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Tag: trayvon martin murder

  • Powerful PSA Against Stand Your Ground Laws Re-Enacts Trayvon Martin Murder

    The Trayvon Martin murder case and ensuing George Zimmerman trail rocked the United States to its core in a variety of ways; while many activists and social justice enthusiasts staked their claims on Zimmerman’s guilt and raged against the jury’s decision to acquit him of all charges, many others painted Trayvon as a hoodlum and Zimmerman as a victim. Amid the cultural repercussions and discussions, ranging from the topics of racism, classism, and general bigotry to the idea of a “post-racial” America, one of the big clashes between groups came from the “stand your ground” laws that eventually won Zimmerman his “innocence.”

    The argument against “stand your ground” laws is gaining some new momentum; The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence has released a video that re-enacts the murder of Trayvon Martin, using 911 tapes used in the George Zimmerman trial and actors to portray the events as they unfold. The video can be found below; before watching, however, please note that, while not gory or particularly blatant when dealing with the violence, the ad may be disturbing to some viewers, particularly those sensitive to the case or subject. Be cautious when viewing.

    The video is striking and powerful, to say the very least, and sends an equally powerful message; to “stand up” to “stand your ground” laws in the twenty six states in which they exist. The Coalition’s website goes on to say that, “With “Stand Your Ground” (aka “Shoot First”) laws… you can provoke a fight, and if losing that fight, kill the person you attacked… Additionally, “Stand Your Ground” laws remove the duty to retreat from a conflict in public, allowing individuals to shoot and kill even when they could otherwise walk away safely from an altercation.” The website includes information so that individuals can sign a petition to get rid of these kinds of laws.

    The writer of this article hopes that the PSA might inspire change nation-wide to reform, and possibly repeal, these laws that result in more victims, as the PSA so powerfully puts it.

  • According To Limbaugh, Trayvon Was A Bigot and Zimmerman Is Gay

    Those who followed the Zimmerman trial are not unfamiliar with the way that Trayvon Martin’s character and past were called into question throughout the proceedings. Though Trayvon was shot and killed that rainy February night, and was thus denied a physical voice, the defense was not hesitant in its attempt to deface the character of the unarmed teen. Accusations of a fascination with “gangsta culture” and use of marijuana were mentioned by the defense in some bizarre attempt to paint Trayvon in an unfavorable light. Though the trial ended and Zimmerman was not charged, accusations pointed at Trayvon’s character are still popping up, with the latest coming from none other than your friendly neighborhood Rush Limbaugh.

    On Tuesday, Limbaugh passionately proclaimed on his radio show that, “Zimmerman got beat up because Trayvon thought he was gay.”

    This idea came about after an interview with Rachel Jeantel on Monday night’s CNN. Rachel, who was on the phone with Trayvon as Zimmerman stalked him, told Trayvon to “run, run, run” from the “creepy-ass cracker,” going on to say that Zimmerman, a grown man, pursuing a minor in a hostile fashion during the night, “may be a rapist.” According to Limbaugh, this planted an idea in Trayvon’s mind; the idea that the man pursuing him was gay, and that he, an unarmed teenager, needed to take it upon himself to beat him up because of that.

    Limbaugh, seemingly smug and delighted by this revelation, went on to say, “Well, boy. The left is gonna have a real problem here. They’re gonna have to balance: Which group are they going to favor, gays or blacks?” Reading into the tone of Limbaugh’s show, it would seem he, personally, is on the side of “the gays,” which the writer is sure many in the queer community will appreciate deeply, especially since he has such a good track record with “the gays.”

    There you have it, folks. The Zimmerman trial and Trayvon Martin’s death did not have anything to do with race. It was, in fact, a hate crime against George Zimmerman, a gay man who did nothing more than hostilely approach a young man at night on account of him looking “suspicious,” with the confrontation ending in said young man’s death and Zimmerman, the true victim, having to endure a long, grueling trial in order to be found innocent of all accounts.

  • George Zimmerman Jury Deliberates, Asks For List

    The trial of George Zimmerman in the case of Trayvon Martin’s murder has become a national phenomenon, overtaking the country, as well as popular news sources, for the past three weeks.

    At approximately 2:30 PM today, the jury began their deliberation on the fate of George Zimmerman, with three options before them that they could potentially hand down; guilty of second degree murder, guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty of either offense.

    Before allowing the case to go to the jury, the courtroom had some interesting turns this week, one of the most notable being George Zimmerman’s refusal to take the witness stand and give his testimony of the events that transpired on that rainy February night. The void created by the lack of Zimmerman’s actual voice has been filled by audio recordings and video interviews, which have been shown throughout the three weeks.

    This event was only overshadowed by the judge’s instructions that allow the jury to consider the lesser charge of manslaughter when deliberating on Zimmerman’s sentence and ruling.

    The Florida jury, consisting of six women, has been sequestered until they deliver a verdict. Judge Nelson was quoted as telling the jurors, “All of us are depending on you to make a wise and legal decision.” The jury will have to deliberate on and come to a conclusion about the events that took place that happened that night; was George Zimmerman acting in defense, as the defense has to manically insisted, or was Trayvon Martin the profiled victim of a wanna-be cop who made assumptions, as the prosecution claimed?

    According to CNN, Judge Nelson stated that the jury requested an inventory of the trial’s evidence about two hours in to their deliberation. Six copies were delivered to the jury around five PM.

    For now, the nation waits on pins and needles for the delivery of a verdict.

  • George Zimmerman Trial Proposed Dismissal

    George Zimmerman Trial Proposed Dismissal

    The tragic death of Trayvon Martin has gripped the county for over a year, now, with interest at a new high due to the trial of George Zimmerman. Zimmerman is accused of fatally shooting Travyvon after an altercation in February of 2012. Popular belief is that Zimmerman, the head of the local neighborhood watch, followed Trayvon because he “looked suspicious,” and confronted him. Trayvon, scared and threatened, may have hit Zimmerman in an effort to flee, which prompted Zimmerman to shoot Trayvon in the chest, resulting in the youth’s death. The case blew up on the internet and, eventually, on national news networks, as well, spreading Trayvon’s story and Zimmerman’s face (and other information, as well). Zimmerman has received threats and other negative, sometimes maleficent feedback for nearly the entire time. Yet, even with this public outcry and the hoard of backlash against Zimmerman, the court case has taken a snake-like twist; Zimmerman’s lawyer requested a dismissal of the charges held against his client after the prosecution rested its case.

    Yes, you read that correctly. The same defense that so brilliantly decided to open up with a knock-knock joke decided that it was also a good idea to try and have their client dismissed of all charges against him after the trial had only just begun. The reasoning behind the request to throw out the trial was because of the “enormous” amount of evidence that Zimmerman had been acting in self defense and the “lack” of circumstantial evidence presented by the prosecution to prove otherwise. The request was quickly overturned by the judge, but not before Rich Mantei of the defense so eloquently phrased what many have thought for a very long while; “There are two people involved here. One of them is dead and one of them is a liar.”

    The liar in question is building his case on the basis of acting in self defense. The liar in question claims that he is in the right and protected under “stand your ground” laws that allow for the use of deadly force when threatened. The claims that a liar make are, in fact, known as lies, however, and despite the defense’s accusation of there being a lack of evidence, there is, in truth, a plethora of it. Zimmerman had very few injuries, and all were mild, requiring only BandAids, according to medical examiner Valerie Rao. That puts a mighty big dent in Zimmerman’s claim that he only shot after Trayvon repeatedly smashed his head into the concrete. The fatal shot was also delivered at close range, and there was no indication of much, if any, “defensive posturing” or contact from Trayvon’s autopsy. For a defense based on acting in self defense, the facts simply don’t add up to support the claim; it seems that the prosecution is in possession of “enormous” amounts of proof, while the defense fumbles with keeping even the simplest of stories straight.

    What this seems to reveal, then, is a cornucopia of evidence that points towards Zimmerman actively and maliciously approaching Trayvon in a threatening and violent manner, when the young man was simply walking home with his skittles, hood up to defend himself from the rain. The evidence being supports the story of Zimmerman actively pursuing Trayvon with no prompting, of taunting and eventually murdering this young man who did nothing to deserve such an abrupt end to his life. Perhaps this explains why the defense tried to have the charges dropped and the case stopped; if you already know you have no case, why not try even the most cowardly of actions in a bid to hide the fact?