Trayvon Martin: All the thngs we don’t know

Without question, the shooting of Trayvon Martin was tragic. But perhaps the tragedy becomes greater if we only react with emotion, rather than fear. The voices shouting the loudest say that this was a racially motivated killing. But the facts counter the shout with “not so fast.”

Information is still coming out, but here are some of the most recent conversations:

Why Manipulate the Tragedy of Trayvon Martin?
National Review Online
So determined has the New York Times been to fit the shooting into its favored racial story line that it has been referring to the Zimmerman as a “white Hispanic,” contrary to its usual practice of referring to Hispanics without any additional racial characterization. The fact that Zimmerman’s father is white does not explain this departure from the Times’s racial protocols; the Times’s one-drop rule still applies to Barack Obama, who is, according to the Times and every other media outlet, America’s “first black president.”

Trayvon’s Truth – Can We Handle The Truth?
Political Christian
It is interesting that the media has no problem shaping a story to meet their particular slant or viewpoint. For example, the generally accepted picture everyone has seen is of a clean cut, smiling 14 year old, rather than the picture of the gang banger that supposedly came from the victim’s Facebook page. It also goes the other way, as they tend to show a five year old booking photo of the shooter rather than anything recent that reflects his current life situation.

Jesse Jackson: ‘How do we turn pain into power?’
GOPUSA
“How do we turn pain into power?” the Rev. Jesse Jackson asked a standing-room only congregation of hundreds while preaching at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church in Eatonville, Fla., about 20 miles from the site of the Sanford shooting. “How do we go from a moment to a movement that curries favor?”,,,Jackson preached a sermon entitled “The Substance of Things Hoped For.” He called for Martin’s “martyr” death to be used as an opportunity to revive the Civil Rights Commission and draw attention to long-standing issues.

Black friend defends shooter of Florida teen
Reuters
Oliver’s account differs from the withering criticism Zimmerman has sustained from demonstrators across the country who have demanded his arrest and accused him of racial bias in targeting Martin.

But a fair question to ask…

Is Team Obama capitalizing on Trayvon Martin’s death?
Twitchy

ALEC Statement on “Stand Your Ground” Legislation – 3/26/12
American Legislative Exchange council
It is a great shame that some are using this tragedy to further their political ends. Indeed, Paul Krugman describes advancing his political goals as the “silver lining to Trayvon Martin’s killing.” That is as callous as it is cruel, and it is also incorrect.

Crime Watch Groups Viewed Suspiciously After Trayvon Martin Killing
The Daily Beast
Now, with cities cutting back on cops amid budget cuts, more crime-watch groups like the Guardian Angels are deployed in communities across the nation. The murder of Martin threatens to undercut the hard-won trust that these groups have built while keeping communities safe, according to Sliwa.

Mr. President, Is This What Your Son Would Look Like While Beating Some Guy’s Head In?
Michael Graham, The Natural Truth
Once again, I don’t know what happened. What I’d like to know is if there’s any evidence contradicting what Zimmerman and these witnesses are saying. If there is no such evidence—what are the police supposed to charge Zimmerman with? Refusing to let a guy beat him up?

Family: Pot linked to Trayvon Martin suspension
GOPUSA
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) – An unarmed Florida teenager fatally shot by a neighborhood watch volunteer was suspended from school because traces of marijuana were found in his book bag, a spokesman for the teen’s family said Monday.

Thanks to inadequate reporting and unchecked emotions ruling over facts, Trayvon Martin has become this month’s Sandra Fluke. To those who rally, he’s a cause, not a victim. And that’s sad.

What’s most sad is that a young life was ended far too soon. Did it appear that he had some troubles? Yes, but that doesn’t mean what happened to him was fair or just.

Instead, a young man’s life was needlessly destroyed.

But if our emotions aren’t kept in check, the life of another man, George Zimmerman, will also be destroyed.

Is he guilty? Is he innocent?

I don’t know, and neither do you.

Neither do the pundits or the Sharptons or the Jacksons or the Sinbad’s of this world.

Everybody calm down. Let the facts be determined. Let the system work.

Otherwise, you’re just making matters worse.