The Whole System Failed Trayvon Martin

[RussellK]

You know what....I'm done here. I asked you not to presume to know what I think and your response was to continue to tell me what I think...... and in fact you have it wrong. What I hope most for you is you never have to use deadly force. Good day.

[72Hardtop]

You know what....I'm done here. I asked you not to presume to know what I think and your response was to continue to tell me what I think...... and in fact you have it wrong. What I hope most for you is you never have to use deadly force. Good day.

I'm not the one who typed the statement you typed. Are you certain I haven't used deadly force before? I spent over 20 years as a police officer in southern California (Pomona, Ca.) as well as 10 years in the military. I'm now retired. I have no regrets. Other than getting older.

[ruckman101]

Hot button issue, for sure. I don't like the "stand your ground/castle" laws crafted by corporate interests and passed by their conservative political lackeys. So much of the legislation crafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council baffles me in that I see no interest for corporations to support, much less craft and lobby to have them passed, like stand your ground laws.

When 911 happened, and people lined up around to block to enlist in the armed forces, my co-worker made a statement that has stuck with me. He said, "It's obvious those folks have never had to kill anyone. If they had, they wouldn't be in that line." He was a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam. And it shattered him.

All these itchy trigger fingered gun owners obviously haven't killed anyone, either, for no good can come of it. Zimmerman is doomed. In some regards, Martin got the better end of the deal. He's in peace.

So why do corporations stump for these social issue laws that return us to the last century? I finally concluded it is greed. If the value of a life becomes so cheap, the labor pool is that more easily exploitable for profits. Die, plenty more young bucks to take the job, cost effective with no health care, folks stabbing each other in the back for the crumbs of salary they offer, life begins at conception pump those babies out.


Alright, so it's three cents, not two.

neal

[72Hardtop]

Hot button issue, for sure. I don't like the "stand your ground/castle" laws crafted by corporate interests and passed by their conservative political lackeys. So much of the legislation crafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council baffles me in that I see no interest for corporations to support, much less craft and lobby to have them passed, like stand your ground laws.

When 911 happened, and people lined up around to block to enlist in the armed forces, my co-worker made a statement that has stuck with me. He said, "It's obvious those folks have never had to kill anyone. If they had, they wouldn't be in that line." He was a helicopter door gunner in Vietnam. And it shattered him.

All these itchy trigger fingered gun owners obviously haven't killed anyone, either, for no good can come of it. Zimmerman is doomed. In some regards, Martin got the better end of the deal. He's in peace.

So why do corporations stump for these social issue laws that return us to the last century? I finally concluded it is greed. If the value of a life becomes so cheap, the labor pool is that more easily exploitable for profits. Die, plenty more young bucks to take the job, cost effective with no health care, folks stabbing each other in the back for the crumbs of salary they offer, life begins at conception pump those babies out.


Alright, so it's three cents, not two.

neal

Most folks who entered in the service during World War II also never killed anyone prior to service (As with any war/conflict). Didn't keep them from lining up and serving their country. There were a lot more service members killed in that war than in Vietnam.

Stand your ground wasn't used as a defense. It was also voter approved.

[ruckman101]

Granted 72Hardtop. Yet when an insult to a dude's "manliness" can't be responded to other than capping the ass of the affronted, things are horribly wrong.

neal

[ruckman101]

In the mythological America of popular culture, too often the resolution to injustice is resolved through violence. Violence cheapens everyone involved. Violence is a tool of resolution those who have bailed on intelligent discourse resort to. Often because there is no intelligent discourse that can be brought to bear on the issue in support of the position in the argument they hold. "Just because, or I'll hit you."

I pray we as a species are able to transcend such primitiveness.


neal

[BellePlaine]

I'm a non-violent person, yet I believe that the use of deadly force is morally justified if: 1) your life is threatened 2) there is no escape, or lesser force to use, and 3) you are an unwilling participant.

[ruckman101]

I can agree with that BellePlaine. But with the stand your ground laws, too often those with weapons initiate the confrontation. That I have a huge problem with.


neal

[Amskeptic]

I can agree with that BellePlaine. But with the stand your ground laws, too often those with weapons initiate the confrontation. That I have a huge problem with.


neal

Honestly . . . this Republic managed to survive hundreds of years without Stand your Ground laws. I look at the need for new laws versus the agenda for new laws, and this latest round of law-crafting stinks, it is a solution in search of a problem, and it is bankrolled by people whose agendas are transparently crass.

We have the data! All of this gun-slinging ends up with more death-by-bullets in the U.S. than any other industrialized country.
I see nit-wits every day whose rights to bear arms give me pause. There are too many emotionally unstable narcissistic testosterone-crazed insecure belligerent angry assholes to arm them to the teeth with semi-automatic weaponry. It is insane!

I am on-record here for promoting a pistol at home or in your purse and a decent deer rifle for hunting. But for God's sake, look at the present reality. It is stupid, insane, and the arguments for automatic weaponry and no registration are pathetic, so is the current leadership of the NRA, an organization I used to respect. And the gun manufacturers are no different than predatory banks and predatory pharmaceutical companies and predatory energy companies (did you hear JP Morgan got charged with gaming California's petroleum markets "without accepting blame, we will pay the fine"), the gun manufacturers are all about selling more guns. This is no different than the tactics used by cigarette manufactures in the 70s.

I don't give a good goddamn about fanciful hypothetical arguments about the Second Amendment when we are losing tens of thousands of human beings each year to gun violence. We CAN honor the 2nd Amendment and be sensible at the same time.
Colin

[Amskeptic]

Most folks who entered in the service during World War II also never killed anyone prior to service (As with any war/conflict). Didn't keep them from lining up and serving their country. There were a lot more service members killed in that war than in Vietnam.

Stand your ground wasn't used as a defense. It was also voter approved.

War with a moral purpose makes all the difference. Something we have not had since World War 2.
Since then, our wars have been corporate mercenary and based on false pretenses. That is a horrible thing to do to any soldier.
Perhaps our skyrocketing suicide rate amongst our soldiers has to do with the lack of truth from those who send them to war.
Colin

[dingo]

Granted 72Hardtop. Yet when an insult to a dude's "manliness" can't be responded to other than capping the ass of the affronted, things are horribly wrong.

neal

yeah maybe instead of carrying a weapon to boost the void in their self-esteem or manliness, they can just buy on of those giant oversized trucks with giant oversized wheels and drive around making lots of loud manly noise...

[Amskeptic]

Granted 72Hardtop. Yet when an insult to a dude's "manliness" can't be responded to other than capping the ass of the affronted, things are horribly wrong.

neal

yeah maybe instead of carrying a weapon to boost the void in their self-esteem or manliness, they can just buy on of those giant oversized trucks with giant oversized wheels and drive around making lots of loud manly noise...

Youbetcha I drive a 57 gross/44 net hp one-ton truck that clatters like old Singer sewing machine on 14 inch wheels and I have to PUSH my brake pedal, no sissy power brakes for me, and if it is windy I have to pay attention like a rteal man and if it is hot out, I HAFTA wind my window winder down and take it like a MAN . . .
Colin

[Spezialist]

Terry vs. Ohio 1968 ( Plus) Hip Hop fashion dictating gangster/ Prison clothing as HIP is what failed Mr. Martin.

[ruckman101]

I didn't realize hoodies were standard prison issue clothing.


neal

[Amskeptic]

I didn't realize hoodies were standard prison issue clothing.


neal

I will never succumb to the argument that clothing means anything, neither hoodies, nor designer froo-froo.
ColinClothesAreOverrated