"If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon."

[Hoss]

Okay, I'll take a swing at it.

After hearing the un-edited 911 tapes, it doesn't appear the Martin case was a hate crime, nor even racially motivated.  Yet the media, the usual racist attention whores, and the president have all weighed in on this and tried to turn it into a hate crime or at least racially-motivated.

Reading what was done to the two white victims in 2007 was not the result of sick perversion, it's a very very clear indication of a deep-seated hatred.  Where are the hate crime charges?  Where's the outcry about bias or prosecutorial incompetence in over-turning the original convictions due to a judge with a substance abuse problem?  

The setting and manner of the two incidents are quite different, yes.  However, I don't see the 2007 case as ever being treated as a hate crime when there is no doubt it was pure evil and hatred behind what those victims endured.  I don't recall Jack$on or $harpton taking the time to address this hate crime and call for a march to action against interracial violence.  I don't recall the New Black Panthers ever issuing a bounty on these low lifes.  

I see it as a double-standard as I'm quite certain had this been a gang of white men who did this to a young black couple, it would have been treated far different by the media and those who believe that racism and racist acts only exist in the minds of white people.  You can be sure we would have heard of the case had the circumstances been different.  The case would have been sensationalized as the perfect example of a hate crime.

There's your double-standard.

While I agree, Zimmerman is sure not making things easy on himself.  Talking off the record to Hannity, his legal team quit yesterday in a pretty distasteful way (by indicating why they thought he did and that he may no longer be in Florida) and starting this website to help with his legal fees.

Sanford PD sure has not handled this well, but the media deserves a pantload of criticism for its handling of it.  Maybe they should have called Chuck Jordan and the TPD to find out how it should be handled.

Waiting for the obligatory blast from Patric soon....

[DolfanBob]

I will give you one example at how the two cases are similar. The oldest brother "Stalked" the "Typical" white girl for a couple of Months. According to testimony at trial (Which I listened to yesterday) by his younger brother. Who in my opinion was lying to try and save his own skin.
Him, his brother and one other man smoked a wet blunt and went to her apartment complex and carjacked them and took them back to the older brothers home and for over twenty four hours tortured these two "Typical" white innocent people. And not a Hispanic/Black person among them. All five of them "African American"

Zimmerman didn't even "Stalk" Treyvon more than a few minutes. Not Months. So there is your comparison.

[Gaspar]

Zimmerman will be charged!

More details this afternoon.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/george-zimmerman-to-be-charged-in-trayvon-martin-shooting-law-enforcement-official-says/2012/04/11/gIQAHJ5oAT_print.html

[Conan71]

Zimmerman will be charged!

More details this afternoon.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/george-zimmerman-to-be-charged-in-trayvon-martin-shooting-law-enforcement-official-says/2012/04/11/gIQAHJ5oAT_print.html

Cool, now a jury can decide his fate and then the rest of the country can express their outrage at the outcome since the media already did such a thorough job vetting this case. 

One way or the other, there's a bloc of folks who won't be happy.

[guido911]

I guess I am missing the "Typical" part of your point. So Treyvon was more "Typical" black than Christopher was white. That has got to be the most........never mind. I'm not going to insult another poster for their view on this topic.

But you and I know. The press picks and chooses what topic or incident that they want to be racial. I still have to go back to the two ORU students killed from behind while jogging. Oh but wait a minute. They werent the "Typical" white either.

Making a small, and apparently gawd awful joke about Barry. Remember this?

[nathanm]

Hmm, it seems that today it turned into the minority's job to shout about all the injustice that happens to the majority that continues to hold them down. Very interesting, that.

[DolfanBob]

Hmm, it seems that today it turned into the minority's job to shout about all the injustice that happens to the majority that continues to hold them down. Very interesting, that.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. Nice job. That's one of them "Zing" right over your head....

[nathanm]

I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. Nice job. That's one of them "Zing" right over your head....

Look, the two cases are completely different. The one you're trying to paint as somehow equivalent was actually investigated in a timely manner. In the Zimmerman case, it was all being swept under the rug before the media got involved. Have they done a great job at providing fact? Not really. However, they did do a good job of shining light where there previously was none.

[Gaspar]

Jackson heard about Sharpton and is on his way.

The race is on!  

[Conan71]

Look, the two cases are completely different. The one you're trying to paint as somehow equivalent was actually investigated in a timely manner. In the Zimmerman case, it was all being swept under the rug before the media got involved. Have they done a great job at providing fact? Not really. However, they did do a good job of shining light where there previously was none.

Do we know for certain the Martin investigation had been ruled "complete" prior to the hullabaloo and was not on-going?

[nathanm]

Do we know for certain the Martin investigation had been ruled "complete" prior to the hullabaloo and was not on-going?

That's what the police said initially. Supposedly, and this may be confirmed later by the DoJ investigation if they don't drop it after Zimmerman is charged, the prosecutor refused to file an information in the case. The hullabaloo didn't begin until a couple of weeks after the incident happened, as I recall. There was some local media coverage when it originally happened, as there usually is with (possible) murders.

Quite honestly, I don't know nor care whether Zimmerman is a racist or did what he did because of racism. My initial concern was related to the seeming lack of a thorough investigation and the witness "coaching" by SPD.

[Conan71]

That's what the police said initially. Supposedly, and this may be confirmed later by the DoJ investigation if they don't drop it after Zimmerman is charged, the prosecutor refused to file an information in the case. The hullabaloo didn't begin until a couple of weeks after the incident happened, as I recall. There was some local media coverage when it originally happened, as there usually is with (possible) murders.

Thanks, just hard to separate the myth from reality after the way the media has distorted so many facts in the case.

[guido911]

Jackson heard about Sharpton and is on his way.

The race is on!  

What are those two pieces of Biden coming here for?

[nathanm]

Thanks, just hard to separate the myth from reality after the way the media has distorted so many facts in the case.

Google News has a nifty date range search that can sometimes be helpful to that end. Most news orgs are responsible enough to note when they've edited a story after the fact.

[patric]

While I agree, Zimmerman is sure not making things easy on himself.  Talking off the record to Hannity, his legal team quit yesterday in a pretty distasteful way (by indicating why they thought he did and that he may no longer be in Florida) and starting this website to help with his legal fees.

Sanford PD sure has not handled this well, but the media deserves a pantload of criticism for its handling of it.  Maybe they should have called Chuck Jordan and the TPD to find out how it should be handled.

Waiting for the obligatory blast from Patric soon....

Blast.

My initial concern was related to the seeming lack of a thorough investigation and the witness "coaching" by SPD.

I think Jordan made it a point to not end up echoing the gross missteps of the Sanford PD, and that was good for us.
But... people are going to expect the same exuberance for less high-profile crimes, now that they see how fast the wheels can turn.