Trayvon Martin, We Will Never Forget!!!

Yesterday, we received some extremely disappointing news. The U.S. Department of Justice determined that it did not have sufficient evidence to prove that George Zimmerman intended to violate Trayvon Martin's civil rights. In video below, I share my thoughts about the decision and I briefly discuss the continuing struggle for justice.



By the way, although George Zimmerman is not incarcerated, he will never be free. For the rest of his rotten life, he will be known as the real thug who followed and killed an unarmed African American teenager based on a false and racist assumption. In fact, given George Zimmerman frequent acts of violence and run in with the law, it is only a matter of time before he kills or hurts someone else. Sadly, the blood will be on the jurors' hands. The blood will be on the American criminal injustice system filthy hands.

Stand Up and Demand Justice for Jordan Davis!

The photograph for this article is the avatar that I use for my Twitter account. It symbolizes the gross injustice that black people face in this country. Those young black brothers were lynched by white men.  They were lynched because of the color of their skin.  Yes. For all intents and purposes, George Zimmerman is an honorary white person. Those racist white men believed that they were entitled to play the role of judge, jury and executioner. Trayvon Martin and Emmett Till were denied justice. Their bloodthirsty murderers walked free. In those two cases, the message was clear: black life is worthless in America. A dog's life has more value.

On several occasions, people have asked me, "Who is that person on the right side of the photograph?" He is Jordan Davis. His killer's trial began yesterday.

The Grio reported that:

Authorities say an argument over loud music led to the shooting. Davis was parked in a vehicle with three friends outside the store. Dunn and his fiancée had just left a wedding reception and were heading back home when they stopped at the store and pulled up next to the sport utility vehicle that Davis was sitting in.

An argument began after Dunn told them to turn the music down, police said. One of Davis’ friends turned the music down, but Davis then told him to turn it back up.

According to authorities, Dunn became enraged and he and Davis began arguing. One person walking out of the convenience store said he heard Dunn say, “You are not going to talk to me like that.”

Dunn, who had a concealed weapons permit, pulled a 9 mm handgun from the glove compartment, according to an affidavit, and fired multiple shots into the SUV, striking Davis in the back and groin.

Dunn later told police he felt threatened. His attorney has said Dunn saw a gun and shot in self-defense, perhaps laying the ground work for a case under Florida’s “stand your ground” law.

If the case sounds familiar, that’s because it has echoes of a trial that received wide attention and happened only two hours away.

George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen, in Sanford in 2012. Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, was acquitted of second-degree murder in July 2013. He was prosecuted by Jacksonville’s State Attorney Angela Corey, who will also be prosecuting the Dunn case.

We cannot allow Jordan Davis to be denied justice like Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin. We must not rest. We must blog. We must speak out. We must protest. Stand up, people. We must demand justice for Jordan Davis!

George Zimmerman is A Menace to Society Part 2

The Orlando Sentinel reports that:

George Zimmerman was arrested Monday after he cocked and pointed a shotgun at his girlfriend, shattered a glass-top table, then pushed her out of the house and barricaded himself inside after she ordered him to move out, according to the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.

He surrendered peacefully a few minutes later and was hauled off to jail, where he was being held without bail on domestic-violence and aggravated-assault charges.

It was the second time in three months that the former Neighborhood Watch volunteer, who was acquitted of murdering 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, was handcuffed after being accused of domestic violence and threatening a woman with a gun.

In a September blowup with his estranged wife, police filed no charges. This time, authorities did not buy his story, one that he quickly got into public circulation.

While deputies were outside, banging on the door, trying to get him to come out, Zimmerman called 911 and blamed Monday's dispute on his girlfriend, 27-year-old Samantha Scheibe, whom he said had "gone crazy on me."

The couple had been living together in the home she rented on Topfield Court near Apopka since August, said Seminole County Chief Deputy Dennis Lemma.

Scheibe was pregnant, Zimmerman told the dispatcher, and had decided to raise the child on her own. He wanted the parting to be peaceful, he said, and began packing, including a bag in which he had placed guns, but Scheibe then went out of control, he told a dispatcher.

After that menace, George Zimmerman, lynched our brother Trayvon Martin, white conservatives and their negro puppets like Crystal Wright rationalized and justified Zimmerman's actions. They painted Trayvon as the aggressor, as the violent one, as the thug, as the hooligan, as the troublemaker, as the nigger.

They conveniently ignored George Zimmerman's relevant, violent and racist past. (Source: George Zimmerman's relevant past by Jonathan Capehart). They ignored his 2005 arrest for resisting an officer with violence. They ignored the 2005 restraining order entered against him for domestic violence. They ignored the fact he made 46 calls to police to report on "suspicious" black people. They ignored his cousin, Witness No. 9, when she said that Zimmerman "does not like black people". They ignored Witness No. 9 when she said that Zimmerman "is a very confrontational person".

Now that Zimmerman has threatened two precious, lilly white women with guns, maybe his defenders will finally realize that George Zimmerman is a menace to society. Maybe the jurors will finally realize that they released murderer. Maybe they will realize that Trayvon Martin's blood is on their hands.

How many more people must he threaten before he is finally imprisoned?  How many more people must he harm before he is finally imprisoned?  How many more people must he kill before he is finally imprisoned?

President Obama, Trayvon Martin and Racial Profiling Part 2

A couple of days ago, the President delivered a powerful speech regarding Trayvon Martin and racial profiling. In the video below, I analyze the President's bold speech.

President Obama, Trayvon Martin and Racial Profiling

Good morning. Yesterday, the President gave a candid, impromptu speech about Trayvon Martin, racial profiling and Stand Your Ground laws. For that, I salute him. Later, I will analyze the speech. What did you think about the speech?

Eric Holder: We Must Stand Our Ground!

Good morning family. President Obama has taken some heat for that disappointing press statement following the verdict in the George Zimmerman case. However, Attorney General Eric Holder has boldly spoken out against racial profiling and Stand Your Ground laws. In addition, the Department of Justice is investigating the Zimmerman case. So, for now, I will give the President a pass.

Justice for Trayvon #J4TM: The Struggle Continues

When I heard the George Zimmerman verdict, I was stunned and shocked. I was speechless. I am still outraged. I can't watch the news for awhile. I am appalled by Zimmerman attorneys' gloating and revolting proclamations. I am sickening by the Zimmerman team's demonic grins. They look like devils to me.

For once, I allowed myself to believe in the criminal justice system. I allowed myself to hope. I thought that perhaps an all white southern jury would render a fair and just verdict. I thought that maybe those mothers on the jury would sympathize with another mother, Sybrina Fulton. As mothers, I thought that they would feel Ms. Fulton's pain. I thought that maybe they would value Trayvon's life. I was wrong, so wrong.

The defense closed their case by having a young white woman testify about young black teenagers burglarizing her home. She testified about hiding in the closet terrified and with her infant as the burglars roamed around in her house. She testified about how George Zimmerman talked to her and helped her purchase a new lock to secure her home. Her testimony was designed to serve two purposes. The first purpose was to reinforce the jury's fear of black men. The second purpose was to help rationalize and justify George Zimmerman's racial profiling of Trayvon Martin.

Unfortunately, the jury embraced the defense team's fear mongering and subtle racism. Despite all of George Zimmerman's lies, the jury accepted his false narrative as the gospel truth. Sadly, Trayvon Martin joins the ranks of Emmett Till, Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo and Rodney King.

I reject the assertion that the prosecution did not prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt. That jury simply chose racism over reason. Obama is right about one thing. The jury has spoken. Their message was loud and clear. Through their despicable verdict, they said that it is acceptable to assume that all young black men and boys are dangerous criminals. They said that it is acceptable to hunt unarmed black boys. They said that the right to self defense is reserved for white people. They said that it is a capital offense for a black person to even think about self defense.

They told the world that black life is worth less than a piece of fecal matter. They told the world that Trayvon Martin was not a precious human being. They said he is not our brother or our son. They said that he is a deposable nigger. Once again, we are reminded that a dog's life has more value than a black man's life. So, no. I will not be politically correct. I will never say that I respect the jury's decision. They were wrong as hell. Most intelligent and conscientious people realized that.

That is why the people continue to rally around the country for justice for Trayvon. The struggle for justice continues. Thousands of people are peacefully marching and rallying in New York, Newark, Boston, Los Angeles and other cities around the country. The bloggers will continue to blog about this issue. We care about this issue because we are all Trayvon. He is our brother. He is our son. He is our nephew. We will not let that young brother die in vain. I pray that his death will be a catalyst for a new movement for social justice.

Here are some very practical things that each one of us can do. First, as the great Pan Africanist Kwame Ture always said, join a social justice or political organization in your local community. In order to fight injustice, we must be organized. The best way to organize is to join an organization. Remain active in those organizations. There is strength in unity. We must unite with other like minded individuals. Second, participate in peacefully Justice for Trayvon marches and rallies in your local community. Join the March on Washington on August 24, 2013. The U.S. Department of Justice and whole world must see our outrage. Third, sign the NAACP's petition urging the Department of Justice to file civil rights charges against George Zimmerman. Fourth, we must lobby to eliminate Stand Your Ground laws around country. We must fight for stricter gun control laws around the country. A person who assaults a police officer should not be allowed to own a semi-automatic handgun. A person who engages in domestic violence should not be allowed to own a semi-automatic handgun. Such people should not be allowed to join neighborhood watch programs. Finally, we must take our civic obligations seriously. We must register to vote and vote in every election. We must elect mayors who make civil rights a top priority. We must respond to every jury summons and get on these juries. If we don't, all white juries will continue to render unjust verdicts.

Despite our great disappointment, we cannot allow ourselves to be discouraged. We must remain vigilant and engaged. We have come too far to give up now. The struggle for justice continues.

This article is cross-posted on This Week in Blackness.

Justice for Trayvon Martin #J4TM: The State Delivers A Powerful Rebuttal

Good afternoon family. Today, the prosecution delivered a powerful rebuttal in the George Zimmerman trial. I encourage everyone to listen to D.A. John Guy's rebuttal.

Why the Jury Should Convict George Zimmerman

Disclaimer: As usual, the views expressed in this article are my and my alone. They do not reflect the views of my employer, associates, advertisers or friends.

All of the naysayers are assuming that George Zimmerman will walk away free. Juries are unpredictable. So, I will not make any predictions. I will say this. I hope that the jury convicts Zimmerman of second degree murder or manslaughter. For me, this case is not complicated. If Zimmerman was black and Trayvon Martin was white, none of these pundits would be blabbering about reasonable doubt.

§ 782.04(2), Fla.Stat. states that:

To prove the crime of Second Degree Murder, the State must prove the following three elements beyond a reasonable doubt
1. (Victim) is dead.
2. The death was caused by the criminal act of (defendant).
3. There was an unlawful killing of (victim) by an act imminently dangerous to another and demonstrating a depraved mind without regard for human life.

Definitions.
An “act” includes a series of related actions arising from and performed pursuant to a single design or purpose.
An act is “imminently dangerous to another and demonstrating a depraved mind” if it is an act or series of acts that:
1. a person of ordinary judgment would know is reasonably certain to kill or do serious bodily injury to another, and
2. is done from ill will, hatred, spite, or an evil intent, and
3. is of such a nature that the act itself indicates an indifference to human life.
In order to convict of Second Degree Murder, it is not necessary for the State to prove the defendant had an intent to cause death.

FL ST CR JURY INST 3.7 states that:

A reasonable doubt is not a mere possible doubt, a speculative, imaginary or forced doubt. Such a doubt must not influence you to return a verdict of not guilty if you have an abiding conviction of guilt. On the other hand, if, after carefully considering, comparing and weighing all the evidence, there is not an abiding conviction of guilt, or, if, having a conviction, it is one which is not stable but one which wavers and vacillates, then the charge is not proved beyond every reasonable doubt and you must find the defendant not guilty because the doubt is reasonable.

Trayvon Martin, a teenage boy, is dead. His death was caused by George Zimmerman's criminal act, shooting Trayvon Martin in the heart. Zimmerman acted with a deprived mind. A person of ordinary judgment would know that shooting someone in the chest is reasonably certain to kill or do serious bodily harm to another. Obviously, shooting someone in the heart shows an indifference to human life.

George Zimmerman acted with ill will hatred, spite and evil intent. Zimmerman racial profiled Trayvon Martin because he was a young black male. Zimmerman has a long history of calling the police on African Americans. That man views young African Americans as a menace plaguing his community. When he saw Trayvon Martin, he automatically assumed that Trayvon Martin was a criminal who was "up to no good." Trayvon Martin was not doing anything wrong. He was not committing any crime. He was just walking from the store after purchasing Skittles and iced tea. Buying candy and a beverage should not be a capital offense. He was unarmed.

Zimmerman did not know anything about Trayvon Martin. Yet, he assumed that Trayvon Martin was a criminal. Zimmerman's assumption was based primarily on the color of Trayvon Martin's skin. Despite not knowing Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman referred to Trayvon Martin as a "f***ing punk" and one of the "a**holes" who always get away. Zimmerman was determined to make sure that Trayvon Martin did not get away alive. Those words and his history are evidence of ill will and hatred of young African American men and boys. In his closing argument, defense counsel essentially acknowledged that Zimmerman racially profiled Trayvon Martin. Defefnse counsel Mark O'Mara said that all of people arrested for burglaries in the area were African Americans. Essentially, O'Mara is arguing that was reasonable for Zimmerman to profile Trayvon Martin since Martin was a young black man.

To justify his actions, Zimmerman claims that he acted in self defense. I do not buy it. I hope that jury does not either. Here is the legal standard for a self defense claim.
Fla. Stat. Ann. § 776.012 (West) states that:
A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other's imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:
a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:
(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.

George Zimmerman is the one who got out his car and starting following Trayvon Martin at night in the rain. Trayvon Martin was the one running from Zimmerman. Obviously, Trayvon was the one who was in fear. George Zimmerman is the one who ran after Trayvon Martin. On the 911 call, you can hear Zimmerman running. George Zimmerman is the one who continued to pursue Trayvon Martin even though the 911 operator specifically told him "we do not need you to that." Instead of listening to the 911 operator, wannabe cop Zimmerman decided to play the roles of judge, jury and executioner.

Rachel Jeantel's testimony supports this account. While talking to Trayvon Martin on the phone, Jeantel says that she heard a bump and the sound of wet grass. She heard Trayvon Martin say, "Get off." That indicates that George Zimmerman was the aggressor, not Trayvon Martin. At that point, Trayvon Martin, not George Zimmerman, was the one who reasonably believed that he had to defend himself. You cannot claim self defense if you are the aggressor. If Zimmerman stayed in his car, Trayvon Martin would still be alive.

I reject George Zimmerman's account for several reasons. Zimmerman took 18 months of mixed marital arts training. Yet, he expects us to believe that he was helpless. He claims that Trayvon Martin punched him between 20 and 30 times, and banged his head into the concrete sidewalk over and over again. Yet, according to the State's expert witnesses, Zimmerman's injuries were insignificant.

Furthermore, Zimmerman claimed that Trayvon Martin covered Zimmerman's bloody nose and mouth. Yet, none of Zimmerman's blood was on Martin's hands and sleeves. Martin is right handed but there were no injuries on his right hand. If he repeatedly punched Zimmerman, there would probably be some injuries on his right hand. According to the State's expert witness, the Zimmerman struck his head once.

Zimmerman claimed that Trayvon Martin jumped out of the bushes. There is one problem. There were no bushes where the incident occurred.

The prosecution made another powerful point. If Trayvon Martin was on top of Zimmerman with his legs covering Zimmerman's waistband, how was Zimmerman able to reach his gun? Zimmerman claimed that Martin grabbed his gun. However, none of Martin's DNA is on the gun or the holster.

Again, there is yet another inconsistency. Zimmerman said that he did not know about Florida's Stand Your Ground law. Yet, he studied self defense law and got an A in the class. As the prosecution said, Zimmerman knew how to shape his story in a away to support his false claim of self defense.

Moreover, I am convinced that Trayvon Martin was the one screaming on that 911 tape. As one of the witnesses testified, the screams sound like a boy's voice, not a 28 year old man's voice. Of the people testifying about that tape, Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin's mother, was the most creditable. Her dignified demeanor and emotional testimony was compelling. George Zimmerman's parade of witnesses were not believable for a couple of reasons. First of all, Zimmerman acknowledged that the voice on the tape did not even sound like him. That alone trumps his parade of biased, self interested witnesses. Two of Zimmerman's witnesses are profiting from the Zimmerman trial by selling books and they plan to make donations to George Zimmerman. Clearly, they are biased. Zimmerman's uncle's testimony was not creditable. I find it difficult to believe that he immediately recognized Zimmerman's voice when he heard the screams on the news.

In sum, I do not see any reasonable doubt. I have an abiding conviction of guilt. It does not waver or vacillate. Since Zimmerman's story lacks credibility due to many inconsistencies and since Zimmerman was the aggressor, I would reject his self defense claim and enter a verdict of guilty. That killer is guilty in my eyes.

Even if the jury does not think that the State proved that Zimmerman committed second degree murder, they can and should find him guilty of manslaughter. West's F.S.A. § 782.07 states that:

(1) The killing of a human being by the act, procurement, or culpable negligence of another, without lawful justification according to the provisions of chapter 776 and in cases in which such killing shall not be excusable homicide or murder, according to the provisions of this chapter, is manslaughter, a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

For a manslaughter conviction, the State does not have to prove that Zimmerman acted with ill will, spite or hatred. Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin without legal justification. At the very least, the jury should convict Zimmerman of manslaughter.

As the President Obama said, "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon." When I see Trayvon, I see my nephew. When I see Trayvon, I see my brother. I see myself. I hope that Zimmerman does not walk. I hope that he ges to jail for this crime.

Justice For Trayvon: The Prosecution Rests

Yesterday, the prosecution rested its case. Trayvon Martin's mother and brother testified that Trayvon Martin was the one screaming on that infamous 911 call. Associate medical examiner Dr. Shiping Bao testified that Trayvon lived for 1 to 10 minutes after being shot. Dr. Bao testified that Trayvon suffered in pain during his last moments of life. Dr. Bao also testified that Trayvon was unable to move or talk after being shot in the heart. After Dr. Bao testified, the court heard and denied defense counsel's motion for an aquittal. Then, the defense called George Zimmerman's mother and uncle to the stand to testify.

In my latest YouTube video, I share my opinions about the case.



What do you think about the George Zimmerman trial?

Justice for Trayvon Martin #J4TM Part 2

Check out my latest YouTube video. In this video, I continue to share my views about the George Zimmerman trial. I discuss the opening statements. I was fired up when I did the video. So, I got a little emotional.

As usual, I welcome your feedback. What did you think about the prosecution's opening statement? What did you think about defense counsel's opening statement?

Justice for Trayvon Martin #J4TM Part 1

Good morning family. Peace and blessings. Today, I posted a YouTube video expressing my views about the George Zimmerman case. In video, I cite key facts contained in a Daily Kos article entitled DNA Report Does Not Support Zimmerman's Claims that Trayvon Martin caused his injuries. I plan to post a series of videos during and after the trial. I welcome your feedback and comments.

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.

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 Lynching of Trayvon Martin - Part 3

Apparently, according to Robert Zimmerman, Jr., Trayvon Martin did not die hard enough the first time. Robert Zimmerman is doing everything in his power to assassinate Trayvon Martin's character.  Check out Zimmerman racist tweets below. Clearly, racism runs in the Zimmerman family. Mr. Zimmerman, keep tweeting. It will only help us secure justice for Trayvon Martin.

"The Hunt is On, and Brother, You're the Prey"

In his beautiful song entitled A New World Order, Curtis Mayfield said, "The hunt is on, and brother you're the prey." Sadly, that remains true today. We are hunted by vigilantes like Zimmerman.  We are hunted by racist police officers.  And yes, we are even hunted by some of our own misguided brothers and sisters.

Earlier this year, George Zimmerman hunted and shot down Trayvon Martin for being a black teenage in a white neighborhood. After killing Trayvon, Zimmerman was free as a bird for over forty days. If we did not protest, Zimmerman would probably be free today. At least for a brief moment in time, we were outraged. We mobilized, organized, wrote, marched and spoke. Once the killer was finally arrested, we were pacified. We took off our t-shirts, put away our protest signs and went back to sleep. As Ayesha says on Lupe's new cd, "and two weeks later, it was back to normal." After all was said and done, the Stand Your Ground law remained in place as a license to kill black people.  If black people formed self-defense groups and openly brandished firearms, perhaps then Florida would repeal that law.

Now, a white man has lynched another brother, Jordan Davis. More specifically, when a group of black teenage boys refused to turn down their music, Michael Dunn fired 8 shots into the car striking Jordan Davis twice. Again, the people have righteous indignation. Again, the bloggers will blog. The civil rights spokespersons will speak. The activists may march and protest. Then, the people will go back to sleep, and "it will be back to normal."  How long will we be angry this time? 

To make matters worst, African Americans are frequently the victims of police harassment and brutality. Instead of fulfilling their oath to protect and serve, many police officers are agents of oppression. They have joined the hunt to kill black men. Remember Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo, Oscar Grant, Malice Green and countless other victims. For a comprehensive list, please read Shanika's Daily Kos article entitled Hey America! Can you please stop killing our (usually) innocent Black male children?

In addition to being hunted by racist vigilantes and police officers, we are hunted and killed by our own. Such fratricidal killings are far more frequent than attacks by racists Klansmen, Nazis, self-appointed neighborhood watchmen and wannabe Dirty Harrys. Regardless of which political party is in the White House, the same cycle of violence continues. Although there are plenty of stop the violence organizations, marches and rallies, the violence continues.

On the local news, we constantly hear tragic stories about black males killing black males. For example, as reported on WBAL TV,  "a man stabbed in the neck overnight early Saturday has died, and two others were shot in separate weekend incidents in Baltimore, police said." As reported in the Chicago Tribune, "last night in the South Shore neighborhood in Chicago, five people were hospitalized after a shooting."

Here are a few sobering statistics cited in a Wall Street Journal article.

Overall, more than half the nation's homicide victims are African-American, though blacks make up only 13% of the population. Of those black murder victims, 85% were men, mostly young men.

Despite the declining U.S. murder rate, killings remain stubbornly high in poor pockets of cities large and small. In some cases, the rate is rising sharply. That increase is draining resources from police, prosecutors, social workers and hospitals.

As of Friday, Philadelphia police had been called to 223 homicides, compared with 198 last year. Chicago has recorded 337 murders, compared with 263 in the year-earlier period, a 28% jump. Public outcry there escalated after June 27, when stray bullets fired by an alleged gang member killed 7-year-old Heaven Sutton in a poor area on the city's West Side. Uproar over the little girl's death led Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to announce a gang crackdown in neighborhoods with high murder rates.

Our communities have become killing fields. Murders are so frequently that we have become desensitized to the violence. Even civil rights activists have become numb to the violence. Over twenty years ago, we listened to songs like Self Destruction and Stop of the Violence.  Unfortunately, such songs remain relevant today.  In contrast to the conscious music of the past, today's popular music glorifies guns and murder. This violence has become the new normal. Rest in peace t-shirts, rest in peace murals and makeshift memorials are common in the hood. When we do muster up the energy to hold to stop the violence rallies and marches, it is temporary. Again, things go back to normal until the next senseless killing.

As long as black men are hunted in the streets like animals, things should never go back to normal. It is time to take a real stand.  We do not need anymore "here today, gone tomorrow" protests. We must develop and sustain a true movement that addresses the systemic causes of the violence. We need leaders who will be around when the cameras leave.  We must lobby to end the Stand Your Ground laws in Florida and elsewhere.  We must lobby state legislatures, Governors, Congress and the White House to enact stronger anti-racial profiling laws. Instead of building prisons, we need to build minds.  We must empower our youth with the education that they need to build their future.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Dear Black People: You Are Invisible and Irrelevant

So far, I have watched all three of the 2012 Presidential and Vice Presidential debates. Each debate lasted approximately 90 minutes. All three moderators were white. The final debate is on Monday. Again, the moderator will be white. The last debate will focus on foreign policy. During these debates, the candidates have discussed important issues such as the economy, taxes, education, women's rights, health care reform and terrorism. However, none of the debates discussed race or affirmative action.

Race is still a major issue in America. The U.S. Supreme Court is considering whether the University of Texas' affirmative action policy is constitutional. If the Supreme Court strikes down UT's affirmative action policy, the doors to higher education will be closed to many African American young people. Universities and colleges will become more and more segregated. However, that issue was not important enough for the debate moderators.

Moreover, the moderators failed to raise the problem of racial profiling. New York city's racist stop-and-frisk policy has been a major issue in the civil rights community. In New York and many cities around the country, young, innocent black men and women are constantly stopped, harassed and humiliated by police just because of the color of their skin.

Another example of racial profiling is the tragic Trayvon Martin case. This year, self-appointed neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman hunted and shot down Trayvon Martin just because he was black. After great struggle and massive protests, Zimmerman was finally charged with murder.

In addition to racial profiling, mass incarceration was not raised during any of the debates. As explained in Michelle Alexander's book The New Jim Crow, the so-called War on Drugs has led to the mass incarceration of black people. Due to the mass incarceration problem, a disproportionate percentage of African Americans have been reduced to second class citizens even after they leave prison. In most states, they lose the right to vote and other precious rights.

In this mythological post-racial era, none of those issues matter. Unfortunately, the debates are fixated on issues that mainly impact white, moderate, middle class, undecided voters. As far as the presidential debates are concerned, black people are invisible and our concerns are irrelevant.

These debates have taught me one thing. In the eyes of the debate organizers and most of the viewers, the plight of Big Bird is far more important than the plight of my people. "Binders full of women" are more important than prisons full of black people.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Trayvon Martin News - Do You Believe George Zimmerman's Re-enactment?

Yesterday, a videotape was released showing George Zimmerman re-enacting the events that occurred on the night of Trayvon Martin's death. If you follow this blog, you already know how I feel about Zimmerman. I am interested in hearing from you. Do you believe Zimmerman's account? Why? Why not?

What Else is Zimmerman Lying About?!?

George Zimmerman deliberately lied to the court about his finances. It turns out that he actually raised $135,000 at the time. To conceal his assets, Zimmerman and his wife spoke in code.

CNN reports that:

"Despite telling the court they were indigent, George Zimmerman and his wife discussed -- in code, according to prosecutors -- money raised online to help in his defense on second-degree murder charges, jailhouse phone calls released Monday show.

Prosecutors had claimed the Zimmermans lied about their financial means before a Florida judge set his bond, which the suspect then posted to get out of jail. Zimmerman, accused in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, is now back behind bars after the judge revoked his bail, citing the misrepresentations.

Six calls made public Monday, out of about 151 total that Zimmerman made while incarcerated, appear to back up the prosecutor's assertions...
Prosecutors allege the couple actually had about $135,000 of donations at their disposal when they both told the court, under oath, they were indigent.

O'Mara, Zimmerman's lawyer, later said his client ended up netting a total of $204,000 via PayPal accounts -- about $150,000 of which is now in an independently managed trust after $30,000 was used to pay for "life in hiding" and $20,000 has been kept liquid."

Since Zimmerman lied under oath in a court of law, we cannot trust a word that comes out of his mouth. What else is he lying about? What else is he concealing?

Sadly, some of y'all started to believe this guy. Please don't let him bamboozle you. Justice for Trayvon!


Sent from my iPhone

Trayvon Martin Update - New Evidence Released

As reported by NPR,

George Zimmerman had a broken nose, black eyes, cuts on the back of his head and a minor back injury the day after he shot and killed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, according to medical records compiled by his doctor, ABC News reports. 

Zimmerman, a 28-year-old neighborhood watch volunteer in Sanford, Fla., says he acted in self defense on Feb. 26 when he shot Martin, a 17-year-old African-American. Martin's family and supporters have argued that Zimmerman racially profiled the boy and followed him through the Sanford neighborhood before their tragic encounter. The case has rekindled a national discussion about race relations and racial profiling.

For more information, visit ABC News.

Frankly, I find this medical report to be suspect for a few reasons. First of all, the medical report is not consistent with the police video images of Zimmerman. The police video was taken the night of the killing. In the video, I did not notice any visible signs of a broken nose or black eyes. In addition, according to ABC News, his family doctor prepared the report so that George Zimmerman could obtain legal clearance to return to work. However,the doctor probably prepared the report to keep Zimmerman out of jail. I want to see the hospital medical report.

Today, according to ABC News Trayvon Martin's autopsy was released. His autopsy allegedly reveals that Trayvon had traces of marijuana in his blood and urine. The report also indicates that Zimmerman shot Trayvon at very close range, between 1 inch and 18 inches away. The autopsy shows that Trayvon had a small abrasion on his finger. Although this reported evidence obviously supports the claim that there was a struggle, it does not necessary absolve Zimmerman.  Unfortunately, this is probably going to be a very difficult case to try.  We must continue to monitor this important case.