Conservative Liberal Racist
The management of this blog is not responsible for brain damage incurred while reading this post. If you cant take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Those threatened by this discussion, or just are not interested, are encouraged to skip over the text, and look at the pictures. These images, of Union Soldiers of the War Between the States, are from The Library of Congress.
There is a meme, with the text a conservative is a liberal who has been labeled a racist. A few comments followed publication. Someone was paying attention. Uhm…WTF?! ~ its a long story ~ All three labels are useless and misleading. I try not to let the labels of others describe me, but sometimes it happens. It is a bit of poetic license.
The words liberal and conservative are useless. When he started to make the comment, PG intended to refer to those two expressions. Then he started to type.The realization hit … the word racist was just as obsolete as liberal and conservative, and probably misused more often.
The next day at work, PG began to think. If you saw a mushroom cloud rising over Jimmy Carter Boulevard, that is what you saw. Random thoughts began to emerge.
A- The popularity of con, lib, and rac, derive from America’s blind allegiance to the belief paradigm The general thought is that what you believe is more important than what you do. The dominant religion in America is Jesus Worship, which is based on beliefs rather than practices. While America is not officially a Christian country, their thought processes dominate the way things work here.
B- The belief paradigm filters down to the popularity of silly labels.We have people who claim to be small government conservatives, and who support sending 200k troops to a war eight time zone away. You can treat your black neighbors with kindness and grace, but if you say the wrong things on facebook you are considered a racist. It is a funny system.
C- Conservatives use liberal as an insult. Liberals use racist as an insult.
D- No one is certain what the words conservative, liberal, and racist mean. You should beware of anyone who claims to be certain of what these labels represent.
What World Do You Live In LOL
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It was a lovely sunday morning, until this graphic appeared on facebook. The all caps text proclaims “5 TIMES AS MANY WHITES ARE USING DRUGS AS AFRICAN AMERICANS, YET AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE SENT TO PRISON ON DRUG OFFENSES AT 10 TIMES THE RATE OF WHITES.” Somebody did not want “WHITES” to have peace of mind on this sunday morning. A facebook smackdown comment discussion followed.
Statistics, semantics, and rhetoric are a formula for disrupting a peaceful sunday morning. ~ Mass incarceration can ruin your whole day (Like · 1) ~ See The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander (massive documentation) (Like · 2) ~ This should not be a race issue. The war on drugs affects all americans. When you make something a race issue, you make enemies of the white people who should be your allies. ~ I respectfully suggest you read the book or at least a precis before you opine on this issue Luther. You do not know the facts and your ignorance of them is painful to me. (Like · 1) ~ Luther, what world do you live in? LOL
By this time PG was very angry. The sign offended him on a number of levels. All caps is considered yelling. The statistics are tough to believe, and probably improperly used. The semantics of the text are annoying. (Is alcohol considered a drug? If not, why not? Your liver does not know that it is legal.) The text has an insulting racial slant. Why is one group hyphenated americans, and the other group the absence of color? Two wrongs do not make a right.
The racial events of the last year probably multiplied the impact of the sign. Also, the criminalization of some drugs has long offended PG. The fact that tax money is used to house drug criminals affects everyone. The disrespect for other laws that is created by the drug laws is a major problem. To have this seemingly blamed on “WHITES” is just a bit much.
Lets break it down. Is that per capita usage, or the totals consumed by the population? Is that the total numbers sent to prison, or the percentage of the population? Why were the handy numbers five and ten used? How was the data collected and tweaked? Were averages involved? If there were averages used, was it the mean, the median, or the mode? Were any inconvenient numbers ignored by the author of the “massive documentation”? How do we know that Michelle Alexander is a person of integrity? Who paid for the study? Is there another study that came to a different conclusion?
The statistics might be accurate. Black people are incarcerated more than white people. This is a problem for everyone. The people who are “out of town” suffer. The tax payers pay to support them. When the prisoners get out, they are going to be better criminals. The criminalization of drugs has too many problems to list here. While black people may be affected worse than white people, there is plenty of suffering to go around.
Nonetheless, this meme is not helpful. There is little benefit to going for the divide and conquer tactics of race war. The people that will benefit are the ones who support the war on drugs. This includes the alcohol industry, media that sells alcohol advertising, and the prison industrial complex.
White people are tired of being “called out”. While we are not perfect, we are not the devil. When you introduce race into an issue, you are going to alienate white people. If the drug laws are going to be changed, then the support of white people will be needed. You will lose this support when you shout about race. Even if the statistics are accurate, and properly used.
The facebook exchange was starting to get out of control. PG wrote another comment, but chose not to post it. 1- I was a serious pothead for thirty years. All that time I was an outlaw because of the war on drugs. To suggest that I am at fault for this useless endeavor, or that I somehow benefit from it, because I am European American is appalling. 2- I was having a pleasant sunday morning until I saw that horrific graphic. It pushes all my buttons. It is sleazy use of semantics and statistics. It is in all caps, which is shouting. I do not have the time, or the interest, to read a book about this depressing subject. 3- If you consider alcohol as a drug, then the figures will probably be very different. 4- “Luther. You do not know the facts and your ignorance of them is painful to me.” This is an insult. 5- I have seen the damage done by the war on drugs except alcohol. I have quit using the one legal drug, that is endlessly promoted in the corporate media. I do not need to read a book to know this. It is not my fault because I am european american. I do not benefit from it because I am european american.
White Student Union
Some kids, with too much free time, have started a White Student Union at Georgia Straight State University. They sent a press release to Creative Loafing and the fishwrapper. Both responded, to the slow news day crisis, by reporting on the group. CL was in high octane liberal umbrage mode. “WSUs, on the other hand, are a reactionary movement born out of the festering sentiment that minorities have gained too much of an edge due to affirmative action, campus diversity, and … immigration reform.”
CL tosses a curious quote into the mix. It is from a discussion of the movie Fruitvale Station. “We don’t yet live in the world the Supreme Court thought we did when it struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act and weakened the case for affirmative action. More than ever, we live in a time of racism without racists, just racist laws, racist policies, and racist ideas.”
That same feature has a dandy quote from our half white POTUS. “Am I wringing as much bias out of myself as I can? Am I judging people as much as I can based on not the color of their skin but the content of their character? That would be, I think, an appropriate exercise in the wake of this tragedy.”
At first glance, it seems like WUSS WSU does not have much of a chance. GSU is mostly a school of people who work their way through college, and don’t have time for flakey organizations. Most white people don’t spend much time contemplating their caucasianality. This may, or may not, be a function of white privilege. Others say that WSUs are bastions of white privilege. When you live in a time of racism without racists, it is easy to get confused. Pictures today are from Gwinnett County.
Babe, Hank, Barry, And Joe
It is summertime. The Braves, and the Dodgers, are leading divisions. Players are getting in trouble over using steroids. The living is easy. It is time for a summer baseball repost.
Barry Bonds was about to break the lifetime record for home runs. Folks said the record was tainted because of steroid use, and because Mr. Bonds was not a nice man. There were calls for an asterisk in the record book. This was odd to PG, who was in Georgia when Hank Aaron broke the home run record in 1974. Back then, the line was that Babe Ruth had fewer at bats than Mr. Aaron. A lot of hateful things were said about Mr. Aaron before home run 714.
PG decided to take a look at the metrics, and see what he saw. This post is the result. As a bonus to the reader(s), Joe Torre and Hank Aaron gets a summer rerun. It is based on a column by Furman Bisher, who went to the press box in the sky March 18, 2012. Pictures are from The Library of Congress. .
There is a certain controversy these days about the eminent breaking of the lifetime home run record. Currently held by Hank Aaron, the record is threatened by Barry Bonds. Before Mr. Aaron held the title, Babe Ruth was the owner.
Controversy about the lifetime home run record is nothing new. In 1974, when Hank Aaron was about to break the record, the admirers of Babe Ruth said that Mr. Ruth had fewer at bats than Mr. Aaron did. Many attributed this criticism to racism, with a black man besting a white man’s record. The current controversy is two fold. There are allegations that Mr. Bonds took steroids to make him stronger, and that he “cheated”. There are also some concerns about the overall personality of Mr. Bonds.
PG does not think steroid use is a big deal. Ballplayers are abusing their bodies to perform, and if they take the risk of using steroids, that is their business. Many people disagree.
A good question to ask is, would Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron have used steroids if they had the chance? Mr. Ruth was a wildman, who drank during prohibition, and was known for undisciplined behavior. Mr. Aaron played in an era where steroid use was not as common as it is today. The answer to the first question is (Mr. Ruth) probably and (Mr. Aaron) who knows.
While you are keeping hypocrisy statistics, Mr. Aaron and Mr. Bonds played on television, where beer commercials were constant. While alcohol is legal, it is a very damaging drug. Any ballplayer who plays on television promotes its use. This is both steroid users, and non users.
As for personalities, there is the widely circulated story about the college team that Mr. Bonds played on voting 22-3 to kick him off the team. At the very least, he does not charm sportswriters.
In 1917, Babe Ruth was suspended for hitting an umpire. He was known for his outlandish behavior throughout his career. It should also be noted that he played in an era when the press did not scrutinize the behavior of players as much as they do today. How would today’s media treat Babe Ruth?
PG once heard a radio show caller say that Hank Aaron was a mean racist, who would just as soon cut your throat as look at you. He had never heard this said out loud before, but had heard hints about Mr. Aaron’s personality over the years. People, in any field, who achieve great things are not always friendly.
Mr. Aaron is the only one of the three that PG met, however briefly. In July of 1965, the Milwaukee Braves came to Atlanta to play an exhibition game in Atlanta Stadium. After the game, PG was allowed to wait outside the clubhouse, to get autographs from the players as they left. Joe Torre saw the crowd, hid behind a truck, and made a quick getaway. Hank Aaron came out, patiently signing every autograph, while smoking a cigarette.
The fact is, all three men played in different eras. Babe Ruth never played at night, never flew to California, and only played against white players…many of the most talented players of his era were in the Negro League. Hank Aaron played before free agency, interleague play, the DH, and widespread use of steroids. The only way to determine who is the home run champion is to count how many homers are hit, and award the prize to the man who hits the most.
Which of the three made the most money? Barry Bonds, by a wide margin. He played in the free agent era. Babe Ruth had the best line about his salary. In 1930 Ruth was asked by a reporter what he thought of his yearly salary of $80,000 being more than President Hoover’s $75,000. He replied ” yea, but I had a better year than he did.”
Who played on the most teams to win a World Series? Babe Ruth 7, Hank Aaron 1, Barry Bonds 0.
The career of Babe Ruth was a long time ago. He made a greater impact on America that the other two combined. He was one of the first sports superstars, as America emerged from the carnage of World War One. Mr. Ruth broke the single season home run record, he hit 29 homers. The next year, he hit 54. There is a possibility of a livelier baseball.
Babe Ruth captured the imagination of America like few personalities ever have. Playing in New York (which dominated the press) did not hurt. He was a man of his times…it is unlikely than anyone could have that kind of impact on today’s superstar saturated America. While his record has been broken, his place in the history of baseball is the same.
Furman Bisher has a piece at the fishwrapper site about Joe Torre . The punch line is that Mr. Torre “grew up” when the Braves traded him to St. Louis. PG was a kid when this was going on, and did not hear a lot of what went on.
In 1965, the Braves played a lame duck year in Milwaukee before moving to Atlanta. One night, there was an exhibition game at Atlanta Stadium, the Braves against the Yankees. PG got his oh so patient dad to take him to the clubhouse after the game, to get autographs. In those days, you could go into the bowels of the stadium and wait outside the locker room. Hank Aaron came out and signed dozens of autographs while smoking a cigarette. Joe Torre came out, hid behind a truck, and took off running.
Mr. Torre was a raccoon eyed catcher for the Braves. In the first regular season game in 1966, he hit two home runs, in a thirteen inning loss. Soon, the novelty of big league baseball in a toilet shaped stadium wore off. Mr. Torre got at least one DUI, and a reputation as a barroom brawler. He was traded to St. Louis in 1968. Mr. Torre hit .373, and won the national league MVP in 1971.
The comments to the feature by Furman Bisher were interesting. Cecil 34 contributes “The reason that Torre was traded is because on the team’s charter flight back to Atlanta back in 68, a drunken Torre got into a fistfight with Aaron. Aaron popped off to Torre, and thus the fight was on, broken up by the other players. Since Aaron was the face of the franchise at the time, Torre was traded. There had been bad blood between them for years before this incident anyway. Reasons vary. But the final nail in the coffin was this fistfight. I was told Torre could pack a punch and Aaron came out on the worse end of it.”
There has been whispering for years about Hank Aaron and his attitude. Furman Bisher made hints once or twice, but there was never anything of substance. It seems that Mr. Aaron does not lack for self confidence. Mr. Aaron was the subject of much racially based abuse while chasing the home run record in 1973, and some anger is justified.
Hank Aaron was known to not get along with Rico Carty. Mr. Carty is a dark skinned man from the Dominican Republic, who was popular with fans. Mr. Carty was eventually traded. Rico Carty had a barbeque restaurant on Peachtree Road in Chamblee, next door to the Park and Shop.
Joe Torre was the manager of the Braves in the early eighties. The team won a divisional title in 1982, but lost the NLCS. This was after Ted Turner bought the team. Mr. Turner fired Mr. Torre in 1984.
Getting back to the comment thread, Misterwax contributes “Turner cut Joe Torre loose because Ted was in love with Henry Aaron and Aaron thought Joe Torre was a white supremacist….A hangover from the clubhouse days when they were teammates…still does today. And THAT is the only reason he was cut….beause Hank Aaron said so.”
Hank Aaron was recently quoted on Barry Bonds and Steroids. Joe Torre is managing the Los Angeles Dodgers, and is leading his division. Furman Bisher outlived Bear Bryant by 26 years, and finished his columns “selah”. Mr. Bisher passed away March 18, 2012.
Changes In Modern Life
Old people like to talk about things that were better back then. PG is going to talk about some things that are better today. This is a repost.
During the Vietnam war, there was talk about “back our boys in Vietnam”. In the current war in Babylon, the troops are an integrated fighting force of men and women. You do not hear these brave people referred to as “boys”.
A person who goes into combat, to kill or be killed, is not a boy. He is a man, or a woman. This is an improvement over the way things used to be. We still have wars, and have to refer to soldiers as something. Mankind is a work in progress.
A second way society has improved is the attitude towards cigarettes. In older times, almost everyone smoked, and they lit up wherever, and whenever, they wanted. No one asked for permission. Today, people routinely go outside to smoke.
One way in which our attitudes about cigarettes is changing can be seen in the way two presidents are treated by the press. Franklin Roosevelt was never photographed with his leg braces, or struggling to walk. Many people did not know he was crippled. However, his cigarette holder was a part of his image. He was photographed with that constantly. Has ANYONE seen a picture of Barack Obama smoking?
The election of a dark skinned man as POTUS brings us to our final issue of the day, racial (and other) slurs. It is just not considered polite to use insulting terms that refer to race, religion, national origin, etc. etc. (PG got an email at work once cautioning about discussing hair color.) In many ways, this is like the thing with cigarettes…people have not changed the overall attitudes, they just go outside.
Political correctness can be a nuisance. The excesses are well known. However, the basic concept of having concern for the feelings of others is a good idea. Things are different in 2013. Pictures for this discourse are from The Library of Congress.
Defriended
PG has fewer facebook friends than he used to. This is not the same as having fewer friends in real life. The custom of referring to social media contacts as friends has always seemed a bit peculiar. When someone defriends you, presumably of your opinions (although you can never be sure of this), you have to wonder what the value of having that person as a friend was.
Most of the current umbrage taking appears to be about racism. Since no one seems to say anything directly, it is tough to know what the offending comment was. It is even tougher to see how either the comment, or the defriending, can have any impact on the oppression that people of color face in *2013*.
The most recent exchange went like this. “Does anyone else feel like a fat-positive clothing-optional pool party would be awesome? Or is it just me?” “In a “fat-positive clothing-optional pool party” there would be no judgement and shaming about bodies. This is a good idea. Maybe we could extend this acceptance of our neighbor to include attitudes about race.”
There is a difference between “attitudes about race” and racism. Just because a person does see things the same way as you, that does not make that person a racist. Nobody is saying that racism should be encouraged. It is just that people who are not as virulently anti racist as you should not be shamed for having a differing opinion.
One wonders what difference this is going to make in a struggle against oppression. Is defriending a person going to stop gun violence, or single parent households? Is going off on someone, about a facebook post, going to make New York terminate the stop and frisk program? Is a facebook status picture going to have any impact on economic opportunity? If you answer in the affirmative, please give details in the comments. Pictures from The Library of Congress.
The Problem Of Anti-Racism
Some people are proud of being anti-racist. This is not always something to be proud about. Often, as in anti communism and homophobia, the struggle against the unseen enemy is worse than the problem you are fighting. When you denounce someone as racist, you might be talking about yourself.
The discussion that follows should not be seen as pro racist. People should treat people with kindness. The word people does not need an adjective. This kindness should be extended to those who do not share your opinions about racism.
Maybe you should lead by example. Instead of worrying about how your neighbor thinks, worry about how you think. If you don’t like the nasty word don’t use it.
To some, racism is the ultimate taboo. It is the worst charge you can make about a person, and the quickest to be made. Once accused, you are guilty until proven innocent. It does not help that the definition of racism is expanding all the time. What one person considers racism is normal thinking to another. It used to be that racism was when you treated someone poorly because of their ethnicity. Now is is a multi faceted boogieman about power and prejudice. Keeping up can be a full time job.
Anti-communism has been compared to racism. To our younger readers, there used to be a system of government called communism. It was alleged to be involved in a cold war with the United States. This cold war was the justification for a bloated military industrial complex. Many crooked politicians were elected on the basis of being anti communist. Often, the fight against communism was worse than the actual system of government.
Racism is the new McCarthyism. Guilt by association is the rule. Difficult to refute charges are made against people. The charge of racism is used as a red herring.
Homophobia is compared to anti-racism. In both cases, the accuser has a set of standards. If the accused does not meet those standards, then the accused is considered fair game for abuse. The accused and the accuser may not agree on these standards. That does not matter. If someone wants to make the accusation, then they will, and will feel righteous about doing so.
It is frequently speculated that the homophobe is secretly gay. The need to be heard badmouthing gays stems from a perceived need to prove heterosexuality. Could this be the case with the anti racist? Maybe the anti-racist is secretly afraid that he/she might be a racist. The “calling out” of others, for perceived racism, is an effort to overcompensate for his/her own shortcomings.
Some things need to be said one more time. People should treat people with kindness. The word people does not need an adjective. Shaming and guilt mongering, because someone does not share your attitudes about race, is not appropriate. To use an anti-communist expression, there are better ways to win hearts and minds.
Pictures are by “The Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library”.
James Baldwin And The Six Letter Word
In the spring of 1963, KQED filmed a show, “Take this hammer”, about James Baldwin. The snippet in the video above seems to have been the last three minutes of the show. Here is a transcript. Mr. Baldwin discusses a six letter insult. The n-word is more about the speaker, than the spoken of. A 2010 blogger had this to say.
What resonated with me about this particular video though, is the universal experience we’ve all had being referred to, thought of as, or called something we inherently are not. Not because of something we’ve done, mind you – but because of the way others “interpret” us. Those of us that “transgress” gender norms are often given titles and names that don’t fit who we are – but are more representative of the fears and desires of others. I’ve often felt that people’s projections of me are oftentimes just that – their projections. However, Baldwin’s ending sums up a solution to this perfectly: “But you still think, I gather, that the n****r is necessary. Well he’s unnecessary to me – he must be necessary to you. Well, I’m going to give your problem back to you…you’re the n****r, baby…not me.”
It is now 2013. (All discussions of race must mention the year.) The TV show was fifty years ago. A few things have changed. To many white people, overt expressions of racism are seen as bad manners. The n-word is taboo in polite company. The overall attitudes may not have changed, but most white people are careful how they say things.
African America is keeping the n-word alive. But it is still about the speaker, not the one spoken of. When people say the nasty word, they are talking about themselves. They are now the people James Baldwin is talking about. Pictures are from The Library of Congress. These men are Union soldiers, from the War Between the States.
Is The Death Penalty In Georgia Racist?
Whenever you discuss the death penalty in Georgia, someone is going to say it is racist. This makes sense. There are few things you can discuss without the R word being tossed in. The discussion that follows will change few minds. When you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail.
Chamblee 54 has been writing about the death penalty for five years. Georgia has executed ten men. William Earl Lynd ~ Curtis Osborne ~ William Mark Mize ~ Mark McCain ~ Brandon Rhode ~ Emmanuel Hammond ~ Roy Blankenship ~ Andrew Grant DeYoung ~ Troy Davis ~ Andrew Cook
This discussion is based on these ten men. It does not cover the time before the civil rights movement. It does not consider states other than Georgia. It will not give a direct answer to the question “Is the Death Penalty in Georgia Racist?” People whose minds are made up are not likely to be persuaded by this post.
Of the ten men executed since May 6, 2008, seven are white and three are black. The victims of all seven white men are assumed to be white. This information is not easy to look up, and we don’t want to spend all day working on this. Of the black men executed, two had white victims, and one had black victims. (The black victims are assumed. The 2 white victims were high profile cases, and there in no doubt as to the ethnicity.)
Two of the white men executed did not pull the trigger. William Mark Mize was a white supremacist, who ordered the killing of a subordinate. Roy Blankenship broke into an apartment, and his victim died of a heart attack after he left. Mr. Blankenship was executed thirty three years after his crime. This was the first execution using pentobarbital as a sedative. There were reports that it was not effective, and that Mr. Blankenship was awake for the entire procedure.
The next scheduled execution is Warren Hill, a black man. Mr. Hill is said to be mentally retarded. Brandon Rhode, a white man, was also said to be retarded. His mother was fifteen years old, and drank heavily during her pregnancy. Mr. Rhode attempted suicide a few days before his execution, while under the supervision of armed guards. He was revived after his suicide attempt, so that the state could kill him with an approved method.
The best known execution is Troy Davis. There is little doubt that Mr. Davis was at the crime scene. There is also little doubt that “Redd” Coles, a black man, was at the same crime scene. Many say that Mr. Coles is the killer. Mr. Coles went to the Savannah Police, accompanied by an attorney, the day after the killing. After this meeting, the Savannah Police decided that Mr. Davis committed the crime. There was little further investigation. If anyone benefited by the execution of Troy Davis, it was “Redd” Coles. Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
Don’t Touch My Stuff Sir
There is a video making the rounds. It supposedly proves the existence of racial profiling. The only thing this video proves is the gullibility of people.
It opens in a city park. It is a bright, sunny day. A young man is trying to break a bicycle chain. He uses a saw, and bolt cutters. He spends over an hour on the job, and a hundred people pass by. No one makes an issue about it. A reporter talks to people, and gets their reaction. No one suspects anything.
To begin with, a real thief is not going to spend an hour working on a bike. He probably won’t openly operate in a sunny city park. There probably is not a reporter nearby, asking people what they think about the affair. The bike is chained to a short road sign. It would be easy to lift the bike over the sign.
The first actor goes away, and the second actor comes in. The shadows don’t seem any different in the park. The second actor is dressed similarly to the first, except for the extra melanin. Yea, this is about how the white guy gets away with inept thievery, and the black guy gets questioned.
Soon, there is a crowd around the young black man. People are asking him whether he owns the bike. A man “whips out a cell phone, and calls 911.” He is standing next to the actor, who continues to saw.
It gets better. The actor rides off in the bike, then it is chained back to the sign. The experiment begins again. An old white man confronts the actor, and picks up the tools. What happens next? If you have ever caught a thief, you know that at this point all hell breaks loose. The thief will start yelling, or pull a knife, or start major trouble. But in this video, the bike thief actor says, politely, “Please sir, please sir, don’t touch my stuff sir”.
This video is a scripted piece of entertainment. It is a fantasy. It has nothing to do with the reality of crime and theft. It is not even very good acting. Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
Justice Or Vengeance
A jury in Florida rendered a verdict Saturday night. Some are not happy with this ruling. They were looking for the courts to punish the defendant. To many, justice has fallen through the crack.
The truth is that we have trials for a reason. The howling mob, demanding a pound of flesh, is often mistaken. The system exists to protect people from an unjust prosecution. The mobs have not sat in the courtroom, and listened to the evidence. They have not had to make a decision. It is easy to monday morning quarterback a jury, but tough to be on one. Those six women should be thanked for their service, not told to commit suicide.
Some are urging the federal government to prosecute under hate crime laws. This is where Uncle Sam is not happy with the local ruling, and brings his own charges. This is also known as double jeopardy. It is not a good idea. One trial is enough.
Many of the people demanding government sponsored vengeance are Jesus worshipers. This is the man that Pontius Pilate said had done nothing wrong. The crowd shouted Pontius Pilate down. The crowd bellowed Crucify Him, Crucify Him. Pictures are from The Library of Congress.
TMI Trayvon Martin Incident
There is a graphic floating around the intercom about Trayvon Martin. It makes a few claims about the young man. In the age of Google, this might not be a smart move.
Trayvon Martin ~ Was an honor student with a 3.7 GPA ~ Was accepted into college on a full ride ~ Was a volunteer of over 600 service hours ~ Was a devoted member of his church ~ Was a loyal friend and a loving son ~ Was an innocent boy. But black skin, Skittles, and a hoodie deemed him a “threat to the community” RETWEET to spread Trayvon’s REAL story RETWEET for justice R.I.P.
PG asked Mr. Google what he knew about this. The six sentences in the first part were checked out. None of them have any evidence to back them up. The claim about being an honor student is especially amusing, in light of the multiple suspensions that Mr. Martin had.
This is the silly season in the media. George Zimmerman is on trial. The behavior of Trayvon Martin may, or may not, be a factor in the case. This behavior does not justify his shooting. However, when people put easily refuted nonsense on the internet, it calls attention to the shortcomings of Trayvon Martin. The google search, for this feature, turned up stories that made Trayvon Martin look very bad. Perhaps the best thing to do at this point is be quiet, and let the jury hear the case. Justice is not a popularity contest.
If you want to wallow in this a bit more, you can take a test, How much do you know about the Trayvon Martin case? Two of the questions are: 1. Hundreds of protests broke out across the country after the Feb. 26 shooting of 17-year-old Trayvon in a Florida gated community. Where was the first ‘Million-hoodie march’ held? 11. Which NBA star tweeted a picture of his entire team wearing hoodies, with their heads bowed and hands in their pockets in honor of Trayvon? (Spell check suggestions for hoodies: goodies, foodies, woodies, hoodoos)
Pictures from “The Special Collections and Archives,Georgia State University Library”.
Chamblee54 
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