Trayvon Martin’s Mom Testifies Before Congress; Ted Cruz Lectures Her
Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, appeared Tuesday before a
Senate committee to testify about state-level so-called “stand your
ground” laws and demand changes:
Fulton said George Zimmerman, the black teenager’s killer
who was acquitted of murder in July, took advantage of a law that
“creates many opportunities for people to commit terrible acts of
violence and evade justice”.
She said Zimmerman’s knowledge of the controversial legislation,
which was enacted in Florida in 2005 and removed a person’s obligation
to retreat from a confrontation in which they felt threatened, “may have
emboldened him to stalk my son and use lethal force even in a situation
where it seemed unnecessary and certainly avoidable”. Zimmerman did not
use the stand-your-ground law in his defence, but it was cited by
police who initially declined to charge him with Martin’s killing.
Fulton was one of a number of speakers who addressed the Senate
judiciary committee’s hearing on the implementation of stand-your-ground
laws nationwide and the “public safety implications of the expanded use
of deadly force”.
Senator Ted Cruz could not resist the opportunity to once again show the nation that he’s an irredeemable tool:
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz tried to dismiss claims that such
laws had racial implications. Because many black people are victims of
violent crime and need to defend themselves, Cruz said, “the notion that
‘stand your ground’ laws are some form of veiled racism may be a
convenient political attack, but it is not borne out by the fact
remotely.” The chair of the subcommittee, Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin,
offered a quick and biting rebuttal. Sitting in front of the two was
Sybrina Fulton, Trayvon Martin’s mother. …
Cruz, echoing a common line from conservatives, argued that the laws
benefit African-Americans — slyly citing Barack Obama’s statements 2004
in defense of his position.
Dave "Doctor" Gonzo is a renegade record producer, writer,
reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for
non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a
heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy
neighborhoods.
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