(People gather at a rally at Union Square in Manhattan Sunday honoring Trayvon Martin /Getty)
CBS News ~ Rallies for Trayvon Martin begin across U.S. http://cbsn.ws/15wCxrm
From the Delaware State House of Representatives - Minority Caucus ~
Delawareans Take Issue with U.S. Attorney General on "Duty to Retreat"U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder says "Stand Your Ground" laws undermine public safety.As noted in an article published in Politico earlier this week, Holder said people who are outside their homes and who feel threatened have a duty to retreat, if they can do so safely.The attorney general was quick to say his comments were not in reaction to the recent acquittal by a Florida jury of George Zimmerman in connection with the shooting death of Trayvon Martin.Opponents of the Sunshine State's Stand Your Ground law have cited the statute as playing a potential role in the incident.That law stipulates that a person who is not breaking the law and who is attacked in a place where he or she has a right to be, has "no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm."Reacting to Attorney General Holder's comments, numerous Delawareans took issue with the nation's top law enforcement official. (To see those reactions, click here to visit our Facebook page.)According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), at least 22 states have enacted laws specifying that citizens have no duty to retreat from an attacker.Delaware is not among the states with such a law.Last night, Florida Gov. Rick Scott met with protesters at the capitol , rebuffing their demand to call the state legislature back into session to reconsider the Stand Your Ground law.
On the other hand: NationofChange ~
And today (News Journal) Nichole Dobo reports ~ Perfect opportunity to talk about race - Understanding life experiences of others is key
The Florida jury’s acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin has dominated the news, dinner conversations, church services and neighborhood banter. On Friday, President Barack Obama addressed the ongoing discussion in personal terms, saying it “could have been me 35 years ago.” He urged the country to think about their attitudes on race. “Where do we take this?” Obama wondered aloud during an unscheduled appearance in the White House briefing room. “How do we learn some lessons from this and move in a positive direction?”Meanwhile, some Facebook posts from Friday:
Most legal analysts have said it was not shocking that Zimmerman was acquitted by a Florida jury. That state has a “stand your ground” law and there was reasonable doubt as to whether or not Zimmerman feared Martin would kill him.
........The Zimmerman case is an opportunity to talk openly about people’s experiences and perceptions on race, said the Rev. Canon Lloyd S. Casson, rector emeritus of the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew in Wilmington. Education is important, and so is helping people understand the life experiences of other people. “It’s not for the purpose of hatred,” Casson said. “It’s no different than any good therapy that we all need ... to identify what it is inside that they are struggling with that they might not even been aware of. I think that’s true with this. I think America can heal this way.”
From Anne Willing Solan ~
I don't usually comment on fb, but I am compelled to write this after our President today displayed such courage speaking out in regards to the George Zimmerman trial. As a law student, I respect the rule of law, but in this instance the Zimmerman verdict sadly highlights the continued injustices Blacks Americans face in the U.S. legal system.
The aquittal of George Zimmerman simply states that an unarmed college-bound Black teen can be profiled, provoked, stalked, confronted and killed by an armed neighborhood watchman with hollow tip point bullets. No Parent should ever have to bury their child and my heart goes out to the Martin Family. To all Americans and especially Floridians, you must now stand up for injustice and ask for "equal justice for the law". The "Stand Your Ground Law" is a flawed law that needs a full repeal or amendment in the Florida Legislature. This is where you exercise your right to vote, these are your elected officials who put this law on the books without any consideration for human life. I also urge Churches across America to return to the forefront of social injustice. The Black Church were always paramount in becoming social agitators and being the pillar of the community. Major Civil Rights Cases and landmark legislations such as The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Brown V. Board of Education ending desegration, Montgomery Bus Boycott would never had passed or even heard of it, had it not been for the Black Church. We need a call to action! Ben Jeolous said it so eloquently "Our generation of black Americans was supposed to be the first not to be judged by our race or the color of our skin. Instead, we had come of age to find ourselves the most incarcerated on the planet and most murdered in the country". We need a call to action. Our children are dying right before our eyes and we have all become numb and desensitized. When is enough? Life expectancy for a black male in an inner city is less than those who live in a third world country. Stand UP! We can not go back to business as usual! Change starts from the bottom not the top. One love fb!
Green Party of Delaware contends that ALEC and the corporate subversion of government complicit in the death of Trayvon Martin
Demands all Delaware legislators cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council
WILMINGTON, DE — The Green Party of Delaware stands with the millions of Americans disillusioned with the justice system in light of the recent acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin. While this verdict brings racial persecution and our criminally broken and ineffective justice system to the forefront, the Green Party of Delaware contends that ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, is also culpable in this and other cases.
ALEC is the group responsible for bringing stand-your-ground laws to Florida. Their mission involves partnering with legislators and their corporate sponsors to produce “model” legislation that benefits its corporate membership and promotes their agenda of limited government and corporate-controlled markets. ALEC pushed through stand-your-ground legislation in Florida in 2005, written in large part by the NRA, and it has since also become law in 24 other states. These laws are dangerous because they embolden individuals to take the law into their own hands. While Zimmerman’s defense team ultimately did not use the stand-your-ground law in his defense, it is reasonable to expect that the law gave him a sense of approval to act as if he were law enforcement. This is done for the benefit of special interest groups and corporations whose goal is to promote their agenda, and sales, above the safety of the community.
The tragic fact is that justice was not served, for Trayvon or for us, by the Zimmerman trial and there will be many more of these cases until stand-your-ground laws are repealed. ALEC and its corporate partners should also be on trial by the public for their part in subverting the political process for corporate gain at the expense of citizens.
The Green Party of Delaware demands an end to corporate intrusion into our political system. We demand that Delaware legislators with ties to ALEC (Rep. Deborah Hudson, Rep. Daniel Short, Sen. Patricia Blevins, Sen. Margaret R. Henry and any others not named here) terminate them immediately. Legislation should be written by legislators representing real people, not by corporate sponsors with an agenda. Terminating Delaware legislators’ ties with ALEC is necessary for regaining control of our government and addressing the inequalities in our justice system.
For more information:
Green Party of Delaware - http://gpde.us/
Alec Exposed - http://www.alecexposed.org/
Plus, from the inbox ~
President Obama just delivered an important speech — explaining the role of race in the Trayvon Martin case and condemning the so-called "Stand Your Ground" law, which set the stage for what unfolded.1 Here are the President's words on "Stand Your Ground": ...For those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these “stand your ground” laws, I just ask people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened? The answer of course would have been NO.If we want to prevent more Trayvons, we have to fix the legal root of the problem, as the President has said. We know that together we can.Please join us in calling on all of our elected officials to dismantle "Stand Your Ground" and other Shoot First laws across the country. When you do, we'll also send a message on your behalf thanking President Obama for speaking the truth. Just click the text below, and after you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same: Below is the email we sent earlier describing how "Stand Your Ground" set the stage for what happened in the Zimmerman trial and Trayvon's case. Please read it and share if you haven't already. Thanks and Peace,Rashad Robinson
Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org 1. "President Obama's remarkably personal speech on Trayvon Martin and race in America," Washington Post, 07-19-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2823?t=3&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law set the stage for the injustice we've just witnessed — enabling George Zimmerman to kill Trayvon Martin and walk away a free man.
Our message to elected officials: It's time to end "Stand Your Ground" and other Shoot First laws that undermine public safety, senselessly put people at risk, and enable the kind of tragedy we’ve witnessed in the case of Trayvon Martin. I’m calling on you to take leadership and undo these dangerous laws now.
Across the country, millions are enraged at our legal system's failure to deliver justice for Trayvon Martin. We can look to many places for answers, but in reality, the stage for Zimmerman's acquittal was largely set by the laws in place in Florida. So-called "Stand Your Ground" (or "Shoot First") laws combine with race-based fear to make targets of our youth, allowing them to be killed with impunity.1 It’s fundamentally unacceptable. Unless we use the outrage and energy from this moment to change those laws now, we will see more Trayvon’s — and not just in Florida. The good news is that we can end Shoot First, if we act now and together. Please join us now in demanding our elected officials show leadership to dismantle the Shoot First laws across the country, while we pledge to have their back and fight alongside them as they do. Click here to sign the petition to elected officials across the country (and ask your friends and family to do the same): Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law set the stage for the outcome in the Zimmerman case at several points: - It’s why police didn't arrest Zimmerman for six weeks after he killed Trayvon Martin. It’s why police failed to conduct a proper homicide investigation or collect key evidence in the case.2
- The law was referenced by the judge in her jury instructions, and the one juror who has spoken out cited "Stand Your Ground" as a key reason they let Zimmerman walk free — acquitted of all charges — this past Saturday.3
- And the law will likely bar Trayvon's family from suing Zimmerman for wrongful death in civil court.4
And it’s not just in Florida. Shoot First laws are in 31 states and in those states, white people who kill Black people are 354% more likely to be cleared of wrongdoing than whites who kill other whites.5 Last year, tens of thousands of ColorOfChange members helped shine a national spotlight on Shoot First laws in the wake of Trayvon's killing. Together, our efforts convinced over 50 major corporations and nonprofits to stop funding the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the shadowy corporate lobby that brought Florida's deadly law to 25 other states (while pushing a host of other legislation promoting gun sales, and seeking to manipulate elections by making it harder for Black folks to vote). Throughout the country, public attention is focused on the impact Shoot First had on the Zimmerman case,6 and it's starting a larger conversation about how these laws threaten public safety, especially for Black people. Prominent political leaders, including Attorney General Eric Holder, are calling for Shoot First laws to be re-examined or abolished,7,8 and Stevie Wonder just announced that he will not play concerts in Florida or other states with these laws on the books.9 It's time to speak out: please join us in calling on legislators and other government officials across the country to do everything they can to get rid of these unjust and dangerous laws. We'll work with partners in states across the country and make sure your voice helps repeal these laws — and hold accountable those who want to keep them in place. References 1. "Time to Repeal ALEC/NRA Stand Your Ground Laws," PR Watch, 07-15-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2797?t=12&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 2. "The Role Of 'Stand Your Ground' In Zimmerman Trial," CBS Miami, 07-14-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2798?t=14&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 3. "7 Mind Blowing Moments From Zimmerman Juror B37′s First Interview," ThinkProgress, 07-16-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2799?t=16&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 4. "Civil Case Against Zimmerman In Florida Has Little Chance Of Success," Buzzfeed, 07-14-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2804?t=18&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 5. "White people who kill black people in 'Stand Your Ground' states are 354% more likely to be cleared of murder," Daily Mail, 07-15-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2800?t=20&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 6. "The Politics of Guns in America," The Diane Rehm Show, 04-17-12
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2808?t=22&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 7. "Michael Bloomberg: George Zimmerman Verdict Shows 'Shoot-First' Laws Must Go," Huffington Post, 07-14-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2801?t=24&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 8. "Eric Holder Strongly Criticizes Stand Your Ground Laws, Opens Up About Trayvon Martin Case," Huffington Post, 07-16-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2805?t=26&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 9. "Stevie Wonder To Boycott Florida Until Stand Your Ground Law is Abolished," Complex, 07-15-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2803?t=28&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
m~*~
I don't usually comment on fb, but I am compelled to write this after our President today displayed such courage speaking out in regards to the George Zimmerman trial. As a law student, I respect the rule of law, but in this instance the Zimmerman verdict sadly highlights the continued injustices Blacks Americans face in the U.S. legal system.
The aquittal of George Zimmerman simply states that an unarmed college-bound Black teen can be profiled, provoked, stalked, confronted and killed by an armed neighborhood watchman with hollow tip point bullets. No Parent should ever have to bury their child and my heart goes out to the Martin Family. To all Americans and especially Floridians, you must now stand up for injustice and ask for "equal justice for the law". The "Stand Your Ground Law" is a flawed law that needs a full repeal or amendment in the Florida Legislature. This is where you exercise your right to vote, these are your elected officials who put this law on the books without any consideration for human life. I also urge Churches across America to return to the forefront of social injustice. The Black Church were always paramount in becoming social agitators and being the pillar of the community. Major Civil Rights Cases and landmark legislations such as The Civil Rights Act of 1964, Brown V. Board of Education ending desegration, Montgomery Bus Boycott would never had passed or even heard of it, had it not been for the Black Church. We need a call to action! Ben Jeolous said it so eloquently "Our generation of black Americans was supposed to be the first not to be judged by our race or the color of our skin. Instead, we had come of age to find ourselves the most incarcerated on the planet and most murdered in the country". We need a call to action. Our children are dying right before our eyes and we have all become numb and desensitized. When is enough? Life expectancy for a black male in an inner city is less than those who live in a third world country. Stand UP! We can not go back to business as usual! Change starts from the bottom not the top. One love fb!
Green Party of Delaware contends that ALEC and the corporate subversion of government complicit in the death of Trayvon Martin
Demands all Delaware legislators cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council
WILMINGTON, DE — The Green Party of Delaware stands with the millions of Americans disillusioned with the justice system in light of the recent acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin. While this verdict brings racial persecution and our criminally broken and ineffective justice system to the forefront, the Green Party of Delaware contends that ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, is also culpable in this and other cases.
ALEC is the group responsible for bringing stand-your-ground laws to Florida. Their mission involves partnering with legislators and their corporate sponsors to produce “model” legislation that benefits its corporate membership and promotes their agenda of limited government and corporate-controlled markets. ALEC pushed through stand-your-ground legislation in Florida in 2005, written in large part by the NRA, and it has since also become law in 24 other states. These laws are dangerous because they embolden individuals to take the law into their own hands. While Zimmerman’s defense team ultimately did not use the stand-your-ground law in his defense, it is reasonable to expect that the law gave him a sense of approval to act as if he were law enforcement. This is done for the benefit of special interest groups and corporations whose goal is to promote their agenda, and sales, above the safety of the community.
The tragic fact is that justice was not served, for Trayvon or for us, by the Zimmerman trial and there will be many more of these cases until stand-your-ground laws are repealed. ALEC and its corporate partners should also be on trial by the public for their part in subverting the political process for corporate gain at the expense of citizens.
The Green Party of Delaware demands an end to corporate intrusion into our political system. We demand that Delaware legislators with ties to ALEC (Rep. Deborah Hudson, Rep. Daniel Short, Sen. Patricia Blevins, Sen. Margaret R. Henry and any others not named here) terminate them immediately. Legislation should be written by legislators representing real people, not by corporate sponsors with an agenda. Terminating Delaware legislators’ ties with ALEC is necessary for regaining control of our government and addressing the inequalities in our justice system.
For more information:
Green Party of Delaware - http://gpde.us/
Alec Exposed - http://www.alecexposed.org/
Plus, from the inbox ~
President Obama just delivered an important speech — explaining the role of race in the Trayvon Martin case and condemning the so-called "Stand Your Ground" law, which set the stage for what unfolded.1 Here are the President's words on "Stand Your Ground": ...For those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these “stand your ground” laws, I just ask people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened? The answer of course would have been NO.If we want to prevent more Trayvons, we have to fix the legal root of the problem, as the President has said. We know that together we can.Please join us in calling on all of our elected officials to dismantle "Stand Your Ground" and other Shoot First laws across the country. When you do, we'll also send a message on your behalf thanking President Obama for speaking the truth. Just click the text below, and after you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same: Below is the email we sent earlier describing how "Stand Your Ground" set the stage for what happened in the Zimmerman trial and Trayvon's case. Please read it and share if you haven't already. Thanks and Peace,Rashad Robinson
Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org 1. "President Obama's remarkably personal speech on Trayvon Martin and race in America," Washington Post, 07-19-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2823?t=3&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law set the stage for the injustice we've just witnessed — enabling George Zimmerman to kill Trayvon Martin and walk away a free man.Our message to elected officials: It's time to end "Stand Your Ground" and other Shoot First laws that undermine public safety, senselessly put people at risk, and enable the kind of tragedy we’ve witnessed in the case of Trayvon Martin. I’m calling on you to take leadership and undo these dangerous laws now.
Across the country, millions are enraged at our legal system's failure to deliver justice for Trayvon Martin. We can look to many places for answers, but in reality, the stage for Zimmerman's acquittal was largely set by the laws in place in Florida. So-called "Stand Your Ground" (or "Shoot First") laws combine with race-based fear to make targets of our youth, allowing them to be killed with impunity.1 It’s fundamentally unacceptable. Unless we use the outrage and energy from this moment to change those laws now, we will see more Trayvon’s — and not just in Florida. The good news is that we can end Shoot First, if we act now and together. Please join us now in demanding our elected officials show leadership to dismantle the Shoot First laws across the country, while we pledge to have their back and fight alongside them as they do. Click here to sign the petition to elected officials across the country (and ask your friends and family to do the same): Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law set the stage for the outcome in the Zimmerman case at several points: - It’s why police didn't arrest Zimmerman for six weeks after he killed Trayvon Martin. It’s why police failed to conduct a proper homicide investigation or collect key evidence in the case.2
- The law was referenced by the judge in her jury instructions, and the one juror who has spoken out cited "Stand Your Ground" as a key reason they let Zimmerman walk free — acquitted of all charges — this past Saturday.3
- And the law will likely bar Trayvon's family from suing Zimmerman for wrongful death in civil court.4
And it’s not just in Florida. Shoot First laws are in 31 states and in those states, white people who kill Black people are 354% more likely to be cleared of wrongdoing than whites who kill other whites.5 Last year, tens of thousands of ColorOfChange members helped shine a national spotlight on Shoot First laws in the wake of Trayvon's killing. Together, our efforts convinced over 50 major corporations and nonprofits to stop funding the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the shadowy corporate lobby that brought Florida's deadly law to 25 other states (while pushing a host of other legislation promoting gun sales, and seeking to manipulate elections by making it harder for Black folks to vote). Throughout the country, public attention is focused on the impact Shoot First had on the Zimmerman case,6 and it's starting a larger conversation about how these laws threaten public safety, especially for Black people. Prominent political leaders, including Attorney General Eric Holder, are calling for Shoot First laws to be re-examined or abolished,7,8 and Stevie Wonder just announced that he will not play concerts in Florida or other states with these laws on the books.9 It's time to speak out: please join us in calling on legislators and other government officials across the country to do everything they can to get rid of these unjust and dangerous laws. We'll work with partners in states across the country and make sure your voice helps repeal these laws — and hold accountable those who want to keep them in place. References 1. "Time to Repeal ALEC/NRA Stand Your Ground Laws," PR Watch, 07-15-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2797?t=12&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 2. "The Role Of 'Stand Your Ground' In Zimmerman Trial," CBS Miami, 07-14-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2798?t=14&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 3. "7 Mind Blowing Moments From Zimmerman Juror B37′s First Interview," ThinkProgress, 07-16-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2799?t=16&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 4. "Civil Case Against Zimmerman In Florida Has Little Chance Of Success," Buzzfeed, 07-14-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2804?t=18&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 5. "White people who kill black people in 'Stand Your Ground' states are 354% more likely to be cleared of murder," Daily Mail, 07-15-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2800?t=20&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 6. "The Politics of Guns in America," The Diane Rehm Show, 04-17-12
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2808?t=22&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 7. "Michael Bloomberg: George Zimmerman Verdict Shows 'Shoot-First' Laws Must Go," Huffington Post, 07-14-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2801?t=24&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 8. "Eric Holder Strongly Criticizes Stand Your Ground Laws, Opens Up About Trayvon Martin Case," Huffington Post, 07-16-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2805?t=26&akid=3011.868515.bllni6 9. "Stevie Wonder To Boycott Florida Until Stand Your Ground Law is Abolished," Complex, 07-15-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2803?t=28&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
m~*~
Green Party of Delaware contends that ALEC and the corporate subversion of government complicit in the death of Trayvon Martin
Demands all Delaware legislators cut ties with the American Legislative Exchange Council
WILMINGTON, DE — The Green Party of Delaware stands with the millions of Americans disillusioned with the justice system in light of the recent acquittal of George Zimmerman for the murder of Trayvon Martin. While this verdict brings racial persecution and our criminally broken and ineffective justice system to the forefront, the Green Party of Delaware contends that ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, is also culpable in this and other cases.
ALEC is the group responsible for bringing stand-your-ground laws to Florida. Their mission involves partnering with legislators and their corporate sponsors to produce “model” legislation that benefits its corporate membership and promotes their agenda of limited government and corporate-controlled markets. ALEC pushed through stand-your-ground legislation in Florida in 2005, written in large part by the NRA, and it has since also become law in 24 other states. These laws are dangerous because they embolden individuals to take the law into their own hands. While Zimmerman’s defense team ultimately did not use the stand-your-ground law in his defense, it is reasonable to expect that the law gave him a sense of approval to act as if he were law enforcement. This is done for the benefit of special interest groups and corporations whose goal is to promote their agenda, and sales, above the safety of the community.
The tragic fact is that justice was not served, for Trayvon or for us, by the Zimmerman trial and there will be many more of these cases until stand-your-ground laws are repealed. ALEC and its corporate partners should also be on trial by the public for their part in subverting the political process for corporate gain at the expense of citizens.
The Green Party of Delaware demands an end to corporate intrusion into our political system. We demand that Delaware legislators with ties to ALEC (Rep. Deborah Hudson, Rep. Daniel Short, Sen. Patricia Blevins, Sen. Margaret R. Henry and any others not named here) terminate them immediately. Legislation should be written by legislators representing real people, not by corporate sponsors with an agenda. Terminating Delaware legislators’ ties with ALEC is necessary for regaining control of our government and addressing the inequalities in our justice system.
For more information:
Green Party of Delaware - http://gpde.us/
Alec Exposed - http://www.alecexposed.org/
Plus, from the inbox ~
President Obama just delivered an important speech — explaining the role of race in the Trayvon Martin case and condemning the so-called "Stand Your Ground" law, which set the stage for what unfolded.1 Here are the President's words on "Stand Your Ground":
...For those who resist that idea that we should think about something like these “stand your ground” laws, I just ask people to consider if Trayvon Martin was of age and armed, could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk? And do we actually think that he would have been justified in shooting Mr. Zimmerman, who had followed him in a car, because he felt threatened?
The answer of course would have been NO.
If we want to prevent more Trayvons, we have to fix the legal root of the problem, as the President has said. We know that together we can.
Please join us in calling on all of our elected officials to dismantle "Stand Your Ground" and other Shoot First laws across the country. When you do, we'll also send a message on your behalf thanking President Obama for speaking the truth. Just click the text below, and after you do, please ask your friends and family to do the same:
Below is the email we sent earlier describing how "Stand Your Ground" set the stage for what happened in the Zimmerman trial and Trayvon's case. Please read it and share if you haven't already.
Thanks and Peace,
Rashad Robinson
Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org
Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org
1. "President Obama's remarkably personal speech on Trayvon Martin and race in America," Washington Post, 07-19-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2823?t=3&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2823?t=3&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
|
Across the country, millions are enraged at our legal system's failure to deliver justice for Trayvon Martin. We can look to many places for answers, but in reality, the stage for Zimmerman's acquittal was largely set by the laws in place in Florida. So-called "Stand Your Ground" (or "Shoot First") laws combine with race-based fear to make targets of our youth, allowing them to be killed with impunity.1 It’s fundamentally unacceptable. Unless we use the outrage and energy from this moment to change those laws now, we will see more Trayvon’s — and not just in Florida.
The good news is that we can end Shoot First, if we act now and together. Please join us now in demanding our elected officials show leadership to dismantle the Shoot First laws across the country, while we pledge to have their back and fight alongside them as they do.
Click here to sign the petition to elected officials across the country (and ask your friends and family to do the same):
Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law set the stage for the outcome in the Zimmerman case at several points:
- It’s why police didn't arrest Zimmerman for six weeks after he killed Trayvon Martin. It’s why police failed to conduct a proper homicide investigation or collect key evidence in the case.2
- The law was referenced by the judge in her jury instructions, and the one juror who has spoken out cited "Stand Your Ground" as a key reason they let Zimmerman walk free — acquitted of all charges — this past Saturday.3
- And the law will likely bar Trayvon's family from suing Zimmerman for wrongful death in civil court.4
And it’s not just in Florida. Shoot First laws are in 31 states and in those states, white people who kill Black people are 354% more likely to be cleared of wrongdoing than whites who kill other whites.5
Last year, tens of thousands of ColorOfChange members helped shine a national spotlight on Shoot First laws in the wake of Trayvon's killing. Together, our efforts convinced over 50 major corporations and nonprofits to stop funding the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the shadowy corporate lobby that brought Florida's deadly law to 25 other states (while pushing a host of other legislation promoting gun sales, and seeking to manipulate elections by making it harder for Black folks to vote).
Throughout the country, public attention is focused on the impact Shoot First had on the Zimmerman case,6 and it's starting a larger conversation about how these laws threaten public safety, especially for Black people. Prominent political leaders, including Attorney General Eric Holder, are calling for Shoot First laws to be re-examined or abolished,7,8 and Stevie Wonder just announced that he will not play concerts in Florida or other states with these laws on the books.9
It's time to speak out: please join us in calling on legislators and other government officials across the country to do everything they can to get rid of these unjust and dangerous laws. We'll work with partners in states across the country and make sure your voice helps repeal these laws — and hold accountable those who want to keep them in place.
References
1. "Time to Repeal ALEC/NRA Stand Your Ground Laws," PR Watch, 07-15-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2797?t=12&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2797?t=12&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
2. "The Role Of 'Stand Your Ground' In Zimmerman Trial," CBS Miami, 07-14-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2798?t=14&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2798?t=14&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
3. "7 Mind Blowing Moments From Zimmerman Juror B37′s First Interview," ThinkProgress, 07-16-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2799?t=16&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2799?t=16&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
4. "Civil Case Against Zimmerman In Florida Has Little Chance Of Success," Buzzfeed, 07-14-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2804?t=18&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2804?t=18&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
5. "White people who kill black people in 'Stand Your Ground' states are 354% more likely to be cleared of murder," Daily Mail, 07-15-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2800?t=20&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2800?t=20&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
6. "The Politics of Guns in America," The Diane Rehm Show, 04-17-12
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2808?t=22&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2808?t=22&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
7. "Michael Bloomberg: George Zimmerman Verdict Shows 'Shoot-First' Laws Must Go," Huffington Post, 07-14-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2801?t=24&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2801?t=24&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
8. "Eric Holder Strongly Criticizes Stand Your Ground Laws, Opens Up About Trayvon Martin Case," Huffington Post, 07-16-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2805?t=26&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2805?t=26&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
9. "Stevie Wonder To Boycott Florida Until Stand Your Ground Law is Abolished," Complex, 07-15-13
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2803?t=28&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/2803?t=28&akid=3011.868515.bllni6
m~*~
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