Comments on: Trayvon Martin, Obama, and the persistence of bias

By: whatsittoyou

whatsittoyou — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 18:59:13 +0000

Seriously? At the bottom of your little column, it says “PHOTO: An undated handout photo released by the Martin family’s public relations representative shows 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.”

Come on, I’m on a laptop, wearing out-of-date glasses, and I can tell it’s a damn Photoshop edited picture. There’s no way in hell anyone, regardless of age, would have legs that size, with skinny little arms like that, and, oh yeah, the grass and helmet look like clip art additions. Please start using recent photos of Mr. Martin, instead of these pictures that are obviously aimed at making the victim look like a small, defenseless child. We know he was a kid, no reason to fake his youthfulness to us, show us the real Trayvon Martin photos!

By: BellVolkswagon

BellVolkswagon — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 17:09:05 +0000

I would like to know why Zimmerman makes racial comments and becomes a white hispanic while Obama is never refered to as white black? The most important thing is the fact that a young man lost his life. Not the color of his killer.

By: blahblah87

blahblah87 — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 03:39:05 +0000

flashrooter, your proof of the racial bias towards Obama is laughable. Not being born in America makes him what race, seeing that America is the birthplace of every possible mixture of skin colors? Saying he is a Muslim makes him what race, since Muslim is a religion practiced by many, not a race? A socialist you say, and that in turn makes him what? Russian, Cuban, Chinese, Korean, what? You are just another individual that wants to put race into the fight when it doesn’t need to be there. The whole issue of 96% of blacks voting for Obama makes them racist doesn’t it? I mean many have openly stated voting for him because he is black which means they discriminated against the non-black candidate for his skin color. The left controls the black vote by controlling them through their emotions. They have successfully diverted attention away from any real issues and have divided this country more than it has been in the last 20 years.

By: IntegrityFirst

IntegrityFirst — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 18:23:04 +0000

I am so sick and tired of everything that is towards a black person is a hate crime. Anything measures taken towards anyone, no matter of color race gender etc should be labeled a hate crime if that word needs to be used. Like the white boy walking home from school,2 black boys pour gasoline on him, set him on fire and say “You get what you deserve whitey” Now is that a hate crime?? Or is that just 2 boys that didn’t know any better because of their raising??

By: jmo1

jmo1 — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:11:58 +0000

Ugh, as details rollout about the case, it seems this case was bungled from the start. May have been a case of following procedure rather than a racial thing. Politics is one thing, but commenting opinion on an ongoing investigation and not knowing really any details is a mistake. It’s a travesty for both parties.

By: bryans

bryans — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 01:41:18 +0000

I don’t even want to get started with the Presidential problems.I would however like to give my 2 cents about the Trayvon incident.
When I first heard the story on the news I was under the impression that Trayvon was a 14 year old that looked more like an 11 year old because of his build and size.That he walked down to the store bought some candy and a drink,was chased and shoot down by a wanna-be cop who was racist.
Honestly my first thoughts where there has to be more to the story. Now I’ve heard Trayvon was 17 they fought before the shooting,there’s a witness seeing Trayvon atop Zimmerman and then later seeing Trayvon laying in grass dead after calling 911 then looking back out his window.Also Trayvon has been in trouble at school for having a sack of weed.
My thoughts are there’s still alot we don’t know about this situation.The mainstream media should be ashamed.Trying to push the people in a certain direction with trickery and not having all the facts.Maybe Zimmerman was acting in selfdefense,and was doing his duty to the best of his ability as a member of their neighberhood watch.Why won’t the media show a picture of Trayvon at 17 and a recent picture of Zimmerman?It will be interesting to find out more of the facts about this situation.

By: jmo1

jmo1 — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:38:20 +0000

Flashrooter: Have you ever heard of exit polls? 90% black vote was a conservative number. According to Politico, it was 96%. Regardless, I understand black voter turnout for the first African-American President. As details rollout on this case, it seems more and more apparent that Zimmerman (why suddenly a half-white and hispanic person is suddenly considered “White?” I know several mixed race kids to be considered the minority race rather than White-whatever) anyway, it seems Zimmerman was more of a power hungry person (cop wannabe) who was looking for either glory or a fight. I don’t think it would have mattered what race the other person would have been. He was going to confront someone that night, unfortunately, it just so happened to be TM that crossed his path. I’m hispanic and I think he would have chased me with a gun and probably shot me. Would there be an outcry then?

This author politicized this event into a politics-race matter. Racial bias will be around in the U.S because we have so many races living here. It does not mean everyone acts on their preferences out of malice. If we were all the same skin color, then eye-color bias would be an issue. Presently, the black panthers put a bounty on Zimmerman. Where is Ms. Kohn’s lecture to that organization? This country has the potential to be better despite racial bias as long as we vote for the character of the person in office, not the skin color. For those who can’t do that, I sincerely doubt they will matter in the end.

By: alim1

alim1 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:56:01 +0000

Your rebuttal to jmo1 is greatly flawed. The Democratic Party IS the racist party – today. It is hiding behind a mask of benevolence. What to do, what to do, when you can no longer enslave blacks? The Dems determined they would find another way to control them. Load them up on freebies. Make welfare the staple of their lives. How exactly HAS the Democratic Party helped blacks prosper and reduced racism? How? It hasn’t. It doesn’t. It won’t. Not until the federal government stops pandering to groups and starts following Constitutional law that deals only with the rights of the ‘individual’. When the government says they are here to help ‘a group’ it is because they have found a way to ‘use them’ to their advantage. The Civil Rights Act was a mandate by the federal government to force people to get along. Force creates force, not cooperation. How is cooperation through force working for America regarding racism? How is it that England, who effectively and efficiently ended slavery, avoided a civil war and put the damper down on racism, was able to do so in the 1800′s, while America still flounders today? Does England have a welfare state? Does England and the other Scandanavian and European countries in the slave trade have issues with racism against blacks even remotely comparable with America today? Why not? Need help with that one, let me know.

By: alim1

alim1 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:32:41 +0000

The article is speculation. It’s speculation about the situation, the facts, and racism. You can choose honesty or you can choose bias. The fact that the article defines bias is ironic, don’t you think, Sally?

By: FayPax

FayPax — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 20:57:44 +0000

Sally, I am deeply grateful to you for this excellent article. As catastrophic as Trayvon’s death is, for those who seek to have an open an honest dialogue, it can become the catalyst toward healing Blacks and educating whites to a social inequity that has never darkened their doorstep, but is forever present for Blacks.

Trayvon Martin was killed by long-standing doctrines that prescribe discrimination against Americans based on sociodemographic characteristics and other traits. Trayvon Martin was killed by politicians who fail to set policies based on a boundless respect for human life and our leaders who have an obligation to lead society away from the disrespect of so many lives. Trayvon Martin was killed by all who stand silent in the face of intolerance.

http://www.thepragmaticpundit.com/2012/0 3/trayvon-martin-why-killing-blacks-is.h tml