i've had it with zimmerman apologists

And your timing is perfect. It's not just Zimmerman apologists that needed to hear that.

There was a post here a few weeks ago where someone posted just some straight up NASTY racially insensitive stuff about the president. And she got called on it by me, another black poster and more than a few white posters too.

Another poster was so incensed that someone took offense to her little friend's nasty comment, she actually created a post CHASTISING those of us who found the comment disgusting, and there were quite a few. Added to that, the person who initially made the comment never apologized and doubled down harder, even after people told her the comment was offensive, appalling, and a slew of similar adjectives.

I honestly didn't know what was worse. The initial comment or the folks that came rushing out of the woodwork to not only excuse it, but to accuse those of us who found the comment offensive of tossing around "false accusations of bigotry." Every time I see sh*t like this, I remember RainyB's comment from a few years ago that being CALLED a racist is apparently worse in some people's head than actually BEING racist. It was unreal but not surprising in the slightest way.

the accusation of racism is often more problematic than the thing itself. and it is high time that people get called on their racist bs here.

DU is not a zero-tolerance zone for free thought, free opinions, and free expression.

There is a lot that is unknown about the Martin/Zimmerman incident. There is a lot that people think they know that is likely untrue. There is almost nothing known about the most critical part of that incident; what happened between the time Zimmerman said "Ok" after being told "we don't need you to (follow him)" and the time that Martin was shot.

Nobody can deny that a young man now lies dead and will never have the chance to brighten the lives of his family, live his hopes and dreams, or contribute to society. Nobody can deny that some sort of tragedy happened that night.

But the matter of whether Zimmerman is guilty or innocent according to Florida law is not something that defines what it is to be a Democrat, or a Liberal, or a Progressive. This issue is no acid test for our politics. And with the evidence that is known to the public at this time, it is not possible to definitely say what happened in those few short minutes.

So, I certainly hope that you are not saying that dissent on this issue is unwelcome on DU. Personally I'm tired of seeing the same points argued back and forth. At this point, especially in the absence of new evidence, nobody is going to convince anybody to change their mind.

i am saying that zimmerman apologists are racists. whether they know they are racists or not is another story, hence my post.
the evidence is pretty clear...only in america is there this need to morph a clearly racially-motivated crime into something else, e.g., blaming the victim.

This is the kind of shit my post addresses, one that assumes Martin was the aggressor.

So is this an excuse for not being able to handle being under suspicion?

That blacks are under so much suspicion that it's alright to fight it out with whoever finds you suspicious.

I'm white and I can handle it when someone finds me to be suspicious. Just because some old lady doesn't know why I'm standing at the bus stop is not my problem. Because I know I'm not doing anything illegal. So yes, I brush it off and move on. I don't confront the old lady because people find me suspicious.

Didn't Trayvon know he wasn't doing anything illegal? Yes he probably did. But he just couldn't handle Zimmerman's suspicion onto him.
"...that was a real fireball..." — John Glenn, re-entry, 20 February 1962

This case has made me add about 50 people to my ignore list (although about 20 of those names are probably from the same person)

And not admit the huge raging problem of racism in our nation. I will forever believe and support the concept of "innocence until proven guilty".

*However* That doesn't mean I'm blind to the fact that Zimmerman got out of his vehicle armed. And interacted with Martin in some way that led to a shooting death.

If you want to argue to me that Zimmerman had a right to get out of his vehicle and put himself there and then, then there is no context that you and I can relate to, in order to achieve a rational and civilized conclusion.

But that doesn't mean our justice system might not find him innocent.

of course the trial SHOULD bring out the real truth, but i have little faith in the justus sytem...for good reason. and of course, some of my fellow americans, democrats, and liberals do not understand my mistrust, or that it is shared by many african-americans. zimmerman should be tried, and convicted, imho, based on his phony excuse for murdering: i was scared if he was so afraid, then why didn't he stay in the car, as he was instructed to do? he totally lacks credibility, imho. yeah, one can purport to be progressive and still be in denial about racism...a privilege that i certainly do not have.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=614391

I've been staying away from a lot of Zimmerman threads; I've just been burning up too much anger and mental energy with the back-and-forth

and i didn't get what that poster'a point...at all.