The Whole System Failed Trayvon Martin

[bajaman72]

Sitting here this morning and came across this thread. I'm sorry, but I would of shot him too, and I would of shot him if he was black, brown, or purple. I would NOT of went after him after being assaulted,

Police have guns to protect themselves... NOT YOU! Calling 911 would of done no good.. someone still would have died, probably GZ though, due to the fact if the police seen him with a weapon all eyes (and guns) would of been on him. They are known to shoot first and ask questions later.

This country is becoming a scary place...

[Amskeptic]

I would of shot him too, and I would of shot him if he was black, brown, or purple.

Calling 911 would of done no good.. someone still would have died, probably GZ though.

This country is becoming a scary place...

It is NOT becoming a scary place.

Crime has fallen dramatically over the past two decades. Make an informed note of that.

Who makes this a scary country? All of the blustering idiots who breed paranoia and fear to sell you:
guns
alarm systems
their own political hopes
TV shows

Calling 911 would have done no good? If George had listened to the 911 dispatcher, this tragedy would not have occurred.

Geoge Zimmerman was arrested in Florida yesterday for brandishing a weapon in front of his now ex-girlfriend.
Colin

[Jivermo]

I was going to stay out of this bruhaha, but I think I'll weigh in. I really like this site for the helpful VW dialogue, and passion of my fellow contributors. I am not a racist. My credentials go back a ways: Active in civil rights volunteer work in Newark, NJ, 1962-1964. US Army race relations board, West Germany, 1967-68. I own a business in what has been a crime ridden area of Miami in the past. During the 70's and 80's, I kept an M-1 carbine by the bookcase in my office. During that time, I used that rifle to capture (not shoot) 5 males, all African American, who were engaged in felonious activity on my, or a fellow business owner's premises. ALL were repeat offenders, and were sent back to prison. During that time, I also witnessed three other felonies in progress that I was unable to stop before the criminal fled. ALL were African Americans. These incidents are not about stories or hearsay incidents for me-they were crimes that I saw myself or was an intended victim of. Miami's African American population is roughly 22% of the total. 100% of all of these criminal activities involved African American males, mostly in their 20's although one guy was in his 50's. Human beings learn by experience, or should. Do I "racial profile"? What do you think?

[Amskeptic]

I used that rifle to capture (not shoot) 5 males, all African American, who were engaged in felonious activity on my, or a fellow business owner's premises. ALL were repeat offenders, and were sent back to prison.

During that time, I also witnessed three other felonies in progress that I was unable to stop before the criminal fled. ALL were African Americans. These incidents are not about stories or hearsay incidents for me-they were crimes that I saw myself

Do I "racial profile"? What do you think?

What exactly is your point? State it.

With great affection and gratitude for your presence here, I have personally witnessed several thousand white men all enter glass buildings in major cities all across this country where, I have good reason to suspect, they have ripped off thousands of Americans of their pensions, their mortgages, their savings, with savage impunity. They are repeat offenders who have cost all of us.

I raise you economic/opportunity issues over race any goddamn day of the week. The self-satisfied little fucks who enter the gleaming glass buildings were led astray by their parents, their peers, their culture . . .

I keep seeing doctors enter hospitals. Are they all sick?
I keep seeing property and business owners get all hyper about their acquisitions. What of that will they bring to heaven?

What exactly is my point? I'll state it. I think you have slammed on your brakes in the middle of the freeway of Cause And Effect. You have pointed out an effect with great effect . . .
Colin

[Jivermo]

Colin, your point is well taken. All politics is local, which to me means personal. I related my personal experiences, and how they have shaped my thinking. I don't turn a blind eye to the numerous rogues who rob us while sitting in their Aerons in the ivory towers of this country, to the great charter schools ripoff coursing through the nation's school system, to the great scams of taxpayer funded sports stadiums plaguing our citizenry, or to the newly resurrected idea of tolls, enriching these very crooks. Yes, these guys are for the most part white males, or in Miami, Hispanic and white. I am a vigilant guy, whether I am listening for a wayward exhaust valve, the felon approaching our loading dock, or a scheming government "servant". Slam on the brakes? Yes, about as hard as when you administer your bay window stop test.

[Amskeptic]

Colin, your point is well taken. All politics is local, which to me means personal. I related my personal experiences, and how they have shaped my thinking. I don't turn a blind eye to the numerous rogues who rob us while sitting in their Aerons in the ivory towers of this country, to the great charter schools ripoff coursing through the nation's school system, to the great scams of taxpayer funded sports stadiums plaguing our citizenry, or to the newly resurrected idea of tolls, enriching these very crooks. Yes, these guys are for the most part white males, or in Miami, Hispanic and white. I am a vigilant guy, whether I am listening for a wayward exhaust valve, the felon approaching our loading dock, or a scheming government "servant". Slam on the brakes? Yes, about as hard as when you administer your bay window stop test.

Well, let's keep going.
I have driven so many old Volkswagens that ran like crap and NEVER did I blame the engineering.
What did I blame?

When I perform a stop test that is deficient, what do I do?
Blame it or fix it?

You have witnessed so many African American young men engaged in easily *visible* crime. What do you blame?
How do you fix it?
Colin