Lisa Graves remarks in her editoral show an ignornce of experience about the reality of the real world. She talks about Martin's right to defend himself from an angry man with a gun. How does she know that Zimmerman was an angry man with a gun? Did she know Zimmerman or ever talk with him? Was she born with the "psychology gene" that she can do psychology by ESP? She is an amazing woman who should by studied by Homeland Security for her attributes which would really help in the fight against terrorism.
I was held-up twice by black teenagers who had guns. I did not fight but did the smart thing of going passive and complying with what they wanted. As an Honorably Discharged Veteran, I understand weapons. Does Lisa Graves? How many times has she fired a weapon and been in combat situations? Any situation involving a gun is a combat situation. How come Lisa Graves never enlisted, like I did, to server her country since she is so brave? She thinks she knows what is going-on but the reality is really different. She needs a reality check.
The only information I have about what happened is what I have read in the biased news media by under-educated, bigoted journalists who have prejudiced this case from the first when NBC TV News released a biased and edited transcript of the phone call Zimmerman made to the police. Then there is the issue of only showing a photo of Martin when he was twelve. How come I've never seen a photo of him as a seventeen year old or with his girlfriend? I'm sure his cell phone had a camera. How tall was Martin and what did he weight? He wasn't shot in the back was he? Where did the bullet enter his body? Were there powder burns on his clothes and where were they? I have never read any of this in the news media. Why not?
From what I read, Martin was on his cell phone talking to his girlfriend. Why didn't he use his phone to call his father to pick him up in his car? Why didn't Martin call the police himself? Why didn't Martin go to one of the houses and knock-on-the-door or ring the bell and ask the residents to call the police? I'm sure if the residents heard that a man was stalking their community, they would have readily called the police.
Zimmerman was a fool for carrying a gun. Like Lisa Graves he thought he knew was he was doing but the reality turned-out to be really different. Zimmerman said that he lost sight of Martin and Martin came-up behind him. There is photographic evidence that Zimmerman was attacked and the police did give him first aid. Was that the result of Martin standing his ground by coming-up behind Zimmerman to show Zimmerman that he was a tough guy, a real man? Why not ask Lisa Graves she has ESP, doesn't she? No one will ever know, not even Lisa Graves, mind-reader, what happened because Martin died and we only have Zimmerman's story but from the incomlete reports which I've read, Martin contributed to his own death and that is not placing the blame on Martin. I could have resited the two black teenage gangs that held me up at gun point but I didn't resist which is why I am here today. What would Lisa Graves have done or advised: stand your ground?
As a Veteran, I took an oath to defend the Constitution which gives us our system of justice and that system says that we have our day in court. Zimmerman had his day in court which we all deserve and he was found "not gulity." Leave the man alone. Both Zimmerman and Martin were fools in their own ways. I am sorry that Martin is dead but Martin had reasonable options which would have saved is life. Even if confronted by Zimmerman, he could have gone passive, like in did, and saved his life. Isn't that what it is all about or was he acting like a stupid teenager who thought, like Lisa Graves, that he was going to prevail like in the movies?
What a country we live in when school children's futures are cashed in for profit, with the government's assistance. The US was the first nation to have free compulsory education, and that great edifice is being torn down by greed, like so much else in this country.
My sister teaches at a charter school. She says that teachers who are unqualified to teach a particular topic are told to teach it anyway. She has a degree in art, and teaches mathematics. She told me that it's a Christian charter school located in a right wing voting district, but I don't know how that can be, since charter school regulations state that they are to be non-sectarian.
America seems like it is slowly collapsing in on itself due to neglect, greed and malice. If Canada accepted 50+ year old unemployed (former technical worker) immigrants from America, I'd pack my bags today.
To do a thorough job, they should have seen to it that a judge could no longer tell the jury to "consider all the circumstances" in a case, which here include Zimmerman's mutterings and his pursuit of Martin against the dispatcher's instruction.
Just zoom in on the moment when the defendant started to feel afraid, and "circumstances surrounding" are nullified, including whatever of his own reckless actions may have may have put him in that situation. Leaving in that "circumstances surrounding" instruction makes the whole thing needlessly messy. Without that instruction, jurors wouldn't have to feel conflicted and the talking heads and the public wouldn't have so much to argue about. Case closed. :-)
It seems that the fix is in. Under the guise of educational "reform" ALEC has instigated an all out effort to destroy public education by providing exotic and innovative programs that only creates money making opportunities for its for-profit corporate buddies.
This is not educational reform. It is stealing from the American people. This is criminal, but because of ALEC's financial stranglehold on so many politicians their power is oppressive.
Bottom line: American school children are being scammed. Shame on ALEC and the Republicans...They certainly know how to "Stand their ground!"
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