Reflections on the George Zimmerman Case and Verdict

The last trial I remember with as much of a media circus surrounding it was that of Casey Anthony. At the time I just sort of observed the outcry surrounding that verdict with no real strong emotion, thinking that the jury had done their job, taking in all the evidence and, finding nothing that could prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, acquitting.

With the George Zimmerman case, it's a little different.

Once again, I see no real benefit to a court case being so high-profile. It sucks people in to the emotion, but doesn't actually serve justice.

But.

I did get sucked in enough this time to actually care about the outcome and to be disappointed when the alleged perpetrator was acquitted.

I think it's because of the various social issues surrounding the case: self-defense, gun laws related self defense, and, of course, the big "elephant in the room," racism.

Even if no one could prove that Zimmerman stalked and then shot Trayvon Martin out of racial bias or hatred, the case shows how much racial division and prejudice is still at work in America.

I actually thought that Zimmerman was probably more generally paranoid than overtly racist - his behavior as a neighborhood watchman to me reflected an abnormal fear of crime/criminals and I'm surprised that, as far as I've heard, no one gave him any kind of psychiatric evaluation.

But clearly he had been following Martin because he deemed him a criminal, and the case is a reminder that for many, the image of "criminal" is still "young black male."

And then there's the claims of self-defense. This is what bothers me about the verdict: no one could prove that Zimmerman was acting out of malice, but I think that claiming self-defense sort of falls apart when the person claiming to be defending his or her life was the person  following the unarmed victim in the first place.

Unfortunately, in this case, the law does not agree.

So, while the loss of the life of an unarmed teenager is tragic enough, the Zimmerman case adds a lot of thorny social issues to the picture.

Gettin' Political: Bill Moyers, DOMA Overturned

 Yesterday's episode of The Colbert Report reminded me why, from the still few things of his I have read, I am a fan of Bill Moyers.

Moyers was on the show to talk about his new Frontline documentary Two American Families, which profiled two struggling families representative of America's shrinking middle class (Stephen Colbert: "Wow, he talked to both of them!").

One of my favorite parts: "The problem is not why so many people fall through the cracks; the problem is why there are so many cracks."

In bigger political news,  the talk of the town was the Supreme Court's over-turning of DOMA. On my facebook feed and on the interwebs themselves, opinions are all over the place.

But I think this article best explains why the SCOTUS decision is a victory.

It doesn't affect people's heterosexual marriages. It certainly doesn't affect the state of the family unit at-large. If anything, the institution of marriage and the family unit are strengthened by granting equal benefits to already existing gay- and lesbian- headed families.

But it does affect people like Kelly Costello and Fabiola Morales, now allowed to apply for permanent residency for the foreign-born spouse.

“This means that gay and lesbian couples across the country and the world can plan for their futures and not have to live with uncertainty month after month,” said  [lawyer] Steve Ralls.

 “Now we will finally have the security and stability we always wanted as a family," said Costello.

Security and stability: things that strengthen all partnerships and families, whether hetero- or homosexual.

So thank you, SCOTUS.

Blah Blah Blah Gay Marriage and Children

Since the Supreme Court is arguing the Constitutionality of DOMA and California's Proposition 8, and gay marriage is the talk of facebook, I figured it was time to enter the fray and flesh out my thoughts with a blog post. The way I see it, civil marriage is a civil right for ANY two committed adults who wish to share a life together. This is separate from any religious definition of marriage, and would not force religious organizations to bless any union they are opposed to. As a Christian, I differ from many of my brothers and sisters in Christ in believing that God sees the love and commitment behind the vows of marriage rather than the genders of those making the vows, but that's beside the point. What's being debated now is a civil institution existing within a secular and pluralistic society.

So any religious belief with regards to homosexuality is irrelevant to the SCOTUS. Apart from that, the main argument I keep hearing from social conservatives is basically "think of the children," and I don't think it holds up. What are the rights of a child? To be raised in a secure and loving household, yes. To their biological mother and father? Not when such people are often unfit to raise them. To be raised by two parents of the opposite sex, regardless of biology? Again, one's gender has nothing to do with one's fitness to be a parent, and all credible and unbiased studies show that children raised by gay couples fare no differently than children raised by straight couples.

But what really got me was the graphic to the left.

This is Mitt, who is infamous for talking about how 47% of the people think they are entitled to freebies from the government like food and shelter and healthcare.

So apparently people, including children, have no inherent right to the basic necessities of  life, but children DO have the right to a mother and a father? A right to be raised by two parents, as long as they are of opposite gender?

Someone's priorities are a little screwed up.

Yes, same-sex couples are marrying under the law in Massachusetts. And same-sex couples are forming partnerships and raising children across America. They aren't going anywhere. All they are asking for is the same civil rights and recognition as opposite-sex couples.

Rant Miss-attributed to Bill Cosby and My Response

So I came across the below on Facebook, and the more I looked at it, the more it was pissing me off, until I thought, hey, that's what my blog is for, getting out things that piss me off in a hopefully respectful and coherent way. Well, maybe not always respectful, but sometimes snark is warranted.

This has been attributed to Bill Cosby, but Snopes says it's not his. Thank God, because I do have respect for Bill Cosby.

So, here's the strawman-filled "social commentary" and my response in bold:

I'm 83. Except for brief period in the 50's when I was doing my National
Service, I've worked hard since I was 17. Except for some some serious
health challenges, I put in 50-hour weeks, and didn't call in sick in nearly
40 years. I made a reasonable salary, but I didn't inherit my job or my
income, and I worked to get where I am. Given the economy, it looks as
though retirement was a bad idea, and I'm tired. Very tired. 

I'm tired of being told that I have to "spread the wealth" to people who
don't have my work ethic. I'm tired of being told the government will take
the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people too lazy
to earn it. 

Uhhh.....good for you? Do you think you are owed a pat on the back for your hard work? Isn't that rather entitled, and shouldn't hard work be it's own reward? Snark aside, I do understand your pride in hard work. However, know that there are people who put in that same hard work at multiple low-wage jobs just to make ends meet. I think perhaps they might be as tired as you, if not more. 

And good for you not calling in sick, but I hope you have some gratitude for the good health you have apparently been blessed with. If you were going to work sick and spreading germs instead of taking a sick day lest you be labeled lazy, then shame. At least you had sick days to use. 

I'm tired too...tired of the assumption that the poor are poor because they are lazy and unwilling to work hard. 

I'm tired of being told that Islam is a "Religion of Peace," when every day I
can read dozens of stories of Muslim men killing their sisters, wives and
daughters for their family "honor"; of Muslims rioting over some slight
offense; of Muslims murdering Christian and Jews because they aren't
"believers"; of Muslims burning schools for girls; of Muslims stoning
teenage rape victims to death for "adultery"; of Muslims mutilating the
genitals of little girls; all in the name of Allah, because the Qur'an and
Shari'a law tells them to.

I'm tired of being told that out of "tolerance for other cultures" we must let
Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries use our oil money to fund mosques
and Madrasa Islamic schools to preach hate in Australia , New Zealand ,
UK, America and Canada , while no one from these countries are allowed to
fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia or any other
Arab country to teach love and tolerance.. 

I am Christian, albeit a progressive/liberal-leaning one. I bristle at the hatred that goes on in the name of my religion, so I similarly bristle when Islam is given a bad name by zealous fundamentalists who in no way represent moderate faithful Muslims. Any religion can be used to promote hatred, violence and destruction or love, so I don't understand why you think "churches and synagogues" teach love and tolerance but Islamic schools and temples promote hate. 

And "our" oil money? Perhaps maybe we should stop depending on Islamic militants for oil. 

Finally, the populations of Australia, etc. are much more religiously diverse, thankfully so, than is Saudi Arabia. This is part of our freedom of religion. 
I'm tired of being told I must lower my living standard to fight global
warming, which no one is allowed to debate.

I personally am always open to reasonable and respectable debate, but why does everything for you boil down to your personal living standard? Climate change, whether man-made or not, is pretty established among most scientists, and if we ARE able to do something about it and fail to, then everyone's standard of living will decline. 

Everyone. As in, you are not the only one whose needs and wants need to be taken into consideration. 
I'm tired of being told that drug addicts have a disease, and I must help
support and treat them, and pay for the damage they do. Did a giant germ
rush out of a dark alley, grab them, and stuff white powder up their noses
or stick a needle in their arm while they tried to fight it off? 

As someone who has witnessed people I care about struggle with addiction, I can tell you that it is in fact a disease, a devastating one. No, that doesn't absolve addicts of all responsibility for their actions, but it's still a disease. The addict made the choice to start using, whatever compelled that choice, but after that it becomes harder and harder to quit not only psychologically but also physiologically. Hence, disease. 

I'm tired of hearing wealthy athletes, entertainers and politicians of all
parties talking about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful
mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting
caught. I'm tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor. 

So am I, but I wish we could admit that all people make mistakes, even you. The key is taking responsibility for your mistakes. Glad you could admit it's not only, or primarily, the poor with a sense of entitlement. 

I'm really tired of people who don't take responsibility for their lives and
actions. I'm tired of hearing them blame the government, or discrimination
or big-whatever for their problems. 

*Shrugs* Yeah, I get it, I am pro-responsibility too, but life is complex, not black-and-white. Most people's problems are a mix of their own choices and environmental factors beyond their control. 

I'm also tired and fed up with seeing young men and women in their teens and
early 20's be-deck them selves in tattoos and face studs, thereby making
themselves unemployable and claiming money from the Government. 

I don't have any tattoos myself, but I am tired of anti-tattoo prejudice. What is it that offends you so much about them? Virtually all the people I know with tattoos, and I know several, are able to cover them when working with the public or in a corporate environment. Same with studs. My brother has a lip ring; he removes it when a situation calls for professional dress. People who do have large and/or visible tattoos tend to get employment in environments acceptable of them. Someone needs to work in the tattoo parlors, after all. I have never in my life heard of anyone claiming government assistance because they are "unemployable because of tattoos and face studs." 

Yes, I'm damn tired. But I'm also glad to be 83.. Because, mostly, I'm not
going to have to see the world these people are making. I'm just sorry for
my granddaughter and their children. Thank God I'm on the way out and not
on the way in. 

So you have enormous prejudice against "these people." Are "these people" the poor, addicts, tattooed people, Muslims, athletes, or just anyone you happen to dislike? Newsflash, being 83 does not mandate having contempt of society except your own kin. 


There is no way this will be widely publicized, unless each of us
sends it on!

This is your chance to make a difference.


" I'm 83 and I'm tired. If you don't agree you are part of the problem!


I can agree that you are tired. Whoever you actually are. And there is a chance this might actually be widely posted, but I'm not sure to the effect you were going for. Glad I "made a difference;" I feel better now. 

MLK Day and Inauguration Day

In honor of MLK Day, I give you a collection of some of my favorite quotes from Dr. King.

"Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

"We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope."

"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

 "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

 "The good neighbor looks beyond the external accidents and discerns those inner qualities that make all men human and, therefore, brothers."

 "Returning violence for violence multiplies violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars... Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

Watching President Obama's inaugural speech from the comfort of home: he is quite the inspiring speaker himself. And whatever your views of the President, may we use these next four years to come together as a nation rather than focusing on what divides us.