Sunday, July 14, 2013
Sunday Night Poetry
Unjust
"I think one of the things
that most upsets me here
is the “well that's just the way
the law works” argument
or hearing that the verdict
was in line with the law.
It’s sort of a “that’s the way
the cookie crumbles” response;
it entirely ignores the policy
and justice problems
and implications at play here.
To be clear, like everyone else,
I’m not angry because I think
it’s going to bring Trayvon Martin
back to life. I’m angry because
there’s a justice system that somehow
says that the killing of an unarmed boy
by an armed civilian who defied
police orders and pursued him, got
in a fight, and then killed him when
he was probably losing that fight is ok.
Simply saying that the verdict was appropriate,
given the system, doesn’t make it
any less a travesty of justice. It’s like
saying that the selling of slaves
wasn’t unjust until it was illegal.
A Justice System that allows
this type of verdict is broken,
that’s why people are so angry
because that doesn’t seem to be changing.
Fine, for argument sake, I’ll concede
that this verdict was entirely in line
with the law. It doesn’t make it less wrong.
It was still wrong to sell slaves
before the Justice System decided
to make it illegal. It was still unjust
to deny women equal rights
before the Justice System decided
it wasn’t just anymore. It is still unjust
that this kid was killed, and saying
that the verdict was in line with the law
either ignores that purposefully, or
is only recognizing 1/10th of the problem."
—Brian Sims, State Representative, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
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16 comments:
That is not a POEM.
It's a POLEMIC.
Officially, this day’s for celebration
Not complaints or tearful lamentation.
It’s tempting to succumb to fretfulness
Negators can’t can’t enjoy forgetfulness ––
Deny their overeager plaintiveness
Erupting fulsomely with put on saintliness ––
Pouting as though martyred for a Cause, when
Everyone knows they only crave applause. When
Needing to be noticed takes the Stage,
Disingenuousness soon takes over.
Ego run amok expresses rage ––
Needling challengers’ interest and invention,
Creating tension, refusing to engage,
Endowing Honesty with bad intention.
Doubts about oneself make fields of clover
A potent allergen, which when one mentions,
Yields fits of pique that might define our Age.
~ FreeThinke - Independence Day - 2012
I just shared Capt. Fogg's insightful article on FB and now I'm going to have the pleasure of also sharing this.
"Simply saying that the verdict was appropriate,
given the system, doesn’t make it
any less a travesty of justice."
Yah!
If this was black on black or white on white it would not have ever been an issue. Because it was non-black on black it escalated to huge proportions. No immediate charges, no grand jury, a president who makes a statement about his son and Sharpton and Jackson promoting racism.
Martin "the child" was a street wise, large young adult. It is in the best interest of the black communities to keep racism alive because they have something to blame instead of providing leadership. Don't try to quell violence among the black youth, blame the violence on "racism".
Don't try to inspire the young people to seek employment, blame the high percentage of black unemployment on Racism.
Where is all the outrage over 10 black "children" murdered in the streets of Chicago. Why aren't there riots over that.
Obama could provide leadership to the black community instead of claiming a son and say a cop is wrong even though he admitted he did not know the facts. The problem is he has as much to gain as anyone playing the race card. The difference is he gets others to utter the words. He just sits back and make stupid statements that show ehat he is thinking.
___ The Bard of Murdock Weighs In ___
When will we hear the President
Say if he had a son,
Who chose to act in self-defense,
He’d look like Zimmerman?
When will the modern media
Stop baiting based on race,
And trying to convict a man
Before he pleads his case?
When will the Sharptons of the world
With sound and fury say,
That race and ethnic heritage
May not have been at play?
When will the prosecuting class
Misconduct set aside,
And see to it that charges laid
To evidence be tied?
Perhaps we cannot have that now,
But, be that as it may,
Thank God we get to celebrate
With Zimmerman today.
http://www.thebardofmurdock.com/2013/07/zimmerman.html#more
That anyone could use the word "celebrate" in connection with the tragic killing of a young, unarmed teen shows the depravity of certain elements in this culture.
George Zimmerman is today's O.J., IMHO. He killed a teen and got away with it...for now.
We hope the DoD pursues the case as a violation of Trayvon Martin's civil rights, and that Martin's parents seek a wrong death civil case.
Zimmerman may have been found "not guilty" in a courtroom of 6 people, but in the public courtroom his reputation has not been cleared.
He may have been found "not guilty," but that will never change the fact that the coward killed an unarmed teen who gave him a bloody nose.
Poems can be polemics. They are often the best kind.
skud: "He just sits back and make stupid statements that show ehat he is thinking."
Perfect description of your comment, skud.
"Know thyself."
Leslie,
I think I'll what Capt. Fogg wrote here as well. His post was a masteful take down of all those who believe "justice was done."
As I said above, I hope the DoD pursues this as a violation of Trayvon Martin's civil rights and that Martin's parents slap Zimmerman with a wrongful death suit in a civil court.
Skud,
YOU ARE ONE HUNDRED PERCENT CORRECT.
Thank you. I applaud you for your penetrating insight.
Please keep on keeping on, and don't let the captious quibblers, agenda-driven fanatics and all the others, who appear to have lost touch with common sense, discourage you from telling the truth -- as you understand it.
________________________
Once again I thank Ms Shaw for publishing my verse and critical remarks, which I know do not please her, personally, but at the same time I would encourage a more careful reading of the sonnet, written in July of 2-12. It is based on the acrostic ON INDEPENDENCE DAY, and needs to be read as an indictment of the dismal, delusive, spuriously idealistic, self-defeating, frankly suicidal mentality holding the country in a crushing death grip.
Touting lies forcefully presented as Truth is an insult to Truth, and certain to produce undesirable results for all concerned.
I'm getting the feeling this whole affair might just have been planed.
1) DA brings wrong charges...
2) Prosecution could not make the case to get a conviction(intentionally?)...
3)In jumps DoD where it left off...
4) Federal civil rights violations charged...
5) Family brings wrongful death suit...
A repeat of the OJ fiasco... and both Holder and the President get some positive publicity.
Just sayin...
Really, Zimmerman should be made to pay some price for his abject stupidity (which by the way in and of itself is not a crime) that resulted in the untimely and unnecessary death of an innocent young man (not a child).
I'm not an attorney or a judge but I think 12 to 20 might be reasonable.
Stand your ground works when you have NO other alternative. Zimmerman had alternatives he CHOSE not to take.
skud: "If this was black on black or white on white it would not have ever been an issue."
opinion has absolutely no bearing on this issue.
skud: "Because it was non-black on black it escalated to huge proportions."
It was the vigilante, Zimmerman, who brought race into the incident. Go listen to the tapes. He's the one who told the police the kid looked "suspicious." What made Trayvon look "suspicious" to Zimmerman? Can you answer that?
skud: "Martin 'the child' was a street wise, large young adult."
And Zimmerman had been charged with assault on a police officer and with domestic violence. That's a lot more serious than just being "street wise," and a "large young adult." Zimmerman was a bully and a thug.
skud: "It is in the best interest of the black communities to keep racism alive because they have something to blame instead of providing leadership."
Bullsh*t. Tell us exactly how much you know, personally, about the black community and what goes on there? What you wrote is ignorant and untrue. If you had done some research instead of spouting bigoted assumptions, you would have found that many inner city communties DO provide programs and leadership. Your goal seems to perpetuate a bias you appear to have concerning black communties.
skud: "Don't try to quell violence among the black youth, blame the violence on "racism".
Don't try to inspire the young people to seek employment, blame the high percentage of black unemployment on Racism."
More bigoted assumptions backed up by absolutely NOTHING. More of your imagined idea of the black community.
skud: "Where is all the outrage over 10 black "children" murdered in the streets of Chicago. Why aren't there riots over that."
Another attempt to change the subject. This is about ZIMMERMAN A ND MARTIN. Here's another thing you conveniently leave out: When someone is shot in Chicago, or any city in this country, the police are called in, they look for the perp, arrest him or her, and take him or her into custody, finger print him or her and set charges.
NONE of that happened when Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. NOTHING happened until the black community rose up and demanded justice.
skud: "Obama could provide leadership to the black community instead of claiming a son and say a cop is wrong even though he admitted he did not know the facts."
President Obama did a fine job. Your opinion of what he should have done is just that, and is taken with all your other denigrating comments about the president that you leave here on a regular. President Obama acted in a prudent and measured way.
I find your comments here nothing more than a series of opinionated statements full of the same old stale and bigoted assumptions coming from a person who can't possibly know what it is like to be an African-American in this country.
shaw...i your friend free thinke had nothing to say...about the tragic death of Trayvon Martin but felt...giddy enough...and gloated ...and put a poem celebrating the fact that Trayvon's killer...walked...he's the guy...isn't he...who calls Africans savages...what would civilized people call...people like him...?i'm sure he believes...he's a cultured white victim...look at his actions on your blog...they say a lot about culture...especially his...
A nettlesome soul called Black Sheep,
Who would sow, but refuses to reap,
Once attacked AOW
Filled her website with rubble too,
Was rebuffed, so now here acts the creep!
~ Anne Animus
"When someone is shot in Chicago, or any city in this country, the police are called in"
Again, where is the black leadership. Where is the outrage over children being killed in drive by shootings?
When was the last time Sharpton, Jackson, Obama spoke to the youth about taking responsibility for your actions, get an education, be a family unit. I can't remember it.
Rioting in the streets of LA is the accepted way to express displeasure and none of the black leadership says it is wrong.
In the Zimmerman incident, both exhibited actions that caused this because neither one backed away to a neutral corner
skud: "Again, where is the black leadership..."
Again, skud, you come here with your biases and no facts.
I just googled "black leadership Chicago+helping black youth" and google came back with 50 million hits.
When you come here and make unsupported statements, you make a fool of yourself.
There are many, many organizations led by blacks in the Chicago area that help black youth.
And again, your bigotry is showing. Mr. Obama has been criticized by certain black groups for talking TOO MUCH about black kids being responsible for themselves and their choices. But since you have no interest in looking at facts, you didn't know that.
Plenty of black leaders cautioned against any riots after the killer, George Zimmerman, was found not guilty as charged.
Your continual misrepresentation of what the black community doesn't do is a reflection of your shameful bigotry.
Do you live in a black community?
Do you follow through and seek out what every black leader says on occasions like this trial?
Or do you go to blogs and post your knee-jerk biased opinion?
I think it's the latter rather than the former.
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