Justice for all; or just stacking the deck?

Really, is anyone at all surprised that the Florida Special Prosecutor in the Trayvon Martin murder case actually ended up charging George Zimmerman with second degree murder.  Wasn’t that the very reason Florida Governor Rick Scott dialed in Angela Corey as the special prosecutor?

Let me say that I am all in favor of justice for whoever deserves it in this case. It is a hard case to prove; even the second degree charge could be difficult to prove in court. But you have to wonder if the intense national political pressure wasn’t behind Scott’s choice of Angela Corey as the special prosecutor.

Corey has a reputation of being tough on crime, and has fought numerous battles involving Florida’s “stand your ground” law. She has not won all of them, but she has brought charges in many cases. She is, in many ways, the equivalent of Judge Isaac Parker, The proverbial Hanging Judge, who in his first eight weeks of court convicted 15 men of murder, and sentenced eight to death by hanging. Six felt the noose, one was killed attempting to escape, and the other had his sentence commuted because of his young age.

A devout victim’s advocate, Corey is arguably the sharpest tool in the shed for bringing charges against George Zimmerman, the man accused of killing Trayvon Martin. Known for tough courtroom tactics, Corey is well known for being tough on crime. According to a New York Daily News article, by Phillip Caulfield, “During Corey’s three year tenure, the population in Jacksonville's Duval County jail has risen, despite a drop in crime in the city and an overall drop in prison populations around the state, according to a study of her record by the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.”

That’s not to say that Zimmerman is innocent. He certainly seems to have been a bit overzealous in performing his duties as a community watch person. Carrying around a pistol as a community watch person evokes belligerence. Why do you need a gun?  If things get that hairy, why not just contact 911, which apparently Zimmerman was prone to do often, even on the night of Martin’s killing.

And on that point, it’s suspicious that he apparently didn’t follow the dispatcher’s advice to quit following Martin. And if that’s the case, why did he bother calling 911 at all?  Why not just do what you’re going to do anyway and follow the suspicious person.

This case is going to have to draw the line between what a community watch person should and shouldn’t do, and the Stand Your Ground law. It is a twisty and nasty wicket, and will be interesting to see how it plays out. We still don’t know all of the facts in the case, and it’s impossible to judge the weight of the evidence that has appeared in the news. In fact, so much of what has appeared in the news makes it nearly impossible to sort through to get to the real truth of the matter.

Certainly someone walking through a neighborhood, where he had every right to be, should have been handled differently. It would be interesting to see if the Neighborhood Crime Watch had any policies for handling incidents. I would bet they do, seeing as how something like this might happen. I wonder about the people in the community and what they thought about Zimmerman?

I would think that direct confrontation between a watch person and a suspicious person would be the very last thing desired.  And, if such a thing happened, wouldn’t it be more appropriate just to ask the person where they were going or what they were doing in the neighborhood? Carrying the pistol, even if licensed to do so, implies use. If you didn’t intend to use the gun, why carry it?  If you are concerned with vagrants, vandals, or other varmints, do you really need a gun?

So many things will come out in the trial; it ought to be enlightening.

In truth, sitting in jail may be the safest place for Zimmerman to be right now. There certainly is enough negative sentiment that merely allowing bail could create even bigger problems. The police would likely have to protect him to some extent, and there really isn’t much he would be able to do except wander around the house in whatever community he would be hidden in.

The only real answer to this story will come from the Florida District Court House. But the case in not open and shut, and the results could be alarming. Jury’s don’t always know or follow nuances in The Law.

So, who's the fairest of them all?

Just to set the record straight, I’d like to say I am sorry for anything I ever said or did that may have been misconstrued, perfectly construed, or in some other manner hurt someone’s feelings. Everything, except that one incident involving my brother Mike, but only he and I know about that and so it shall remain.

Truly, isn’t it just ridiculous to see people back-pedaling over some unfortunate comment, or clumsy retort, or just plain stupid statement they make that shows them to be the kind of person they are. They are not apologizing, really. All they are doing is saying ‘I’m sorry if what I said or did hurt your feelings.’ That’s not an apology, that’s simple whining because the general public, which hears everything nowadays including bathroom rumble because of such things as Twitter, FaceBook, and, dare I say, the Internet in general, happened to catch you in a Freudian moment.

Take in point the recent comments by Hillary Rosen, a democratic strategist, who stated that “Ann Romney never worked a day in her life.” Not only is the statement patently untrue on its face, but it was totally taken out of context. Not that I am supporting Rosen in any way. I believe if you choose to live in the fishbowl, you are subject to being scrutinized. It’s part of the price you pay for fame or near fame, or for just sticking your head above the crowd.

But it’s not just Rosen. There are plenty of other people who rush to apologize immediately following some huge mistake, and they are just not believable. It seems to thrive in the political realm and in the realm of sports the best, probably because they are always in earshot of a camera, a cell phone, or just the media in general.

No one expects athletes to be among the brightest. They aren’t professional athletes, or even good college athletes (sadly, it’s true), because their IQs rumble the Richter scale. It’s much more fun to hear a guy like Joe Theismann say someone is “no Norman Einstein.” We don’t expect them to be geniuses.  We do expect them to be a bit careful with what they say.

So, when a politician or some other high ranking official, spouts off with something that clangs with the sentient world, what are we to believe?  Do we say, a-hah, Ms. Rosen misspoke, she really didn’t mean to castigate the entire population of stay-at-home-moms. No, she meant to belittle Mitt, of course. And, as we all know, in the strange and topsy-turvy world of politics, all’s fair. In fact, I can even call you a liar, a cheat, a blow hard, or anything else I want, even if it isn’t true, and you just have to take it. Because you live in the fishbowl.

I am sure there are plenty of other women who opt to “stay home with the kids” because they do not require dual income. If one party, male or female, is in the kind of work that generates enough income that a second income isn’t required to live the so called American “good life,” then I say by all means stay home. I would if the opportunity prevailed in my household; who wouldn’t?

So that’s not really the problem. What is really the problem is how people who make such remarks really aren’t thinking about others. They are typically inconsiderate, self-centered, arrogant—shall I continue or do you get the point? These are people who are totally out of touch with the reality that the rest of the populace lives in.  And yet, they expound about what we know, what we believe, what we hold dear to our souls.

Well, I don’t know what course your opinion takes, but as for me and mine, I say throw the lot out. We don’t need them. Or at least, stop apologizing when you really don’t mean it. Buck up, and face the truth about yourself for once. Take the time to look in the mirror. But whatever you do, don’t ask “who’s the fairest of them all?”

Looking for a few good friends

Last year the Colonial Heights Food Pantry doled out $500,000 worth of food products to needy families in the 23834 ZIP code area, according to Bill Humphreys, vice president of the Food Pantry. The Food Pantry, founded by Ruth Chappell as Community United in 2004, has been in operation for eight years in Colonial Heights.

The organization has grown significantly over the years. After starting out in a trailer it quickly was too big and had to move into a rented 1,000 square foot building.  In October 2006, the organization was incorporated as Colonial Heights Food Pantry.  In 2008, the Food Pantry had again outgrown their building. Parking issues drove them to find a new location, and with the support of the Cameron Foundation and the John Randolph Foundation, they were able to set up operations at their current location, 530 Southpark Blvd., Colonial Heights, VA, next to Dance’s Sporting Goods.  They can also be found on the Internet at:  http://www.gatewayrfp.org/default.html.

“Last year, we serviced 114,132 adults, 3,700 seniors, and 12,086 under 18 last year.  That last figure, the number of young people, was what really caught my attention when I was approached about taking on this job,” Humphreys told a small group from Highland United Methodist Men.

Humphreys said other things that caught his attention, were people he knew from throughout the community who needed help. Some of those, he said, were former co-workers. It hurt him to see them in need, but also drove home the point that such a place as the Food Pantry was necessary.

The key to the Food Pantry’s success; however, is its volunteers, he said. Last year, they accumulated 12,770 volunteer hours.  The volunteers come in and everyone just goes to work.

Several local churches, in particular Colonial Heights Baptist Church and Highland United Methodist, have been working with the Food Pantry for years, he said.  Other groups throughout the community also volunteer for the many tasks that need to be performed, a large contingent of volunteers have come from Fort Lee and everyone is put to good use, he said.

Humphreys said the key to the program was the volunteers.  The Food Pantry runs on donations from the community, businesses, and civic organizations and churches in the surrounding area.  Without that support, he said, the Food Pantry wouldn’t be the organization it is today.

“We can always use volunteer help,” he said. “But we also need fresh foods, sanitary items, and other paper goods that people can donate.”

Recently, the Food Pantry sought out someone to take over as the Executive Director, to take over for Mrs. Chappell, Humphreys said.  The Food Pantry conducted a search and found Lorrie Mollnow, who will pick up the reins of the organization.

“The heart and soul of the Food Pantry is without a doubt our volunteers,” Humphreys said.  “We can always use more help. If anyone is interested in volunteering, they can stop by the Food Pantry any week day.  There’s always someone in the office,” Humphrey’s said.

The wheels of Justice grind slow, but exceeding fine

Amid the hue and cry about justice for Trayvon Martin who was shot dead by George Zimmerman during an alleged conflict in Sanford, Florida, it would seem best to wait for the facts to come to light before making any outrageous statements.  Initially, judging by the earliest reports in the papers, this seemed like an obvious case of manslaughter.

It also seemed that the Sanford PD didn’t do their job, and let a killer go free.  But in my experience, after covering the courts and police for many years, police don’t simply let someone go who was involved in a shooting without justification.  To think that the Sanford PD might do such a thing in this incident strikes me as odd.

And now, as more information appears to be coming out, it seems the case may be more than the young man with Skittles and Arizona tea being gunned down by a crazed vigilante neighborhood watch commander. I’m not talking about all the other information that has come out that seems to be smearing Trayvon’s character. That has nothing to do with this incident. I am talking about the evidence that is slowly trickling out about the case.

It’s hard for me to believe that any police department would have messed up the investigation of this kind of incident to the extent that they allow a person of interest to go free. Zimmerman didn’t run away; he didn’t deny what he had done; and he provided a full statement to the police regarding the shooting. According to reports, he is very remorseful about the shooting.

That doesn’t help Trayvon and his family, who are seeking justice. But, if Zimmerman’s statements turn out to be true and indicate that Trayvon did initiate the incident, where are we left then?  Zimmerman has a broken nose and battered back of his head that seem to substantiate his story.  There are witnesses whose statements appear to corroborate his statement.  There are also witnesses who seem to corroborate Trayvon’s story.  Only a court can untangle that kind of mess.

For argument’s sake, let’s say the Sanford PD acted according to law?  Maybe there was no just cause to arrest Zimmerman in this incident? Justice is a two-edged sword, and both victim and perpetrator deserve it.  In this case, Trayvon certainly deserves justice, but what if justice also shows that Zimmerman was within his rights to use his gun to protect himself? Where are we then?

This issue may never go away. It’s linked inextricably with racism, even though the case may, in actuality, have nothing to do with color.

It’s always a tragedy when something like this happens; losing a young man for any cause is regrettable.  If the facts show that Zimmerman acted wrongly, then I believe the courts should apply the law to the fullest extent. But if he did not act wrongly, it would be as much of an injustice to find him guilty and impose a jail sentence.

That’s not what the US Justice System is about in my mind. To me, it is about being fair, following the law, and begin impartial. I am sure in the end this case will resolve itself. As much as we may feel some injustice transpired, jumping to conclusions one way or the other is a form of injustice in itself.  As more of the facts in this case unwind, a better picture of the events of that night will appear.  There may never be a satisfactory result for some of the parties in this case, but in the end I believe justice will be served.