I disagree. In this case, particularly, it's an open question as to whether this case would even have reached this point without the policitial/social media pressure that has been brought to bear. As it is, we have seen 32 days come and go since Trayvon Martin's death and still are without an arrest. I can't think of a parent who would give a da*m about anybody else's conclusions were they living that nightmare.

Opinions flow freely on GC and in the nation. Excluding the jurors, people can and do draw conclusions about a wide range of things. This thread won't hurt anybody's defense nor will it prove/disprove anybody's innocence. It does, however, give those capable and interested the opportunity to explore issues at a deeper level.

Yeah Rick it's pretty crazy. The husband obviously took advantage of a man who had mental disabilities and violence/creepy problems, promised him things to kill his wife. But the husband hasn't been arrested yet, despite the blood found in the garage and all details the man confessed to pretty much being proven. People were pissed but I think the authorities just don't wana screw something up.

Tony, his parents obviously do care. They are making their rounds and getting his name copywritten so they can make money off the t-shirts. Anyone I know who's child was murdered would be too distraught to travel around and make appearances, but I guess people mourn in different ways.

I wasn't talking about GC drawing conclusions. Everyone is having a discussion and sometimes debating facts. I'm talking about the public as a whole, and when Al, Jesse, the New Black Panther party (everytime I think of it, it reminds me of Forrest Gump), Spike Lee's dumbass, and all these other celebrities speaking out and convicting someone before all the fact are out there. That brings it to a whole new level. For these celebrities and politicians, it's just something to make them look good. Something to "stand up for". If they really cared about young black men being murdered, then get your asses out there and DO something about it.

I don't know what's going on in other towns, but like I mentioned before there is a child murdered almost every week in Detroit because of gang violence or whatever other reason people feel the need to play God. Two women were kidnapped by one's ex boyfriend and their bodies were just found. But Jesse comes here NOT to fight against the violence in our town, but to stand up for the Detroiters who are fighting against having an Emergency Financial Manager because they're afraid their union goodies will be taken away and all their corruption will be stopped.

These celebrities have other agendas, and that's to jump on board with whatever cause is going to make them look good. It's sickening and they, and the media, are making a circus show of this boy's death. I mean really, how do you take Mike Tyson talking about this situation seriously after watching The Hangover?

You need to educate yourself on what social activists like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have been doing. Both Sharpton and Jackson are still quite active. You can disagree with them all you want to but saying that these vocal people are not DOING something is completely false.

Moreover, when it comes to Black people and racial and ethnic minorities in general, the public expects for everything to be an overt, public announcement of activity. "ALERT!! ALERT!! Black people are doing positive things in the community!!! ALERT!!! ALERT!!!!" That is not how it works the majority of the time. There are both overt and more subtle actions and moves toward change being taken by social activists, community leaders, researchers, etc. These positive moves toward social change take decades to come to fruition and they do not require the general public's seal of approval.

Again, you need to educate yourself on what Jesse Jackson does:

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/03/...ms-never-came/

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2012/03/...arlie-langton/

http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...esse_jack.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/0...n_1179946.html

They are raising money and perhaps they really want to prevent other people (including crazy tshirt makers and club promoters) from defaming Trayvon Martin and making money off of his name. They would probably prefer having Trayvon Martin over having this money.


The Martin family are not the first family to make media appearances (and have their attorney make appearances) in the midst of tragedy. Families do that all of the time and that includes appearance on shows like Good Morning America. Are you positive that anyone you know whose child was murdered, and they feel strongly about this murder and bringing justice, would be too distraught to travel and make appearances? You do not know that.

PM Mama,
Dr. Phil's posts 140, 141 answered you more ably than I would have so I'll let her words stand here, but I find it odd that you would castigate Trayvon's parents for "making the rounds." In the face of a police department whose behavior, based on what's known, has been shady from the jump, the parents should called for national help/exposure sooner.

I mean, why would the police let this boys' parents anguish for 3 days while they had his body in the morgue? They knew who he was because they put his name, address and cell phone number on the initial police report? That's foul. Add to it the already previously engendered mistrust of the police by this local community and why would any one trust them at face value?

You have no idea why they've copywritten his name/image. I trust you've seen the character-assassination he's undergone (his tweets, his private school records made public, ...gasp his tatoos?) none of which have anything to do with how he died. I commend his parents for not having slapped the isht out of somebody.

You're very quick to draw conclusions about his parents', Rev. Jackson and Rev. Sharpton's motives. That's fine. It's America. I'd be interested to read your thoughts on why Trayvon's public records made it so quickly to the public space?

I found great irony in PM_Mama's post.

Martin's case has been compared to Emmett Till's case.

Have you ever read about what his mother did in arranging his funeral services?

When your child violently precedes one in death, it's not uncommon for those in mourning to do what they can to see to it that another parent won't go through what's happening now and what happened then.

EDIT: Spike settles with couple regarding his gaffe

I was quite disappointed in Spike Lee. No amount of apologies, even monetary, can make me respect Spike Lee like I used to.

****

Soledad O'Brien hosts a townhall meeting:

Beyond Trayvon: Race & Justice In America on Friday, March 30th at 8p and 10p ET on CNN.

I read the CBS local article. For some reason the others won't open at work. He's not a Detroiter. This has nothing to do with him. He has no investment in Detroit so why get involved? Would you hand someone with a lying and spending problem a couple million? The money was promised to Detroit under circumstances that were fulfilled but the city (and council) are complete eff ups and can't control anything. You think that money would actually go to help the fire and police departments or anything else that could HELP the city? Where's all the money that they had? It's like giving a homeless person a $20 to go buy some food and they go buy drugs instead. This is one actual good thing that Rick Snyder is trying to do for the state/Detroit and because people are scared of what would be uncovered, all he gets is friction, residents singing freedom songs, and a Pastor calling white supremacy and telling people to burn the city down before an EFM takes over. No one wants to move to Detroit because it's too dangerous to even DRIVE through there anymore. Perhaps Reverend Jackson should stay the night in one of those neighborhoods and then we'll see what his opinion is.

This I completely agree with. I don't care if it's Jefferey Dahmer's address, or an Al Qaida terrorist, you just don't DO that because inevitably an innocent person will get hurt.

I never understood parents and family making rounds right after the death. Or even when someone's loved one dies and they're on the news sobbing that their baby's been killed. Lay your loved one to rest and then take on the world in their name. But like I said, people mourn in different ways. I don't have to understand it.

ETA: I got the MLive article to open. Yes, more jobs will reduce crime, but people need to WANT to work. We have so many good people who call our company looking for any kind of work and they do a great job. Then you have the people looking for any kind of work, get it, and then don't show up or call off for whatever reason they can find. I do agree with his idea of reviving hope in Detroit, but the city's BS needs to be cleaned up to get that hope going. There's no reason someone should die because the ambulance is broken down and can't get to the hospital (or to the residence) or a house to burn down because the water pump on the truck isn't working and all the fire department can do is stand there helplessly watching and doing what they can.

Sorry I didn't mean to bring this all off topic.

In Birmingham there are vigils being held for Trayvon and the city council wore hoodies. I like that the family is getting support. They should be getting it. So much about this case is just downright foul. But I had to wonder at the irony in Birmingham holding a vigil for this kid when we have a high per-capita murder rate, and so far this year almost all of the murders have been of young black men. (14 out of 15) I hope this case can be a jumping off point for cities to look into their own murder cases...I'm sure there are a ton of families around here that wish their children had gotten the same exposure when they were killed.

Aside from that this entire case scares me. How many times have I been with friends that looked/dressed just like him and why would anyone ever just SHOOT them while we were getting snacks or just hanging out outside? WTF?

Uh...what?

That was the mindset of a lot of Detroiters during the rally here. Although, now the grandmother of the 9 month old killed by a drive by... the same woman people shielded from the cameras at the rally... is FINALLY getting air time. Good for her for trying to speak out at the rally about our own violence.

Why does he need to get involved in local politics? Politics that are SO corrupt that the state NEEDS to step in to save our city. It doesn't make sense to me for outsiders to get involved, I don't care who it is, not just him. If he's going to get involved in Detroit's issues, focus on the gangs and violence and the dozens of black (and white) children that are dying.

I was thinking on the way home, if Zimmerman was correct that his head was being slammed into the ground... I wonder what the outcome would've been if he didn't have a gun on him. Would he have been killed? Would the country still be up in arms about the hood and racial profiling? A lot of different outcomes had the gun not been involved. Just thoughts.

apparently he lost his security officer job because he was too aggressive


Funeral director claims that there was no sign of fight on Martin's body

^^going on the supposition that the coroner can't speak...what would the FD see after the coroner was done with it?

I'm assuming they see a lot when they do the make up and preparations.

HLN played the experts who analyzed Zimmerman's voice using advanced technology:

He did not sound like he was saying "fucking coon(s)". The idea is that he was saying "fucking punks."

If he is arrested and charged, and if the advanced digitable recording of his voice is admissable in court, that can reduce the ability to try him for a hate crime unless they can find a history of targeting people in a racial and ethnic group other than his own racial and ethnic group.

Whether or not he was saying "coon" does not reduce all of the anger over this incident and does not necessarily shape whether he should be arrested and tried for his vigilante justice.