Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
George Zimmerman's brother: We're no 'family of racists'
5:11 p.m. EST, November 1, 2012|
By Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel
George Zimmerman's older brother, Robert Zimmerman Jr., told a group of Hispanic journalists Thursday that he is confronting a "tidal wave of misinformation" about his family because of the publicity surrounding his brother's case.
Robert Zimmerman Jr. spoke publicly in Orlando because he thought it was time to rebut the charges of racism that have mischaracterized his family, Zimmerman said.
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"At the beginning, we couldn't speak publicly to the media to defend ourselves against the allegations that we are family of racists and that George is a racist," Robert Zimmerman Jr. said in Spanish to members of the Central Florida chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
"We didn't grow up with racism,'' he added. "We grew up with a Latino mother and white father. Theirs was an interracial love story."
His brother, George Zimmerman, is facing a second-degree-murder charge in the Feb. 26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed, black 17-year-old from Miami Gardens who was in Sanford visiting family when he and the Neighborhood Watch volunteer crossed paths.
The case, which initially was described as one in which a white man had shot and killed a black youth, captivated the nation and generated debate about racism and prejudice.
Robert Zimmerman Jr. on Thursday said he blamed attorneys and the news media for characterizing his brother George — falsely — as a white man who had killed a black teenager in cold blood.
Their last name may not reflect their biracial identity, but Robert Zimmerman Jr. said they are a Hispanic family that speaks Spanish, eats Peruvian food and served the immigrant community in northern Virginia.
"George is not the same as he was before," Robert Zimmerman Jr. said. "We have also changed because we are facing the reality that our brother, in defense of his life, took another's life, and that is the worst situation that anyone can or could be in: to defend themselves in that way."
Robert Zimmerman Jr. decided to represent his family and speak publicly the day the New Black Panther Party announced it had placed a bounty on his brother's head.
"That was the night I decided enough was enough," he said, because "there was just this mythology that had been developed about him and had been perpetuated."
"Maybe we shouldn't use race to indict people's credibility or even to question it, not anymore," Robert Zimmerman Jr. said.
While meeting with the journalists Thursday, Robert Zimmerman Jr. said that as the truth about his family's identity comes forth, the racist narrative surrounding the shooting loses its sting. But he said he wants to hold the Martin family attorneys accountable for attacking his family's character.
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Ever since the Zimmerman name became synonymous with strife, the family's life has changed in expected and subtle ways, Robert Zimmerman Jr. said.
Every day, he said, his family is occupied with strategizing for survival and thinking up contingency plans for whatever situation should arise, such as a medical emergency.
Family members can no longer take trips to Peru or even go out publicly without feeling threatened, he said. They also can't take pride in their family name without it prompting discomfort, Robert Zimmerman Jr. said.
He used to be colorblind when it came to race, Robert Zimmerman Jr. said. But in the aftermath of his brother's case, he has become exceedingly sensitive to it.
Quoting his mother, Robert Zimmerman Jr. said his brother's case — which is scheduled to go to trial in June — should revolve around his actions, not racism.
arehernandez@tribune.com or 407-420-5471
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Even though this story has pretty much been swept under the rug by the media after the image of Trayvon's victimhood has fallen apart, it is still ongoing.
This just came out today...
George Zimmerman Photograph
December 3, 2012
This is a photo of George Zimmerman taken by a police officer on the night of February 26, 2012. A black and white photocopy of this image was provided by the State in the first Discovery. This high-resolution digital file was finally provided to the defense on October 29, 2012. This image was disclosed in the
State's 9th Supplemental Discovery. In accordance with the updates to our
media policy that we published on November 13, we will be making all public documents related to the case available on our website, including the rest of the
State's 9th Supplemental Discovery as soon as we are sure it has been properly redacted according to the Court's stipulations on protecting information regarding specific witnesses.
http://gzlegalcase.com/images/zimmerman_scene_photo.jpg
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Man....
It's about fucking time.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Not about Martin-Zimmerman, but certainly pertinent. The police are "searching" for the guy.... wonder if they will find him?
Probably not. Why the FUCK don't these photographers throw down the damned cameras and be HEROES for once? He could have saved that man instead of hesitating and shooting film.
Ki Suk Han Dead: After Man Is Shoved Onto Subway Tracks And Hit By Train, NYPD Searches For Suspect (VIDEO)
Posted: 12/04/2012 9:56 am EST Updated: 12/04/2012 10:30 am EST
NYPD officials are searching for a man suspected of pushing a Queens father onto the subway tracks where he was fatally struck by an oncoming train on Monday.
The New York Post reports the victim, identified as 58-year-old Ki Suk Han, was attempting to "protect fellow straphangers from a deranged man" at the 49th Street station when he was suddenly shoved onto the tracks by the suspect.
Bystanders frantically waved and yelled, trying to halt the oncoming Q train from hitting Han, but their attempts proved futile.
"He got caught between the train and the edge of the platform," saidWilliam Van Alstyne, who witnessed the horrifying scene. "He got caught between the train and the edge of the platform. He got dragged. You could see the trail of blood from where he got hit to where he stopped.”
A Post freelance photographer happened to be on the platform and captured the moment just before Han's death. In the photo you can see Han trying to hoist himself up onto the platform, as the train comes barreling towards him. Umar Abbasi says he attempted to warn the train conductor by flashing his camera, but to no avail.
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Before the incident, onlookers say the suspect and Han exchanged heated words.
NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said the suspect was believed to have been "talking to himself" and most likely instigated a fight with Han.
"At least one witness felt that the aggressor was emotionally disturbed," Browne said.
Han was rushed to St. Luke's Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He leaves behind a wife and college-aged daughter.
Officials released this image of the man believed to be the attacker who pushed Han:
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/888685/thu...-HAN-570.jpg?4
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rick Donaldson
Umar Abbasi says he attempted to warn the train conductor by flashing his camera, but to no avail.
Physics. How do it work? :freak2:
Maybe drop your stupid camera and help the guy up. Just a thought.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
I think it is absolutely idiotic that a photographer who is in a position to pull some guy to safety takes the time to snap a photo, or two, or three in an effort to win some stupid award.
In some circumstances, sure, there's nothing a person can do. But had he been standing on the platform and the train was coming, and he could simply REACH DOWN and PULL the guy UP..... is criminal.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
squished.
The people didn't even stop the perp from running off either. Police are still looking for him.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rick Donaldson
I think it is absolutely idiotic that a photographer who is in a position to pull some guy to safety takes the time to snap a photo, or two, or three in an effort to win some stupid award.
In some circumstances, sure, there's nothing a person can do. But had he been standing on the platform and the train was coming, and he could simply REACH DOWN and PULL the guy UP..... is criminal.
So you want to punish people for not helping?
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
No, I never said that at all. Where did you get that idea? Read it again.
Quote:
In some circumstances, sure, there's nothing a person can do. But had he been standing on the platform and the train was coming, and he could simply REACH DOWN and PULL the guy UP..... is criminal.
(... is criminal to let someone die when you could have stopped it from happening).
I promise you, Mal if you sit there and watch a kid get beaten by his or her own parents and don't make a phone call to the cops you will be held responsible by the child protective services.
It's not the same thing, and no I don't think people should be punished for not helping. I just don't see how some one like a "freelance photojournalist" could possibly live with themselves taking pictures instead of trying to save a man's life.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
The photograph shows not a single person within ten feet of the victim. What the fuck is wrong with people? There should be at least two or three people around Han pulling him to safety. They are all a disgrace and should bear the emotional burden of their inaction to their graves. Freaking pathetic excuses for human beings.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
>>>>you will be held responsible by the child protective services.
Depends on the state.
I don't think we should be legislating behavior at all. If someone wants to help, they can help and should be afforded some sort of protection via good Samaritan laws. By the same token, if someone doesn't want to get involved there should be no negative repercussions.
Suppose the guy beating a child was a 6'6" monster and you're a 5'2" pipsqueek who doesn't have a cell phone. While I personally think it's morally reprehensible not to at least call the cops, I cannot in good conscience condone the use of the state to punish the person.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Malsua
>>>>you will be held responsible by the child protective services.
Depends on the state.
Correct. In the states where I have lived, that is all of them. Virginia, Michigan, Colorado, Oklahoma. "You" was a figure of speech mean the "generic you". Not you specifically Mal.
Quote:
I don't think we should be legislating behavior at all. If someone wants to help, they can help and should be afforded some sort of protection via good Samaritan laws. By the same token, if someone doesn't want to get involved there should be no negative repercussions.
I don't either. But that bridge was crossed a burned a long time ago. Colorado laws are specific on it NOW, they didn't USED to be: www.heartsafeam.com/files/Colorado_Good_Samaritan_Act.pdf
Quote:
Suppose the guy beating a child was a 6'6" monster and you're a 5'2" pipsqueek who doesn't have a cell phone. While I personally think it's morally reprehensible not to at least call the cops, I cannot in good conscience condone the use of the state to punish the person.
I don't either Mal. Again, I didn't say that. Never said someone should stand up to a monster etc. I said "a guy taking the time to take pictures" instead of lending a hand to a man who was just toss off a railway platform " should be ashamed of himself, it was "criminal" in what he did.
This is a tort law issue and the man with the camera can indeed be held liable and responsible for "doing nothing". (My word "criminal" is incorrect of course, and there is no criminal law as far as I know in NYC about this).
In common law systems, it is rarely formalized in statutes which would bring the penalty of law down upon those who fail to rescue. This does not necessarily obviate a moral duty to rescue: though law is binding and carries government-authorized sanctions, there are also separate ethical arguments for a duty to rescue that may prevail even where law does not punish failure to rescue. (From Wikipedia)
Under "soviet law" it was a crime to FAIL to give aid to someone in mortal danger (which is a reason not to legislate behavior anyway).
In the Martin-Zimmerman case, the witnesses all copped out and didn't assist either party. Martin died after he attacked Zimmerman.
In this case, no one even tried to stop the guy who threw the deceased off a platform. Did nothing at all.
There's something wrong with this society when they can't help someone who has been injured or in mortal danger.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Rick Donaldson
There's something wrong with this society when they can't help someone who has been injured or in mortal danger.
It's indicative of the moral degeneration of a society as a whole. Human life, sacred in my view, means nothing or even less than nothing to what appears to be a majority of people today. Many even enjoy seeing a person in distress to the point that elation is felt when a person dies. The more violent, the better. The more helpless the victim, the better. If that's not evil, I don't know what is. And, I do know what evil is.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
I have seen evil before.
I don't want to see it again. But you know, Mal is completely correct. We shouldn't be legislating behavior I guess.
That includes morality.
Which means we give up any claims to stopping abortion (which personally, I'm against for reasons of "birth control".... if it were for saving a life, I'd be all for it, but it usually isn't). Thus we should NOT legislate ANY fucking thing.
In fact, the ONLY thing I think should be on the books is crimes like murder, rape etc.
And to be honest, we need to burn the fucking law books and start over.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
A government should have no reason to legislate morality. A morally healthy society has no need for such idiocy. I agree, however, it should not be done.
I err on the side of teaching our children fundamental ethics and good moral judgment, thus creating what could be termed self policing citizens.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
We "legislate morality" all the time.
As I stated before... Rape, incest, murder, robbery - they are all crimes against people, and all of them have been "legislated as immoral" or wrong.
Mal is correct though, we should not make laws forcing people to "help others".
There's an "unwritten law of the sea". If a sailor is in trouble, needs rescuing, is marooned, etc, other sailors will go out of their way to help them. There IS A law requiring me, when I'm in charge of a vessel to respond to Mayday calls for help, if I'm within range of hearing and can get there in a reasonable amount of time. Ships are required to deviate from their courses to assist those in peril.
Of course, the difference here is that only one's Master's license is in peril if one doesn't help - as in many cases, pretends not to HEAR the call for assistance.
No one helped either Martin or Zimmerman - and apparently (from what I heard today) both the victim and the perp in the other case were apparently drunk.
Why help a couple of stupid drunks?
I don't know. But I don't think I would have stood around watching the guy die while taking photos.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
Trayvon Martin Killer George Zimmerman Sues NBC over Racist Slur
By Umberto Bacchi: Subscribe to Umberto's RSS feed
December 7, 2012 1:09 PM GMT
http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/imag.../07/326952.jpg George Zimmerman with bloodied nose and mouth in picture his attorneys claims was taken the night he shot unarmed teen Trayvon Martin (Reuters)
George Zimmerman, the alleged killer of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, has sued NBC for defamation and claimed the US TV station maliciously portrayed him as a racist attacker.
Zimmerman's lawyers claimed that NBC edited an emergency call by Zimmerman, the 28-year-old Hispanic neighbourhood watch volunteer, after he shot African-American Martin to make it sound like he was racist.
"NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings and so to set about the myth that George Zimmerman was a racist and predatory villain," the lawsuit reads.
Zimmerman is seeking damages for an undisclosed amount at Seminole County circuit court in Florida.
He claims NBC's coverage caused him emotional distress, made him fear for his life and to suffer nausea, insomnia and anxiety.
"Because of NBC's deceptive and exploitative manipulations, the public wrongly believes that Zimmerman 'used a racial epithet' while describing Martin during the call to the dispatcher on that fateful night," the lawsuit continues.
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In NBC's edited version of the call Zimmerman is heard telling police Trayvon Martin was black without being asked about the teenager's racial background.
"This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black," Zimmerman says.
However in the full tape Zimmerman tells police Martin "looks like he's up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about".
When asked for a description, Zimmerman says: "He looks black."
According to Zimmerman's lawyers, NBC also claimed - without evidence to back it up - that during the call Zimmerman said "f*****g coons". He actually said "f*****g punks".
"There was no intent to portray Mr Zimmerman unfairly. We intend to vigorously defend our position in court," NBC spokeswoman Kathy Kelly-Brown said.
NBC had earlier apologised for what it described as an "error made in the production process".
Zimmerman shot Martin after confronting him in Sanford, Florida, on 26 February.
He is charged with second-degree murder but maintains he killed Martin in self-defence in a case that has sparked huge controversy in America.
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting
George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin case update: Zimmerman says NBC used 'yellow journalism,' sues
George Zimmerman, charged in the shooting death of a 17-year-old Florida boy, sued NBC Universal on Thursday for using 'the oldest form of yellow journalism' by editing an audio tape of his 911 call.
Photographer: Pool, Getty Images
http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/nationa...ournalism-sues
Posted: 7:03 AM
By: Michael Martinez, CNN
George Zimmerman, charged in the shooting death of a 17-year-old Florida boy, sued NBC Universal on Thursday for using "the oldest form of yellow journalism" by editing an audio tape of his 911 call to make him sound racist, the lawsuit said.
Zimmerman is seeking "damages in excess of the jurisdictional limit" in Seminole County Circuit Court in Florida, where the lawsuit is filed.
Zimmerman, who is Hispanic and is charged with second-degree murder, is accused of fatally shooting Trayvon Martin, who was African-American. The February incident has provoked national controversy.
Zimmerman says he shot Martin in self-defense. Attorneys for Martin's family say the teen was shot and killed "in cold blood."
"NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings, and so set about to create the myth that George Zimmerman was a racist and predatory villain," the lawsuit said.
"Because of NBC's deceptive and exploitative manipulations, the public wrongly believes that Zimmerman 'us(ed) a racial epithet' while describing Martin during the call to the dispatcher on that fateful night," the suit said.
A spokesman for NBC Universal couldn't be reached immediately for comment.
The defamation lawsuit accuses the network of sensationalizing and manipulating a potential "racial powder keg that would result in months, if not years, of topics for their failing news program, particularly the plummeting ratings for their ailing Today Show."
The edited recordings included multiple deletions, removed intervening dialogue between Zimmerman and the dispatcher and juxtaposed unrelated content "to make it appear that Zimmerman was a racist, and that he was racially profiling Trayvon Martin," the lawsuit said.
NBC aired various edited versions of the 911 call on March 19, 20, 22 and 27, the suit said.
The suit accuses the network of malice, including correspondent Ron Allen's segment on the Today Show on March 27.
"Allen's broadcast removed a critical aspect of the dialogue between Zimmerman and the dispatcher, bringing the 'up to no good' and 'he looks black' statements even closer together, to further the false and defamatory implication that Zimmerman had said he believed Martin was 'up to no good' because 'he looks black,' " the suit said.
The lawsuit accuses NBC of falsely claiming that Zimmerman said "f---ing coons" on the February 26 call.
"The truth, as known to the defendants, was that Zimmerman said 'f_____ punks' and there was no evidence, or reason to believe, that Zimmerman uttered a racial epithet during the call," the suit said.
Zimmerman only mentioned Martin's race when prompted by the dispatcher, the suit said.
NBC never aired an "earnest" retraction and never apologized to Zimmerman, who has since experienced death threats, a bounty on his head and a genuine fear for his life, the suit said. He now lives in hiding, court documents said.
"NBC's President, Steve Capus, made a bogus non-apology that claimed the doctoring was merely a 'mistake,' " the suit said.
Zimmerman wears a bulletproof vest and was even dismissed from his college because it felt the death threats endangered fellow students, the lawsuit said. At the time of the incident with Martin, Zimmerman was living in a community known as The Retreat at Twin Lakes in Sanford, Florida, court papers said.
"Due to the defendants' journalistic crimes, Zimmerman has been transformed into one of the most hated men in America," the suit said.
Zimmerman's attorney, Mark O'Mara, told "In Session's" Jean Casarez that NBC tried "to get ahead of the curve coverage thinking that they had themselves a person who was a racist, and they were wrong."
The suit also names as defendants Lilia Rodriguez Luciano of Dade County, Florida, who was reporting directly from Sanford County, Florida. She was terminated by NBC as a result of her reporting, the suit said.
Also named as a defendant is Jeffrey Burnside of Dade County, another journalist who was reporting from Sanford County to his station WTVJ in Miami, Florida, the suit said. Burnside was also fired by NBC, the suit said.
Read more: http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/nationa...#ixzz2ENODIYpF
Re: Trayvon Martin Shooting