Edit~RedEye's Week in Review~Trayvon Martin Edition

33 Days and Counting

"Would you, would fellow African American Congress members care as much if Trayvon were white?"  When I heard Brooke Baldwin ask Representative Corrine Brown (D. FL) this question I had to check my TeeVee to see If I had accidentally tuned in to Fox News. Shudder

These are The Things White People Say about the Trayvon Martin case, in an attempt to marginalize and minimize legitimate complaints.  In other words, it'a cop out, a weapon of mass distraction.

Psst Brooke!  We care about all crime, we express outrage and work for justice in our community everyday, the problem is y'all don't hear us because that's not considered news worthy.  We are not as depraved as they would have you believe.  It's the media.

This is proof Attorney General Eric Holder was right (no pun), America is a nation of cowards about race.  At the time there were some who thought he was putting us down, but there were others who understood  he was asking us to have courage.  Maybe if we had done that, Trayvon Martin, Sean Bell, Oscar Grant, Kenneth Chamberlin,  Rekia Boyd and countless others would be alive today.

If a video and an eyewitness is not enough  to arrest George Zimmerman, and the fact their case is falling apart , I don't know what is.  I wish I could say I had faith in our justice system, but I just can't.  Maybe if there were investigating a gambling bingo bill and corruption......

Today's Must Reads
Trayvon Martin, Troy Davis and the 2012 Election

Excerpt

On the other hand, in the interest of making some whites feel better about themselves, the hacks at CNN sought out the tiny and deceptively named “New Black Panther Party” which seems to exist purely to be called upon by the likes of Sean Hannity and Anderson Cooper when they need a comic black racist bogeyman. The NBPP dutifully rendered its standard performance, complete with scowling and on-camera chest-thumping about bounties and “citizens arrests.”

Don't Let Them Fool You, Keep Fighting for Justice! 
Excerpt

As Bob Marley said, don't let them fool you. Don't let those those punk police fool you. Don't let uncle toms like Rev. Bryant sidetrack you. Don't let those buffoons masquerading as Black Panthers or anyone else trick you into doing something crazy. Keep marching, keep petitioning, keep speaking out, keep blogging until we get justice for Trayvon!

Let us march on until victory is won.

Trayvon Martin Murder Case Goes All Skittles

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell tweeted that George Zimmerman's lawyer will be on his program tonight. Let's hope Lawrence doesn't have to Super Glue Attorney Craig Sonner to the chair, so Jon Stewart doesn't get any new material.

Yesterday, with its revealing video of George Zimmerman walking unscathed and unruffled (zoomed, slo-mo copy) into the secured Sanford police department sallyport, was a big day in terms of moving the Trayvon Martin murder case forward. We've heard the 911 tape between Zimmerman and the police dispatcher, but we haven't yet heard Trayvon's 911 call to the Sanford police. Hearing that will be another step forward in the pursuit of justice.

The idea that a young man armed with Skittles and iced tea was killed walking home continues to outrage people. Bruce Springsteen introduced his “American Skin (41 Shots)” last night in Philadelphia with the words "This is for Trayvon." The song, originally written in response to the 2000 Amadou Diallo shooting, points up what so many know.

It ain't no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living
in your American skin.

The Honorable Robert Zimmerman says he "never foresaw so much hate coming from the President, the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP..." and went on to speculate about their motivations. Of course, we know what his are.

Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL-3), whose congressional district at its most southern tip includes Sanford, remains vigilant in her pursuit of justice. On Tuesday, she participated in a "House Judiciary Committee briefing on racial profiling and hate crimes. The briefing will assess the role of the federal government regarding racial profiling and hate crime issues, specifically as it relates to the case of Trayvon Martin."

Yesterday she reiterated the importance of the Department of Justice investigation in view of the facts that "the Sanford Police never did toxicology testing on George Zimmerman, yet immediately tested Trayvon’s body; the area where the crime was committed was never properly secured, police failed to interview some witnesses, investigators never contacted Trayvon’s girlfriend even though they knew she was on the phone with him during the incident, police reports contradict the Chief’s public statements, and several other anomalies."

Before the release of the sallyport video, MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell, accompanied by NY Times' Charles Blow and the WP's Jonathan Capehart, did a couple of provocative interviews with Joe Oliver, who presents more anomalies in this tragedy. Mr. Oliver, a former co-worker and 6-year acquaintance of shooter George Zimmerman, quit his job to do unpaid mainstream media interviews ("softball interviews" as Lawrence called them) on behalf of George Zimmerman.

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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

All of this could be critically important to the outcome, especially given the remarks made by the Jacksonville prosecutor recently assigned the case. "The prosecutor at the center of the national firestorm over whether the man who killed Trayvon Martin should be charged in his death said Tuesday she’s not likely to need a grand jury to make the decision for her.

More probable, she said, is that she’ll be the one to decide...In Florida, the decision on whether to indict someone in capital cases must be made by a grand jury. In all lesser cases the decision to file charges is routinely made by prosecutors. But in highly controversial or difficult cases, prosecutors often defer to a grand jury, leaving the politically charged decision to a panel of citizens."

Who are you going to believe? Me, or your lying eyes?

 31 days and counting since George Zimmerman, profiled, stalked, confronted , tormented,  then executed Trayvon Martin, who wailed and begged for his life for 40 seconds\, We have video...finally... .  To say the video is inconsistent with the Sanford Police Department Report,is an understatement.

31 days and counting,  we learn Trayvon Martin's Killer has friends in high places.

31 days and counting since Trayvon Martin was killed, some in  the media are still race baiting, thank goodness for online activists and MSNBC.

31 days and counting since George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Williams, I've learned when the mainstream media cautions us not rush to judgement because we don't have all the fact, they are not going to conduct an investigation and present the facts. No, they are going to wait for their unnamed sources to leak the facts they want us to know, instead of the facts we need to know..

31 days since George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, black children are still under attack by the people who are supposed to protect and serve them.

Justice is stubborn when  the victim is black.  Ask the parents of the 4 little black girls.  Ask the family of Medgar Evers.  Emmett Till's murderers still haven't been bought to justice.

Justice is swift and sure if the victim is white.  Ask the Scottsboro Boys.

 Rekia Boyd 1980-2012 RIP Sweet Child

ABC News Exclusive: Video Shows No Blood On Zimmerman

Read the accompanying ABC News Story here.

Zimmerman Camp Standing their Ground

Funeral Director, no cuts or bruises on Trayvon's hands and knuckles, calls police investigation the most unprofessional he's ever seen.


Several explosive new developments today in the case of Trayvon Martin.  

What took so long for the police to notify Trayvon`s parents about the death of their son? Why wasn`t the suspect, George Zimmerman arrested? Why has he been able to claim self defense when the facts contradict that claim that in fact he chased Trayvon? And why weeks later, Zimmerman is still free and still able to carry a weapon?

What Everyone Should Know about the Trayvon Martin Case. 

What Joe Scarborough said all the damn way!

"If the facts are as they appear now, whoever is running the Police Department, whoever is running the State Attorney's office down there are not worthy of the public trust, have betrayed the public trust.  They are unworthy of representing the people of Florida..

There's the United States of America, and theres the state of Florida

I hate to say it, much less think it, but I don't believe George Zimmerman will be arrested or charged in the death of Trayvon Martin.

Why do I think this way?

1. .Zimmerman will appear before a secret grand jury on April 10, 2012.  We don't know who will serve on the jury, and we won't know what was said because it's well...secret.

2.  A  month later, not only do we find out Zimmerman's father is a white, retired, Magistrate Judge, we learn the lead investigator wanted to charge Zimmerman with manslaughter,  but was over ruled by the Seminole County State Attorney via the Sanford Police Chief.

3.  Righty's and the  mainstream media  are itching for a "race war", and what better place than swing state Florida?

4.  Most of the mainstream media, with the exception of MSNBC, are so afraid of being called liberal, they are bending over backwards to adopt the Fox News  faux fair and balanced meme, thereby enabling the Zimmerman camp.  Compare  MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell's and Joe Scarborough's tough questioning , with CNN's John King's questioning of  Florida State Attorney Angela Cory.  As long as the white, male dominated media gets to decide what is racism by denying there is racism, America never be post racial.

 5.  It's been 30 days and counting since George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin, still no arrest, and the State Attorney in charge of the investigation says there might not be one.

What say y'all?

Update on New Developments in the Trayvon Martin Case

The Lead Police Investigator wanted to charge George Zimmerman with manslaughter on the night of the killing but he was over ruled by the Local State Attorney.

The N wording  of Trayvon Martin

29 Days and counting since George Zimmerman stalked, shot and killed Trayvon Martin in Sanford, FL

According to ABC7 Chicago Trayvon Martin called 911 during attack.  The Feds have the tape.

This is who they are.  This is what they always do. What You Need To Know About The Smear Campaign Against Trayvon Martin (1995-2012)

No good deed goes unpunished in Sanford, FL. Snark   Sanford Officials Who Voted In Support of  the Police Chief face a recall.

The Task force appointed by Florida Governor Rick Scott led by his Lt. Governor who, uh, who, uh, is an African American is coming under fire.

Acting Sanford Police Chief Scott will be conducting an internal investigation to see who leaked information to the media.  RedEye Roll

UPDATED: Zimmerman's Lawyer Flees Interview Before Questioning By MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell

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In other breaking news about Trayvon Martin's murder:

ABC7 Chicago Acknowledges Existence of 9-1-1 Call by Travyon Martin During Attack

The FBI is attempting to audio-enhance the 911 recording of the call Trayvon Martin made so they can hear Zimmerman's words in the background.

Trayvon Martin Investigator Wanted Manslaughter Charge

We know that George Zimmerman's father, Robert Zimmerman, is a retired Virginia magistrate judge. We know that father George wrote to the Orlando Sentinel: "At no time did George follow or confront Mr. Martin. When the true details of the event became public, and I hope that will be soon," the letter said, "everyone should be outraged by the treatment of George Zimmerman in the media." The retired Virginia judge magistrate wrote that despite son George's clear, recorded reply to the police dispatcher that he was following Trayvon.

So, what could be going on here? We know that George was arrested 3 times in the past: "for domestic violence, resisting an officer without violence and most shockingly, resisting an officer with violence." That last one was a felony charge (just as a stalking charge for following Trayvon could have been).

ABCNews is now reporting that the lead homicide investigator Chris Serino recommended that shooter George Zimmerman be charged with manslaughter but that "the state attorney's office headed by Norman Wolfinger determined there wasn't enough evidence to lead to a conviction." Today, the state's attorneys office had no comment.

Was it a federal hate crime as defined under 18 U.S.C. 249, Hate Crime Acts, with its severe penalties?

George Zimmerman wasn't arrested, so he was allowed to go home, wash his clothes of evidence and is awaiting the April 10th grand jury hearing with all his creature comforts. Really nice when your pop has the connections to get you off on 3 arrests. But, can he rig the 4th?

Staying Up with the Layers of the Trayvon Martin Murder

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In the past, I've said the Trayvon Martin murder case is layered like an onion. On Saturday, March 24th, MSNBC's "Up with Christ Hayes" devoted a lot of time to different aspects of case. One of the panel's participants, Attorney Bryan Stevenson, made startling revelations about American youngsters sentenced to life in prison.

Other segments of the show were equally informative and thought provoking. You'll miss good stuff if you don't check them out!
Gun Lobby Influence on "Stand Your Ground"
Now We Know: Increase of Justified Homicides in Florida
A Hopeful Note to Trayvon Martin's Case

George Zimmeman shot and killed Trayvon Martin because he was suspended from school for 10 days

In an attempt to demonize Trayvon Martin and defend his killer, authorities in Florida leaked to the press, the reason Trayvon Martin was in Sandford, Florida visiting his Father,  instead of at his home in Miami Florida, and I for one am glad they did. 

The Miami Dade School system suspended Trayvon Martin for 10 days because (get this) traces of marijuana was found in a plastic baggie  in his book bag.  Not a gun.  Not a knife.  Not a bomb. Not actual marijuana, but  traces of marijuana in a baggie in his book bag.

 It is a documented fact Black kids are punished/expelled/ suspended in schools  more than white kids in South Florida.  I would be interesting to find out how many white, male students were suspended for the same reason.  

If Trayvon Martin had been allowed to attend school in Miami, of in Orlando, George Zimmerman wouldn't have   stalked  and shot him him dead..  Of course he might not have been safe from being shot at school either.  

I don't care if he had actual marijuana in a baggie in his book bag, Trayvon Martin did not deserve to be gunned down like a rabid dog, and it's certainly not a reason for George Zimmerman not to be arrested.

It's been 28 days and counting since George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin was killed in Sanford Florida because he'd wasn't in Miami, FL.

Today's Must Reads

The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration in the Age of Color Blindness

The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration of of African American Men

Spend Money on Schools Instead of the War on Drugs.

Monday Morning Talking Points

Starting today the Felonious Five and Minority Four will hear three days of oral arguments in the most significant Supreme Court Case in Decades.   The gop infused, media enabled Tea Party, call it Obama Care,  Democrats call it what it is, The Affordable Health Care Act.  I call it the Obama Cares if you live or die act.

In essence the United States Supreme Court, who btw has access to the best government run health care our tax dollars can buy for life,  are going to decided if we the people can have the same access to quality, affordable health care for life.  What's not to like about that?

If the government can require you to purchase liability insurance for your automobile, why can't they require you to purchase health insurance for your body?

The Alabama Senate has approved a new bill that would allow recall of public officials!!!  It's about damn time!  Maybe we'll get some accountability from our elected officials for a change.  You hear that Huntsville City School Board of Education?

Meanwhile Alabama gop legislators scramble to try and un ring the bell cause they are reaping what they've sown.  Good luck with that.

From the They Must Think We Are Stooopid File, or, the They Must be Desperate File, if they are pushing the meme that Charter Schools are being pushed in Alabama by Obama Liberals.   I guess it depends on what the definition of an Obama Liberal IS.  NOT.

Today's Must Read
Why Democrats Oppose Charter Schools

If it's Sunday it's time to Meet the Pest~Trayvon Martin Edition

I woke up this morning to the most NOT trusted name in news, CNN, pushing the New Black Panther Party Offers $10,000 for George Zimmerman, meme.  What I want to know is; who/ where is the New Black Panther Party getting $10,000 from in this economy?  If they have $10,000 they should give it to Trayvon Martin's parents.   Psst CNN!  I know you love all war all the time, but please stop trying to incite a race war for ratings as a weapon of mass distraction from Trayvon Martin's death.  Click


I flipped over to Meet the Pest, I mean Press, with David Gregory and spit out my coffee when I saw  Haley, Boss Hoggs, White Citizens Council, Pardon Gate, Scott Sisters, Barbour, of all people, talking about the Trayvon Martin case.  Psst David Gregory!  Haley Barbour has no creditability on race issues.  Haley Barbour had no creditability on race issues.  Haley Barbour will never have any credibility on race issues.  Click.


Then comes MSNBC's  Alex Twit, I mean Whitt asking Ron Allen if George Zimmerman's side of the story resonates with the people in Sandford, Florida.  Psst Alex!  Hell to the NO, Zimmerman's side of the story is not resonating with the people in Sanford, Florida because everything he said is a L-I-E.   Your colleague Melissa Harris Perry  is speaking TRUTH to power.   Click


Somebody had to die so Dick Cheney could live, thanks to the best Government Run ObamaCare for Life our tax dollars can  buy.  And that's all I'm going to say.


Today's Must Reads
Trayvon Martin, my son and the Black male Code

Have Hoodie, Will Die

AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari

Reasonable Fears

On The Legacy of Old Photos

After uploading the photo, I see that it's much poorer quality than the original that you can find here. If you right click on that link and choose "open in a new tab" you can flip back and forth to follow me more easily. :)

I like looking at old photos; I'm not sure why. I think it's because when I do, I can fantasize about the people in them, speculate about what their lives where like, what challenges they faced, what kind of folks they were. And it turns out that by looking at the larger photo, there's an awful lot of new detail, telling a whole different story than what I first wrote.

In this photo, that's a tall, shy guy peering out from the behind the tree, showing his hand - is he missing a finger, or flashing the peace sign? And the fellow next to him, turning his body away from the camera, and then looking toward it, perhaps at the last minute. Just showing off his booze, or is he clowning around by covering the seated guy's face? No, the seated guy is holding up his trophy, a cougar face! And what about the guy next to him, the one staring so intently at the top of the stick? What is up with him? Turns out that he's reaching for the booze bottle being offered. Anyone can tell that the fellow on the ground is too darn exhausted to be interested in a photo session; he has a break and he's going to catch 20 winks! But behind him is that man with the jovial smile. He knows he's making history. Farther back, we see the soldier who wanted to show off his shotgun: is he saying "I'm armed and that makes me a better man" or is he combining with the fellow to his right, holding up the fry pan, to say "We hunt to eat?" That is, "we are self-sufficient men."

Then again moving forward, we see the man displaying his shovel overhead. Or, is it an axe? I wonder what his job was. Woodchopper? Did he provide the wood for the cooking fires? What would his life be like today, if he ran a skidder in the forest? And to the right of him, that guy holding the long, menacing knife...was he the buffalo butcher? And next to him, the fellow with the light colored chaps. It must have taken some time and talent to strip off that buffalo fur.

Notice how each man wears his cap differently? Some pull it forward, perhaps to block the sun or because of camera shyness. Perhaps some really don't want to be photographed, but feel as though they must. Or, perhaps, I've just made too much out of this old picture. But, in my own way, I've felt as though I've met each of these men by wondering about them. And I wonder if, when the picture was being made, they wondered who in the future, would wonder about them, their duties, their lives.

Trayvon Martin Saturday Photo Blog with Commentary

H/T Field Negro

If I had a son he'd look with Trayvon.  Obama Cares.  Therein lies the difference between US and THEM.

"Shoot to Kill" may soon be replacing "In God we Trust" " as US Motto thanks to the Compassionate, Christian, Conservatives.   Who would Jesus assassinate, ma'am?

Professor Henry Louis Gates was arrested for getting uppity with police in his own damn house.  Maybe if the mainstream media let us have an honest and open discussion about racial profiling instead of turning it into a beer summit, Trayvon Martin would be alive today.

Picture of bluh people who want the government to take care of them, equally.  Picture of black people demanding justice for Trayvon Martin and not food stamps.

Geraldo Rivera: Hoodie ‘allowed’ Zimmerman to kill Martin | The Raw Story http://bit.ly/GJzyU7

I think I know why George Zimmerman hasn't been arrested for the murder of Trayvon Williams

It's been 26 days since Trayvon Martin died. Instead of arresting George Zimmerman, Florida's republican men hide behind, I mean,  turn the case over to Florida's republican women.  Now we have to wait and see if these women have the ovaries to do the right thing, or, if they are temporary  window dressings.  I suspect the latter, but time will tell the truth.

It's been 26 days since Trayvon Martin died because he being young, black male and suspicious.  It's been 7 years since Florida Governor Jeb Bush (r) signed the Stand Your Ground Bill into law.

It's been 26 days since Trayvon Martin died standing his ground.

It's been 26 days since Trayvon Martin  was gunned down 70 yards from his fathers back door.  Why is the gunman still free?

That is the question people all over the world, including  right wing republicans, are asking.

It's a trap for President Obama in swing state Florida.

The righty's are just itching for President Obama to over reach in the Trayvon Martin case so they can throw  out some red meat to their base,  make the case about President Obama's Ebony Donkey, and take the focus off the real issues surrounding the death of Trayvon Martin.  Weapon of Mass Distraction.

President Obama said if he had a son he would look like Trayvon, the Justice Department, which reports to him as head of the Executive Branch, is on the case.

Enough said.

We can take it from here Mister President.

Trayvon Martin case turned over to the Southern Belles

Meet Duval County State Attorney Angela Cory, Florida Governor Rick Scott's pick for a new prosecutor in the Trayvon Martin case, after Seminole County State Attorney Norman Wolfinger volunteered to recuse himself, after temporarily resigned Sandford Police Chief Bill Lee handed the case over to him, after the City manager Norman Bonaparte, called for an independent investigation of the Sanford Police Department.  Whew

Meet Florida Lt. Governor Jennifer  Carroll, picked by Governor Rick Scott to lead a special task force in response to the death of Trayvon Martin.

Funny how republican men don't trust women with a choice but they trust them to be special prosecutors and lead special task forces.  Snark

Let's see if these women are Steele Magnolias, or Southern Belles.

Sanford FL Police Chief Steps Down - Temporarily

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Stand Your Ground in "Plain English"

After reading Left in Alabama's resident righty, and  Legal Contributor's explanation of Self Defense and Stand Your Ground in plain English, I still can't understand why I was banished and barred from participating in the Informed, Involved, Progressive, discussion because I dared to whine about it.  But I digress.

I felt threatened so I shot them.  That's Stand Your Ground in plain English. Ironically,  Trayvon Martin was killed for standing his ground. He was threatened after being stalked by George Zimmerman .  Unfortunately, Trayvon was  threatened by a man with a 9 mm pointed at his chest, and all he had to defend himself with was a bag of Skittles and an Arizona Ice Tea.

It's a good thing Arizona Governor Jan Brewer didn't have a 9 mm when she felt a bit threatened by President Barack Obama.  I'm just saying...

Law Enforcement officers and Prosecutors tried to tell the pro life republicans in 21 states, including Sweet Home Alabama, this law would cause an increase in racially motivated killings.  But did they listen?  Nooo. That would have been too much like right. Snark

The  Sanford Police Department have declined to arrest  George Zimmerman claiming Florida's Stand Your Ground Laws prohibit it.  Oh really?  it didn't prevent 69 year old  Trevor Dooley (pictured above) from being arrested and charged with manslaughter , after shooting a WHITE man claiming self defense after TWO DAYS of PUBLIC OUTCRY.

Today's Must Read(s)

The Bullet Next Time:  An Open Letter to My Unborn Black Son

Black Manhood and the Racist Imagination

No Apologies:  On the Killing of Trayvon Martin and Being Good

A rant.........Because I need one

An Officer's Duty

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MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell Interviews Sanford FL City Manager

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Rev. Al Sharpton critically questions how Police Chief Bill Lee can remain on the job until the Grand Jury convenes on April 10th.

"Stand your ground law is almost an invitation to kill somebody"

That's scary" says  Congressional Black Caucus Chair Emanuel Cleaver (D. MO), after telling his wife they need to tell their kids to avoid going to Florida.

Isn't it ironic that Dennis K. Baxley (r.Ocala), the sponsor of the Florida Stand Your Ground Law, is the principal owner and Vice President of Heirs- Baxley Funeral Services?

That's almost like Alabama State Senator Greg Reed (r. Jasper ) ,chair of the health committee, and sponsor of the mandated ultrasound bill, being being the owner of the company that sells ultrasound equipment.

Or, it's like two failed Oil Men in the White House writing the energy policy, and sending our troops to war in Iraq to look for Weapons of Mass Destruction that were NOT there.

Oh wait....

Must Read(s)
The NRA and Florida Legislators gave George Zimmerman a License to Murder Trayvon Martin

The New Vigilantes: Trayvon Martin and the "shoot first" Lobby

FL legislative black caucus members seek to amend 'Stand Your Ground'.

22 days and George Zimmerman is still free.  There is something wrong with this picture.

Arrest Zimmerman for Stalking

Captain Bill Lee of the Sanford FL Police Department made this statement about George Zimmerman, the killer who murdered Trayvon Martin.

“Mr. Zimmerman’s claim is that the confrontation was initiated by Trayvon,” Police Chief Bill Lee said in an interview. “I am not going into specifics of what led to the violent physical encounter witnessed by residents. All the physical evidence and testimony we have independent of what Mr. Zimmerman provides corroborates this claim to self defense.” To claim self defense, someone has to show there was danger of great bodily harm or death, Lee said. “Zimmerman had injuries consistent with his story,” Lee said. Zimmerman had a damp shirt, grass stains, a bloody nose and was bleeding from a wound in back of his head, according to police reports. “If someone asks you, ‘Hey do you live here?’ Is it OK for you to jump on them and beat the crap out of somebody?” Lee said. “It’s not.”

...Sanford’s Police Chief Lee is “asking the public and the media to give the system the opportunity to work, in the interest of safety of the community...Lee said the matter needs to be taken to a grand jury as soon as possible. “If the roles were reversed, our investigation would be exactly the same,” he said. “Our investigation is color blind and based on the facts and circumstances, not color. I know I can say that until I am blue in the face, but as a white man in a uniform, I know it doesn’t mean anything to anybody.” We have heard the police dispatcher tell Zimmerman not to follow Trayvon, but he did so anyway. That is stalking, a felony crime in Florida.

(c) "Credible threat" means a threat made with the intent to cause the person who is the target of the threat to reasonably fear for his or her safety. The threat must be against the life of, or a threat to cause bodily injury to, a person. (2) Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or harasses another person commits the offense of stalking, a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. (3) Any person who willfully, maliciously, and repeatedly follows or harasses another person, and makes a credible threat with the intent to place that person in reasonable fear of death or bodily injury, commits the offense of aggravated stalking, a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.

The Sanford Police Department didn't arrest Zimmerman for stalking, though. He must be apprehended before he flees.

What Joe Scarborough said all the damn way!

Excerpts:

"Zimmerman wasn't standing his ground, Zimmerman was chasing this young man and harassing him."

"This isn't about standing your ground, this guy (Zimmerman) hunted him (Trayvon Martin) down"

"They better move in fast on this case because a lot of people have acted in a shameful way."

"They (Police) say let him (Trayvon) go and he (Zimmerman) still chases after him, and you can hear him in the background yelling 'help" and they still don't arrest him?"

"Here a young man gets killed and the police don't arrest this murderer for anything?"

"This law is literally getting in the way of action being taken." Mika

"It's not the (Stand your ground) law, it's the (Sanford) Police Department down there it's the State Attorney's office down there".

"How is someone standing their ground against someone who is screaming for help?"~Mika

"They (Sanford Police Department) have known since February 26, that this young 17 year old man, Trayvon  Martin, armed with nothing but ice tea skittles and a cell phone, minding his own business, walking through a neighborhood, was chased, hunted down, screaming for help, then shot to death, they have known this...and they have not arrested the man who they know very clearly wasn't standing his ground who killed him".

"If the facts are as they appear now, whoever is running the Police Department, whoever is running the State Attorney's office down there are not worthy of the public trust, have betrayed the public trust.  They are unworthy of representing the people of Florida..

"It sounds like they (Sanford Police Department) were trying to cover some tracks"

"They drug test the dead 17 year old who had ice tea and skittles, and they don't drug test the person who has just killed another person"?

"Who are these people"?

"The State of Florida needs to act aggressively".

"They better not get away with it."

"It does have to do with race.  If anybody watching this show either live or on the Internet, does not believe if an African American  shot a 17 year old  white boy walking through a neighborhood carrying ice tea and skittles, if they do not be believe there would have been an arraignment the next morning for the African American shooter, and the white boys family would be notified immediately, that an officer would not have driven to the white boys parents home,  sat on their couch and consoled them because they just lost their 17 year old son...if you believe this case, and the handling of this case by the people in Florida has nothing to do with race, you are living in a fantasy world."

"The Justice Department and the Attorney General Pam Bodi in Florida need to do more than investigate the death, because it seem to be fairly obvious what happened, they need to investigate the (Sanford) Police department and the State Attorney's Office and see why the parents weren't notified immediately, and why this guy hasn't been arrested.

"You don't have to have an open and shut case, arrest the guy, throw him in jail, they got probable cause, they got a 9 mm, they got him chasing him down the street, they got the gun shot on the 911 tape, they have  reason to lock this guy up this morning, they had it the night that it happened.

What Reverend Al Sharpton said all the damn way!
"I must say this has been the most inspiring morning  I've had with Joe Scarborough"

You can see/hear the entire segment  in context here,  then compare and contrast it with Matt Laur's  UNfair and UNbalanced interview of the grieving parents of Trayvon Martin, and the family attorney, on The Today Show.

Today's Must Read
Fox News commenters react to Trayvon Martin:'Good shot Zimmy'.

The senseless murder of Trayvon Martin

Listen , at about 1:50-3 you can hear George Zimmerman whisper: "The a$$ holes always get away, F**king Coons", just before the police ask "are you following him?"  .

   Until we hold these people responsible for acts of violence, both large and small, there can be no racial equality in our country. Our young black and Hispanic youth will continue to move about their lives knowing that they have a target on their back all day, every day. This is not justice for them and it sure as hell is not justice for Trayvon Martin.~ Left Leaning Liberal Lady

All Trayvon Martin All the Time

For those of you polluting my inbox calling me obsessed with Trayvon Martin, telling me to get over it, because no one is paying any attention to me because I'm a racist, this blog is not for you.  That's the great thing about the Internet, no one forces anyone to read anything they don't want to read.

That said, this is why I Blog, to be a voice for the voiceless.  I am not obsessed with Trayvon Martin, I am passionate about Trayvon Martin.  I am passionate about justice. I am passionate about the future of our country.  There will be no so called "fair and balanced, both sides" reporting here.  It will be just the facts.

Trayvon Martin is every black parent's child.

Trayvon Martin was killed for being young, black, male and suspicious in America in 2012.

Trayvon Martin was hunted down like a caged animal.

All of the witnesses who say George Zimmerman was screaming for help (with a 9 mm in his hand) are white.

I wish I could find comfort in the fact the Department of Justice has decided to investigate.

We who believe in freedom cannot rest.

We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes.

Until the killing of Black men, Black mother's sons

Is as important the the killing of White men, White mother's sons~ Ella's Song by Bernice Johnson Reagon

White House comments in Trayvon Martin case

Actually, it should read,  the white male who speaks for the White House comments in the case of Trayvon Martin by passing the buck back to the Sanford Police Department.  I wonder what part of the Sanford Police Department is part of the problem doesn't he understand?

What do you want to bet if the Black militia group who wants to arrest George Zimmerman gets involved there will be plenty of comment from the white male who speaks for the White House?

As with the cases of  the Jena Six, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Sean Bell, Shirley Sherrod, and Troy Davis, the first African American President can't take a position, because it might offend 39% of  white voters.

Is it too much to ask the President of the United States of America to stand for something other than killing Osama Bin Laden?  What about the killing of Trayvon Martin ?  His family does not trust the local police department, with good reason.

See this is why I didn't want an African American President, because he's the African American President of everybody but African Americans.

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To be young, gifted, black, male, and suspicious

It's been 21 days and counting since George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin for being young, gifted, black, male, and suspicious.

It's been 21 days and counting without wall to wall, 24/7 media coverage, and calls for justice for Trayvon Martin  from Nancy Grace and Company.

It's been 21 days and counting, Trayvon Martin's killer has not been arrested by local, state, federal authorities.

It's been 21 days and counting since an American child was killed in America for being a child.

Today's Must Reads
What if Charlize Theron had adopted Trayvon Martin not Jackson?

Real Talk:  Trayvon Martin isn't the first victim, and he won't be the last.

Arrest warrant issued for WR Terrell Owens.

Justice for Trayvon Martin.