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Readers' Comments
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Submitted by: Anonymous
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Submitted by: pbarnrob
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Submitted by: EarlBowden
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Submitted by: Anonymous
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Submitted by: Anonymous
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Submitted by: Anonymous
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Submitted by: Anonymous
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Submitted by: Anonymous
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Submitted by: Anonymous
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Submitted by: AndrewG
So the 1911A1 carried by, engraved and given to a Medal of Honor recipient isn't a keepsake? When President Theodore Roosevelt's stolen Peacemaker showed up in a buyback, should it have been destroyed?
That would be bad for you Jim Crow gun law supporters, when most people had guns, and carried them, and the murder rate was less than 1 per 100,000. You people need blood flowing in the streets, like in 1980, when the laws were at their strictest and the murder rate was 10.7 per 100,000.
You can't stand it that there are fewer murders and gun shot wound deaths now than when gun control was stricter, which is why you want gun control to be stricter. You love the effects of your "Gun Free Zones", because you get lots of blood there, like the theater in Aurora, and Newtown.
Trayvon got his justice when the thug attacked Zimmerman and tried to kill him. He had no where to "Retreat" to with the 6 ft, 185 lb. "child" on top of him slamming his head into the concrete. I know the thing that pisses statists off the most is the fact that Zimmerman is IMMUNE from lawsuits and thus the race hustlers, lawyers and politicians won't get ONE DIME out of this.
Anytime we have a law that protects someone who intercepts and disrupts another person peace and then kills them, it needs to be revoked. Stand you ground as it is written gives people the right to attack others and then kill them when they feel threatened because of their actions. I do not believe Trayvon would have killed George Zimmerman, I also believe it was Trayvon screaming for his life because the scream came from someone who was frantic and had no clue about what was going on. It is terrible when people allow race to outweigh common sense. One thing I can say that is for sure, Mr. Zimmerman will never have peace because he is a liar and he has ruined his life with his reckless actions. It is a powerful thing to take the life of another person, he will be haunted by his own wickedness. He alone has change the tide of his life and I don't care if the Koch brothers cradle him in millions of dollars it will not help him, his guilt will eat him from the inside out and destroy him and money can't fix that. People refuse to see that what he did was a terrible thing because of black and white. Take race out of the equation and then you have the impetuous actions that caused the death of another person. Stand your ground is dangerous because it is difficult to govern. We can't have people roaming the city acting like Zimmerman. If in fact he was afraid then the gun gave him a false sense of security. Our nation is so deeply divided against itself it is being weaken, we have too many enemies outside our borders to become a volatile enemy to ourselves. What are we going to do to fix this? Our country is confused, our laws are warped and we are hollering black and white. People pay attention, white and black people are not the eminent threat they are the distraction!!!
The Department of Justice needs to investigate ALEC to find some way to dismantle this and other organizations like this which are being funded by big business under the auspices of being non-profits that are slowly destroying and undermining the democratic process in this country.
Rhino asked: "How do all these individuals using food stamps and getting welfare checks manage to cash the checks or sign up for food stamps without having an ID? Maybe this voter fraud is just the tip of the iceburg as to why our country is sinking in malaise and debt...."
The snap program does not use "checks" they give a debit card to the recipient and it's been that way for many years now.
Besides the SNAP program is an infinitesimal portion of the federal budget. We give much more "welfare" to corporations than we give to impoverished people.
Flashback: Obama 2012: 'We refused to let Detroit go bankrupt'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6Su5mjQSaE
I agree 100% with your words, but there are many progressives who are trying very hard to point out the folly of the far right. They've been manipulated by our plutocracy to defend the honor of the almighty profit, not even realizing they are fighting against their own self interest. Their rage and hate has been turned on their neighbor when the real crooks have lined up giant vacuums to suck the money out of communities and leave the remainder for the middle and poverty class to fight over.
Take a look at the ALEC site, Possum Hollow. There is currently a big blank place where there once was a voter ID model legislation. Now that they're in the limelight, ALEC is taking another run for the shadows.
They don't operate so well out in front of the idiots they push into the spotlight.
I presume that by the "far left" you mean anyone who isn't content to allow the union of Big Business and the apparatus and power of the state to run roughshod over the rest of us.
"Well, tough luck, comrades."
What cogent prose. Surely a "Director of Communications" can do better than this.
"the extortionate transfer of wealth from productive businesses"
"the extortionate transfer of wealth from the productive populace to the vampire squid of Big Business"
Fixed it for you.
What we "far left" people want is a playing field that is not so heavily tilted in favor of those who can and do buy legislation favorable to their cause (squeezing every last cent out of us while maintaining and expanding corporate welfare, privatizing absolutely everything they can get their greedy hands on, stripping us of what little remains of our democratic process).
I totally agree with you; America is collapsing and is no longer the great nation it once was... if I could go to Canada, I'd go as well. :-(
"and referring to a 911 operator as a law enforcement agency. Can a 911 operator make a person stop committing a crime?"
You're right. Everyone knows 911 operators are the NRA. That operator had a duty to tell Zimmerman to go ahead and shoot Martin.
Seriously, a 911 operator not representing law enforcement? You gun nuts just keep getting nuttier all the time!
What about this?
http://www.infowars.com/2012-obama-speech-we-refused-to-let-detroit-go-bankrupt-video/
I so agree with you Tom. Condoning murder and then expecting the victim's family to pay for the perpetrator's lawyer is SICKENING. It looks like the NRA has invoked a propensity for violence among gun owners. Any entity that would back such a law is clearly looking out for their own best interest on the 'greed agenda'. This is a way to sell more guns and ammunition. It's a way to get rid of the lower class and minorities. After all, how many middle and upper class citizens are killed by guns ? There's many more agendas behind this crap. This whole idea should NEVER have been given the chance to become law ! What kind of life form thought this up?
They sure as hell weren't human beings !
Was George born with a psychology gene?
So two black teens can speak for all black teens?
How many times did George fire a weapon?
Could he of done the smart thing?
Did George serve or enlist to serve his country?
Trayvon was 5'11, 158lbs. George was 5'7', 204lbs.
George shot him in the heart point blank with a hollow point bullet.
Black folks don't call police, besides he thought he lost him. He had ear buds in his ears while on the phone.
George lived there for 4 years, there were only 3 streets.
He was the Neighborhood Watch Captain.
You mean to tell me he didn't know where to catch Trayvon.
First aid for two scratches on his head that he said was repeatedly banged on the concrete. 25 - 30 times.
No x-rays to verify his nose was ever broken.
What we don't know is who threw the first punch, all we have is George's many tales. So Trayvon could of and should of had the right to stand his ground.
What was your state of mind at 17 and 28?
You should know if someone is scared to death, they will fight.
Now re-write you story from a black person perspective.
It is so easy to blame the victim.
George's story changed so much and made no logical sense.
Any one with an ounce of common sense would know he was lying or maybe not.
Would love to see it happen all over America. But, alas, with the powerful, despicable NRA lovers and their powerful lobby, it'll never happen in the USA with republicons in charge. Just remember the outcome of the Sandy Hook gun legislation. Unbelievable. The wild west is alive and well in America.
What?! You're 17. You are emotionally still a boy. You are in your daddy's complex. You are talking to a good friend, making jokes, talking trash 'cause it's a girl. Somebody is clearly following you. In a TRUCK! Now they're out of the truck, in your face with a gun!
I do NOT for one minute believe a coward like Zimmerman kept his gun under wraps. He intended to scare the F--- out of this boy, or kill this boy -- and this was clearly a boy because there was no way in God's name Zimmerman didn't know this was a boy, also, just like you and I would have known. Had Trayvon been a MAN, this coward would have never left the safety of his truck. Guaranteed.
His finger pushed just a little too hard on that trigger, and he quickly concocted a story, just like he has always done in the past, especially to escape the wrath of an unforgiving father for careless and thoughtless offenses in the past that could sully the reputation of his life as a judge. And judging from Zimmerman's quick and easy way with a lie, his father may have cared more for his community reputation than the erosion of his son's moral standing. And fear.
At any rate, no way can ANYBODY on the face of the earth justify this child's death, ESPECIALLY at the mercy of this trigger-happy, known coward and liar.
If he has a gun he should be able to control the situation and walk away.
Murder is murder and karma is what they say she is.
Thank you for pointing out how inaccurate this article is!
"Its Minneapolis locations were subject to picketing in 2011 when it fired six hundred employees for working without immigration documents."
Sounds pretty good to me. Only a racist would think that illegal immigrants should be exploited by an American fast food company.
This is condoned "murder" in the state of Florida? A woman chooses abortion and she goes to jail for stopping the development of a zygote? What gives here?
I knew in my heart that the minute Zimmerman was charged after some 40+ days that he would be acquitted, if brought to trial. Why? Because I understood what "stand your ground" was about. It was and is about protecting the "shooter" from culpability, and in this case the defense was allowed to put Trayvon on trial and he not only lost the case, he lost his life. What a travesty!
Tom Gutridge
As you can see from my earlier post when this tragedy came to light, I was pretty sure it was a case of an over zealous security guard wanna-be shooting a kid for being black. After all of the evidence has been presented, I have to ask how you think forcing people to run away will solve this.
How far should a person have to retreat? How far do you personally feel you should have to retreat when being attacked? What if you can't retreat such as being cornered or subdued? That's the problem with not having a stand your ground law. I bet you wouldn't want to have to run from a criminal, if you even had the chance to get away.
Since Zimmerman was on his back, he couldn't really retreat, could he?
Your article is disingenuous in the calling of Mr. Martin a kid and referring to a 911 operator as a law enforcement agency. Can a 911 operator make a person stop committing a crime?
The only trouble that Zimmerman was looking for was the criminal kind that were causing problems in his neighborhood, which he apparently found.
If Mr. Martin was concerned for his safety, he should have called 911, just like Zimmerman did. Instead, he attacked someone and got what he deserved.
Lisa Graves remarks in her editoral show an ignornce of experience about the reality of the real world. She talks about Martin's right to defend himself from an angry man with a gun. How does she know that Zimmerman was an angry man with a gun? Did she know Zimmerman or ever talk with him? Was she born with the "psychology gene" that she can do psychology by ESP? She is an amazing woman who should by studied by Homeland Security for her attributes which would really help in the fight against terrorism.
I was held-up twice by black teenagers who had guns. I did not fight but did the smart thing of going passive and complying with what they wanted. As an Honorably Discharged Veteran, I understand weapons. Does Lisa Graves? How many times has she fired a weapon and been in combat situations? Any situation involving a gun is a combat situation. How come Lisa Graves never enlisted, like I did, to server her country since she is so brave? She thinks she knows what is going-on but the reality is really different. She needs a reality check.
The only information I have about what happened is what I have read in the biased news media by under-educated, bigoted journalists who have prejudiced this case from the first when NBC TV News released a biased and edited transcript of the phone call Zimmerman made to the police. Then there is the issue of only showing a photo of Martin when he was twelve. How come I've never seen a photo of him as a seventeen year old or with his girlfriend? I'm sure his cell phone had a camera. How tall was Martin and what did he weight? He wasn't shot in the back was he? Where did the bullet enter his body? Were there powder burns on his clothes and where were they? I have never read any of this in the news media. Why not?
From what I read, Martin was on his cell phone talking to his girlfriend. Why didn't he use his phone to call his father to pick him up in his car? Why didn't Martin call the police himself? Why didn't Martin go to one of the houses and knock-on-the-door or ring the bell and ask the residents to call the police? I'm sure if the residents heard that a man was stalking their community, they would have readily called the police.
Zimmerman was a fool for carrying a gun. Like Lisa Graves he thought he knew was he was doing but the reality turned-out to be really different. Zimmerman said that he lost sight of Martin and Martin came-up behind him. There is photographic evidence that Zimmerman was attacked and the police did give him first aid. Was that the result of Martin standing his ground by coming-up behind Zimmerman to show Zimmerman that he was a tough guy, a real man? Why not ask Lisa Graves she has ESP, doesn't she? No one will ever know, not even Lisa Graves, mind-reader, what happened because Martin died and we only have Zimmerman's story but from the incomlete reports which I've read, Martin contributed to his own death and that is not placing the blame on Martin. I could have resited the two black teenage gangs that held me up at gun point but I didn't resist which is why I am here today. What would Lisa Graves have done or advised: stand your ground?
As a Veteran, I took an oath to defend the Constitution which gives us our system of justice and that system says that we have our day in court. Zimmerman had his day in court which we all deserve and he was found "not gulity." Leave the man alone. Both Zimmerman and Martin were fools in their own ways. I am sorry that Martin is dead but Martin had reasonable options which would have saved is life. Even if confronted by Zimmerman, he could have gone passive, like in did, and saved his life. Isn't that what it is all about or was he acting like a stupid teenager who thought, like Lisa Graves, that he was going to prevail like in the movies?
What a country we live in when school children's futures are cashed in for profit, with the government's assistance. The US was the first nation to have free compulsory education, and that great edifice is being torn down by greed, like so much else in this country.
My sister teaches at a charter school. She says that teachers who are unqualified to teach a particular topic are told to teach it anyway. She has a degree in art, and teaches mathematics. She told me that it's a Christian charter school located in a right wing voting district, but I don't know how that can be, since charter school regulations state that they are to be non-sectarian.
America seems like it is slowly collapsing in on itself due to neglect, greed and malice. If Canada accepted 50+ year old unemployed (former technical worker) immigrants from America, I'd pack my bags today.
To do a thorough job, they should have seen to it that a judge could no longer tell the jury to "consider all the circumstances" in a case, which here include Zimmerman's mutterings and his pursuit of Martin against the dispatcher's instruction.
Just zoom in on the moment when the defendant started to feel afraid, and "circumstances surrounding" are nullified, including whatever of his own reckless actions may have may have put him in that situation. Leaving in that "circumstances surrounding" instruction makes the whole thing needlessly messy. Without that instruction, jurors wouldn't have to feel conflicted and the talking heads and the public wouldn't have so much to argue about. Case closed. :-)