The political lynching of George Zimmerman — and the potential financial payout that may be driving it.
So. What’s that phrase about evil winning out when good men do nothing? And more, what does that make you if, beyond doing nothing, you’ve actually lent support to evil in a transparent attempt to buy yourself some cheap political grace?
We’ve reached the cynical depths, my friends.
Bill Buckley must be spinning in his grave.
(thanks to geoffb)
***
update: after writing this post, I started to listen to the podcast of yesterday’s Mark Levin show. Download it and listen to his opening re: the charges against Zimmerman. Or listen here, courtesy TRS.
Levin is insistent that the affidavit filed by the prosecutor’s office doesn’t warrant a 2nd-degree murder charge. Moreover, it leaves out material facts of the case — like, for instance, any mention of Zimmerman’s wounds (which we’ve all now seen, at least partially). The language of the affidavit uses loaded terms like “profiled” in describing Zimmerman’s actions, which the prosecutor’s office must have known would be inflammatory — and the description is presented without any evidence; and while the affidavit mentions that Martin’s mother identified the voice on 911 tapes calling for help as Trayvon Martin’s, it fails to mention that his father said the voice wasn’t his son’s — or that witnesses placed Zimmerman on the bottom in the course of the struggle.
The fact that we were fed through the media the story that the original investigator wanted to file manslaughter charges — which it turns out is not true — just reinforces that Zimmerman’s story, and the facts of the case as they can be determined (short of some third-party, late-date testimony from a supposed phone witness), have remained consistent. What’s changed is the politics.
Republicans or not, if this case shakes out as it is beginning to look like it should, all those responsible for arresting and attempting to prosecute Zimmerman should be brought up on ethics charges.
Not only are we afraid to have conversations about race; but apparently, we’re so terrified at being labeled “racist” that we’re willing to pitch the occasional “White Hispanic” into the vulcano to appease the racial demagogues.
It’s sickening. And I want nothing to do with anyone who shows such cynicism and cowardice.
the lynching of George Z is all Pam Bondi’s baby now I think
Not all. Did you read the piece? Yeah, Bondi sealed her fate with people like me, but hell, she’s a big Romney booster, and Rich Lowry’s got her back.
We’re just Hobbits.
I skimmed the piece all the way down – that was yeoman’s work what he did
and yeah dollars to doughnuts says she’s got a Romney Admin sinecure in her future
Bryan Preston at PJM:
“Neither, it turns out, was a real threat to the other but the circumstances led to a terrible end.”
Response to Preston by commenter Jeff Gauch:
“At least until Martin tried to bash Zimmerman’s skull in with the planet.”
Is it just me, or has the last couple weeks really solidified the fact that, in large part, public “conservatives” are looking for ways to prove themselves not racist — in ways other than simply being not racist?
And in so doing, have shown a disgusting and perverse willingness to see their colleagues pilloried, vilified, ostracized, and — yes — publicly lynched.
I’d say that I find this all “indefensible,” but really, we’re beyond such barbs at this point. I’m truly, truly horrified, because I realize now — that is, I’ve long known it, I guess, but it’s finally sinking in fully — that I don’t have a political party in my own country that represents me.
I feel adrift.
It isn’t just you. But how many find themselves in this position now? We don’t know. What I think we do know is that the number will be growing, and that as it grows we’ll be looking to form associations that do suit our thoughts. We will make a new party. I’ve little doubt of it.
In another couple of decades, after Pelosi’s ideological spawn have finished with the First Amendment, Orwellianism will be a religion.
Take a gander at these headlines in an Insty post, without even reading down into the links. There’s a running theme here, even if the subject matter is manifold.
Lord Jesus, thank you for allowing Al Gore to invent the internet …
The yeoman’s work of ferreting out the facts that contradict the narrative (something that real reporters used to do) is now left to interested bloggers.
At least until Nancy Pelosi has her way.
Walter Russel Meade has become a favorite of mine. Dude has shown that it is possible to see the light from the left side.
But the ruling class has shown how easy it is to coopt us. Just give money for tri-monthly conferences and spend ad money on sites and etc. Voila! Romney really is kinda conservative if you squint, and why do you Hobbits NOT WANT TO WIN?
It was easy, I suppose, right up to the point at which people widely began to notice they were being had. Seems to me once that cascade gets started, there’s no stopping it.
It’s time to rediscover Lysander Spooner.
I’ve been aware of this incident since it happened and the original claim by Martin’s Father’s girlfriend was that Zimmerman just walked up and shot Trayvon while he was sitting on the porch. His Fathers girlfriend presented herself to the press that Sunday night 2/26 as his Mother and made this claim. This entire tale of going to the store to buy candy for his brother and tea was invented later. His Father was not there. His brother was not there.
Romney really is kinda conservative if you squint
Sometimes you have to shut your eyes entirely.
Shut up, True Believer Puristy Purist who believes himself More Pure than Those Of Us Who Just Want To Win and Aren’t Morons About How Politics Works.
Silly me, I define conservative as what is needed to save America.
I can’t seem to let go of the sense that conservative, as a political appellation, sucks. It’s simply too fucking loose.
It’s not just the racist meme at work here that bothers me. What really gives me pause is that it has now advanced far enough that it is literally able to manipulate and influence the judicial system.
Think about that. Our very system of laws is now more prone to servicing political agendas than to the causes of truth and justice. Where’s the outrage?
If a mob and it’s agenda can literally use a nation’s legal system to advance it’s cause and use it as a cloak of legitimacy, then we are already finished.
The term “conservative” has gone the way of the term “liberal” in that the left aren’t for liberty (unless liberty is defined as consequence-free sex) and many of those who claim to be conservative aren’t anything of the sort.
I guess we’ll have to say “classical conservative” to provide the proper demarcation, for the nonce.
I save my outrage for improper use of the apostrophe. The next person who uses one for a simple plural will be tarred and feathered.
The line for the tarring forms at the left. No shoving.
One of the problems is that the primary definition shows up as an adjective. So in a sense, even when a nominative spin is imparted to the term, it’s always going to be demanding an additional modifier, the “of what?”.
See: Taliban, conservative tribesman.
And more, what does that make you if, beyond doing nothing, you’ve actually lent support to evil in a transparent attempt to buy yourself some cheap political grace?
Being the hideous purist that I am I would argue that Sarah Palin has lent such support:
At the end of the show Palin acknowledged she had a “great morning.”
“You guys are awesome, thank you,” she added.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/03/palin-plays-anchor-mocks-herself/
If she’s the best we got, we ain’t got enough.
Two more of interest from Tom Maguire’s. blog
I feel adrift.
Welcome to the lifeboat, Jeff.
[…] Via Jeff comes The Last Refuge’s fascinating account of some of the lies that have been perpetrated by […]
Welcome to the new abnormal,
The two people most likely to recieve a payday out of this fiasco are George Zimmerman and Mark O’Mara.
Beto Ochoa:
I read an article shortly before St. Trayvon was canonized that stated that not only was no one at the home, but Trayvon had been sent up to Sanford by his mother from Miami at least three days prior to the incident.
Trayvon’s dad hadn’t spent any time with Trayvon (“I needed some ‘me’ time”) at all since he had arrived in Sanford. Apparently, he was parked at the “fiancee’s” house, while dad was off doing his thing and on the night in question, had taken the “fiancee” out for dinner alone.
So, if seems to me that no one other than Trayvon (who isn’t talking) knows exactly what happened on that fateful night. Skittles and tea? Maybe. The 7-11 is about a mile away from the condo complex. It was raining and miserable out. Trayvon decides to walk a mile to the 7-11, purchase the Skittles and tea, and proceed to walk a mile back in the driving rain? I want to see the surveillance tape from the 7-11.
“Skittles” and “tea” are also street names for some recreational drugs, which ones, I forget.
I remain skeptical.
OT rant mode on
—–
Okay, just listened to the Hinderaker-Ward podcast from Ricochet. They touched on the GSA scandal. Spent several minutes explaining the sheer audacity and excess of the matter. Bemoaned the state of affairs that let this happened.
And proceeded, like polite Republicans, to say this isn’t really Obama’s fault.
Barry isn’t heading the GSA, he didn’t order the parties. So, no blame. It’s the bureaucracy’s fault. And there is the answer, staring at them in their blind faces.
Just yesterday and on other occasions I’ve heard severely conservative nice guy Ed Morrissey say the Secret Service’s hookers and blow outreach program isn’t Obama’s fault. You can’t blame the President. This habit of making excuses for Barry isn’t isolated to these particular “conservative” pundocrats, although let us name some names as is fit. It’s widespread on the Right, and shows why the Right will never redress these excesses. Certainly the Left could care less.
Look, we all understand that Barry doesn’t know everything that goes on in the myriad federal agencies swelling the Leviathan, and he cannot know. Neither will Mittens. That, however, is very distinctly not the point.
Government has grown so large that no matter what party holds office, the bloated bureaucracies will do much as they please. Why? Because no one will hold them responsible. You can thank people who think like Ed Morrissey for that. The head of the GSA or the Secret Service is not elected. There is an answer in first principles.
We, the people demand as those being governed to first give consent. (Remember, pragmatists, about we, the people? That phrase is in some famous document somewhere. You might read it sometime.) And if we cannot give consent, we are not free. We are slaves. We are slaves to the heads of the GSA, the EPA, the DHS, on and on. To hold someone responsible means to have some power over him. How are we the people supposed to hold unelected bureaucrats responsible? The only redress we have electorally is to hold our elected officials responsible. And the President has all the power he needs to issue executive orders to the bureaucracies… if it is going to be so easy for a President Romney to issue an EO waivering Obamacare and gainsay a duly enacted law, don’t tell us he cannot raise serious havoc in the bureaucracies of the executive branch if he chose. This goes for any President.
If we the people do not hold elected officials responsible for the actions of the government they lead, then we are actually saying that our elected officials do not hold power over government itself. This is tantamount to admitting our bureaucracies are tyrannies.
May we observe that Bush 43 gave us DHS and the TSA, and moderate Republican Nixon gave us the EPA. Many thanks, ladies.
We must hold the President and every person in Congress responsible for the excesses of the government agencies precisely because these elected officials are and indeed must be responsible. Otherwise, this “representative democracy” is a farce, which seems to be more and more true. If you let Obama or Romney off the hook for the GSA or the EPA or the EEOC or DHS or any of the alphabet stew of thugocracy, you have surrendered the fight before the first blow.
But no, our erstwhile allies on the right will continue to make excuses for the behavior of government. So we can concentrate on making dog meat jokes. To do otherwise would not be playing nice, and it makes Orrin Hatch cry on Lindsay Graham’s shoulder.
—-
rant mode off
Romney really is kinda conservative if you squint
Sometimes you have to shut your eyes entirely.
He’s had a recent software update and a new Neuroprosthetic Device upgrade.
I really believe in him now and look forward to his leadership on the Bureaucrat Boot Licking that is so essential to our new life of servitude.
Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch forced into primary fight
Good. Let’s see to it that he loses it.
Let’s see to it that he loses it.
FreedomWorks is behind Liljenquist. If he’s half the man Mike Lee is, he’s worth the loss of “clout.”
Unless, of course, Hatch’s ouster means that the vultures at the Pentagon finally manage to loot Hill Air Force Base and take its functionality elsewhere. Which, despite HAFB’s proximity to the Nevada test ranges, meaning that its utility and its location are one and the same, that won’t stop Wright-Patterson from stealing it away from us. (They grabbed a job I was working on for no other reason than they could; yes, Ohio is more suitably located relative to Nevada.)
The Utah economy would take a $9 billion hit. We’re doing better than most, but we can’t survive THAT. (This is what I’ve been hearing from the Hatch ads, so, chunk o’ salt and stuff.)
Also, on Friday Rep. Matheson (D-UT) visited my workplace. A huge part of our customer base is in the gubmint (we make network forensic appliances), so we take a hit when budgets don’t get passed or are delayed. That was brought up but he of course was non-commital and supportive at the same time.
He also talked about his support (which is bipartisan) for not taxing (heavily) money earned abroad by U.S. companies. He says there’s something like $1.5 trillion sitting overseas because companies don’t want to pay the 35% tax for bringing it back (after paying the other nations’ tax, of course). I asked who the interests were that didn’t want the foreign-earned tax rate lowered, and he said they were all in Congress. No companies or special-interest groups are against lowering the rate to 5% or so: just critters in the legislature want their massive cut.
Cornudos, todos.
I’m trying out the combination “Constitutional Conservative.” It may not scare people with thoughts about icky social conservatism and let them focus on the founding principles part.
But it does sound sort of militia -y. Maybe that’s not a bad thing.
Re Zimmerman, I have a hard time believing how vile people can be. This was not putting a spin on facts ; it was manufacturing them out of whole cloth. Hanging is too good for them.
If only the heads of government were as accountable for their charges as CEOs are for their charges under Sarbanes-Oxley and Dodd-Frank.
I forget where I saw it but in the hearing I believe they stated that they had interviewed the 7-11 people, viewed the tapes and have the register receipt. He was there.
I figure he was just stir-crazy and wanted to get out for something he needed to not be around the 13 year old. Going to the store was an excuse. It wasn’t pouring rain just a steady drizzle IIRC.
Sounds suspiciously like “build the damn fence” to me.
Suspect: I Beat Up White Man Because I Am Mad About Trayvon Martin Case
Form the transcript of the bail hearing.
I think that considering the laws of Florida that the partners of the law firm that has been “representing’ the parents in this case should be in the market for the biggest most expensive new homes they can find in Florida.
partners of the law firm
zimmerman doesn’t have any serious money?
Also, on Friday Rep. Matheson (D-UT) visited my workplace.
How does a district that has voted for Republicans in the last three presidential elections by an average of 30 points have a ‘rat congressman? Sure he’s good as ‘rats go. But he’s still a ‘rat (ACU lifetime average of 39, as compared to Snowe’s lifetime average of 49).
Thanks, geoffb.
nr, Zimmerman’s attorneys are working pro bono last I heard. His home is a rental, his wife is in nursing college and mom and dad are the only ones with real property. They took a second out to get him out of jail.
I think George Orwell should rant more often.
That was a thing of beauty.
Q: Is it possible to also include broadcast licenses in lawsuit damages? I was thinking Messrs Zimmerman and O’Mara should really go for blood and not only win a major chunk of change, but in the case of CNBC, take them off the air.
but in the case of CNBC
msnbc?
Read what I said. Crump and Park represent the parents. Florida law says if you lose a lawsuit they can’t take your home no matter how much it’s worth. It’s why OJ moved there and bought a big home.
I’m thinking Crump and Parks have deep pockets, thanks to the Revs and their fund-raising. Between bankrupting their firm and carving a chunk out of Florida, the Zimmermans will never have to work a day in their lives.
Is this a foretaste of the feast to come?
http://www.businessinsider.com/leaked-stratfor-emails-democrats-tampered-with-2008-election-2012-4?utm_source=twbutton&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=defense
Florida law says if you lose a lawsuit they can’t take your home no matter how much it’s worth. It’s why OJ moved there and bought a big home.
the fla law explains the ?
What exactly is your question, nr?
who is suing whom?
I’ve been slogging through that post for a couple of hours now and the first thing that comes to mind is that it is a tour de force of citizen journalism. The second thing is a list of people who need a beating. ‘Course, I’m not done yet.
Unless Corey can get a conviction, and perhaps even if she does, Zimmerman will have grounds for lawsuits against NBC, Park & Crump, NBPP, The State of Florida, Sharpton’s National Action Network just for starters.
Even if he was a public figure, which he is not, NBC has shown actual malice and so loses their protection as the press. The others don’t have even that fig leaf of cover.
Drop whatever you’re doing and go watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZ-4gnNz0vc&feature=youtu.be
Memories, memories.
Back on topic, if the girlfriend story is bullshit, they have exactly nothing to contradict GZ’s version of events. And GZ also needs to sue the ass off of Benjamin Crump.
geoffb, heh. CJ would be digging through Newcomer’s trash looking for filthy recyclables today.
Drop whatever you’re doing
thank allan for steel tipped shoes
Angela Corey unopposed for re-election
That video that Pablo links above is fantastic. People who forward things like that by way of email and such should go forth and do so.
Pablo,
Commendable effort over at Hot Air but it seems to have been (unsurprisingly) ignored.
Hot Air makes me think of a conservative flavored People magazine. The commenters there aren’t bad, they just don’t seem to be interested in the level of analysis that this site provides. And while Ed and Allah occassionally skim and respond to comments, they don’t interact much from what I’ve seen.
Like you, I think Jeff’s work deserves more widespread consideration but I think it would be highlighted better at someplace like American Thinker.
Regardless; if measured by width Jeff’s impact might seem small, but having friends like you illustrate that depth is a far greater measurement of his worth.
So…
KEEP FIRING!!!
Mia Love pulled a major upset on Saturday, winning the Republican Party nomination in Utah’s 4th District, advancing to face U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson in November.
The signal to noise ratio at HA is for shit. Allah (because I summarily reject the Allahpundit moniker, out of respect for what once was Allah is in the House) once dubbed me an übercommenter there. It’s been years since I’ve spent much time in the comments. Like LGF before it, it is a victim of its own success, except no one has gone completely around the bend there yet. pw remains home.
Palaeomerus —
Something to temper the story a bit. As I noted on Twitter, what makes the story plausible — and speaks to our real problem — is that it’s McCain we’re talking about. And it sounds like something he’d do.
Sheesh. Ricichet seems to be bending over backwards not to give Zimmerman his day in court.
What’s an ubercommenter?
Is it like a neo-conservative?
Is labeling someone an effective way of dismissing their points?
It’s a Big Dog, Danger. After a while, it didn’t hunt.
It’s a Big Dog
dog whistle? or whistling in the dark? oh god allan that’s racist.
Yeah, but Big dogs are the most loyal and they scare away the ill-intentioned.
So keep Woofin Big Dog!
OT Zowie, Sweet line: 9 innings, 96 pitches, 67 strikes, 9 strikeouts, no walks, no hits, no errors, ERA 0.63.
How does a district that has voted for Republicans in the last three presidential elections by an average of 30 points have a ‘rat congressman?
1. Scott Matheson, Jim Matheson’s father, was one of the most popular governors of Utah EVAR. He was an old-time Dem who wore a cowboy hat and a big belt buckle and meant it. He never put on airs, never emitted a “philosopher king” vibe, never acted like a politician, because he really was a cowboy at heart and had the common-sense attitude to go with it.
2. Matheson’s district, UT-02, comprises Park City and east Salt Lake, which is where all the chi-chi people live.
3. As Dems go, Matheson’s pretty conservative. I think he even voted against Obamacare.
Mia Love pulled a major upset on Saturday, winning the Republican Party nomination in Utah’s 4th District, advancing to face U.S. Rep. Jim Matheson in November.
Wait, I’m confused. I didn’t know Matheson was running for the new UT-04 district.
::finally finds legible district map::
Oooh. I’m now in UT-02 (barely). Not with Chaffetz (UT-03) anymore (booo!).
It all got carved up and flipped around pretty good; also, my workplace is in the new UT-04, so that explains it.
Mia Love is hella popular, like Chaffetz. Matheson should have tried to run for UT-02 or -01.
If a mob and its agenda can literally use a nation’s legal system to advance its cause and use it as a cloak of legitimacy, then we are already finished.
That’s what made the lynchings back in the day truly terrifying: not only was someone murdered in cold blood, but the friends and family of the murdered man knew that there would be absolutely no redress of grievances, and if they tried to push for it, they would rain down hellfire upon their heads.
We’re entering irrational, insane times again. And as before, you’ll find that we got pushed there largely by evil people who manipulated unfortunate events or circumstances to their own ends.
Even if those ends are just to watch the world burn.
all things utah here in pa
I save my outrage for improper use of the apostrophe. The next person who uses one for a simple plural will be tarred and feathered.
You punish for the plurals, I’ll punish for the possessive pronouns (its, theirs, yours).
How are we the people supposed to hold unelected bureaucrats responsible?
We can’t.
Even unelected bureaucrats can’t hold other bureaucrats responsible. Part of the problem are the gubmint workers’ unions. I’ve been hearing people on Hewitt say that the Pentagon desperately wants the ability to fire some of the civilians, but they can’t because of the unions.
Having been a military contractor, I know exactly what they mean. There were a few highly competent civilians (who could have easily made it in the private sector but wanted the rock-solid job security) but the rest were layabouts and goldbrickers and porn-surfers and nose-pickers and fiefdom-builders and useless lumps of flesh.
Wherever possible, the military hired contractors for the express reason that they could fire them if they didn’t like their performance. (Turned out they would also fire them for political reasons, such as when one of the civilians went private and built his own contracting firm and they gave the bid to that guy instead of my company, but I digress.)
(And yes, ultimately they did me a favor because the jobs I got after that were tons better. But I digress again.)
Which is why I would rather we had almost all gubmint functions contracted out, with skeleton crews at the bureaus to provide oversight (those that are left, that is, after the Great Purging), and most of them either elected or appointed by elected officials.
And NO public-sector unions. Even FDR knew they were unnecessary at best and dangerous at worst.
As Steyn says, once you’ve got an entrenched bureaucracy, you don’t need to keep winning elections.
Interesting:
blockquote fail [sigh]
whose punishing html failure’s?
I am pretty sure it is all still Bush’s fault, actually.
Great comment on that Rubin piece I linked above.
That right there is the whole reason the establishment wants Romney, he’s BHO light and gives the squishes an option (besides staying home, that is).
We will give no punishments for html failures.
I will ignore the rest of the comment. This time.
All the money that George Zimmerman will ultimately receive after his likely acquittal (and subsequent lawsuits), won’t be anywhere near enough to restore his reputation, or compensate for his destroyed life.
He will always be a hunted man… maybe he can rent a room at the Salman Rushdie house.
They need to discipline this prosecutor if she doesn’t have a HELL of a lot more evidence than we’ve seen thus far.
This goes into something I think is true.
The main interest of the State of Florida in the Zimmerman case is not to see justice done but to head off any riots which would cost the State much in money and in lost tourist business now and in the future. That is what Corey is charged with assuring for the State Government.
This is also in the interest of the Republican (establishment/Romney supporters) too since the convention is in Tampa and Florida is a major State electorally in the Presidential race.
The Democrats have precisely the opposite interest in this and justice has nothing to do with their plans either. They want the unrest to escalate. They see themselves, as the left always does, as benefiting from chaos in its aftermath.
And the civil service rules. And whistleblower laws that only seem to be invoked when a Republican is President. This is precisely how and why the State Department was able to pretty openly sabotage the War on Terror by leaking info all over the place. Other examples are easily discoverable.
The single biggest reform we could make is to have the ability to fire these people at will.
You’ll love this, if you haven’t seen it already. And by “love”, I mean of course “be made furious by…”http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/18/trial-of-george-zimmerman-could-trigger-another-rodney-king.html
I like how the co-opted Tea Party is primarying out the co-opters.
Don’t know if this has been linked yet, but please! give this guy another cigar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LONUecnsMb8
Go Steelers!
jdw, that video says it all!
The proggs will want to slap the black right off Cigar Man.
I’d like to see them try it.
I just discovered Mia Love.
Man, what a possibility she is. A black woman and Mormon, she has the potential to drive the left … I don’t know what … they are already fucking batshit, where do you go from there?
I see her husband is white. Talking points are runing away like sands through the hour glass.
toss this n up there
I’m thinking Pay-Per-View.
I’d buy a ticket, ring-side.
” she has the potential to drive the left … I don’t know what … they are already fucking batshit, where do you go from there?”
After you reach the screwy batshit level people start calling you a weirdo and that hurts so you have to construct a membrane/bubble to filter out all the negative inputs you don’t want to have to process.
Once you are ensconced in your safety vacuole fortress you start to feel a strong delusional impulse to hold those outside of your vacuole in contempt, so you start using terms like “reality based community” to describe the inside of the bubble where you are compelled to theorize whatever is necessary to keep you feeling important and better than everyone else. You come up with “faith based community” to describe everything exterior to your bubble which distracts from the fact that your bubble is constructed entirely of faith was designed to keep reality out. It also implies that the exterior land outside the bubble is primitive and inferior to the fragile empire of contradictory day dreams and cheesy stereotypical wish fulfillment narratives that will have come to dominate your thought processes.
Then, as the saying goes you get mugged by reality and are forced to either face reality without the bubble and build a more reasonable set of thought processes that let you predict outcomes more successfully, or build a much much thicker bubble and start publishing performance art plays that don’t make any sense and wearing kleenex boxes over your feet…