cman: damn policemen do their jobs

Why should they start now?

vernonFL: If only someone had made a film about doing the right thing in the face of racial strife.

That was the old Spike, before the vampiric entity known as the New York Knicks stole every ounce of joy and optimism from him.

Forgot_my_password_again: Really? seems to be the basis of floridas entire stand your ground law.

IMHO, the biggest problem with SYG is that all it's opponents mischaracterize the law in this way, which leads to people thinking that this is actually how it works. They have created the situation they have railed against.

Here is the actual statute (776.013).

The relevent portion, emphasis mine:

(3)A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other 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 to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

I used to wear his brand blue jeans.

MrHelpful: Your concern for the mom is touching and no less than my own. It behooves you, however, to remember that mom is out there appearing in front of congressional committees, rights rallies and pretty much every media camera within a thousand miles. Oh and let's not forget trademarking her son's name. So, yeah, there's that then.

Has your child been murdered recently? when that happens to you, then you can come by and tell us what the appropriate behavior is for someone who just had a loss like this. Otherwise, STFU.

skullkrusher: Headso: skullkrusher: Some 'Splainin' To Do: cman: Imagine how the outrage would be magnified if a Republican did this.

/fark you all for politicizing it
//Let the damn policemen do their jobs before you go all apeshiat

The problem is that the policemen didn't do their jobs. Hence the outrage.

/But, yeah, Spike Lee is an ass. What a shocker.

again, the police seemingly DID do their job

Link (new window)

Is that story saying that hours into the investigation the DA was already saying that there was not enough evidence to go forward?

that's what it sounds like. At least not enough evidence to make an arrest.

The police admit that they did a drug and alcohol test on the corpse but not on Zimmerman, and that they did a background check on Martin, but not on Zimmerman, at least on the night of the incident. I have to wonder how seriously they took the investigation and how much evidence gathering they did. I'm not sure the police were malicious, but I do think they were incompetent and negligent in their investigation.

Aarontology: AmazinTim: Interesting that a quick Google of " zimmerman spike lee" shows you links from Fox news and some smaller publications, but MSNBC and CNN takes on the story are nowhere to be seen.

This may be irrelevant in an hour, but worth noting that as the story breaks, left-leaning media outlets aren't covering it because it doesn't quite fit the agenda. (Yes, Ric Romero will have more on this at 6)

Spike Lee is a cock.

Because the most important thing avbout this case is the ooga booga scary media's coverage of a douchebag's tweets.

Glad you're here to tell us the REAL story.

The real story being: That in a time of charged emotions, a case of vigilantism can target innocent people, thereby adding to the ashpile of ruined human lives?

skullkrusher: PlatinumDragon: cman: Imagine how the outrage would be magnified if a Republican did this.

/fark you all for politicizing it
//Let the damn policemen do their jobs before you go all apeshiat

The reason people are losing their shiat is because the police didn't do their jobs. They tried to give him a pass on shooting an unarmed teenager. The only reason we're even hearing so much about this story is that Zlmmerman - who defied instructions to stay back and wait for actual cops - tried to invoke "stand your ground" to excuse his aggression. If he'd been an actual cop, this wouldn't have gone beyond the regional press and libby lib liberal websites - he'd be just another dead black teen who must have done something to justify the bullet. Mind you, authoritarians and bigots are engaging in that kind of rationaliztion with gusto anyway (hoodies! marijuana! he must have attacked first!)

Post-racial society my ass.

/as for mr. lee, that was an incredibly stupid act, and a further demonstration of why vigilante justice is an oxymoron

It seems that the police did do their jobs (new window)

As I just learned in this thread. So the prosecutor they contacted dropped the ball? Or is this a consequence of a poorly-written law that gives someone a chance to shoot someone and ask questions later? Or is the PD attempting to pass the buck after the fact? Defining an affirmative defence at trial is one thing, and perfectly fine and necessary, but not even being able to hold someone responsible for the act he committed, or even investigate further, stinks mightily. For Zimmerman to claim he was not guilty by reason of self-defence implies that Martin must have been guilty of assault, unprovoked. An investigation would have possibly revealed what took place. One may have even happened, but up until the past day or so it's looked a lot like the PD was trying to justify its inaction.

There's also the minor matter of Zimmerman's prior arrests for domestic assault and assault on a law officer... that history would have been known or discoverable by the police when they brought him in for questioning. Zimmerman seems to have a short fuse.

There's also the matter of an unarmed teenager being dead, with the shooter having confessed, 911 calls from the shooter and neighbours, his girlfriend being on the phone when the fight broke out... lots to investigate. I'm having great difficulty with the claim that there just wasn't enough evidence to arrest him for shooting the guy. Someone screwed up and exposed several gaping holes in the Florida justice system, because there is no way an unarmed teenager should be killed in the street and his shooter let off without charges, without even an investigation.

GAT_00: Which is bullshiat when he started the farking fight

There are so many people in this thread who have special info that the media doesn't.

I juts hope you are all sharing it with the DA, rather than just posting about it on Fark.

toomuchwhargarbl: I'm missing how this could lead to a lawsuit payday, can someone with a GED in law sum it up?

They can prove pretty easily that Spike Lee took an action that risked their lives and forced them to expend a great deal of money and effort. An elderly couple making a very sudden move would be expensive and stressful even if it werent under the threat of death.

Had this been the real Zimmerman Spike's defense would have been that his action was merely telling a truth and his action was predicated on Zimmerman's action and thus justifiable. Killer Vs Crusading Hollywood director - Advantage Director

Having gotten an innocent pair of Zimmerman's they can sue for actual moving costs, including any real estate loss as well as pain and suffering etc. Bullying big shot Hollywood director vs Harmless lil old folks? advantage old folks

toomuchwhargarbl: I'm missing how this could lead to a lawsuit payday, can someone with a GED in law sum it up?

It is reasonable to assume that Spike tweeting the address is a call to action. Even if the intended action is "peaceful" (picketing) you could probably sue if it disrupted your life -- Spike's actions could reasonably be assumed to cause them to have difficulty. And it is reasonable that the action may go beyond civil and so could be some sort of endangerment and emotional distress. Also, possibly slander laws could operate because he's basically wrongly identifying someone as having done a bad thing.

What would be really amusing would be for the old couple to "stand their ground", and shoot anyone uttering a death threat or posturing violently ...

olddinosaur: Last summer I repeated predictions that there would be violence in the streets, probably starting about June.

So far everything is coming along right on schedule: We conveniently forget, 99 out of 100 young black men who are killed are killed by other blacks, yet we focus in on this one particular case, because it advances false stereotypes and furthers the political agenda of the extremists.

All of these loudmouths are quick to forget: Zimmerman was attacked, beaten severely, his nose was broken, his head was lacerated and the young man was bashing his skull against the sidewalk.

Yes I concede, he probably should have stayed out of it, but two wrongs do not make a right---and three sure as hell don't.

Everyone also forgets: Two independent eyewitnesses confirm Zimmerman's version of the story.

Citations?

Spike is a pretty big dick in all of this, but hi tcar is still badass



You just know a person's an arrogant dick when they name a car after themself with title of General. But an awesome car that displays the pride in his heritage, nonetheless.

HAHA, I hope Spike Dipshiat Lee enjoys buying these folks a new house.

GEORGE ZIMMERMAN STAKED OUT AND BUTCHERED AN INNOCENT FETUS AND THEN SPREAD IT ON TOAST ALSO BIN LADEN

I think I'm getting better at this. How'm I doing?

Fish in a Barrel: Forgot_my_password_again: Really? seems to be the basis of floridas entire stand your ground law.

IMHO, the biggest problem with SYG is that all it's opponents mischaracterize the law in this way, which leads to people thinking that this is actually how it works. They have created the situation they have railed against.

Here is the actual statute (776.013).

The relevent portion, emphasis mine:
(3)A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other 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 to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

Actually reading the law and understanding it? This is madness.

DVD: olddinosaur: Last summer I repeated predictions that there would be violence in the streets, probably starting about June.

So far everything is coming along right on schedule: We conveniently forget, 99 out of 100 young black men who are killed are killed by other blacks, yet we focus in on this one particular case, because it advances false stereotypes and furthers the political agenda of the extremists.

All of these loudmouths are quick to forget: Zimmerman was attacked, beaten severely, his nose was broken, his head was lacerated and the young man was bashing his skull against the sidewalk.

Yes I concede, he probably should have stayed out of it, but two wrongs do not make a right---and three sure as hell don't.

Everyone also forgets: Two independent eyewitnesses confirm Zimmerman's version of the story.

Citations?

It's true, less than 5 seconds on Google will show you. That kid should not have died and the shooter should be prosecuted for something, but the poor dead kid wasn't running away from the guy. Quite the opposite.

skullkrusher: Cybernetic: skullkrusher: Cybernetic: skullkrusher: Andulamb: So Spike Lee was one of how many people who retweeted that address? All who retweeted, and obviously the original tweeter, are guilty of not checking their facts and mob mentality.

but only one has hundreds of millions of dollars thousands of Twitter followers.

FTFY. Joe Nobody retweeting the address to his seven followers is no big deal. Spike Lee, with his large following and celebrity influence? That's something else entirely.

no, I said what I meant to say. Thanks for the needless correction though.

I'm sure it's what you meant to say, but your point is not relevant. Spike Lee's net worth is totally unrelated to the profound recklessness and irresponsibility of his actions. His large number of Twitter followers is precisely what made his actions so profoundly reckless and irresponsible.

it was in reference to my earlier point about a nice retirement for these people. Nevermind

I think I misunderstood your point. My bad.

indylaw: The police admit that they did a drug and alcohol test on the corpse but not on Zimmerman

I would expect those kinds of tests to be run as standard practice on a homicide victim. I wouldn't expect them to be run on a living person unless there were indications of intoxication.

I want Lawrence O'Donnell of MSNBC to personally burn Zimmerman alive on camera. It's the only thing that will satisfy liberal America.

SDRR: DVD: olddinosaur: Last summer I repeated predictions that there would be violence in the streets, probably starting about June.

So far everything is coming along right on schedule: We conveniently forget, 99 out of 100 young black men who are killed are killed by other blacks, yet we focus in on this one particular case, because it advances false stereotypes and furthers the political agenda of the extremists.

All of these loudmouths are quick to forget: Zimmerman was attacked, beaten severely, his nose was broken, his head was lacerated and the young man was bashing his skull against the sidewalk.

Yes I concede, he probably should have stayed out of it, but two wrongs do not make a right---and three sure as hell don't.

Everyone also forgets: Two independent eyewitnesses confirm Zimmerman's version of the story.

Citations?

It's true, less than 5 seconds on Google will show you. That kid should not have died and the shooter should be prosecuted for something, but the poor dead kid wasn't running away from the guy. Quite the opposite.

You make the claim, it's on you to provide the proof. Claiming the reader of your claims is responsible for your research doesn't make it so. Citation or fraud.

MBooda: Doesn't he live on Planet P?
[img.waffleimages.com image 640x350]

He would have to have been a Moron, I mean Mormon to have lived on Planet P. Dam Mormons I knew those Satanists were going to get us all killed.

skullkrusher: indylaw: The police admit that they did a drug and alcohol test on the corpse but not on Zimmerman, and that they did a background check on Martin, but not on Zimmerman, at least on the night of the incident. I have to wonder how seriously they took the investigation and how much evidence gathering they did. I'm not sure the police were malicious, but I do think they were incompetent and negligent in their investigation.

apparently what they saw was enough to want an arrest warrant.

Maybe the fault lies with the state attorney in refusing to go after a warrant.

I feel like I'm in some bizarro universe where a prosecutor refuses to sign off on a warrant application in a case where there's evidence of wrongdoing.

cryinoutloud: Has your child been murdered recently? when that happens to you, then you can come by and tell us what the appropriate behavior is for someone who just had a loss like this. Otherwise, STFU.

That's a stupid argument.

DVD: olddinosaur:,Citations?

I believe the Cessna Company will sell you one, but I understand they are very expensive; $6 million and north.

\\\ You asked for that one.

Say what you will about his movies, but his music videos were farking great.

indylaw: The police admit that they did a drug and alcohol test on the corpse but not on Zimmerman, and that they did a background check on Martin, but not on Zimmerman, at least on the night of the incident.

You can't force a living person to give a drug test without a court order, a dead crime victim, not the case.

s for checking his background, they took him to the station for a few hours that night and they never checked his background? You have something that backs that up, because it does sound damning.

Say what you will about his movies, but he was great in Buffy.

Tatsuma: Spike Lee is such a shiathead.

For doing this? Definitely. Then again I hold the same to be true of those pro-lifers that publish "wanted" posters of docs with home addresses so that people can harass the doc and their family.

/Outrage, good for the goose, good for the gander.

Spike Lee looks like a bug.

An-Unnecessarily-Long-Name: I love how farklibs are defending spike lee

I love how nobody in the thread so far has defended Spike Lee, and yet some halfwit will come in and claim that it's happening just so they can criticize their "enemy."

"It doesn't even matter that nobody did this! Let's just SAY they did, and get all outraged!"

DVD: You make the claim, it's on you to provide the proof. Claiming the reader of your claims is responsible for your research doesn't make it so. Citation or fraud.

There have been, like, 10,000 posts on this subject on Fark. The witness statements have been discussed to death. After a while it gets tiresome linking to the same old information for every Johny-Come-Lately.

You ain't seen nothing yet. Just wait until the NRA starts arming undead fetuses to defend themselves.

Stand your womb.