I want to make it very clear that I am not posting this article because I believe Trayvon Martin was a "thug", or because George Zimmerman was right for shooting him, or because I care about the color of someone's skin. As a child I learned from a very intelligent black man to judge someone by "the content of their character". What I see is a very obvious attempt by the Obama administration and the democrats in congress to bring race into the public discourse. On one side, Geraldo Rivera says wearing a hoodie makes you a hoodlum automatically, and on the other, a former black panther House Rep. wears a hoodie in a show of solidarity. Even on OS, there are some who taken this story and have run with it like they're running the New York Marathon. We can debate why, but articles like this one below point out the hypocrisy in dwelling on one case and ignoring the other. Either we talk about EVERY murder where 2 people of a different race or nationality are involved, we talk about none of them, or we stop invoking race all together. Lets stop being silly...
JG
By Paul Thompson in Sarasota
The parents of two murdered British students in Florida have criticised President Barack Obama for his lack of compassion over their son's death
His failure to respond to three letters sent to the White House was because there was no "political value" and not worthy of a few minutes of his time.
They spoke out as teenager Shawn Tyson began a life sentence after being found guilty of the murder of James Cooper and James Kouzaris last April.
The 17 year old, who shot the men as they begged for their lives, will die in prison.
His conviction of first degree murder carries an mandatory life sentence without the chance of parole.
The powerfully built teen even looked bored as emotional DVD presentations about the dead men prepared by their grieving parents were shown in court.
Tyson, who has the word 'Savage' tattooed across his chest didn't show a flicker of emotion, slumping in his seat as he was forced to watch a montage of photos showing the victims from early childhood to young men.
Two close friends of the dead men who had attended the eight day trial in Sarasota, Florida. had also delivered highly emotional impact statements to the court prior to the sentencing.
Paul Davies and Joe Hallett spoke of the "living hell" they and others who knew the men had suffered since the murders.
During the eight day trial they had been shown graphic crime scene and autopsy photos shown in court.
Later speaking after Tyson was jailed Davies and Hallett lashed out at Mr Obama saying the deaths of their friends was "not worthy of ten minutes of his time."
Davies said:"We would like to publicly express our dissatisfaction at the lack of any public or private message of support or condolence from any American governing body or indeed, President Obama himself.
"Mr Kouzaris has written to President Obama on three separate occasions and is yet to even receive the courtesy of a reply.
"It would perhaps appear that Mr Obama sees no political value in facilitating such a request or that the lives of two British tourists are not worthy of ten minutes of his time."
The rebuke follows Mr Obama's personal intervention into the shooting in Florida of a young black teenager by a white-Hispanic neighbourhood watch captain.
The death of 17 year old Trayvon Martin has sparked nationwide protests with his supporters claiming he was victim of a racist attack.
Mr Obama entered the controversy last week by saying if he had a son he would have looked like Martin.
The alleged assailant in Martin's death has not been charged with any crime having claimed he was attacked first and used Florida's 'stand your ground' law to shoot in self defence.
The criticism of the US President was made on behalf of the Cooper's parents Stanley and Sandy, from Warwicks, and Peter and Hazel Kouzaris, from Northampton by Davies in a statement read outside the courtroom.
The parents of the two victims did not attend the trial but they had access to the proceedings from a live video feed.
The filmed interview of the Kouzaris's was played to the court while a message from Sandy Cooper was read out by the prosecutor.
The victims close friends delivered an emotional impact statement with Hallett telling Tyson he hoped he would be haunted by his actions.
He told him: "Imagine them being killed. Now try to imagine that they died because someone creept up on them and shot them numerous times for no good reason. Welcome to our world. Every night you go to sleep, every morning you wake up, I want you to think of my friends who you murdered. Their images will be imprinted on your conscience up until your very last breath in life."
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Comments
With all due respect to all of this, it never fails to amaze me how people talk, talk, talk, about this case and it’s mostly race, race, race– which is totally legitimate for that is the ugly underbelly in America. This infestation of racism pollutes our body politic and is a disgrace on a great Nation.
But what troubles me most is that people also talk, and jabber hysterically about this law when they haven’t even troubled themselves to go read the freakin’ statute so they might at least have a thimble full of knowledge demonstrating they have a clue what they are talking about. Essentially it comes down to what Randolph McLaughlin, attorney for the family of Kenneth Chamberlain said speaking about that case on Democracy Now and comparing the police there to Zimmerman here. You can’t provoke a situation and then respond to it, "Oh, I had to use deadly force to protect myself." That really is all of it in a nutshell. Superbly stated.
But if we are going to trash a law (when the real trash is law enforcement) we should at least go read it. This is easy. This is not rocket science. If anyone is going publish their opinions credibility helps. The law in question here is really simple enough for a 17-year old to understand.
Read "Trayvon Martin: Defense a Pig-Sty Beneath a Racist Facade?" as well as the follow up commentary and I think you will agree that the ONLY person who can rely on this law as a defense is Trayvon Martin.
Indeed, even as to the alleged fight that broke out the legal consequence is the same. Under the plain and simple language of this law and the facts as we know them, The ONLY man with a right to stand his ground was Trayvon Martin and the only one legally authorized by law to meet force with force as that 6' 3" 140 lg boy against a 5. 9' 240lb gorilla with a gun.
“Suspicion” will NOT suffice under this statute. Read it. Much more must be specifically shown. Did Trayvon fight back? Is this even a relevant question? If you were 140 lb skinny teenager displaying none of the BEHAVIOR SPECIFICALLY required before one can even evoke this statute (just read it!) and 250 gorilla jumps out of a car and comes after you as you are retreated from his aggression what would you do? What would and person do? Waht they have a right to! Stand your ground and meet force with force if necessary to prevent great bodily harm.
Notice, one you read this simple and clear law that one person and one person only has the factual and legal right to assert on their behalf. And that ONE person was Travyon Martin. I rest my case.