Wednesday, April 4, 2012

from the other angle

Ok so I've debated saying anything about the Martin shooting.  First Let me ask seriously how utterly retarded you have to be to go on and on about a white man shooting a black kid, then won't even admit that the "white man" is actually Hispanic.  Its really no wonder that there's so much racial tension in this post racial world when you fan the flames like this.  The fact that the News will almost never openly admit its mistakes even when its not only warranted but required shows, that the fourth estate is as vulnerable to corruption as any other entity that holds power. 

But if we look at the facts of the Case we see a neighborhood that has a high crime rate and a neighborhood watch captain seeing someone he doesn't know and somehow looks suspicious.  Believe it or not it's not only ok its also a good idea to use indicators such as race sex, dress and how a person carries themselves as an indicator of whether or not they are going to be trouble.  Something twigged in Zimmerman's mind.  Doesn't matter what about Martin said "trouble" he may not even be able to tell you himself, a lot of such ques are subconscious.  That's not the point.  He saw what he thought was a threat.  He wanted to keep an eye on that threat, so he followed.  When he was told to stop by the police he was sure he'd done his civic duty and went about his business.

Here's where things get murky.  Martin confronted Zimmerman and the two struggled the end result is that Martin got shot and died of wounds.  Ok stop right there.  The question here is who instigated the fatal tussle.  It appears Martin.  So unless Zimmerman just started pistol whipping the shit out of Martin, at the outset there is cause to believe that Zimmerman is in some level of danger.  The exact details of the the event have to be teased out the central question is that we have to ask was Zimmerman threatened?

Now the real problem about the incident isn't about the actual incident itself.  Its sad that we have to talk about the death of a kid.  But Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.  Spike Lee tweeting the wrong address of Zimmerman, and the poor folks there having to move to a hotel room to escape.  Congressmen throwing all decorum to the wind in "protest".  Students leaving school early and having a Riot at a Walgreens.  All around the country we have "victims" creating real victims to express their out rage that they're victims.  Do you see the problem here?

So lets be clear, rather than ask if perhaps there's a reason that Blacks are targeted, and if perhaps there is a valid reason other than sheer evil headed racism that a person a captain of a neighborhood might see a boy as a threat that he calls the police.  Indeed there are other questions one should probably ask about the statistics of the crimes committed.  What race is committing the most crimes?  Go look it up.  I actually know the stats, but I'm not going to tell you.  Cite whichever source you wish the stats are still damming.  Guess what.  You can't argue that this is under reported, or even that this is the caused by some inherent racism in the system. The police (and everyone else) are going to focus on who seems to be a threat.  This is point blank not only a good idea but probably essential if you want to survive. 

Further the right to self defense can not be taken away.  Guns tend to empower the weak.  If Martin had surprise and Strength on his side whats to say we wouldn't be reading about a Black kid killing a Hispanic man.  Except that it's pretty common fare and no one would really care.  I believe that Zimmerman probably escalated the situation but he could have also ended things rather quickly if he had drawn his firearm before Martin had gotten within striking distance. 

Ultimately we don't really know what happened.  There have been so many reports that are conflicting our own judgement has to be a little conflicting.  This episode is tragic any way you slice it.  Rather than have a real discussion about why Zimmerman might have felt the need to open fire on Martin we decide to riot.  And put out bounties.  And tweet addresses.  Rather than get  Angry and Riot why don't we ask seriously, if there are an inordinate number of people who think Blacks are a threat, WHY IS THAT? By going to riots and generally making an (unnecessary) ruckus, you kind of prove that you are a threat.  That we should watch you intently.  By fanning the flames and making it all a racial issue we have ensured that one race will be held down by racism and be the but of jokes, and quite frankly the first suspect when anything bad happens. 

As I have said about Islam so to will I say about the Black community.  It can not be reformed from the outside.  It hast to be a choice.  You have to chose to be better than the Ballas, the Niggas, and the Gangstas, the Ghetto (here I have to say you have NO IDEA what a ghetto is.  Warsaw 1939  All I gotta say) is a prison of your own making.  You chose to live that life then get angry when it comes back to bite you in the ass?  You make a choice right here and now, to do the right thing, or keep doing the wrong thing.  One path will give you respectability and a better life.  The other will make things continue as they are if not worsen. 

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