The State of Florida vs George Zimmerman: The Trial

Fears over widespread riots in response to George Zimmerman verdict prove overblown
July 24, 2013
Associated Press

The predictions were dire: Black people would burn and loot America's cities if George Zimmerman was found not guilty. White people everywhere would be attacked in revenge for the killing of Trayvon Martin.

Judging from water-cooler conversations, social media and viral emails, many people took these warnings seriously — yet they proved to be largely wrong.

Community leaders and scholars say the overwhelmingly peaceful response to the Zimmerman verdict reflects increased opportunities for African-Americans, the powerful image of a black president voicing frustration with the verdict, and the modern ability to create change through activism and social media rather than a brick.

"There was the assumption that black people, Latino people, inner-city people are inherently violent, and that's the farthest thing from the truth," says Kevin Powell, whose BK Nation advocacy group helped organize peaceful marches involving thousands of people in New York City.

"They need to stop racially stereotyping people," Powell says. "It's the same thing George Zimmerman was engaging in. To automatically assume an explosion from the Zimmerman verdict — I don't think they understand black people."

The talk of violence originated long before the verdict with some conservative commentators, who said riots should be blamed on liberals who distorted facts to make Zimmerman look guilty. "Media's dishonest motives in Trayvon Martin case could end in riots," read one headline on Glenn Beck's website.

Speculation intensified when news broke that Florida police were preparing for possible unrest. Pundits highlighted dozens of tweets from average citizens threatening violence if Zimmerman was acquitted. Reminders circulated about a handful of "this is for Trayvon" assaults by black people when the case first gained national notice.

"I fully expect organized race rioting to begin in every major city to dwarf the Rodney King and the Martin Luther King riots," wrote former police officer Paul Huebl. "If you live in a large city be prepared to evacuate or put up a fight to win. You will need firearms, fire suppression equipment along with lots of food and water."...

John Baick, a history professor at Western New England University, says the Zimmerman trial is another skirmish in the battles over the direction of American culture.

"Use of the word 'riot' is talking about race without talking about race," Baick says. "It's like, look at 'them.'"

"The word riot says so much about fears, about assumptions," he says. "It's deep in our culture that we are afraid of 'them.'"

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/07/24/fears-over-widespread-riots-in-response-to-george-zimmerman-verdict-prove/#ixzz2a0TN1AEm

Odd my wife and I had been carrying guns around for well over twenty years and have not killed anyone for some strange reason and a million or so of my fellow citizens in Florida are carrying around firearms legally and it is very rare for any of them to be used to kill anyone

was that they wanted to kill, had an urge, and the "strange reason" which inhibits them is the fuss which will be made if they give in to the urge. The law scares them out of it but does nothing about the urge which dribbles away in erotic fantasies and rendered harmless.

Interesting and having a fire extinguisher means that you have a secret desire to have a fire or having a back up generator means that you are secretly hoping that the power company will fail to do their job?

I am willing to do so if it is my life on the line as poor Zimmerman did when he was face with killing or being killed or serous harm by the poor "child" Trayvon

hen all the neighbours are groping about in the dark can be quite good fun

A kid make a distasteful comment/threat in the middle of an online game chat and even put LOL and such at the end of the line and find himself locked up for 8 months with a bail of 500,000.

People stating openly that they will find out the jury IDs and killed their kids and it is so what the hell.

Unless two freaks with guns have a shoot out (@ the okay corral).

Now, that I want to see! LOL

I am willing to do so if it is my life on the line as poor Zimmerman did
when he was face with killing or being killed or serous harm by the poor "child" Trayvon

Zimmerman didn't need a gun that night . . .

Interesting and having a fire extinguisher means that you have a secret desire to have a fire
or having a back up generator means that you are secretly hoping that the power company will fail to do their job?

That case is really messed up. Have there been any recent developments, or is that poor kid still locked up?

Strangely enough, not everything Gunga says is ridiculous.
In America and the UK the system is adversarial,
not so on the continent where investigative magistrates are quite common.

Each system has its own merits.

I wonder what Oralboy would think, if he found out that his buddy Gunga
was proposing America adopt an Italian style legal system?

They want the right to carry guns so they can kill something.

That's what self defense means to gun nuts.
But give them their just due, they don't care whether its black or white just so they can kill it.

I have little doubt that there are tooled up people hoping somebody will give them an excuse to go into action.