State pushes to keep Trayvon Martin's past out of George Zimmerman trial

[decocker 7,198]

*zip* there, happy now?

yes. no whipping out of the chips will be tolerated in this thread.

Edited May 14, 2013 by val erie

[We Keep Receipts 9,238]

Black people aren't the only people who get profiled.

Other minorities do too, as well as anyone who looks like "white trash".

That's why I put black/brown in my posts. Think about it:

When I say drug dealer, what's the first thing that comes your mind? What about thug? Or welfare queen? How about gang banger? Or even terrorists?

The shooters in CO, Newtown, and New Orleans were terrorists, but will never be called that.

[Darnell 8,479]

re: profiling.

blah - everyone gets profiled.

EVERYONE.

of course, there are different buckets, for what to do, but HEY !

[mota bhai 2,675]

When I say drug dealer, what's the first thing that comes your mind? What about thug? Or welfare queen? How about gang banger? Or even terrorists?

The shooters in CO, Newtown, and New Orleans were terrorists, but will never be called that.

Drug dealer: black dude hanging out by the pond at the park.

Thug: black dude with a basketball in one hand and an iphone in the other, on the neighborhood basketball court with his 'friends' milling around nearby. No wait, that's drug dealer too.

Gang banger: Black guy i didn't know who decided to talk to me on an empty train station platform, who put his ski mask on in the middle of the conversation and and then rolled it right back up, without even skipping a beat. I like to think i didn't skip a beat either but he'd be the better judge of that.

Terrorist: 1 out of 10 of the people coming out of the neighborhood mosque after Jumma prayer. Where's the FBI?????

[Teddy B 17,252]

Drug dealer: black dude hanging out by the pond at the park.

Thug: black dude with a basketball in one hand and an iphone in the other, on the neighborhood basketball court with his 'friends' milling around nearby. No wait, that's drug dealer too.

Gang banger: Black guy i didn't know who decided to talk to me on an empty train station platform, who put his ski mask on in the middle of the conversation and and then rolled it right back up, without even skipping a beat. I like to think i didn't skip a beat either but he'd be the better judge of that.

Terrorist: 1 out of 10 of the people coming out of the neighborhood mosque after Jumma prayer. Where's the FBI?????

Dude, really? How many ponds in the hood you ever seen?

[Harsh_77 718]

What I am trying to say is, take the color out of it. GZ didn't know anything about TM, other than he was a black teenager walking home. What does his past have to do with it? So what we are saying is, if your past is less than impeccable, then you are more likely to do something wrong, so GZ was justified in acting the way he did, because at some point TM would have become a criminal? That's why it a problem with racial profiling, in America you supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, like those who say wait for the trial. But if you're black, you're guilty off the jump, cause GZ didn't wait for the cops to determine if he was guilty or not. He just knew this kid was up to no good, or was going to do something wrong. And some folks on here really believe a pot smoking BLACK teenager is more of a threat than a guy with priors dealing with domestic VIOLENCE and assault of a police officer.

Thats exactly media has portrayed and made ppl believe that GZ is guilty without giving him a chance in court.

Isn't it funny ppl get all aggitated when someone says TM was upto not good but its ok to say GZ was upto no good.

[decocker 7,198]

Thats exactly media has portrayed and made ppl believe that GZ is guilty without giving him a chance in court.

Isn't it funny ppl get all aggitated when someone says TM was upto not good but its ok to say GZ was upto no good.

funny? not really. the aggitation may have something to do with the fact that tm is dead and gz is the one who pulled the trigger.

[Harsh_77 718]

funny? not really. the aggitation may have something to do with the fact that tm is dead and gz is the one who pulled the trigger.

Just coz he is dead does not mean he was innocent, lot of ppl get shot during robbery gone wrong.

Do you think if robber gets shot during a robbery he was innocent?

Same way GZ is innocent until proven guilty, its not job of media to label anyone innocent or guilty.

[decocker 7,198]

Just coz he is dead does not mean he was innocent, lot of ppl get shot during robbery gone wrong.

Do you think if robber gets shot during a robbery he was innocent?

Same way GZ is innocent until proven guilty, its not job of media to label anyone innocent or guilty.

robbery gone wrong?..are you saying that tm was trying to rob gz?

[mota bhai 2,675]

Dude, really? How many ponds in the hood you ever seen?

I live in Jersey. We have very nice suburbs but the hood is never more than a few minutes away.

[Harsh_77 718]

robbery gone wrong?..are you saying that tm was trying to rob gz?

I guess as usual you cannot compare apple to apple.

Simple thing that u cannot understand is just coz one person died does not make him innocent.

Which was basis of your argument just coz TM died he is innocent.

[duraaraa 203]

That's why I put black/brown in my posts. Think about it:

When I say drug dealer, what's the first thing that comes your mind? What about thug? Or welfare queen? How about gang banger? Or even terrorists?

The shooters in CO, Newtown, and New Orleans were terrorists, but will never be called that.

I have a weird point of view, but...

Drug dealer: Some rich kid who had his life so easy that he turned to drugs, and started selling them... so privileged he thinks he can get away with anything. Generally, white.

Thug: Someone hanging out late at night outside a liquor store with his friends... possibly doing drug deals. Of those I have seen, they tend to be Central/South American, Black, and White...

Welfare Queen: A fat lady, regardless of race, a fat lady is my image.

Terrorists: The U.S. military. I think of drone strikes. I also think of Israel. Government-sponsored terrorism is more terrifying than militant groups, to me.

Edited May 14, 2013 by duraaraa

[SMR 368]

That's why I put black/brown in my posts. Think about it:

When I say drug dealer, what's the first thing that comes your mind? What about thug? Or welfare queen? How about gang banger? Or even terrorists?

The shooters in CO, Newtown, and New Orleans were terrorists, but will never be called that.

Drug dealer, thug, welfare queen, and gangbanger don't have a specific race to me. The mental image for me is a style of dress and grooming. Welfare queens are typically fat. That's just what comes to mind. You asked.

Terrorists are also a style of dress although I would go with middle eastern decent being part of this. However, that's not really a skin color. Hair color, maybe. Some middle easterners are pretty white. That's a digression, though.

First, if GZ was within his rights to approach TM, why isn't TM within his rights to defend himself? I mean, GZ was chasing him, with a gun, after calling the police on a unarmed kid walking home from the store. Who wouldn't feel threatend?

As for a chip on the shoulder, do me a favor, google how many white teenagers get profiled, shot and killed. Then compare that number to that of black/hispanic teens. You don't understand it because you have no idea what it feels like to be treated like an animal. It's hurtful as hell when the assumption is if you're black you're up to no good automatically. And what's worse is, no matter what you do, it's stuck to you. People love to say, just do right and you have no issues, that's BS. I know well dressed educated men and women of color who when asked if they've ever been profiled, they all say yes, not 15 years ago, but last week. We have to be beyond perfect to just be considered normal. And its a damn shame this kid's life was taken from him, and all folks can do is assume he was in the wrong for attacking a stranger who broke his neck trying to have a confrontation with him.

Is that first question really a question? If someone has the right to approach you, that means you have the right to assault them? As I've said a lot of times, it comes down to how the events unfolded. It's not illegal to approach someone and ask what they are doing. You seem stuck to your own view of what must have happened without any real evidence. All I'm saying is that the trial shouldn't consider some information off limits. It's all relevant, as long as it has foundation.

I say we should look at the specifics of TM's past. You talk about profiling. It's not about every black kid out there. It's about Trayvon Martin. Profiling isn't really relevant to the George Zimmerman case and the admissibility of Trayvon Martin's past behavior.

You're right that I can never live the world in your shoes, any more than you can live the world in the shoes of any other black person. You've experienced the world through one set of eyes, just as I have. If you think people are out to get you, I'm sure you'll figure out a reason to prove that they are.

Also, googling the things you suggested brings up a lot of links about the GZ case and a case in New Brunswick, GA where a baby was killed. It's not really to the point. As far as the number of teenagers "profiled, shot, and killed," it's a little difficult to define an objective standard of when someone was profiled before being shot and killed. If a teenager has dark skin, does that instantly imply he was profiled? If he's white, does that mean he wasn't profiled? If so, I think it doesn't take a genius to realize that more black and hispanic teens were profiled, shot, and killed, than white teens. If you can otherwise define what it means to profile someone, before shooting and killing them, I'd be interested to hear your definition.

[mota bhai 2,675]

Most Arabs are white.

Most serial killers are white.

Coincidence?

[decocker 7,198]

I guess as usual you cannot compare apple to apple.

Simple thing that u cannot understand is just coz one person died does not make him innocent.

Which was basis of your argument just coz TM died he is innocent.

apple to apple? #######. an apple to apple comparison would be if tm had been attempting to rob gz - but he wasn't. therefore, the robbery comparison is more like apple to ham hock.

tm didn't shoot himself. tm is not on trial. these two simple things are the basis for my argument.