what is racism?

[blackribbon]

I have been following the Trayvon Martin case a bit and the call of racism seems to be a major issue. However, I am trying to figure out why. What I see is a neighborhood that has had break-in issues. A crime watch member seeing an older teenager (who did not live there) wandering through the neighborhood. He called 911 to get a police officer to come investigate and he attempted to follow the teenager so that he would be able to identify where he went (made a statement that "they always get away"). The fact that he was being followed bothered the teenager and he had approached the the crime watch person before disappearing.

I think I might have done the same thing...and it would have nothing to do with the teenager's skin color. I would be judging based on how he was dressed and was behaving. I think Zimmerman behaved as any crime watch person would. (My experience is that 'suspicious behavior' is so low in priority that it would have been hours before any cop would have shown up.)

What am I missing?

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

some people say that he used a racial slur when stating that "they always get away" that made reference to Trayvon being black. And add to that, the typical stereotype of "some" people (certainly not me) that think blacks commit more crimes than white people.
Sometimes I think we have taken a few steps backward in the racial divide. I thought electing a black (or half black) president would make things better but it seems to have only made it worse. Especially if you don't like the president, some people, will say it's cuz he's black. I'm so NOT prejudiced against anyone but I see our country as more divided than ever these days. I think it's just a sign of the times.

 

[Life2Christ]

What am I missing?

George Zimmerman did the right thing: he spotted danger and called for law enforement from the safety of his car. BUT what he failed to do was wait for the police to arrive (the police even had his cell #) and as the tape shows, he got out of his car and tried to track the kid.

After Trayvon is found dead, we discover 1.) he had a right to be on the property as he was a guest of one of the tenants 2.) he was unarmed.

Common sense should tell you that if you need to call for the police, that means you are in danger and if you are in danger, you don't get out of the car. I have had people fight me on this argument. I would also feel safe knowing that the police had my cell phone number so they could contact me from anywhere.

 

[blackribbon]

I've attended civic club meetings where police officers have come in and told us to call if we see "suspicious activity"...which included anyone or anything that seemed out of place. Someone acting strangely would qualify. It does not mean that you feel your life is in danger. Zimmerman is recorded saying on his 911 call that the man is not acting right. I don't think he ever said he thought his life was in danger. It turns out that Martin had marijuana in his system...so that kind of backs the case that he might have been acting out of the ordinary.

My experience in calling the police is that they take hours in coming...even once when I believed I was witnessing a break-in. Since there was nobody home, they didn't consider it high priority. It was kind of a joke that when the police actually showed up the NEXT day that the break-in wasn't occuring any more. (go figure, huh?) If I had felt safe enough...I might have gone and watched the event so that I could have at least served as a witness. But are you saying that the people who hid in their houses and didn't even intervene when a man was calling out desperately for help were the ones who behaved properly? (It seems that there is a witness who did watch the altercation from his sliding glass door and I hope that it was his intention of doing something after he called the police.)

 

[blackribbon]

Zimmerman was on the crime watch team...I assume he was patroling his neighborhood at the time...and the neighborhood had been having a break-in issue. He didn't need to think he was in danger to call the police.

As for "they"...when did "they" come to mean black?...it could just as easily mean "those low life punks that keep stealing our stuff".

 

[dayhiker]

I've not followed this case. But police and security people always say one is to call if something feels out of place. So I don't see any fault there. I think around here police respond quite quickly to most calls.

In Martin's place I would have followed the person. I can't see killing anyone as I'd rather run for my life than kill someone. So I don't know how I evaluate the actually killing.

 

[Life2Christ]

Zimmerman was on the crime watch team....

The neighborhood did not have a crime watch. He was just a civilian with a gun. He appointed himself watchman of the neighborhood (vigilante).

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

Zimmerman was on the crime watch team...I assume he was patroling his neighborhood at the time...and the neighborhood had been having a break-in issue. He didn't need to think he was in danger to call the police.

As for "they"...when did "they" come to mean black?...it could just as easily mean "those low life punks that keep stealing our stuff".

BBM He supposedly said a "name" before he said "they" it was more like "blankety blank, they always get away" and the blankety blank was a known reference to that race.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

The neighborhood did not have a crime watch. He was just a civilian with a gun. He appointed himself watchman of the neighborhood (vigilante).

And it's my understanding (which could be wrong) that he was asked NOT to carry a gun.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

I've not followed this case. But police and security people always say one is to call if something feels out of place. So I don't see any fault there. I think around here police respond quite quickly to most calls.

In Martin's place I would have followed the person. I can't see killing anyone as I'd rather run for my life than kill someone. So I don't know how I evaluate the actually killing.

But on the 911 call they asked Zimmerman "Are you following him?" to which he answered "yes" and then they told him "We don't need you to do that" and he did it anyway. And even IF someone punches you there is NO excuse for shooting them. IMO. I would think pulling the gun would make the other person step back. Of course I was not in it, so who really knows but my gut feeling is that Trayvon was standing his ground and Zimmerman was trying to be a hero when it wasn't warranted or needed. He had no proof that Trayvon did anything wrong and he should have let the police handle it. Again JMO.

 

[blackribbon]

Zimmerman said that he went looking for the guy...and he was jumped by Martin...and Martin was banging his head into the concrete. The wounds that have been shown and the doctor's report showed evidence of injuries that match this kind of fight. There is now an unnamed witness who supposedly witness a black man on top of a hispanic or white man smashing his head into the ground...the bottom man screaming...until the shot was fired and the guy who was on top was lying on the ground. If this story is the correct one (both Zimmerman and a witness have given the same account), then there was no "pulling of the gun" but rather it was pulled out and used in very close range order to get the man to stop trying to smash his head in.

The report that was published today said that the investigating officer had had both Martin's dad and Zimmerman's dad listen to the 911 call where you could here a man screaming for help ....( and it sounds like he is crying for his life ... I've heard that tape)....anyway, Martin's dad said (quietly) that that was NOT his son's voice and Zimmerman's dad said that it was definitely his son's voice.

And Zimmerman was the neighborhood's crime watch captain...which it seems wasn't registered as part of any national group...but registering with a national organization isn't a requirement for a crime watch group to exist. I'm also guessing he must have a conceiled weapon permit...and everyone I know with one, carries most of the time.

Initially, due to what the press reported, I thought Zimmerman was at fault. The more I read, I think he might have actually acted in a way I'd expect a crime watch person to act (as in WATCHING where the suspicious person went)...and I'm thinking that it looks like his story is starting to look very plausible. And I am angered that the news wants to bias us instead of just reporting the facts. Even if the Zimmerman is racist (kind of funny since he is a minority too), I suspect this had nothing to do with skin color and is rather about someone who was behaving in a suspicious manner. I don't care what color a guy is if I suspect him to causing trouble in my neighborhood.

 

[blackribbon]

Is it racists to say I'd cross the street to avoid walking by these guys?

http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/144/d718b2b8713546908a57a3ab18bc8016/l.jpg

If so, does it change if I say I'd cross the street avoid this guy just as quickly?

http://whitemencantfunk.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/geazy.jpg?w=590


http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/144/d718b2b8713546908a57a3ab18bc8016/l.jpg

 

[blackribbon]

And I'd have no problem walking with this group of teens ...

http://ionenewsone.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/black-teenagers-smiling.jpg

Yes, I am judging by looks .. but based on the type of person they seem to want to be identified with and not based on the color of their skin.

 

[blackribbon]

And why isn't it racist or bad for a black person to use the "n" word?

For example: Trayvon's Twitter account name was NO_LIMIT_N*GGA (I changed the "I" to "*", Tryvon used the "I".)

A word should either be "unacceptable" or "acceptable" regardless of whose mouth it falls out of.

 

[Life2Christ]

And why isn't it racist or bad for a black person to use the "n" word?

It is racist when anyone uses it. Some people just want to be ignorant by choice.

 

[memoriesbymichelle]

If Zimmerman would have stayed in his car as the officer or 911 operator told him to do, this would not be the tragedy it is and Trayvon would not be dead.
What IF Trayvon was scared because this guy was following him and so he was protecting himself? He didn't have or pull any weapons. Yes he may have punched him and banged his head but if Zimmerman was following him maybe he didn't know what Zimmerman was going to do, and it still does NOT give Zimmerman the right to shoot him IMO. There is also a report from Trayvon's girlfriend that was talking to him when Zimmerman was following him so....