The Florida Supreme Court Is Hearing A Case That Could Make Stand Your Ground Even Worse Since Trayvon Martin was gunned down in 2012, there’s been a lot of attention to Stand Your Ground laws that authorize vast use of deadly force in self-defense, but not a lot of reform away from the laws. Not a single state has successfully repealed or even contracted its Stand Your Ground law. Alaska passed a new one. And Florida and Georgia expanded theirs to allow even more defendants to be exempted from criminal charges for gun violence. . .
Which is weirder, that a hand painting by George Zimmerman is going for tens of thousands of dollars on eBay, or that the Z-man just manipulated a stock photo, and called it an original? Sheesh.
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Surprise, Surprise, Surprise: George Zimmerman Stoled His Inspirational Flag ‘Painting’ From A Stock Image Nope, it’s not Jasper Johns Day on Wonkette — that there, courtesy of an anonymous Wonkette reader, is a montage of 1) George Zimmerman’s “hand painted artwork” that is currently hovering at a high bid of $99,966.00 on the Ebay, 2) a popular “waving flag” image from the interwebs, and 3) a fancy-schmancy overlay of item 1 on item 2, which is the kind of thing that can be done by a smart reader who actually knows Photoshop.
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The George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case came to prominence because Zimmerman was let go after an unarmed Martin was killed, with no charges filed. The details of the case sounded quite fishy, and the more we learned about Zimmerman, the shadier he seemed. Negative things came out about Martin too, though how they could be at all relevant, I never sussed out. Since Zimmerman knew none of Martin's history, it's very unlikely that they influenced the events (an no, conservatives, pot doesn't make you into a raging supervillain). [Due to autoplay video, story continues below the jump]
Unless there is an astonishing development, or profoundly newsworthy happening regarding the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin shooting incident, I don't imagine I'll be writing much about it again. Oh, I'm sure "Stand Your Ground" will come up, and it's possible that there will be significant events, such as a civil trial or maybe even something from the Justice Department. But of the trial itself, and the horrible actual shooting, I think I'm spent on the subject.
So, I will put a bow on this stage of it at least with the best piece I've seen written on the subject, by Charles M. Blow. It's worth a read, whichever side you came down on.
[Excerpt] The Whole System Failed Trayvon Martin
In a way, the not-guilty verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman for his killing of Trayvon Martin was more powerful than a guilty verdict could ever have been. It was the perfect wrenching coda to a story that illustrates just how utterly and completely our system of justice — both moral and legal — failed Martin and his family. . .
[Excerpt] Fox News Signs George Zimmerman As Host: “Stand Your Ground” Premieres This Fall
. . .Sources inside Fox News have confirmed that Zimmerman has agreed to host a nightly crime and social affairs program on the network that is set to premiere in October 2013. The controversial signing is consistent with Fox’s programming philosophy of exploiting the transient publicity of media spectacles by drafting the beneficiaries of inordinate press attention, despite a lack of experience or qualifications – e.g. Sarah Palin. . .
I've tried to step back as more and more happened in the Trayvon Martin case. And rather than trying the case on my blog, I tried to confine myself to commenting on the insanity of the "stand your ground" laws (brought to you by ALEC, naturally), the potential ineptitude of the Sanford Police Department, and the likelihood that were the roles reversed, that Martin wouldn't be allowed to just walk away, with his gun.
But it has been difficult not saying much. Seemingly every day, something strange occurred in the case, from off-the-wall testimonials by people who seemingly hadn't seen George Zimmerman in years, to his lawyers publicly trouncing him and abandoning him on television. Zimmerman's side of the story has been gobbled down, hook, line and sinker by right-wing world. And when Zimmerman is actually conferring with Sean Hannity, it just gets to be too much! So thankfully, an arrest was finally made. As unseemly as some of the media circus has been, the fact remains that were it not for the public outcry, Zimmerman would just be on his merry way.
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George Zimmerman in custody, will plead not guilty to second-degree murder in Trayvon Martin case
George Zimmerman is in custody in Florida and will be charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, authorities announced Wednesday. His attorney said he would plead not guilty. . .
Sometimes political cartoonists nail it. Found at Moderate Voice.
I know that gun nuts enthusiasts read that headline like I read most headlines at Newsbusters: "Um, yeah, so?" But come on you guys, while anyone can agree with so-called "castle" laws that apply to protecting yourself inside your home, these "stand your ground" laws seem to give people who own guns the right to shoot just about anyone they think has it coming. And a flimsy simple story seems to be about all you need to be on your way, with your gun. And if you manage to kill the other guy, and he can't speak for himself, so much the better! The moral: the guy with the gun is right.
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Stand Your Ground laws coincide with jump in justifiable-homicide cases
When Billy Kuch knocked on the wrong door, he had a cigarette in one hand and a shirt in the other. The homeowner, Gregory Stewart, stepped outside, stood his ground, fired a round from his semiautomatic into Kuch’s chest, and in the eyes of the state of Florida, committed no crime. . . Read more at: Washington Post
It's always a good day when Mike in Raleigh (The Stephanie Miller Show) has a new clip up, even if it is on a very serious subject. I sometimes get criticized for my lack of reverence. But you know what, I've gotten the giggles at a funeral, and cried too. Gallows humor helps us get through life.
Maybe it's just from too much CSI and Law & Order, but when a person has been in a fight that resulted in "lacerations" to the back of the head, and a broken, bloody nose. . .well, you'd expect there to be evidence of that in a video taken later that day. You'd think there'd be blood on George Zimmerman from having shot Trayvon Martin, but that's where my CSI knowledge falls down, with geometry and physics being weak spots for me. But certainly, Zimmerman could be expected to be bloodied, bruised and a little staggery if all that he said is true. [Story continues below]
Readers of this blog know that I don't usually follow "true crime" local stories that burst through to a national level. I avoid Nancy Grace like the plague. But this case has jumped beyond an ordinary murder case. For me, it has very little to do with race, per se, unless that was what motivated Zimmerman. A lot of people on the right (and isn't it amazing that a homicide comes down to right vs. left?) have immediately jumped on the race issue with both feet. "Zimmerman isn't 'white', he's 'Mexican'" they'll say. "What about that case in XYZ state, where a black guy killed a white guy, what about that?"
As usual, my friends on the right miss the point. The point is that Zimmerman was released with apparently cursory questioning. It's brand new news, as far as I know, that the police even took him in. Without benefit of lawyers, jurors or judges, he was allowed to go free--remains free, in fact--still with the gun that killed Martin. If Martin had gotten the upper hand, and wrested the gun away from Zimmerman, killing him, how many people believe the kid would have been released, with the gun? Okay, so maybe it could be about race after all. Or about the police siding with Zimmerman for a different reason. Whatever it is, it stinks.
I will concede that we do not have all of the facts here. And the facts may shake out differently than we expect. But I think it is very safe to say that the police did an extremely shoddy job on this, and/or the "Stand Your Ground" law is insanely written. Because I still can't see a way where it wasn't Trayvon Martin who had a right to stand his ground.
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Trayvon Martin Case: Police Video Shows No Blood, Bruises On George Zimmerman After Killing
Newly released video of George Zimmerman at the Sanford Police Department the night he shot Trayvon Martin to death show the neighborhood watch volunteer without blood on his clothing or bruises on his face or head. His clean-shaven picture seems to contrast with the violent beating he told police he endured at the hands of Martin, 17, who Zimmerman said attacked him from behind. . .
I have to say, if I understand Florida's (and by extension, a dozen and a half other states') "Stand Your Ground" law correctly, then I have to wonder how the thing ever got passed. I do understand that anything considered "pro-gun" is heavily pushed by the NRA, and apparently the shady, hugely monied ALEC. And I understand that along with all of that, any law they're pushing has a greater chance of passage.
Image from source, Washington Post
But it sounds like this law a) allows you to shoot somebody if you feel threatened,* and b) does not require your detention or arrest to sort it all out. The cops get to decide if the shooting fits the law, and if they think it does, they just let you go. They don't test you for drugs or alcohol. They don't run a background check on you. They just ask you a few questions, and you're good to go. And you get to keep your gun!
So, basically, this type of law just requires you to have a reasonable sounding story, and you can get away with murder. Unless I'm misunderstanding something, or if somehow the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin story is atypical, this is just insane. It removes the judge, jury, attorneys, and leaves you as the executioner. Or the dead. How could anyone defend this law?
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Repeal the ‘Stand Your Ground’ law
The “Stand Your Ground” laws in Florida and other states should all be repealed. At best, they are redundant. At worst, as in the Trayvon Martin killing, they are nothing but a license to kill. . .
*And consider this: defenders of this type of law tend to be conservatives. And conservatives tend to also be against hate crime laws, because they have to "get inside your head" to determine intent. WTF do you think they have to do to determine that you felt threatened? And it's a cop, not a lawyer, judge or jury!
