The Associated Press announced late Monday that the U.S. Department of Justice announced they will be investigating death of Trayvon Martin at the hands of a neighborhood watch captain who pursued the teen, even after 911 dispatchers asked him not to.
According to the Associated Press:
The Justice Department said in a statement late Monday that the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will join in the agency’s investigation.
“The department will conduct a thorough and independent review of all the evidence and take appropriate action at the conclusion of the investigation,” the agency said.
This case has exemplified the reasons that detractors were against Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which allows people to use deadly force to defend themselves, even if their alleged attacker is retreating. According to the same AP release, Criminal Defense Attorney David Hill described the law like this:
“If there is nobody around and you pull a gun, you just say, `Hey, I reasonably believed I was under imminent attack. Hey, sorry. Too bad. But you can’t prosecute me,'”
Even with the “Stand Your Ground” law, it should prove a challenge for Zimmerman’s defense team, should he be arrested, to explain how the death of an unarmed teenager was warranted, especially given that the shooter had already been told not to pursue Martin.
For more on the death of Trayvon Martin, read Cornelius’ Walker’s Walking While Black and Jackie Summers’ Shoot First, Ask Later?
Horrible, tragic, senseless, loss of a life. Normally I’m against federal agencies butting into local issues wielding the “hate crimes” banner, but this is a case where, if that’s the tool to see justice done, so be it. As far as Eric’s comments go. You are stretching this one too far. It’s obviously a case of an unchecked self important pseudo-cop who the locals turned a blind eye to, and then tried to sweep under the carpet because it made them look bad, based on all his other racist/dangerous actions.
I agree with Eric M’s point. I also think it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that Trayvon was murdered (which is Joanna’s point, I think). I’m not speaking for all of course, but I’ve seen black and white feminists savage young black boys as well as any white supremacist group. You can pick almost any website you wish to find countless examples in articles and the subsequent comments. The sentiments expressed by Zimmerman on the recordings can be found in one form or another over at Clutch (I don’t really want to shout any of them out)… Read more »
BY, that’s a reasonable explanation of what I think Eric M was trying to say.
I still don’t think feminists are the leading cause of racism or oppression against young black men.
This is a fine example of the “male privilege” enjoyed by black boys and young men that feminists continue to talk about. Yeah, black boys got it made. They get shot in the street and usually nobody beyond their family much cares unless it happens to get national news coverage because the shooter is white.
It’s obvious that without the national news coverage that this case got, this boy would be just another black boy gunned down in the street that the local police just shrug their shoulders about and move on. Good thing they got that male privilege thing.
No. It is not. And you know it. I, as have other commenters, mentioned time and time again that there is this thing about individual power which these kids clearly did not have, and institutional power which can unfairly benefit a group (whites or males, or women, or the wealthy). I”ve also, as have many people on this site, discussed the intersections of oppression on and on and on. So why keep coming back to this canard? This clearly isn’t a case of male privilege, it’s a case of racism and classism on the part of Zimmermen and the police.… Read more »
I mean he murdered that child. He should have been held immediately. It’s horrifying.
Probably sexism too: Young black females aren’t murdered nearly as often, the depiction of young black men as a stereotyped threat almost certainly played its part.
Here’s the thing…the fact that the kid was a boy and not a girl probably did play into the stereotyping that Zimmermen used. But that’s not what Eric was saying…Eric was pushing an anti-feminist/anti-male privilege agenda and using this tragic event to do so.
I agree, I just wanted to add sexism to Julie’s list.
No. It is not. And you know it. I, as have other commenters, mentioned time and time again that there is this thing about individual power which these kids clearly did not have, and institutional power which can unfairly benefit a group (whites or males, or women, or the wealthy).“ Julie, you are sincere but just wrong on this issue. IMHO. That’s the fundamental problem with the argument and resulting policy. It makes no distinction. When do you ever hear feminists use any term other than “male privilege” when arguing for policy change? They use that “male privilege” theory as… Read more »
Eric.
This is the case of a dead boy.
Leave your anti-feminist rhetoric out of it. Don’t exploit the death of a child to further your agenda.
I’m actually horrified right now.
Same, Joanna.
I have been talking about this very issue here for months. You think wealthy white men have it too easy? Fine. Fight for polices that target a truly privileged demographic. Instead, feminist policy classes this kid above the wealthy white man’s daughter, and pushes him and others like him further down. So, if you really wanted to help kids like this, tell the feminists to stop it with their generic anti-male agenda and policies. Sorry, Joanna – this is the sad reality that results from the view of young black males, which feminism (yes, feminism) aids and abets with its unrelenting… Read more »
A teenager is dead, Eric. A teenager was killed because of the racist attitudes of a neighbourhood watch guy. What’s more, the killer wasn’t even arrested due to the racist and good ol’ boy attitudes of the police. It’s tragic.
It is not the place to push your own freaking agenda…I don’t care how important you think that agenda is.
What Joanna said. Good God, Eric. Seriously? A debate the parameters of male privilege, even race-centered male privilege, is often useful and interesting. In this situation, it’s wildly inappropriate.
Only to those who don’t understand that there are underlying causes of this and the thousands of other similar tragedies.
Good call. I’m not sure I’d trust local prosecutors after he failed to be arrested.