I feel like it's topsy turvy day in the news

[verloren1983]

Okay seriously, what the HELL is going on lately?

-Apparently it's totally cool to stalk and kill an unarmed child as long as his skin is a darker color than yours. If you live in Florida, the law will support you if you're scared of brown people and start shooting them. Just make up a flimsy story that the evil dark child attacked you first, you'll be fine. Even if you keep changing it. (Link)
-And yet, also in Florida, last year a black woman got 20 years prison time for firing warning shots- didn't hurt anyone- against her abusive husband. (Link) So I guess you're only allowed to defend yourself if you're not black (I would say "if you're white", but Zimmerman is Latino XD). And just think, the Supreme Court just recently chopped off the Voting Rights Act at the knees because racism is totally not an issue anymore. *snort*
-Texas state senate passed their anti-abortion bill (which okay, that's not a surprise, but still.) (Link)
-And finally, to top it off this morning, I wake up and discover that they found Cory Monteith (Finn on Glee) dead in his hotel room. He was only 31 years old. (Link)

I repeat. WHAT THE HELL.

(And no, I'm not going to continue to post about this. It's more for posterity than anything. That being said... god, I know making a post on facebook about it wasn't the most mature thing to do ever, but I just got a long comment basically saying that Zimmerman was the victim and he's been a scapegoat for the "false appearance of nobly fighting against racism." Really? REALLY? She also says that she trusts the decision that was made. I'm trying to not respond angrily, so what I'm working on is this. "Alright, I was upset when I made the post (clearly the most mature thing to do) and I normally wouldn't have said anything. In any event, I'm glad you have more trust in the system than I do. After seeing so many messed up decisions over the years that were clearly aimed at protecting perpetrators instead of victims- decisions that were based not in justice but in racism or sexism or homophobia or some other prejudiced agenda- I don't have that trust. However, the bottom line through all of this is that it's done. I just hope his family can find some kind of peace now that it's over.")

Comments

[februaryfour]

I read a friend's share on FB that said the prosecution had failed Trayvon Martin because they let Zimmerman claim to be the victim and didn't put the case from TM's POV. If the prosecution had told the jury to imagine that TM realized he was being followed and tried to run away from unknown danger before having to fight for his life because he was being attacked by a random man for no apparent reason and then TM realized the man had a gun and was afraid he would be another kid getting shot on the streets? Things might have turned out differently.

[verloren1983]

Maybe, but we'll never know, unfortunately. :/

[stillskies]

Randomly, I'm not sure that would have done anything to change the outcome of the verdict. 2nd degree and manslaughter have very strict requirements, and if one isn't met, then they cannot, in good conscious, issue a guilty verdict. Malice is a hard thing to define, especially in cases where the murderer didn't know the victim.

This is being said by someone who disagrees with the verdict and thinks that the way the prosecution handled the trial was shamefully negligent, but from a legal standpoint, I can intellectually understand how they came to that conclusion based on the evidence submitted and testimony heard. =/

[stillskies]

Everything is sucky. :| Can we just call a redo of this year?

[verloren1983]

As long as my GPA/credits for spring semester still stand, absolutely. I really don't want to have to do some of that again. XD

[stillskies]

Same. Do not want the last two quarters.