A Facebook Trayvon Discussion

Mark, I guess if one needs to write a column of some length, it’s convenient to list the various possibilities. Seems to me that it ain’t that complicated. The serious injustice of a self-appointed vigilante who ignores police instructions to quit following, who gets out of his vehicle to accost on foot, who weights 100 lbs. more than an unarmed youth carrying Skittles home to his brother, who shoots said such unarmed youth with a 9 mm. and claims self-defense should raise the hackles of any justice-seeking citizen. I’m astounded that your column seems so nonchalant about this scenario.

Thanks for taking the time to comment, Friend 1. I regret that my post struck you as nonchalant, but I do appreciate your qualifying your statement with _seems_. For that, I thank you. 🙂

My post is intended to express genuine puzzlement and mystification as to what makes this case a cause celebre (or however that’s written) as though it were particularly unique. Without intending to diminish the scenario you present above, it does not (for me) satisfactorily address my post’s main question. (If you meant it to, my apologies for densely missing it.)

Far from being nonchalant, I am extremely concerned at the implications and ramifications that may be found in and result from this whole tragedy.

PS: Just one question about your scenario — could you point me to your source for the “police instructions” portion? (Not that said “police instructions” help in answering my main question, of course, so if you prefer not to bother, that’s understandable.)

I hold you in high regard from my childhood and sign off in peace.

Mark, according to the tapes of the call made by Zimmerman to the police, they asked him if he was following the youth. Zimmerman told them yes, and the officer instructed him to stop following the boy which he did not do.

Thanks for your input as well, Friend 2. That version of the tapes is different than what I’ve heard *about*. (No, I haven’t heard the tapes nor read the transcripts.) This all is excellent fodder for the “we know what they want us to know” types among us. 🙂

Nevertheless, whatever the tapes say and whatever the dispatcher said, none of it seems to answer my blog post’s principal question.

Disclaimer: I haven’t read/heard any news this morning yet. Perhaps the scores of killings since Treyvon’s are suddenly getting similar attention as his.

Mark, I gather from your response you were offended by the sharpness of my critique. That’s a failing of mine. My early experience in discussing issues was learning to debate in grade school, high school, and college. In a debate, there is not a lot of time for niceties. One needs to make a point succinctly and go for the essence of the argument. Further, I tend to analyze the issues from my frames but welcome responses that point out where I may use faulty information or logic. That is the essence of debate. I do not have much time to give to Facebook exchanges and tend to state my arguments in a straightforward way may come across as going for the jugular. I hope you will not lose respect for me because of this but will accord me the same honesty and straightforwardness in your responses.

Now as to what I read in your post. I found your wonderment at why the Trayvon Martin case has gained such notoriety citing many of the trivial reasons that have become standard fare in the right-wing media’s blitz to try to vindicate Zimmerman. I expect a conscientious blogger to do more evaluation of the rationales behind the factors you mention, not just parrot them. You have a case in which the police did not do an adequate job of evidence collection, easily took the excuse of a man who had just killed an unarmed teenager, performed drug tests on the corpse but did not take evidence from the killer, did not check out the boy’s identity on his cell phone or notify the parents for 3 daysƒ all evidently a part of corrupt political system that has been oppressive of the African-American population of that city. And you wonder why the hulabaloo when the facts are known. Your response reminds me somewhat of the FAUX News effort to defend Zimmerman.

Why not more outrage? Sure there should be more outrage at justice in our society. Why is there dawn to dark media coverage when a white girl disappears and not when African/American or Hispanic? A legitimate question. But the outrage in this case is well-merited and I am not wondering why.

No offense, Friend 1. 🙂

It still seems you are misreading my blog post and the intent and concerns behind it.

The “trivial reasons” and “right-wing” “fare” you see in the questions are nonetheless sincere questions probing at the edges of what may or may not be the answer to my principal question: “Why Trayvon Martin and not someone else?”. If the answer to any or all of those questions is negative (as I could imagine the case to be), that works for me. If we eliminate all of those as answers to the question, I am yet left with the question. That’s OK, since I’m pursuing a factual answer. Thankfully, you offer up some potential answers to the question. That’s progress. Nevertheless, my question continues to stand…because I’m asking what about this case triggered a response not seen in (seemingly) the vast majority of others.

To put it another way, this isn’t about *more* outrage to me. It’s about, why the outrage for this particular case and not for the bulk of earlier ones?

Friend 1, you see right-wingness in my post. If I see left-wingness in your comments, does that make us both proverbial wingnuts?

Ach, I forgot to hold down SHIFT when poking ENTER that last time. 🙂

I’m not asking my questions and making my comments with any kind of activist or political bent or intent. I’m not coming at it from any sort of right-wing or left-wing or know-wing mentality. I stand at the sidelines and wonder, sometimes “aloud.” 🙂 I know doing so is likely to earn me misunderstanding (if not ire) from either wing or both. Just as I knew going into this that my post could be taken as what it is not: defending or vindicating or excusing Zimmerman.

PS: I don’t do the parrot thing well, Friend 1. 😉

Mark, I’d not be surprised if you see a left-wing concern for justice for the oppressed similar to that expressed by Jesus’ mother in the Magnificat and on occasion by Jesus himself. Got to be very careful with these left-wing tendencies. 🙂

As for what I understand to be the heart of your question, I think there are two dimensions to a satisfactory answer. One, the blatant injustices that seem apparent when one considers the history of that police department and the facts of the case. This is not a particularly left-wing view unless one thinks that conservative ex Florida congressman Joe Scarborough has changed his spots—unlikely for a leopard or Joe. The second answer is more imponderable, but does address your question i.e., one cannot predict what will strike a strong note on the scale of public opinion. I see it as going back to the gross injustice that when known strikes a strong note with U.S. population. Of course, the MSM will always play up anything that will attract audience.