The Murder of Trayvon Martin

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by TonyB06

This is GreekChat, not a Florida court of law. People go off uninformed everyday on this site about 100 different subjects. Nothing said here will impact the Zimmerman trial in any way, shape or form. It's a venue to express opinion, nothing more. Anyone foolish enough to take take information here w/out verifying it themselves, gets what they get.

I wish this were true, but unfortunately, it's not. Public discourse and pretrial publicity are proven to influence juries in all sorts of cases, but particularly in "pop-culture" cases. We may not directly influence jurors, but we're adding to the public discourse, and not in a positive manner.

Hold yourself to a higher standard - just because we pop off all the time with inane and uninformed opinions doesn't mean it's something we should do in this instance. There's a difference between a trial and Pinterest, a distinction that is apparently being lost on some.

[TonyB06]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

I wish this were true, but unfortunately, it's not. Public discourse and pretrial publicity are proven to influence juries in all sorts of cases, but particularly in "pop-culture" cases. We may not directly influence jurors, but we're adding to the public discourse, and not in a positive manner.

Hold yourself to a higher standard - just because we pop off all the time with inane and uninformed opinions doesn't mean it's something we should do in this instance. There's a difference between a trial and Pinterest, a distinction that is apparently being lost on some.

And again, you continue to make the mistake the other poster makes -- that your opinions of what is "just and pure and right" should carry the day on what others post. They do not. Everyone can weigh and sift what they read and make a determination on what they accept. Your choices on what and when you add to the public discourse, and whether they are sufficiently positive are just that -- your choices. You do not get to make that choice for others.

I've appreciated and agreed with some of the points you've made upthread, and others I've disagreed with. Eh, that's how it goes in America.

You obviously have confidence in your ability to separate and weigh the information as presented. Perhaps you should have a bit more confidence in others' ability to do the same.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SOM

And I agree with your second part-Why are we even having this conversation? All I did was post an article, as others have here, that seemed to have some interesting information on it about this case. If one really wanted to track down the evidence behind the story, one should contact the writer of the story directly.

It may be interesting information, but is it reliable information? And if it is not, what is the value in passing it along?

Originally Posted by KSig RC

I wish this were true, but unfortunately, it's not. Public discourse and pretrial publicity are proven to influence juries in all sorts of cases, but particularly in "pop-culture" cases. We may not directly influence jurors, but we're adding to the public discourse, and not in a positive manner.

Hold yourself to a higher standard - just because we pop off all the time with inane and uninformed opinions doesn't mean it's something we should do in this instance. There's a difference between a trial and Pinterest, a distinction that is apparently being lost on some.

Co-sign.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by TonyB06

And again, you continue to make the mistake the other poster makes -- that your opinions of what is "just and pure and right" should carry the day on what others post. They do not. Everyone can weigh and sift what they read and make a determination on what they accept. Your choices on what and when you add to the public discourse, and whether they are sufficiently positive are just that -- your choices. You do not get to make that choice for others.

To my mind, this sounds like, essentially, the "EVERYBODY HAS A RIGHT TO THEIR OWN OPINION!" and/or "IT'S NOT RIGHT OR WRONG, IT'S THEIR OPINION!" notions, re-packaged for this thread.

Both are demonstrably false - opinions can be wrong, misplaced, uninformed, ill-gotten, and etc. and nowhere is opinion protected against reprisal in the public forum for being wrong/dumb/whatever. Knowing this is not a "mistake" - the mistake is thinking otherwise.

But either way, I'm not asking people to withhold making their own determinations. I'm asking them to refrain from idle speculation and wanton disregard for such standard practices as "fact-checking" and "responsible reporting."

Of course they are free to ignore that request. They have that choice. However, that choice has consequences, real-world consequences, which have been proven out by science - regardless of whether or not you think it matters.