(Side 1: Boyz N' The Hoody)
What happened to Trayvon Martin is a tragedy. George Zimmerman should be punished for what he did. People should not be persecuted for what they wear. I can stop right there, but the news is not going to stop at least the press is going to linger about this for a long while. And everybody who is everybody in the news and in the celebrity spotlight is getting into it! Everybody's wearing a hoody, I've seen Jane Velez-Mitchell (aka "I'm a lawyer!") walking around wearing her hoody and carrying a bag of Skittles and "ice tea". And there are photos of Lebron James wearing his hoody and carrying a bag of Skittles and his bottle of "ice tea". Okay, first of all it's "ICED TEA", people! If it was "ice tea", the kid would have been holding a block of brown ice! I know I was an English major in college, but C'MON PEOPLE! Make your point but for the love for the friggin' English language don't destroy your point of view with a grammatical error that even a 6th grader knows it's a grammatical error! And technically, being in North Carolina might help here in this case, it's really "COLD tea"!
"Ice tea" aside, EVERYBODY is getting into the act with what happened to Trayvon. Dr. Drew did an entire show about Trayvon Martin AND for the first time in history, he did not go into his drug speech! Al Sharpton is now "popular" again and of course he plays the race card...and yeah, race had something to do with it-- but I hate to say race is not the only isssue. Of course, the hoody is also part of the problem-- since people associate the jacket with "gangsta culture" and paranoid white morons like George Zimmerman used the hoody as an excuse for his actions. People in general judge others in what they wear. There is a picture of Trayvon Martin floating around wearing a Hollister shirt, doesn't that make him a douchebag since douchebags supposedly wear Hollister and Abercrombie shirts? Judging goes beyond race, but don't tell some of these yahoos like Al Sharpton and Jane Velez Mitchell since they're hogging the spotlight by...that's right...JUDGING! Then again, George Zimmerman is also part of the rabble since he judged Trayvon Martin for "looking suspicious", But who am I to judge?
What I see is that even though this would never happen if Trayvon Martin was white, but aren't we jumping the gun? Yes, celebrities and those are in the public eye are taking part of this and wearing a hoody. But the media and general press are only delving into the obvious. Trayvon was Black, Zimmerman was raised white (his mother is a South American Indian); I get that. But I truly believe that what the problem is is that you had someone who should've have never got the authority to be in that field of work. I actually believe that those who do security should be selected more carefully if one is to carry out "the law in their own hands". And maybe we should not only dissect George Zimmerman but the current "Stand Your Ground" policy in Florida and similar laws in other states.
(Side 2: "Respect Mah Authoritah")
Nobody has put this in the spotlight other than the hoody, the bag of Skittles, and the bottle of "ice tea"; but no one touched the fact that Zimmerman is a "rent-a-cop". Now for those who don't know what a "rent-a-cop" is, these are usually the "Auxilirary Police Officers", "Neighborhood Watchmen", and Mall Security Guards (or "Mall Forest Rangers" as I call them). Zimmerman is a "Neighborhood Watchman" in the gated community that he lived in at surburban Florida. Zimmerman has been known by the press as "a wannabe cop". Even though it might sound hypocrital, but I generally judge some (not all) mall security guards and "auxilary police officers" as "wannabe cops" or "rent-a-cops". I had run ins with some of these people; and really, haven't we all?
Last year, during a job, I was waiting for a client whom I was supposed to meet outside the nearby mall. I waited outside my car and a "Mall Forest Ranger" came up to me twice asking me a bunch of questions: "What are you doing out here?" "Are you and your friend gonna make a tour outside the mall?" Ranger Rick was circling the mall in his white SUV with the blue letters and the red lights on top of the vehicle. I went inside the mall and ended up playing "Marco Polo" with my cell phone with my client and his LME for 20 minutes rather than waiting outside thanks to "Ranger Rick"! I could've called this clown in to Mall Security but since I'll be dealing with more wannabe cops who dress like freaking forest rangers, I let it slide and make my rendezvous points less "suspicious". I understand he was doing his job (mainly for minimum wage) but so was I (for not much higher than minimum wage)!
I also remember in the small village I grew up in, there was an "Auxillary Police Officer" who guarded the town. The "Auxillary Police Officer" who I will call "Sam" was a guy who wore Police issue mirrored sunglasses and had a standard police issue mustache. He looked an awful alike the construction worker from The Village People (and I am TRULY not kidding about that)! Now I never really had an issue with "Sam", however the people I know had run ins with this guy and the description I recall from what some people said is pretty George Zimmerman-esque when I think about it! Some got along with "Sam" and some didn't. "Sam" had a few nicknames like "Tackleberry" from Police Academy and "Barney Fife" to describe his mannerisms. Again, I never had a run-in with "Sam" but even though it was the 80's and the Village People get-up was pretty common for that time, how well do I know about the people that are supposedly watching out in the community that I live in?
My take is this: there should be a major overhaul to companies and communities who handle personal security. These companies who do mall security and neighborhood/community watches need to skim the crud off the workforce and do away with the wannabes--those who think that watching "Dirty Harry" or "Paul Blart" is a prerequisite for simple security. I mean, all you're really doing is that if you see something wrong, REALLY wrong, you call the REAL police! If the REAL police or 911 says "do not pursue him, we will handle it", you do what THEY say because you are NOT a "real cop"! I truly think that these companies that handle security should be very prudent in who they hire! Haven't we learned from Black Water and Hallyburton in which the "wannabe cops" were in that case "wannabe soldiers"? I know that Federal and State funds are dried up but could there be a funded program from either the Federal or State government and fund training programs--in which a fee is paid by the job applicant or the company/town council they're about to work for--that can properly train these people to prevent another "Ranger Rick", "Sam", and George Zimmerman! I also believe that we need to take laws like Florida's "Stand Your Ground" act and be reviewed so the lawmakers can actually see where the actual line is within the sand of politics.
We all want to be safe, and we all want to have that protection whether we are out in the community like a mall or living in a community; gated or non-gated. But if my taxes are involved or the rent I pay is responsible for funding something that can benefit my security and well being, what am I really paying for? Really, what sacrifices are to be made for our safety and well being? A young outstanding Black teenager who was the star of his football team and was bound to go places in life is taken away so tragically short! Is Trayvon Martin the sacrificial lamb for what's bound to happen next? I hope George Zimmerman gets what's coming to him-- no doubt! But before we all wear hoodies and sing "We Shall Overcome" as we shake the bag of Skittles to keep in tune, we need to see the big picture. Race is part of the issue, I agree, but in reality this is an action of a random moron who hid his prejudice behind a plastic badge. The moral of the story is this...we should not give assholes like George Zimmerman any authority! In fact, if you can't understand or can't even spell the word "authority", don't even bother to undertake any responsiblity!
What happened to Trayvon Martin is a tragedy. George Zimmerman should be punished for what he did. People should not be persecuted for what they wear. I can stop right there, but the news is not going to stop at least the press is going to linger about this for a long while. And everybody who is everybody in the news and in the celebrity spotlight is getting into it! Everybody's wearing a hoody, I've seen Jane Velez-Mitchell (aka "I'm a lawyer!") walking around wearing her hoody and carrying a bag of Skittles and "ice tea". And there are photos of Lebron James wearing his hoody and carrying a bag of Skittles and his bottle of "ice tea". Okay, first of all it's "ICED TEA", people! If it was "ice tea", the kid would have been holding a block of brown ice! I know I was an English major in college, but C'MON PEOPLE! Make your point but for the love for the friggin' English language don't destroy your point of view with a grammatical error that even a 6th grader knows it's a grammatical error! And technically, being in North Carolina might help here in this case, it's really "COLD tea"!
"Ice tea" aside, EVERYBODY is getting into the act with what happened to Trayvon. Dr. Drew did an entire show about Trayvon Martin AND for the first time in history, he did not go into his drug speech! Al Sharpton is now "popular" again and of course he plays the race card...and yeah, race had something to do with it-- but I hate to say race is not the only isssue. Of course, the hoody is also part of the problem-- since people associate the jacket with "gangsta culture" and paranoid white morons like George Zimmerman used the hoody as an excuse for his actions. People in general judge others in what they wear. There is a picture of Trayvon Martin floating around wearing a Hollister shirt, doesn't that make him a douchebag since douchebags supposedly wear Hollister and Abercrombie shirts? Judging goes beyond race, but don't tell some of these yahoos like Al Sharpton and Jane Velez Mitchell since they're hogging the spotlight by...that's right...JUDGING! Then again, George Zimmerman is also part of the rabble since he judged Trayvon Martin for "looking suspicious", But who am I to judge?
What I see is that even though this would never happen if Trayvon Martin was white, but aren't we jumping the gun? Yes, celebrities and those are in the public eye are taking part of this and wearing a hoody. But the media and general press are only delving into the obvious. Trayvon was Black, Zimmerman was raised white (his mother is a South American Indian); I get that. But I truly believe that what the problem is is that you had someone who should've have never got the authority to be in that field of work. I actually believe that those who do security should be selected more carefully if one is to carry out "the law in their own hands". And maybe we should not only dissect George Zimmerman but the current "Stand Your Ground" policy in Florida and similar laws in other states.
(Side 2: "Respect Mah Authoritah")
Nobody has put this in the spotlight other than the hoody, the bag of Skittles, and the bottle of "ice tea"; but no one touched the fact that Zimmerman is a "rent-a-cop". Now for those who don't know what a "rent-a-cop" is, these are usually the "Auxilirary Police Officers", "Neighborhood Watchmen", and Mall Security Guards (or "Mall Forest Rangers" as I call them). Zimmerman is a "Neighborhood Watchman" in the gated community that he lived in at surburban Florida. Zimmerman has been known by the press as "a wannabe cop". Even though it might sound hypocrital, but I generally judge some (not all) mall security guards and "auxilary police officers" as "wannabe cops" or "rent-a-cops". I had run ins with some of these people; and really, haven't we all?
Last year, during a job, I was waiting for a client whom I was supposed to meet outside the nearby mall. I waited outside my car and a "Mall Forest Ranger" came up to me twice asking me a bunch of questions: "What are you doing out here?" "Are you and your friend gonna make a tour outside the mall?" Ranger Rick was circling the mall in his white SUV with the blue letters and the red lights on top of the vehicle. I went inside the mall and ended up playing "Marco Polo" with my cell phone with my client and his LME for 20 minutes rather than waiting outside thanks to "Ranger Rick"! I could've called this clown in to Mall Security but since I'll be dealing with more wannabe cops who dress like freaking forest rangers, I let it slide and make my rendezvous points less "suspicious". I understand he was doing his job (mainly for minimum wage) but so was I (for not much higher than minimum wage)!
I also remember in the small village I grew up in, there was an "Auxillary Police Officer" who guarded the town. The "Auxillary Police Officer" who I will call "Sam" was a guy who wore Police issue mirrored sunglasses and had a standard police issue mustache. He looked an awful alike the construction worker from The Village People (and I am TRULY not kidding about that)! Now I never really had an issue with "Sam", however the people I know had run ins with this guy and the description I recall from what some people said is pretty George Zimmerman-esque when I think about it! Some got along with "Sam" and some didn't. "Sam" had a few nicknames like "Tackleberry" from Police Academy and "Barney Fife" to describe his mannerisms. Again, I never had a run-in with "Sam" but even though it was the 80's and the Village People get-up was pretty common for that time, how well do I know about the people that are supposedly watching out in the community that I live in?
My take is this: there should be a major overhaul to companies and communities who handle personal security. These companies who do mall security and neighborhood/community watches need to skim the crud off the workforce and do away with the wannabes--those who think that watching "Dirty Harry" or "Paul Blart" is a prerequisite for simple security. I mean, all you're really doing is that if you see something wrong, REALLY wrong, you call the REAL police! If the REAL police or 911 says "do not pursue him, we will handle it", you do what THEY say because you are NOT a "real cop"! I truly think that these companies that handle security should be very prudent in who they hire! Haven't we learned from Black Water and Hallyburton in which the "wannabe cops" were in that case "wannabe soldiers"? I know that Federal and State funds are dried up but could there be a funded program from either the Federal or State government and fund training programs--in which a fee is paid by the job applicant or the company/town council they're about to work for--that can properly train these people to prevent another "Ranger Rick", "Sam", and George Zimmerman! I also believe that we need to take laws like Florida's "Stand Your Ground" act and be reviewed so the lawmakers can actually see where the actual line is within the sand of politics.
We all want to be safe, and we all want to have that protection whether we are out in the community like a mall or living in a community; gated or non-gated. But if my taxes are involved or the rent I pay is responsible for funding something that can benefit my security and well being, what am I really paying for? Really, what sacrifices are to be made for our safety and well being? A young outstanding Black teenager who was the star of his football team and was bound to go places in life is taken away so tragically short! Is Trayvon Martin the sacrificial lamb for what's bound to happen next? I hope George Zimmerman gets what's coming to him-- no doubt! But before we all wear hoodies and sing "We Shall Overcome" as we shake the bag of Skittles to keep in tune, we need to see the big picture. Race is part of the issue, I agree, but in reality this is an action of a random moron who hid his prejudice behind a plastic badge. The moral of the story is this...we should not give assholes like George Zimmerman any authority! In fact, if you can't understand or can't even spell the word "authority", don't even bother to undertake any responsiblity!
As you may or may not know...this happened very close to where I live, so our local news is all over this story. Also, our local TV reporters are digging for info. Zimmerman, as reported, has made more than 50 calls to 911 to report suspicious people. I think he is clearly a cop wannabee. He was, in fact, taking classes at the local community college. They made an involuntary withdrawal of his student status siting safety of the other students as the reason. The hate rides high locally - almost as much as the hatred for Casey Anthony was/is. If he does not get arrested and prosecuted, he might as well leave central FL because the outrage will not die down, as it has not for Casey Anthony.
ReplyDeleteMy heart breaks over the unreasonable death of this young man. It never should have happened. No neighborhood watch person needs to be carrying a weapon. He called 911 and was told officers were on the way and that he should not follow the young man. He followed anyway, pointed his gun at him and fired that gun. The fact that he could even level the sight of his gun on the young man and then pull the trigger is mind boggling to me. I too hope he is arrested and prosecuted. If we get another dumb-ass jury like on the Anthony case, well then...at least he was tried.
I hope to God the outcome of Zimmerman will be much different than Casey Anthony's. In the Anthony case, it was a shoo-in that Anthony would be found guilty. Little that we know, she was found innocent. I blamed the media especially Nancy Grace for blowing everything up. I hope that Nancy would at least shut up about this, but it's still a circus-- no doubt!
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