Biased Views and Reckless Actions

Tensions across the country continue to increase as the details of Trayvon Martin's death slowly come to light. Although, as of yet, there has been no warrant issued for George Zimmerman's arrest, I have to believe that it's imminent.

From the beginning, this case has been handled irresponsibly by the media. First off, by reporting that an unarmed black teen was shot and killed by a white Hispanic, they set the wheels in motion for inevitable racist allegations. Of course, this might have been part of the plan. After all, look at the attention this story has gotten. No doubt, controversy sells. If George Zimmerman wasn't initially described as a "white" Hispanic, this would not be a national news story. And there's something fundamentally wrong with that.....

I have also heard some news sources referring to the "murder" of Trayvon Martin. Unless I'm missed something, the Martin incident is still considered a case of self defense. By calling it a murder, the media seems to be convicting Zimmerman before any details of the formal investigation are completed. They seem to be playing to people's emotions rather than reporting the unbiased facts.

With the predictable emergence of the race hustlers, tensions have only escalated. I have heard at least one of these guys (I can't remember who) refer to the Zimmerman/Martin incident as "typical". I assume this means that it's "typical" for a white guy (or a "white Hispanic" in this case) to shoot an unarmed black guy. But statistics tell us otherwise. According to the Department of Justice, 93% of black homicide victims are killed by blacks*. But opportunists like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton never like to let facts get in the way of a good shakedown.

Jackson has continued to fan the flames by saying that Trayvon Martin's killing shows that "blacks are under attack" in this country. Perhaps there's an element of  truth to his statement, but maybe he should dig a little deeper before he throws down the race gauntlet? Martin Luther King was fond of saying, "The truth shall set you free." Jesse Jackson is no Martin Luther King......

Of course, there's also the issue of the bounty that's being offered by the Black Panthers for the capture George Zimmerman. Is this even legal? Why is this not considered an obstruction of justice? And when did the Black Panthers become a law enforcement agency? It's appalling to me that we haven't heard an official statement from someone condemning the Panther's actions.

Also, there have been instances of celebrities, most notably Spike Lee and Rosanne Barr, tweeting the addresses of George Zimmerman and his parents. This is both, reckless and irresponsible. How is this going to help the case? And what the hell did Zimmerman's parents have to do with this? Oh, by the way, the address that Lee tweeted? It turned out to be the residence of a couple that had absolutely nothing to do with the Trayvon Martin shooting. They were harassed so badly as a result of the wide broadcast of their address that they had to temporarily move out of their home.

There is also a Twitter feed called "Kill Zimmerman" which basically calls for the shooting of George Zimmerman**. Again, how is any of this helping things? If this idiot gets his wish, we will likely never know what really happened on the night of the Martin shooting. Do you really think that will help the family with closure?

On Wednesday, Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush donned a hoodie and dark sunglasses while giving a speech in the House of Representatives chamber. Rush founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panthers back in 1968. I must also mention that Rush lost his son in a 1999 shooting and has since been an advocate for victims of gun violence. But nonetheless, I don't think his attempt to make a statement is appropriate until we know all of the facts.

I also read a story about a Democratic National Committee member who organized a "hoodie rally". From what I understand, rally members were then being registered to vote (as Democrats). I'm having a hard time understanding the logic behind this one because George Zimmerman is a registered Democrat. In any event, I personally feel that using the death of a teenage boy for political gain is despicable.

There seems to be a deliberate attempt to pit blacks and whites against one another. This is not productive for this case or the country in general. If the Martin incident turns out to be a case of racial profiling or any other type of discrimination, then treat it as such and impose the appropriate penalty. But it's unfair and unrealistic to paint this tragic incident as a microcosm of the way things "typically" go. How about we stop pointing the finger at one another and let the investigation take it's due course......

Depending on which way you lean, it's really easy to form an opinion in this situation. There will undoubtedly be instances to support arguments from both sides of the Martin shooting. The media's job is to provide us with the factual developments. Anything less is disingenuous....

kw

* http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/htus8008.pdf
**  https://twitter.com/#!/KillZimmerman

Reactions To The Trayvon Martin Shooting

I'm always reluctant to write about race related issues for fear of my words being twisted by the race-baiters. And trying to explain your way out of any racist allegation, even if its completely untrue, can be an uphill battle. I find it troubling that we can't have honest, open discussions on this topic.

With that being said, with all of the recent media attention given to the Trayvon Martin shooting, I feel compelled to give my two cents. Although I have my own opinion of the way it's been handled, I will try to be as objective as possible.....

First off, anytime a young person's life is needlessly cut short, it's indeed a tragedy. What we need to remember is that a seventeen year old is now dead. It doesn't matter if he was black, white or blue. He was just a kid.

I have read the circumstances of the case through various media sources. And this is what I understand about it.....

Trayvon Martin entered a gated community in Sanford, Florida. The reason for his visit was to buy candy at a local 7-11 convenience store. After exiting the store, Trayvon was spotted by George Zimmerman, a member of the community watch group. Trayvon, wearing a "hoodie", appeared suspicious to Zimmerman. As Zimmerman followed the teenager, he called 911 to report the "suspicious character". The 911 dispatcher advised Zimmerman to back off and discontinue the pursuit. It appears that Zimmerman ignored the request....

Shortly afterwards, there was a struggle between Trayvon and Zimmerman. According to Zimmerman, Trayvon instigated the assault and he was then  forced to defend himself. The end result......Trayvon was shot by Zimmerman. He died a short time later. There were no weapons found on the teenager.

At least one witness came forth and said that the teenager was indeed on top of Zimmerman and beating him. The Sanford Police Department determined that physical evidence on Zimmerman (broken nose, scratches, grass stains on his clothes, etc.) supported his claim of self-defense. Zimmerman was not charged with any crime and was released. This is when things got really heated......

Blacks in the community were outraged over the police department's decision to not charge Zimmerman (who is described as a "white" Hispanic) with murder. They viewed it as a situation where a young man was profiled (and eventually killed) just because he happened to be black. And then the media's ears perked up......

Before long, the usual race hustlers (Al Sharpton & Jesse Jackson) showed up. These two guys, in my opinion, do nothing but fan the flames of racism. I personally believe that they have done far more harm than good to race relations in this country. So, when they got involved with this recent incident, I knew things were destined to get much worse.

I have also seen some news bits floating around the internet that suggest that Trayvon wasn't the choirboy that the media has led us to believe. I have no proof of these stories being legitimate, and I certainly don't expect the media to look into them any time soon. Here's one of the photos that is making it's rounds.....

This one has recently surfaced via the internet. However, I have no  proof of it's validity.

Over the past week, here are some of the reactions to this volatile situation:

• The Black Panther Party has offered a $10,000 bounty for the capture of George Zimmerman. Apparently, Zimmerman is now in hiding? I also saw from at least one source where the capture could be "dead or alive". I'm pretty sure it's illegal to form posse groups in America. But ever since the Panthers got a pass with voter intimidation in Philadelphia in 2008 by the Justice Department, I guess they figure they're above the law.
• Led by LeBron James, the Miami Heat basketball team donned hoodies to show solidarity in support of Trayvon Martin. Personally, I think sports teams should stay out of controversial issues, especially before we know all of the facts.
• Many black church-goers wore black hoodies at Sunday services in support of Trayvon.
• Louis Farrakhan has predicted that "retaliation" will be coming very soon.
• President Obama even spoke out about the incident. He urged for cooperation among law enforcement. Perhaps he'll offer up a beer summit? Obama also said that some "soul searching" was needed throughout this country. I have to wonder what he actually means by this.

Is any of this really helping the issue??

I'm confident that the overwhelming majority of this country is not happy about a young man being shot and killed. So, it irritates me that this is being turned into a racial issue. The police had their reasons for releasing Zimmerman. I can understand the urge to push for a more in-depth investigation, but the divisiveness does none of us any good.

The sad fact of the matter is that young men (especially young black men) are needlessly gunned down in the streets everyday in this country. So, why are we only outraged when the trigger man happens to be white (or in this case, a "white Hispanic"). Where is Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton when blacks are dying on the streets of Baltimore almost daily? They remain silent because it's almost impossible to play the race card with black-on-black violence. They also say absolutely nothing when blacks commit "hate-crimes" against whites. It doesn't fit their agenda.....

If it's determined that George Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin for no justifiable reason, then he should be charged and sentenced accordingly. And I'm pretty sure than most people in this country would agree (including most white people!). So, let's stop making this a race issue.

Whether Zimmerman was justified and acting in self-defense or whether he unnecessarily pulled the trigger, a young man did not have to die. In the end, Trayvon's parents had to bury their son. And that's a tragedy any way you look at it.....

kw

The Bounty Hunters of New Orleans

Wow! When NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said he was going to take serious action against the New Orleans Saints for their bounty program, he wasn't kidding. Gregg Williams, the Saints (soon to be former) defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is suspended indefinitely. And don't be surprised if he is banned from the NFL altogether before this is all over.

Saint's head coach Sean Payton is suspended for the whole 2012 season. Ouch! Keep in mind that Payton won a Super Bowl with the Saints just a couple years ago. And the team finished last season with a 13-3 record and they looked like they would be a Super Bowl contender for years to come. But now, don't look for them to even make the playoffs next year. As a result of Payton's suspension, he will lose over $7 million. Again, ouch!

We're not done yet. The Saints were also fined $500,000 and will lose second round draft picks for the next two years (they had already given up this year's first round pick to New England).

In addition, the New Orleans' general manger and linebackers/assistant head coach were also suspended. And expect the suspension of several players in the near future.

For those who don't know the story, let me try to break it down......

Apparently, the New Orleans Saints were running a "bounty" program in which players would receive monetary bonuses if they injured opposing players. Specifically, the payouts were $1500 for a "knockout" and $1000 for a "cart-off" (this is where the player would leave the field on a stretcher). The bonuses were doubled and tripled during the playoffs. It was also reported that there was a $10,000 bounty on Minnesota's Brett Favre for any Saint who could knock him out of the 2010 playoff game between the two teams. To Favre's credit, even though he took some tremendous hits and suffered a serious ankle injury, he stayed in the game.

First off, I think it's despicable that a so-called professional organization would resort to these tactics. I'm all about hard-hitting football, but to intentionally try to injure or even maim a player is beyond comprehension to me. How can someone feel good about ending another player's career? Who do these guys think they are, Tonya Harding??

With that being said, here's what really amazes me. NFL players obviously make a lot of money. Many of these guys make millions of dollars a year. If I'm not mistaken, the minimum salary is over $300,000 per year. So, can someone please explain to me why any any of these guys would risk their lucrative career for a mere $1500? That's pocket change to most of these guys.

It's been reported that it was a disgruntled former Saint's employee who blew the whistle on the bounty program. Go figure. Did the Saints actually think that their bounty program would not be exposed? Did they think that nobody was ever going to talk about it? All it takes is one person with loose lips or, in this case, a person with an axe to grind. (It was also rumored that former Saint's tight end, Jeremy Shockey blew the whistle, but there is no proof that it's true. And Shockey has denied all "snitch" allegations.)

Saint's star quarterback Drew Brees rushed to Sean Payton's defense by "tweeting" that he needs an explanation for the harsh punishment. Hey Drew, your coach knew about the program and did nothing to stop it. Then, he obstructed the investigation. He got what he deserved. There's your explanation, now get your ass back in the huddle and shut up...

I find it a bit ironic that a team that wears a lily flower on the their helmet and calls themselves the "Saints" would be involved in something like this. Putting bounties on opposing players sure doesn't seem like a "saintly" thing to do. Maybe we should start calling them the New Orleans Sinners? Should the deal fall through in New York, maybe Tim Tebow can head down to New Orleans to give these guys a soul cleansing..

The NFL is arguably the best sports product on the market. It's a tremendously successful business. The NFL's success can be attributed to the way in which it is managed. I believe Roger Goodell is right on for coming down hard on the Saints. He is, no doubt, sending a message that this bullshit will not be tolerated under his watch. And I applaud him for it!

kw

Marijuana - Coming To Maryland?

Maryland lawmakers have stirred up some controversy by their consideration to legalize medicinal marijuana. But even if the bill somehow passed the Maryland General Assembly, Governor Martin O'Malley has vowed to veto it.*

The reason for O'Malley's veto is because..............state employees who possess marijuana (even if it happens to be legal in Maryland) could still face federal drug charges. Sounds crazy, but the Feds are kind of touchy about that whole drug thing. So, even though O'Malley never likes to give up an opportunity for new tax revenue, I can certainly understand his opposition on this one.

But let's just assume for a minute that marijuana is indeed legalized in Maryland. What kind of impact would it have? First off, those with medical ailments would likely find some much needed relief (or is it called euphoria?). If someone is in pain or perhaps terminally ill, if marijuana can help ease their pain, is it really such a bad thing? And, when you think about it, is smoking a joint really any worse than popping any of the various "legal" pain-pills on the market (Percocet, Oxycontin, etc.)?

Before I go any further, just so no one gets the wrong idea, let me set the record straight. I personally don't smoke pot. And even if it did become legal in my home state (medicinally or otherwise), I still wouldn't smoke it. I just want to make it clear that I'm just trying to look at things objectively here. With that being said, I always thought The Grateful Dead sucked.

And since we're being completely honest here, I have to confess that I watched a couple of Cheech & Chong movies back in the day. (Who would have ever thought that Cheech would have went on to "star" in several Disney movies and make a couple of best selling children's albums?)

On some notes, I think that marijuana gets a bad rap. Judging from what I've seen and countless rock concerts through the years, I would say that alcohol has a much more negative effect on people. Case in point, the drunk people are the ones to most likely wind up kicking each others ass in the parking lot. While the worst thing stoned people do is crowd the snack line (If they wind up legalizing pot in Maryland, I'm definitely buying stock in Funyans!). Statistically, drunks are far more likely to wind up on an episode of "Cops" while pot-smokers are more likely to laugh uncontrollably at a 7-11 Big Bite.

Sure, marijuana is still illegal in most states, but it doesn't seem stop people from smoking it. Maryland's own golden boy, Michael Phelps was busted on camera a few years ago with bong-in-hand. President Obama used to take an occasional toke back in his college days (President Clinton did too, but he didn't inhale). Former DC Mayor, Marion "The Bitch Set Me Up" Barry used to hit the ol' hot stick. Oh, wait a minute, that was crack. Nevermind....

Former Miami Dolphins star running back (now with the Ravens) Rickey Williams took a year off of football to blow the roof off. Paul McCartney and Willie Nelson are no strangers to the wacky weed. And the Doobie Brothers...need I say more? Arnold Schwarzenegger was known to blast a roach back in his bodybuilding days. Even Miley Cyrus was recently reported to have been smoking pot. It's one thing for The Terminator to light one up, but I find it a bit disturbing when I hear that Hannah Montana is puffing the magic dragon.

So, like I said, I don't have a dog in this fight. But since my local lawmakers are pushing the issue, I felt compelled to give my two cents on it. It should be interesting to see how far it goes.....

kw

* http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/03/19/md-lawmakers-consider-legalizing-medical-marijuana-2/

St. Patrick's Day - Politically Incorrect?

I'm always amazed every time I hear about a new instance of political correctness. When I hear the stories, the first thing that usually pops into my head is, "You've got to be kidding me! Are they serious?"

In the latest turn of absurdity, a school in Massachusetts is now banning the word "St. Patrick's Day"*. In an effort to be more "inclusive and diverse", the March 17 tradition will hereby be called "O'Green Day". The principal of the school says that this will also help with the "discomfort" some students might have in celebrating a day called St. Patrick's Day. No, I'm not kidding. And these are the people who we pay to educate our kids? God (oops, sorry) help us! The only discomfort I ever had as a result of St. Patty's Day was a headache on the morning after!

Although it's not usually viewed as a religious holiday, I guess the "Saint" in St. Patrick was enough to send at least one politically correct knucklehead over the edge. So, O'Green Day it is! By the way, couldn't the "O" be viewed as ridiculing the Irish dialect? Hmmm.....

(Also, at this same school, Valentine's Day was renamed "Caring & Kindness Day". Now, that's actually kind of funny! I wonder if the traditional red heart was replaced by a rainbow?)

I find it amazing that some people tend to be so easily offended by another person's beliefs or traditions. Aren't liberals supposed to be open-minded and tolerant? So, why is it that every time they oppose something, they want to shut it down, ban it or at the very least, rename it? Is their skin really that thin? Or do they merely want something to complain about?

Personally, I experience emotional discomfort  every time I see a chunky person (can I still say that?) struggling uphill in a Smart Car. But I don't bitch and moan about it. I just deal with it and go about my business.

So, what's the problem with St. Patrick's Day? Is it too religious? Or perhaps it's deemed too offensive because it celebrates an Irish tradition. Come on, this is ridiculous! What's so offensive about people dressing up in green clothing and tipping back a pint or two of Guinness? Can we expect a boycott of Lucky Charms next?

It's one thing for the PC police to meddle with Christmas, but when they start interfering with an Irish drinking holiday, they might get just a little opposition. They don't call 'em the Fightin' Irish for nothing......

kw

* http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/15/massachusetts-principal-renames-st-patricks-day-with-ogreen-day/

A Night At The Karaoke Bar

Over the weekend, I found myself in a karaoke bar on the southeastern coast of Delaware. Normally, I don't have that big of an issue with karaoke bars. Hell, if my head is numb enough after several drinks, I've even been known to get up and sing a song or two. But on this particular night, due to being bloated from an earlier crab feast, the thought of knocking back an abundance of Samuel Adams didn't appeal to me at all. So, I limited my drinking to an abundance of Coca-Cola.

First off, I'm always intrigued my the way some karaoke singers handle themselves. For instance, there are the ones who think that they are channeling Elvis through the PA system as they kick into the opening lines  "I Can't Help Falling In Love". I remember seeing one guy sing an Elvis song as his eyes were rolling back into his head. I didn't know whether to laugh or call 911. When he finally finished, I was expecting him to wipe his brow and toss the handkerchief to a girl in the front row of bar stools.

I was in a redneck dive-bar many years ago. As I entered the smoky barroom, a young 20-something girl was belting out a Reba McIntyre tune. I have to admit, she sounded pretty good. But what really got me was after she sang, she walked around peddling a "greatest hits" CD of her past karaoke performances. In a different setting this might have been acceptable. But trying to sell her stuff to the Pabst Blue Ribbon crowd had the same effect of a "Will Work For Food" guy making his rounds at a crowded intersection. The bar sitters mostly ignored her. After all, why would they shell out five bucks for her CD when the money could be spent more wisely on another round of PBR's?

But worse than the Elvis wannabes and the redneck karaoke queens are the people who can't sing at all. There was one guy the other night who simply mumbled the lyrics to each song. The worst part was that when he finished mumbling one song, he would immediately sign up to sing another one. Bartenders often cut off a guy when he has too much to drink. Karaoke DJ's should have the right to cut off lame-ass singers after they inflict cruel and unusual punishment onto the rest of the bar.

And I hate it when I'm forced into a karaoke performance. Like I said before, if I've had a few drinks, I usually have no issue burning people's ear with one of my Frank Sinatra renditions. But without any liquid courage, I don't want any parts of singing in front of a crowd. A few years ago, I met some old friends at a local hangout on a Friday night. Since I was on call for work, my partying was limited to a cheeseburger and a couple of artificially sweetened iced teas. Keep in mind, my friends were musicians who actually could sing. So, as the night goes on, my buddy requests "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen and then proceeds to drag me (kicking and screaming) up to the stage. I tell him that there's no way that I can sing Queen. Attempting to give me some impromptu advice, he tells me to grab my nuts on the high notes. Great! Well, I stood on stage with my friends feeling like a total idiot. As they actually did the singing, I "Britney Speared" it and lip-synced my lines. The song was only six or seven minutes, but it felt like two weeks!

And have you ever noticed the back slapping and congratulatory treatment that the regulars give each other? Someone will finish a song and as they walk back to their seat, other karaoke people will slap them on the back tell them things like, "Holy shit! For a minute, I thought I was listening to Celine Dion. You should make a record. Great job! No, really!" It reminds me of one of those awards shows where everyone walks around kissing one another's ass.

There are also the people who will show up "in costume". Some will wear cowboy clothes and others will dress like they're members of an 80's hair metal band. I've seen some of the wannabe rock guys play air guitar and even twirl the microphone ala Roger Daltrey. And of course, you can always expect a large group "performance" of the B-52's "Love Shack" or Bon Jovi's "Wanted Dead Or Alive". These songs are like nails on a chalkboard for me. The most amusing thing about the drunken group performances is that it really tends to annoy the "professional" karaoke singers.

Years ago, after a few rounds with Jim Beam, I decided that things were getting a bit too serious and uptight in a local karaoke bar. So, in an attempt to loosen things up, I signed up my buddy (Rip) to do Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman". There were plenty of confused faces when he walked up on the stage. By the time he was midway through the song, I was laughing so hard that I nearly pissed myself. If I had to describe Rip's vocal style, I would say he sounds like a jealous moose in mating season. And to hear his unique vocals belting out the 70's ode to feminism was absolutely priceless. If there was a Grammy Award for karaoke, Rip would have won it for "Most Original Score". He got a thunderous applause and I had a pain in my side for three days from laughing so hard!

So, whether you're a performer or just an innocent bystander, I will give you two words of advice regarding karaoke.........drink up!

kw