A Black
teenager, Trayvon Martin, was shot and killed by George Zimmerman when Trayvon
seems to have been on his way home.
Some people believe Trayvon was killed because of his race. A British Broadcasting
Corporation article presents some disturbing information about Trayvon's
death. The police are reported to have asked George Zimmerman not to go after Trayvon. A Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation article indicates the 911 call
George Zimmerman made contained comments that some people feel are racist. We gather the remarks might not be
distinct enough in the recorded call to be conclusive. At this time, George
Zimmerman has not
been charged in connection with Trayvon's death. A controversial Florida
law could be the reason why George Zimmerman has not been charged. The Florida
"stand your ground" law does not require people who are
physically threatened or assaulted to attempt to get away.
To
make the situation worse, people have been tweeting the wrong address for
George Zimmerman's parents. The family incorrectly identified as George
Zimmerman’s parents, a different Zimmerman family, left their home, fearing for
their safety. A radio news story indicated the other Zimmerman family received
many phone calls and a visit from people looking for George Zimmerman. An US
News article says that Spike Lee, who seems to have started the address tweet,
apologized to the other Zimmerman family for the mistake and offered to pay for
their expenses. An Entertainment
on Today article indicates Roseanne Barr tweeted the correct address of the
parents of the George Zimmerman, deleted the tweet and threatened to retweet
the correct address for George Zimmerman's parents, if George Zimmerman is not
brought to justice.
The
story would be a comedy of errors, if the story had any remotely humorous
incidents. Had George Zimmerman not
pursued Trayvon, the young man would still be alive. Zimmerman's actions, which could be
considered to be vigilantism, resulted in a death. Zimmerman should have left the situation
with the authorities. Now we see
people engaging in cyber bullying and intimidation, by tweeting and retweeting
both the wrong and the correct addresses of George Zimmerman's parents. People who phoned the wrong home
definitely engaged in bullying, and, depending on the content of their phone
calls, criminal behavior. Cyber
vigilantism could have the same serious results as other forms of
vigilantism. People are legally
liable for the content of what post and the messages they send using social
media.
* * *
Same-sex
marriage continues to be in the news.
California courts ruled that Proposition 8, a voter initiative that
stripped gay men and lesbians of the right to marry, was discriminatory and was
unconstitutional. An article about
California celebrations of the decision can be found on the Advocate
website. Unfortunately, this battle for gay human rights could be far from
finished. An article on the Courage Campaign website informs us
that ProtectMarriage.Com and the
National Organization for Marriage stated they plan on appealing the decision
to the Supreme Court.
* * *
Craig
Anderson, a Black man, was killed by a group of White teenagers in
Mississippi. The youth assaulted Craig
Anderson and ran over him with a truck.
An article about the guilty plea of three of the men charged in
connection with Anderson's death can be found on the CNN
website.
* * *
Dharun
Ravi, Tyler Clementi's roommate, was found guilty on fifteen charges in
connection with videoing Tyler Clementi while having sex with a man. Tyler
Clementi took his life not long after he learned his sexual encounter became
public. An article discussing this hate crime and bullying can be found on the National
Post website.
* * *
Atlanta
is in the news for what appears to be an assault on a gay man. The video seems to have been taken by a
person who was indirectly involved in the assault. The man video recording the event seems
to be encouraging the assault, which is performed by other men. A Washington
Post article provides a description of the assault. The video could be
disturbing to some people. Those
who feel comfortable watching the video can see it on You Tube.
* * *
A You Tuber created a video
about the history of homophobia in Alberta, Canada and about how legal court
cases in Alberta and programs developed in Alberta have helped improve life for
gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans-identified people across Canada. The short
video can be watched on You
Tube.
* * *
A
news article on the Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation website informs us of a white supremacist
demonstration that took place in Edmonton, Canada. The supremacists were met by a group of
counter protestors, who ended up chasing the supremacists. The police intervened to ensure the
supremacists were able to safely leave the area.
* * *
One
episode of the ABC show "What Would You Do?" underscores the problems
the straight children of gay and lesbian parents face. There is a tendency for the
straight children of queer parents to be bullied in school. An article about the "What Would
You Do?" show can be read on the Advocate
website.
* * *
February
marked Pink Shirt Day, a day when people wear pink shirts to show their support
for students who are bullied.
Bullying is a serious problem.
As the media publicizes news of some suicides that appear to be related
to bullying, the serious nature of bullying continues to catch national, and,
in some cases, international attention.
Pink Shirt Day is becoming increasingly popular, with students and
teachers in many schools participating and with people in some business and
office environments wearing pink on Pink Shirt Day.
* * *
Mohamed
Merah, a 24 year-old man, killed three students and a teacher at a Jewish
school in France. An editorial in
the Jerusalem
Post informs is that Mohamed Merah was educated in jihadi camps in Pakistan
and Afghanistan and had ties to a branch of al- Qaida. The editorial also discusses elements of
European anti-Semitism.
* * *