Trayvon Martin

[Korey]

[font=tahoma,geneva,sans-serif]This has been getting a lot of attention recently in the media and I just wanted to ask you kind folk what you think of the [url="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/03/08/2684419/shooting-mystery-miami-dade-teen.html"]Trayvon Martin[/url] shooting? For those too lazy to click the link, a 17 year old African American child was shot down by a neighborhood watch captain. Martin was unarmed and had no record of gang violence or even a speeding ticket. He was on his way home from a grocery store when he was confronted by the Neighborhood watch captain, who told police he shot in self-defense. His family has made a very large protest across many channels including social media and Television. There was a rather large petition on charge.org and several celebs tweeted about it as well.

As of right now, the prosecutors haven't arrested the shooter and have cited a law enacted during Jeb Bush's tenure: "Stand your Ground" , which states that people are allowed to defend themselves against intruders or dangerous people. However, this law more applies to people breaking into your home than a child walking down a street. The Sanford police department has been under fire by the neighborhood and the police chief received a vote of no confidence. The main focal point of the investigation right now is whether or not the shooter used a racial slur in his 911 call to the police before confronting Martin.

Despite what's been going on in this story, I believe the true point is that the shooter had no buisness in confronting Martin at all. Even if he's the neighborhood watch captain, he's not the police and vigilante police work is for intents and purposes still a crime. Acting on behalf of the police without sanction boils down to murder. Police are put in place for a reason and even if Martin was acting suspiciously, there was no reason for this man to get involved. Had another person been hurt or killed, then it'd be a whole other can of worms opened. I'm also not a fan of the police not arresting him or charging him on the allegation that he acted in self-defense when the person was unarmed. Without any sort of basis or evidence to back this claim up, I believe the shooter instigated the scuffle in the first place. Had he just reported Martin and been on his way, we wouldn't have a young man dead who was on his way home with a bag of skittles and an iced tea. [/font]

[Petie]

[color="#0000ff"]I've been somewhat following this as reports run on TV and I'm with you. It's utter nonsense to believe that there's even a slight chance he shot in self-defense. And the "Stand Your Ground" laws, and other similar tenants (Castle Laws and the like) are indeed for use in your own home and, in some states, in other areas where you are legally allowed to be. Most also call for some level to attempt to retreat and to warn your would-be attacker of deadly force before using it in public areas. None of this applies in this situation, even less so when the only thing that this guy found suspicious was that the kid was African American and had a hoodie on and there didn't appear to be any imminent threat (in reality, the watch captain seemed to approach him).[/color]

[color=#0000ff]Really, he should be arrested and convicted of 1st degree murder. I'm not sure why that hasn't happened yet - it seems pretty open and shut to me, racial slur or otherwise.[/color]

[Inuyasha Fandom]

It's stuff like this that makes me weep for humanity. The whole thing is a load of crap. He should be arrested, end of story.

[Akieen Cloud]

[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]I agree completely. I was just told about this today and it has me baffeled as to why he hasn't been arrested yet. Racial or not, he was profiling against the young man just because he had his hood up. Besides the person who was reading this to me told me that it was raining. There is nothing suspisous about someone wearing a hood in the rain. I think it's a load and they need to lock this man away for murder. I mean, he was 17 and coming home from a snack trip...it makes me sad and afriand for my own children that people are pretty much getting away with stupid things like this and calling it 'self defense'. Just makes me curious, my boys wear hoodies, and both are under 10, does that mean that peope should think they're dangerous? [/color][/font]
[font=comic sans ms,cursive][color=#000080]All in all, it's unfiar to a young man just staring his life and it's unfair to his family that this man is not being held accountable for his actions. [/color][/font]

[Sangome]

[font=trebuchet ms,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#9900ff]I heard about this the other night and it just breaks my heart. =/ I feel so bad for his family, and his girlfriend too [who was evidently on the phone with him at the time].[/color][/font][font=trebuchet ms,helvetica,sans-serif][color=#9900FF] My heart and prayers go out to them.[/color][/font] Edited March 24, 2012 by Sangome

[Japan]

Another point I wanted to add is the fact that just because the boy wore a hoodie, they are suddenly bad? Since when does this controversial shooting warrant hoodies as gang symbols?