the jury pool with smelly, slimy racist fecal matter. Since they have no legitimate defense or arguments, they are trying to niggerize the brother Trayvon Martin. In essence, they seek to justify the lynching of Trayvon Martin by depicting him as a worthless, marijuana smoking, gun toting, middle finger pointing, thug nigger. Basically, they want the public to believe that Trayvon Martin got what he deserved.

As the lawyers indicated in the attached videos, many of those photos and text messages will not be admitted into evidence for two reasons. First of all, they are complete irrelevant. They have absolutely nothing to with what occurred on the night in question. Trayvon Martin was not armed with a gun on the night in question. Therefore, photos of his gun are irrelevant. In addition, character evidence is generally inadmissible. Thus, the marijuana photos and middle finger photos are irrelevant and inadmissible. Besides, smoking marijuana is not a capital offense. No one deserves to die for smoking marijuana. No one deserves to die for growing little marijuana plants. No deserves to die for throwing up the middle finger. No one deserves to die for wearing gold teeth. No one deserves to die for wearing a hoodie. No one deserves to die just for being black. Second, even if the photos and text messages had probative value, they would still be inadmissible. Their probative value would be substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.

We must categorically reject the prejudice being promoted by the Zimmerman team. We must continue to focus on the relevant facts. Trayvon Martin was unarmed. Trayvon Martin was not engaged in any criminal activity on the night in question. George Zimmerman racially profiled him. Against the advice of law enforcement, George Zimmerman continued to stalk and hunt Trayvon Martin. George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. After Trayvon Martin was killed, the punk police failed to file charges against Zimmerman until the people raised hell.

We must continue to raise hell and demand justice for Trayvon Martin.

The President's National Security Speech was Full of Contradictions

Yesterday, President Obama gave his national security speech. He outlined a flowery justification for drone attacks. Certainly, the President wants to do what is necessary to keep the American people safe. There is no reason to doubt his sincerity.  However, his speech was full of contradictory messages. He essentially tried to advocate both sides of the issues.

On one hand, he emphasized his commitment to Constitutional principles. On the other hand, he essentially argued that the U.S. has the right to execute Americans abroad without due process, without evidence or trial. During that segment of the speech, he focused on Anwar Al-Awlaki and conveniently failed to provide a rationale for killing the other three Americans. The President talked about working with Congress to increase oversight of the drone program. However, that is no guarantee that anything will actually happen. We see what happened with GITMO.

In one breath, he complained about the U.S. waging perpetual war. He further mentioned that the Authorization for Use of Military Force resolution ("AUMF") should be refined or repealed. In next breath, despite acknowledging that Al Qaeda is defeated, he proceeded to justify waging and supporting perpetual war around the world in countries such as Libya, Syria, Yemen, Mali and Somalia. Since President Obama acknowledges that Al Qaeda has been defeated in Afghanistan, why are U.S. troops still there?!?! Why do the American people have to wait until the end of 2014 for the troops to leave.

Moreover, the President talked about defeating Al Qaeda and its affiliates. Yet, by aiding so-called rebels in Libya and Syria, the Administration has inadvertently aided Al Qaeda affiliates. They have filled the power void created by America supporting coups in those countries.

One minute, Obama expressed concern about civilian casualties. The next moment, he justified civilian casualties by claiming that more civilians would die if he did nothing. By the way, no one is arguing that the President should do nothing.

President Obama discussed addressing the root causes of extremism. Yet, his drone policy is breeding future generations of terrorists. Every time an American drone bombs innocent women, children and men, it serves a recruiting tool for terrorists. It is hard to convince people that you are not waging war against Islam when you bomb villages and kill babies and women. It is hard to convince people that you are not waging war against Islam when you waging wars in Muslim countries around the world.

In addition, if the U.S. wants to truly stop "the well spring of extremism", America must fundamentally change its foreign policy. The U.S. can no longer afford to continue to provide unconditional support to the rogue State of Israel. Furthermore, the U.S. cannot profess to love democracy as long as it continues to support some of the most repressive regimes in the so-called Middle East. Such regimes violently oppress secular opposition and promote religious fananticism.

At the end of his speech, the President talked about the need to close Guantanamo Bay. He explained how detaining suspects indefinitely without charge is contrary to American values. Nonetheless, here we are into his second term and GITMO remains open. I understand that Congress has failed to act. However, what is stopping the President from taking more action to close Guantanamo Bay?

In sum, the President's speech was not an announcement of a major policy shift. For the most part, it was simply a justification for continuing to use drones around the world. Despite all of eloquent rhetoric, Obama's drone policy is George Bush's drone policy on steroids.

Finally, in a time when many so-called progressives have become sycophants and Obama worshippers, it was refreshing to see Code Pink protest. Ironically, during the Bush years, many progressive commended Code Pink for holding similar protests against the Bush Administration. Today, many of those "progressives" are now condemning Code Pink for protesting against Obama. That is hypocrisy. Principles are more important than personalities. No politician, including President Barack Obama, deserves unconditional support.

President Obama Encourages Morehouse Graduates To Serve the Community

Good morning family. Yesterday, President Barack Obama addressed Morehouse College graduates. The symbolism was compelling and powerful, the first black president speaking to a group of educated black men. Seeing all of those brothers gathered for a positive purpose reminded me of the Million Man March. Who would have known that we would have an African American president approximately 13 years later?

During his commencement address, the President urged the graduates to do good by serving humanity. He encouraged them to be world competitors and leaders. He encouraged the young men to be role models for the community. It was a truly inspiring speech.

Although he acknowledged that racism still exists, the President urged African Americans to stop making excuses and take personal responsibility. Most of us understand his point. Most black people are not making excuses. We are striving against the odds each and every day to improve our lives and our communities.

Happy Birthday Brother Malcolm X

Every year during Black History Month, I was taught about the diluted and sanitized version of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His famous I Have A Dream speech was drilled into my head. I was taught that people should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. I was programmed to embrace the virtues of non-violent resistance. Conversely, Malcolm X's name was only mentioned in passing.





Finally, when I attended Howard University many moons ago, I saw a excellent documentary on the life of Malcolm X. Before seeing that film, I never heard a black man speak with such boldness. For the first time, I heard a brave black man say that we have a divine and legal right to defend ourselves from racist brutality and oppression. Instead of begging the white man to recognize our humanity, brother Malcolm X taught us to know ourselves and our history. He taught us to love our motherland. He taught us to love our black skin, wide noses and kinky hair.

Malcolm's words awakened my political and social consciousness. I started devouring books beginning with the Autobiography of Malcolm X and Malcolm X Speaks. He inspired me to become a student activist in college. My commitment to social justice continues today because of the spark that he ignited within me.

I cannot thank Brother Malcolm enough. Thank you for sacrificing your life for our freedom. Thank you for inspiring me to join the struggle for equality and justice. Happy Birthday Brother Malcolm X. May God forgive you for your sins and bless you with paradise.