Child killed by Neighborhood Watch captain while walking home

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am reposting this, with permission, from another online discussion of Trayvon's tragic death:


"It occurs to me now that Trayvon is our "Rosa Parks."

Clearly racial profiling is something that the country is NOT taking seriously. With victims like Sean Bell, there was always some excuse that he brought it on himself. Media outlets would report on their criminal records, the past, etc. Heck, even being at a strip club was used against them.

Rosa was not the first who was considered to be used for the boycott. She was just the one that no one could criticize. She wasn't a male. She wasn't pregnant out of wedlock. She was just a nice lady who was mistreated. Now we have the same thing. A boy. No criminal record. No record of misbehavior. A sterling young man by all accounts. He was doing nothing but walking back from the store. The problem is unlike Rosa, he can't live to old age and smile about this. He is now a martyr. The fact that such a sweet young man had to die to make the world pay attention to the suffering so so many AA is just so horrible.

The comments that I have been reading during this coverage have been so awful. A black man who is very successful told of how he's been stopped more times than he can count because of driving a luxury car and being used to it. A boy living in a predominantly white neighborhood was accused of stealing his own bike and the cops entered his home and took the serial numbers. Another boy riding in the street was stopped and asked to produce a receipt for his own bike he was riding. Sadly he had it in his pocket already because he knew this would happen.

This is degrading and humiliating that we as African Americans are considered criminals and thugs first, who couldn't possibly own something nice without stealing it. Who can't possibly be in a white neighborhood unless we're there to steal something. Yes, we are the invisible people described in that poem. Despite my clean accent and politeness many white women are still scared and apprehensive around me. What have I done to make them feel so scared? Be tall and black? Should I feel lucky because I'm not a man?

Trayvon is dead. He's dead because an ignorant man took the law in his own hands. He didn't see a kid walking home in the rain. He saw a picture of his own suspicions and his own frustrations. He saw absolutely nothing but a figure of his own fears and imagination. How many of our sons have to have their futures destroyed by people like him? To be arrested because you look like someone involved in a crime? To be accused of something? This ironically is one of the biggest problems with the black community today. The fact that we cannot escape these stereotypes that are inflicted upon us means that we will always suffer from them, from birth to the grave.

Oh, black kids like to fight.
Black kids are lazy, don't expect them to do homework.
Black kids being put on meds because they're "out of control"
Black colleges aren't as good as white ones. -_-

To not getting jobs because of blackness. Not getting homes. Not getting loans. Being followed in stores. Being watched where ever you go. Being treated as irrational, violent, angry... and never really being seen at all.

And sadly, we are the lucky ones."

the author of this touching post should attach her name to it. I'd like to thank her for it.

Signed -

white person grieving for this boy

I agree. Fantastic post. As a black mother, this story saddens me at a level that I can't even describe. Although I'm aware that there is a long way to go re: race relations, I thought these sort of days were behind us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
"It occurs to me now that Trayvon is our "Rosa Parks."

I haven't read all the posts so it's possible that this has been mentioned already but what Trayvon's murder reminds me of most is Emmet Till, a northern kid visiting family in the south who was brutally murdered for having interacted somehow (it's not clear exactly what happened) with a white woman. This sounds like another case of a young black man having been murdered for not having acted subservient enough to a white guy. It's outrageous that we as a society haven't grown beyond this!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emmet_Till

[Anonymous]

and if you listen to the 911 tapes, besides the obviously racist assumption that "these (black) guys" are up to no good and always get away, there is very little doubt in my mind that Zimmerman did say "coon." My take - Zimmerman is mentally ill and paranoid and went out looking for a fight. The poilce f'd up by assuming that the AA kid must have done something to deserve what happened to him, and that Zimmerman actually was defending himself.

I am white -
The police assumed that white looking, white named Zimmerman was telling the truth and that AA kid didn't belong there and acted accordingly. Criminal background check on kid, toxicology on kid, and no arrest of perpetrator. If it weren't for social media, this story would have just been another case of police don't give a damn about dead black teens. I praise the father's lawyer for being such a pit bull and for being so savvy.

[Anonymous]

11:41,

Is it okay to post your post on another discussion board that I am apart of? Would include your post in its entirety (including author's credit).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If Black people were more like Israelis, this stuff would not keep happening to Black people. The Israelis would have retaliated and taken Zimmerman and the likes out by now. Black people stand around and sing Kumbaya and march.

Uh, the Israelis are not the example you want to use here. Ask the Palestinians about that.

[Anonymous]

saying coon or not, it really doesnt change the story that much so i hope everyone doesnt get hung up on this argument.

there is plenty outside of whether he referred to trayvon as a coon to ding on zimmerman and caught up in the name calling only gives an opening for those who want to say this episiode is no big deal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:saying coon or not, it really doesnt change the story that much so i hope everyone doesnt get hung up on this argument.

there is plenty outside of whether he referred to trayvon as a coon to ding on zimmerman and caught up in the name calling only gives an opening for those who want to say this episiode is no big deal

Black woman here. I actually don't think he said "coon". Sounded more like "punk".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:saying coon or not, it really doesnt change the story that much so i hope everyone doesnt get hung up on this argument.

there is plenty outside of whether he referred to trayvon as a coon to ding on zimmerman and caught up in the name calling only gives an opening for those who want to say this episiode is no big deal

Black woman here. I actually don't think he said "coon". Sounded more like "punk".

i wrote the post you responded to. im black as well. it sounds like the wind combined with him catching his breath.

at the end of the day, i dont care cause his intentions are clear without figuring out if he actually said coon or not.....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:saying coon or not, it really doesnt change the story that much so i hope everyone doesnt get hung up on this argument.

there is plenty outside of whether he referred to trayvon as a coon to ding on zimmerman and caught up in the name calling only gives an opening for those who want to say this episiode is no big deal

Black woman here. I actually don't think he said "coon". Sounded more like "punk".

i wrote the post you responded to. im black as well. it sounds like the wind combined with him catching his breath.

at the end of the day, i dont care cause his intentions are clear without figuring out if he actually said coon or not.....

Anything is possible. If he did say coon, he went old-school with the racial slurs.

Definitely agree that his intentions are clear. I can't bring myself to listen to the 911 tapes......

[Anonymous]

Zimmerman is obsessed with calling the authorities. Something is very, very wrong with him. He had called the police numerous times before this incident in days prior.
This is someone with serious control (lack of) issues. My friend has a neighbor like this. The guy lacks in other parts of his life, despite his facade, and his issues are obvious - the worst part is, he tries to take it out on my friend (his neighbor). He also happens to have guns - what is it with guns? It is very difficult (deadly in this case) to live near someone like this - my friends neighbor literally fears, dreads, and can't deal with (literally) change in their surroundings. To a point where he has to "call someone".
A black person in his neighborhood would have been horrible to someone like Zimmerman (and the other guy I mention, come to think of it).
It makes for a hostile environment. I think Zimmerman getting his due would send a much needed message to people like this.

[Anonymous]

10:02 here

I am not joking or being sarcastic. Everyone is assuming Trayvon is innocent, the Watch Captain guilty.

We only know a tiny slice of what transpired.

How do we know Trayvon didn't poke his finger from his hoody pocket, threaten and curse?

The Watch Captain would justifiably be alarmed and afraid for his life.

We do not know what happened. Let the court, or inquiry, determine guilt or innocence, not a bunch of ignorant rappers and political hay-makers.

[Anonymous]

WHY don't they do psych backgrounds on guns owners? WHY is no one asking this?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10:02 here

I am not joking or being sarcastic. Everyone is assuming Trayvon is innocent, the Watch Captain guilty.

We only know a tiny slice of what transpired.

How do we know Trayvon didn't poke his finger from his hoody pocket, threaten and curse?

The Watch Captain would justifiably be alarmed and afraid for his life.

We do not know what happened. Let the court, or inquiry, determine guilt or innocence, not a bunch of ignorant rappers and political hay-makers.

you arent speaking from a place where you have all your info.

ill again concede your silly point that you are 100% right on every crappy assumption you made.

you state at the end that we should let the justice system determine this and this is exactly the problem. the justice system WAS NOT looking into this episode until the "ignorant rapper" and political "hay-makers" said something. you act as if people are up in arms because zimmerman is in jail and awaiting trial. nothing happened to zimmerman that night. not taken to the station, not arrested, questioned. nothing. DOJ is only now looking into this as a result of people making a big deal out of this.

so again, get your facts straight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10:02 here

I am not joking or being sarcastic. Everyone is assuming Trayvon is innocent, the Watch Captain guilty.

We only know a tiny slice of what transpired.

How do we know Trayvon didn't poke his finger from his hoody pocket, threaten and curse?

The Watch Captain would justifiably be alarmed and afraid for his life.

We do not know what happened. Let the court, or inquiry, determine guilt or innocence, not a bunch of ignorant rappers and political hay-makers.

you arent speaking from a place where you have all your info.

ill again concede your silly point that you are 100% right on every crappy assumption you made.

you state at the end that we should let the justice system determine this and this is exactly the problem. the justice system WAS NOT looking into this episode until the "ignorant rapper" and political "hay-makers" said something. you act as if people are up in arms because zimmerman is in jail and awaiting trial. nothing happened to zimmerman that night. not taken to the station, not arrested, questioned. nothing. DOJ is only now looking into this as a result of people making a big deal out of this.

so again, get your facts straight.

Someone is DEAD. Without the public outcry, there would not have been a thorough investigation. So, no guilt or innocence would never have been determined, without the public demanding it. A child is dead, and his family would have no answers.

And, do you think pointing your finger and cursing at someone warrants MURDERING them? Really? Did you really type that? Do you really believe that? If so, you are sick.

[Anonymous]

i dont think 1042 is speaking to me and just happened to quote my comment with 1002. at least i hope thats the case.......