Outrageous and Despicable Murder of Trayvon Martin
I hear periodically that conservatives, even if they are not racist, are racially insensitive. I cannot address all such accusations, but I do understand the perception that genuinely racist atrocities bring out insufficient anger from those on the right.
Let me, as a conservative, just address myself to the unspeakable barbarity that occurred to Trayvon Martin.The young man was killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer. Without a shred of evidence or proof, Mr. Zimmerman says he ended Trayvon’s life in "self-defense."
Trayvon was talking on the phone to his girlfriend when he was the victim of this cowardly lynching-nature murder. He was stalked down and mercilessly killed.
As described by his family’s lawyer in USA Today and not disputed to this point, “Trayvon had walked to a nearby 7 Eleven to get skittles and a drink for his stepbrother, and other snacks to watch the NBA All Star game on TV... officials released the 911 call that Zimmerman made to report a suspicious person. Against the advice of the 911 dispatcher, Zimmerman then followed Trayvon: 'These a**holes always get away,' Zimmerman says in a call to a non-emergency number. "
Dispatcher: "Are you following him?"
Zimmerman: "Yeah."Dispatcher: "We don't need you to do that."
I cannot imagine a more horrible experience than a family’s learning of the ending of a fine young man’s life by a racist dimwit who claims and possibly believes he killed him in self-defense. Even without further investigation of evidence, it is reasonable to assume that Zimmerman’s evidence is that Trayvon was walking suspiciously. My surmise is that if he was walking slowly, that was suspicious to the expansive definition of suspiciousness of a racist; if he was walking speedily, that is evidence of his walking suspiciously. Whatever speed someone is walking is “suspicious” when you have already condemned him.
Let’s not mince words: young Mr. Martin was killed because he is an African-American. The fear this creates in Black families is justified. People mistakenly think that the evidence needed for a citizen to react to a horrible crime is equivalent to that needed for conviction; it is not."
This act is unforgivable. Don’t tell me that the perpetrator had understandable misperceptions. He did not. He was a vigilante who murders and then tries to depict the situation as warranting his violence.
Just awful beyond words, and God bless the family of this wonderful, innocent young man, Trayvon Martin.
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Professor Vatz is a professor of rhetoric and communication at Towson University.
Able Baker
10:04 am on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
I don't generally agree with Prof. Vatz's column, but this one was spot on. There's some seriously twisted folks out there that think that Trayvon Martin somehow deserved what happened to him. Lets hope this wannabe cop gets whats coming to him.
DCMerkle
10:41 am on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
I was just as disgusted and shocked when I heard about Trayvon Martin and how his life was ended. It brought to mind last years neighborhood watch incident in a Jewish neighborhood where the victim died also. http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/01/21/brother-charged-in-neighborhood-watch-attack/
The racial attacks are like having an intersection where there needs to be something more than a stop sign. Crash after crash happens before a horrific crash happens and then the neighborhood that has been trying to get a traffic light put up, finally gets what they have been asking for, for years. What has to happen with this Nation wide issue? How many more people have to be killed before something is done?
Able Baker
12:05 pm on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
That's not correct. No one was killed in that incident. Similar, maybe, but not nearly as serious.
David Taylor
10:55 am on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Also at issue, and this is a point which I think is overlooked, the local police seem to have no interest in pursuing any investigation into the killing, and I believe that decision is racially motivated. Even if you believe that the neighborhood watch guy was a rogue, the local law enforcement is acting in bad faith. They accept that this was self-defense and the case is closed. I don't believe it's simply a matter of "not having any evidence" of this not being self-defense as they claim, it's a dead black kid who I'm sure, they suspect didn't "belong" where he was, and perhaps in their mind, deserved what he got... This is why a state or federal investigation is in order.
Max Obuszewski
5:18 pm on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Like a stopped clock, Richard Vatz is right about twice a day. He expresses his rightful outrage, however, he misses some points. A child was attacked in Baltimore, but not killed because the vigilantes did not have guns. A child is dead in Florida because of a man with a gun. Can Professor Vatz express his disgust for laws which permit a volatile and angry person to carry a gun. Can he speak out against the madness of people demanding guns for protection? Also P. Vatz ignores the class issue. A head case with a gun was driving an SUV, and playing John Wayne in a gated community. Where did the killer get the money to buy a weapon, to drive a gas-guzzler and to live in a gated community? Why must property be valued above a child's life?
Donna McDonough
11:25 pm on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Thank you Prof. Vatz. I am quite the liberal and therefore rarely agree with your views, but I applaud you for leaving politics out of a horrible racist crime. I truly believe that this young man was murdered forthe crime of being black. We've come a long way, but there is still too much racism in this country. As an elementary school teacher, I see many young African American children, and I worry for the boys in particular, since they are statistically more likely to end up in prison or dead than the rest of my students. As educators, I hope you and I can give them the tools to rise above the fray, and encourage all young people to become color blid.
Sean Tully
11:27 pm on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
What I am about to say will be very tricky and most likely will be taken wrong by many people, but here goes:
First, the easy ones.
The Florida "Stand Your Ground" law coupled with the right to carry law were all the ingredients needed for the senseless killing of Trayvon Martin.
Zimmerman should absolutely be arrested as he pursued Martin, even when police told him not too.
Sean Tully
11:27 pm on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Now the tricky ones.
There is no evidence that Zimmerman pursued Martin because of his race. He did not know Martin's race at first, even though he had already called 911. It was the 911 operator who first brings up the topic of race. The 911 operator asked Zimmerman what race the person Zimmerman was watching was and Zimmerman at first said he thought he was black. He then confirmed Martin's race, but he had already been watching him.
Also, Zimmerman has made some 41 other similar 911 calls to police about "suspicious people" in his neighborhood. I would like to see if all the calls were for black people or did Zimmerman call regarding other races too.
And, I don't think the girlfriend's testimony will be able to prove if Martin pushed Zimmerman just before he was shot or if Zimmerman pushed Martin before killing him. She said she heard Martin's voice tone had changed as if he were being pushed or attacked. But the voice tone change could also have been because Martin pushed Zimmerman.
Sean Tully
11:33 pm on Wednesday, March 21, 2012
In the end, using the 911 call as solid evidence, I can safely say that Zimmerman pursued Martin, despite the police warning not to do so. Zimmerman even acknowledged that warning from police. So, in my opinion, he is guilty of killing Martin, and, I would suggest, it was murder. But, with the evidence that I have seen so far, I don't believe Zimmerman initially pursued Martin because of his race. Maybe he killed Martin because Martin was black, but I haven't seen any evidence that supports that theory as of yet.
Able Baker
9:29 am on Thursday, March 22, 2012
The stand your ground law doesn't apply though, since Zimmerman pursued Martin, even after the 911 dispatcher told him not to.
Sean Tully
1:56 pm on Thursday, March 22, 2012
Able, I agree with you.
Harry League
12:15 pm on Saturday, March 24, 2012
So exactly what is your point professor? This is a terrible tragedy brought about by a overly zealous protector of his community. Did perhaps Trayvon Martin "break bad" on this guy? Perhaps he threw a swing at Mr. Zimmerman first. To me still not a reason to draw a gun and use it... but I wasn't there to see what was happening. Perhaps we should all just step back and let the feds/local police investigate and then see what the evidence shows. Last I heard we still presume a man innocent till proven guilty. You might better serve the blogging community by offering your expertise on the over the top rhetoric being used by the likes of Sharpton, Jackson and Farrakhan. Sounds like these folks would like to start a race war. Probably a few bucks in it for them.
Al Marcus
2:47 pm on Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Did anyone go to the rally at city hall? Here's a few photos http://www.almarcusphoto.com/2012/03/baltimore-rallies-for-trayvon-martin/
M. Sullivan
10:52 am on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Prof. Vatz, I am wondering who you are trying to appease with this little diatribe. Is this your punishment for your involvement with the YWC. You actually state "..Mr. Martin was killed because he is an African-American ". How can you possibly know this? How can you possibly come to your conclusions without the benefit of a full investigation and a trial. I have lost all respect for you as an educator. I would think that, as a "Professor of Rhetoric and Communication" you would know better than to join the likes of Sharpton and Jackson in this sort of inflammatory ranting. You have no knowledge of the full circumstances involved, yet are will to jump right in to the witch hunt. I can only assume you are worried about your status at ultra liberal T.U.
BKey
11:19 am on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
agreed
Stranger
5:39 pm on Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Ditto.
Able Baker
5:01 pm on Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Nonsense. No one can have an opinion on a crime until there's been a trial?