President Obama made his first remarks on the Trayvon Martin killing this morning, saying, “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.”
Obama called the Rose Garden press conference to introduce his nominee to head the World Bank, Dr. Jim Yong Kim. One reporter question was taken at the end, and it was on Obama’s reaction to the controversial Florida case.
The president said he had to be careful about any statements since the Department of Justice is now investigating the shooting of the unarmed teen by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman.
“I can only imagine what these parents are going through,” Obama said. “And when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids. And I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this, and that everybody pulls together — federal, state and local — to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened.”
He said he was glad the DoJ is investigating as well as Florida authorities.
“I think all of us have to do some soul searching to figure out how does something like this happen. And that means that examine the laws and the context for what happened, as well as the specifics of the incident,” Obama said.
It was a reference to Florida’s Stand Your Ground law that allows deadly force in cases of self-defense and activists’ call for it to be repealed, though the author of the law said George Zimmerman is not covered under the law because he pursued Martin.
“But my main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin,” Obama said. “If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon. And I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves, and that we’re going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.”
There will be a 1 p.m. “Hoodies on the Hill” remembrance of Martin on the East steps of the Capitol today. Organizers are the Congressional Black Associates, the Republican Congressional Staff Association, the Congressional Hispanic Staff Association, African American Men on the Hill, and Greeks on the Hill.
“Skittles and tea are welcome,” the invitation noted, which were the items Martin was carrying as he walked back to his father’s house from 7-Eleven.
I feel sorry for this kid’s family. They must be devastated. But, as tragic as this incident is, if he had been shot by a gang banger it wouldn’t be a story at all. Not hearing much about the 49 people killed by violence on Chicago’s South side this past weekend. Including a 6 year old girl that in no way can be misidentified as a gangster up to no good.
This case needs to be investigated and if Mr Zimmerman committed a crime, he should be punished. But all these protests and photo ops by the usual racist suspects is nothing more than hype. Let them go to Chicago and protest the killing of a 6 year old by gang bangers.
If there is a gun control problem any where, it’s the south side of Chicago.
Walt, my theory — and feel free to call me a paranoid for thinking this — is that the Obama campaign has been waiting for a case like this. They are going to use this to gin up anger, and they will do everything in their power to make this a bigger and murkier case than it already is.
Thus the fast reaction of the race hustlers, the air-brushing off Zimmerman’s ethnicity, the out-and-out lies that the press is pushing about the stand-your-ground laws and this case in particular. Just look at how the left-wing operatives in comments have been treating it — Zimmerman’s guilty, the police are guilty, it’s a racist country, blah-blah-blah.
I’m surprised no one’s literally waving his bloody hoodie yet, or that we haven’t heard a hip-hop “Horst Wessel Lied”.
This is going to blow up in Obama’s face. The shooter is hispanic looking and comes from a multiracial family. One thing you can count on is that the left is as stupid as they are reactionary.
Actually it is likely to blow up on him simply because Zimmerman is Hispanic.
By backing Sharpton and the other race hustlers he will alienate Hispanics, and give them reason to stay home or even flip their votes.
The manipulation of the msm of this teenager is not only dishonest but, not unexpected. To label this person a ‘boy’ is misplaced; he’s 6.2″ and, a footplayer. The pic is that of a younger and, smaller person and, yes a ‘boy’.
I agree with the comments made here that, obama was just hoping for such an issue to pop up right middle in a campaign. What better way to shore up even more anger of the black community who, already blame all their misfortune on the ‘white’ man.
Having said all that, I’m still waiting for obama to ask for ‘soul searching’ in blacks regarding the killing of a white 16 yrs old student, being doused with gasoline and, lit on fire on the steps of his home – by a black mob screeming ‘this is what you get white boy’ just about 3 weeks ago?? Where’s the outrage?
Naturally, it does not matter, black-white-crime has increased since obamas’ campaign, intensified by an AG who labels and, considers us ‘cowards. What about all the black flash-mobs; the last major one in WI during the State Fair attacking and, injure many people?
Sharpton and, his history of false racist accusations causing murder in the past and, never spending time in jail for his crimes, tax evasions should have given obama pause to join the bandwagon; black panthers included.
Obama, led by Jarrett, has big plans for the upcoming election; a race war if nessecary to win (as per WHI and, Ulsterman); black panthers already setting up shop in Texas due to the upcoming election (as per document filmmaker Viviano reported at gulagbound)together, with OWS – we are in a world of trouble.
I also agree with the comment “This will backfire on obama big time”!
correction: I meant to say ‘the manipulation by the media of this person…he’s a football player.
49 people killed in one weekend in south Chicago?
That’s more than last year in our city of Toronto I beleieve.
We don’t hear about these things here.
Wow…staggering.
Is this the worst place in America now for killings/
Makes me not real anxious to visit your cities.
THE AGE OF ORCHESTRATION
That’s the time we live in. That this case is drawing such huge and emotional attention would be mind-boggling, but for the fact that it has been blown out of proportion by people and entities who really don’t care that much about the victim — it is the possible advantage it can gain them that matters. It was easy to turn this into a phenomenon because of the persistent and malicious myth that white people are as racist as they ever were. The fact that the gun-wielder is Hispanic (only “Anglos” qualify as “white” in today’s race-hustling narrative) makes this outcry even stranger.
It is a local case and the DOJ has no business interfering in it.
Bridget — please don’t state things like “Zimmerman is not covered under the law because he pursued Martin” without qualifying it. The evidence is unclear, at best as to whether Zimmerman “pursued” him.
And claiming that is so implicitly presumes both that the dispatcher should and does have authority over him and that neighborhood watches should not exist. Neither is true or should be.
This is a despicable use of a tragedy for political gain. Just when you think Obama can’t sink any lower, he somehow manages to outdo himself. Earthworms are looking down and asking each other, “Hey, what’s that thing below us? Is that the President?”
– “embargo” in just a day. Wait! Here’s breaking news out of Oakland:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oakland-homicides
— oh wait again! This is daily news in Oakland alone…
Maybe Barry is learning?
This does fall a bit short of “the Cambridge police acted stupidly,” though the Messiah is clearly doing his worst. I’m sure if he had his druthers he’d much rather be channeling Shakespeare’s Marc Antony with Trayvon’s body in his arms on the steps of the Capitol, but this is about as far as he dares go.
I’m imagining that he and his henchman Eric Holder are all but pleasuring themselves under their desks as they conspire over the phone on how they can turn this into Rodney King redux without any blood trails leading back to them. As long as this can cause the maximum nationwide racial polarization AND monopolize the nations attention for as many weeks as possible, they come out ahead. Heaven knows the MSM is doing its damndest to stoke the fires.
Trouble is; too many people remember Rodney King and everyone remembers Gabby Giffords not to mention the OWS antics. Few of the usual suspects want to be seen dancing in the blood and inciting riots on YouTube. Even Al Sharpton (whose Greatest Hits have recently been dusted off care of Breitbart) is apparently being careful to end each rant with a homily against violence.
I’m sure Sarah Brady and her crowd will be having a week or two of auld lang syne over FL’s Stand Your Ground law but I don’t think they’ll get much more mileage out of this than they did after Columbine or Virginia Tech.
“Hoodies on the Hill”?
There’s a unabomber joke in there somewhere.
More help from our “Divider In-Chief”.
Is it me or is there a lot of segregation on the Hill? And is Republican Congressional Staff Association a pseudonym for white people?
In any case, Obama doesn’t seem to interested in this other Florida killing by a neighborhood watchman. And this one having foreign relations impacts. Odd. Is Obama saying his mythical son wouldn’t look like Shawn Tyson?
Ironic. I hear Sharpton, Farrakhan and the rest of the black racists masquerading as religious leaders are stoking up the flames of hate as we speak. Invoking a race riot is not covered under free speech, the way I understand it. The media response? Yawn.
But Rush Limbaugh calls some trouble making zealot and activist a slut, and OMG! Hang him! Hang him! Ban him! Crucify him!
These black racists are as reprehensible as they are stupid and hypocritical. I loathe them.
The “outrage” over the Trayvon Martin shooting is ridiculous. The underlying assumption behind the outrage is that blacks are oppressed and downtrodden, and are constantly put in danger by gun-wielding racists.
This is completely untrue. Blacks are overwhelmingly the aggressors when it comes to violent crime. About twelve percent of the population is black, yet over 50 percent of the murders committed in the entire country are committed by blacks.***
Where’s the media outrage? Where are the massive protests dealing with black criminality?
Recently there was another murder, but you probably haven’t heard about this killing. A young black man sexually assaulted an 85 year old woman and killed her. This case has only been covered by local media and foreign publications like the Daily Mail.
Why isn’t there more outrage about this atrocity? Why haven’t there been massive protests? Why haven’t there been thousands of articles written about the rape and murder of an 85 year old woman – a crime undoubtedly more ghastly than the (possible) crime committed by Zimmerman?
I’ll tell you why. The victim was white and the perpetrator was black. It’s that simple.
What a disgusting double standard. Whites (and all ethical people) should demand that the media accurately and fairly report crime in America. The media should start by highlighting the appalling problem of black criminality.
I wouldn’t advise you to hold your breath.
Check out my article “A Tale of Two Murders” here: http://opposethemadness.wordpress.com/
***http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/homicide/race.cfm
“If I had a son…” he’d be escorted by the Secret Service. Especially after dark.
As we speak, someone, somewhere in the Obama administration or among their friends, is probably looking for some way to link this to George Bush or Fox News. (Note to Rush Limbaugh – please no hoodie jokes.)
And, up until today, I never heard anyone referred to as a “white Hispanic.” Where did that term come from all of a sudden? Does that mean we can refer to someone like Jennifer Lopez, who is about the same complexion as Zimmerman, as a a “white Latina”? Is this going to be a new trend for the media, or just when it suits their cause?
My first thought while reading this was why is the DOJ getting in on this? Then I read a bit further and saw the stand your ground law. Can’t have us commoners going around thinking we actually have a right to protect ourselves!
Don’t get me wrong, from what I’ve heard about this, the shooter was totally in the wrong but there is no way the DOJ should get their noses into it!
If people want to dismantle “Stand your ground” laws based on one statistic, then it is only fairly to compare the numbers of people unjustly killed on streets by armed citizens with the number of citizens unjustly killed on streets by armed criminals. Both numbers will most likely be small, but one is probably going to prove a multiple of the other.
There is a reason why the public felt these laws to be of value to start with, which is that the repeated experiments to have the cops be the only protection a citizen could or should have has repeatedly proved to be a failure, at a cost in both lives and the introduction of a passivity in the people which is incompatible with a self-governing Republic. If the law is repealed, it will only be reenacted again one day, for nothing will have fundamentally altered the conditions that led to their reintroduction to start with.
A standing *citizens* committee, as a sort of grand jury, should be introduced into each local commnunity to routinely help determine if self-defense actions were justified–independent of the prosecutors office. The Republic belongs to the people. If they can’t, as a mass, be trusted, then we need to give up on the entire thing and go to some sort of oligarchy. Which I reject, because I’m neither a Ivy grad or Democrat.
Let us stand our ground, indeed. If the other side wishes to make us answer for every error or injustice, then they must do the same.
Also, I would suggest that Neighborhood Watch actions not done in pairs should be looked upon as one looking for trouble. Not conviction for being one looking for trouble, but merely a trip wire for enhanced inquiry. Which, ideally, as I said, should involve a standing citizen’s committee. For if the citizens cannot own even their own neighborhoods, they truly own nothing.
– you weren’t man enough to sire a son.
The national level “usual suspects”, including the media, may in fact be helping to bring to justice a man who might be guilty of manslaughter or murder.
They might also be creating an “Ox-Bow Incident” or another Richard Jewell.
We don’t know right now which one it is. We may never know.
Hispanic Shoots Black Teen..Whites At Fault.