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251 thoughts on “Thoughts, Suggestions & Advice”

  1. I was thinking…… with a single decision Tracy Martin may have inadvertently brought down the entire scheme team and prosecution and significantly contributed to setting George free. It was Tracy’s refusal to surrender the pin code that set the entire cellebrite thing into motion uncovering the hidden exculpatory evidence under the second layer of security that Corey’s team tried to get rid of.

    • Ya know, there is something seriously wrong with a justice system that lets a black man withhold evidence in a murder case and does nothing about it…. not even a public acknowledgement that this happened. I would sure like to hear an explanation of why he was not charged with lying about that, but also all of his lying responses to LE about almost everything he said and did during the first phase of the investigation. If what he did is not obstruction of justice.. what is?

      • Is called prosecutorial discretion, and it is not uncommon. The prosecution had sided with the family, which they had to overlook somethings or screw their case even further. Add to that the uproar about what was perceived as their lack of action in charging GZ… Imagine what type of attention they would get if they charge someone in the family with obstruction, they were the “victim” (sarc). Political suicide they might as well just resign as Wolfinger did.

        • The bottom line is that blacks got preferential treatment in this case, with the prosecution refusing to charge any of them with obvious crimes and they did it right in our faces. That is insane is a clear sign that they are “afraid” to treat blacks the same as all of the rest of us,

          It is a common occurrence.. yet white people never protest like blacks do.

  2. Nettles, I know the name of the thread but Captain’s post riled me up. The real racism is in what this group of blacks did to an innocent “white man.” This was an intentional, carefully planned surprise attack on white people. That is exactly my perception of what happened when I look at the big picture.

    How do this group get away with perpetuating their lies, honoring a thug, while still protesting that George is guilty?

    Sadly and tragically, I know the answer to that question and it sickens me because I, nor you, can stop it.

  4. I am wondering if Omara attended any of the fundraisers for Dems. Knowing how SD feels about Dems, if he found out that Omara attended a fundraiser for Obama or Clinton by John Morgan, …. would explain a whole lot on .

    Sports stars, politicians, powerful lawyers and influential supporters of the Democratic Party were among the guests who greeted President Barack Obama at the Lake Mary home of John and Ultima Morgan on Oct. 11. The president was in Orlando as part of a nationwide tour to win support for his jobs bill. The Morgans, of the Morgan & Morgan law firm, hosted a re-election campaign fundraiser for the president, with more than 200 invitees contributing from $1,500 to $35,800 apiece. John Morgan said the event raised $900,000 for the Obama campaign. http://www.orlandomagazine.com/Orlando-Magazine/December-2011/The-Morgans-Host-President-Obama/

    John Morgan will host Bill Clinton to raise big bucks for Democrats
    6:09 p.m. EST, August 1, 2012|
    By Scott Powers, Orlando Sentinel

    Celebrity lawyer John Morgan’s Heathrow neighbors include some of the most understanding — or annoyed — residents in Central Florida for putting up with Secret Service visits, traffic jams and parking crunches associated with his multiple campaign fundraisers every year.

    http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-08-01/news/os-morgan-clinton-fundraising-20120801_1_obama-fundraiser-john-morgan-bill-clinton

    • You know, SDC’s hatred of MOM has always felt like something personal to me – but perhaps you’ve hit on it. He is SO black and white in his thinking, it must have just HORRIFIED him to have to be somehow “helping” a democrat in order to set another democrat free. He likes to throw the term “cognitive dissonance” around – perhaps because HE was experiencing it, finding himself face to face with evidence that his blanket statements about all democrats were wrong – so he had to vilify MOM in order to keep his generalized fantasies intact. And of course GZ’s being a democrat, and his family’s (at that time suppposed) being democrats could be excused by their “naive ignorance”.

      It always makes me chuckle when he posts his frequent generalizations about how ALL democrats are lazy, selfish, dishonest, etc. He’ll criticize some republicans, so he can certainly discriminate between people of his own party. But he can’t acnowledge there may be any individual differences between democrats. In the end, though, his black/white rigidity remains intact, because the republicans that he doesn’t like are *really* democrats in his mind.

      So maybe his hatred of MOM *was* personal, in that he needed it to save his own rigid worldview and not throw his inner world into further turmoil.

      • You may have hit the nail on the head, the post he made were he called the family clueless and RZsr. even came to refute him, read what SD wrote, it is a clear window into his thinking, but perhaps not just his the other mods too as they wanted the GZ thread gone, too.

      • I don’t think Robert Sr. and maybe even Gladys were Democrats. On the post where SD called the Zimmerman’s comfortably clueless, Robert included in one of his comments that “he was even called a Democrat” meaning that he wasn’t a Democrat. Perhaps that may be why George and his parents were not close before the shooting. That would kind of make sense as Robert Sr. seemed to believe that SD did so much to help George, even thanking them right after the acquittal.

        • There are a few clues their relationships were strained maybe even before the shooting. The way this incident has affected them I am sure already strained relationships suffered even more through the railroading. Hopefully now they can rebuild and will not take each other for granted. You only have one family! I continue to pray for all of them to find peace after this.

        • Sending a thank you email to the treehouse by Robert Sr. was confusing to me. Why single them out?

          On July 15th, Mr. Zimmerman did post his reaction to the verdict and you will find a 2 sentence thank you for those who supported GZ. He talks of the words of encouragement were helpful. What about those who spent their time, digging for the truth?

          It appears, he may think that only happened at the treehouse. The site that also worked against GZ’s lawyer, called for no donations and called the family clueless.

          While it did become the meeting place at times for those who wanted to help George and a lot of information against the Scheme Team and the prosecution and the case was discussed, it also shut down a great many of those voices and in the weeks and days leading into the trial seemed to be focussed on discrediting Mr. O’Mara, which in no way, shape of form, was helpful to GZ.

          I felt for all the good people who worked with the defense team on other blogs and the facebook groups that didn’t hear from Robert Sr. There is also a group of very supportive GZ supporters who took a beating on twitter daily who didn’t get thanked. It seemed really backwards, hearing Robert Sr. thank the people at the treehouse, specifically, but backwards is the way it goes in the GZ case.

          Nor did the legal team post a thank you to those who worked to support them over the months. I’m really left wondering, overall when they consider it, were the people on the internet a net pain in the ass and they wished they could have turned us off?

          I’m not speaking personally. Personally, I received much thanks from the defense team for various things. Some people have been thanked privately. Others, who deserve thanks as well, have not. But what about a public thank you. Are they embarrassed to say strangers contributed? Do they even think they did contribute?

          The silence after the verdict is deafening but then on the other hand, we begged GZ to get out of the news and everything the family or legal team does, would put him back in the news.

          • Hello, Nettles and greetings to every one. What a great group we have here.

            I am just getting back from trying to resolve several major medical issues.This is one of several of them. Recent changes in the new law that Pam Bondi orchestrated here have made it virtually impossible to get hydrocodone or oxycodone,(which I need) or any other controlled subsance. Now I have to first go to my doctor’s office and pass a urine test. Incredibly the results said I was postive for THC, so I asked them to send the urine to someone who was more qualified. Can THC be reatained in your sytsem for 40 years? This is crazy.

            The nail in the coffin is that you also have to agree to many absurd things in the 3 page “contract.” You must specify the the exact pharmacy where you will get the prescription filled. That is close to impossible. No pharmacy will tell you on the phone if they have any controlled substance. This will probably result in suicides if folks cannot get them legally, which was the very reason for the new laws in Florida that were meant to wipe out pill mills.

            I have not a clue about how to get my meds legally. Walgreen’s near me, is my pharmacy but they do not have nor will they ever. My nurse found the oxycodone at a Walgreen’s in anther nearby town, and she personally picked them up for me without problems. Now, they will not give me info on the phone, so I am SOL and royally screwed.

            I have expressed my thoughts to both Rick Scott and Pam Bondi via email and one letter to both of them. It was Bondi iniatiated the new law. Try getting anyone on the phone with either one of them or any of their underlings to ask questions about the law. I have never received a reply from either of them.

            Does anyone have any suggestions? I am getting desperate.

            All replies to comments are now sent to trash or spam. There are hundreds of them in spam going back to September. Yahoo’s recent changes are awful and risky. They will lose a lot of folks now.

            I am posting off topic and hope you will allow this.

            ===============================================
            Mark O’Mara personally responded to all of my emails except for the last one…WaltherPK asked me to send one about how to retrieve information from the cell phone. I sent it and he did not respond. I never emailed West because I did not have his email address. I was kindly rebuked by SD via email when I posted one of MOM’s replies. I thought it was significant and on topic when I did that. However, SD did explain WHY I should not do that. I now see that the email contradicted his opinion about MOM/

            Later I was ridiculed by certain mods for having a “cozy relationship” with MOM and that sealed my fate there even though SD never said a word and I think he appreciated what was in the email. I suspect the mods thought I was showing off but that is not true. I recognize that some people do not understand the intent of a lot of my comments, especially when I was at the CTH and occasionally. Like Danny said about his sometimes abrasive style, I tend to be sarcastic at times without saying so or using a sarc symbol. I figure that most people on the board know that about me. I now realize it is haughty of me to presuppose that.

            So I have minimized sarcastic posts. Bori and Annett know me well enough to know what I mean and I accept their criticism easily. Others, like Hooson have spanked my butt, in a sense, and I have great respect for him. Too many names to mention here but I am grateful for everyone treating me in a dignified manner. That now includes one person that I dearly love and read all of her posts.

            • The DEA is determined to criminalize pain, and I have sympathy for your medical and medicinal needs. What has exacerbated your situation in Florida, however, is the drug mills. Florida was notorious for having ‘pain clinics’ in which ‘patients’ would be briefly examined by a doctor who would then prescribe massive amounts of powerful narcotics, including oxycodone, and would have them filled immediately at the doctor’s own pharmacy, located within the ‘pain clinic’. Again, I feel for your circumstances, as so-called medical practitioners have destroyed access to legal analgesics for those who truly needed them…

              • I am well schooled in the pill mills but they overreacted. Even legitimate doctors had to remove the word pain from their signs and literature. Now these doctors are turning on each other and filing reports which immediately handcuffs them. Making it virtually impossible to get pain meds will have to be changed. If this continues and I cannot get my meds, then I will seek an attorney who is willing to fight it in court.

            • Jordan- some foods like poppy seeds or sesame seeds or their oil can make you test positive for THC, even if it had been a few days that is something to remember. My wife recently was diagnosed with ovarian cysts, very painful and even though she could hardly walk she had to go to the pharmacy herself to pick up the meds. At least it is not as harsh as your situation. But as Fabi mentions it is another case of a few bad apples making it difficult for those that obey the law.

              I ask MOM about the Ping Logs in the case, his response was that the GPS was not enabled the day TM was shot and ping logs were not conclusive enough. Same thing with GZ’s phone. I posted this at the CTH but it was ignored, so I dropped it.

              • I ask MOM about the Ping Logs in the case, his response was that the GPS was not enabled the day TM was shot and ping logs were not conclusive enough.

                Didn’t MOM say once that the ping logs showed that TM was far away from the “7-11 to home”, far enough that it would have taken a car to get there and back in those missing 40 minutes…? He never did anything with that info, but I’m sure he said something about that, didn’t he…? So in the italics above, was he saying the ping logs suggested certain things, but they’d need the GPS to validate it…? I wonder if at least they brought it up in DeeDee’s deposition and made her sweat a little….

            • Jordan, I have 2 very good friends who live in Fl. One has severe Epilepsy and has to take a bunch of meds. She also has a son who is on a medication for ADHD and it is one that can not just STOP. EVERY Month it seems in the past 2 yrs I have know her, they have problems almost verbatim as your post. She has seizures and some of the meds is to control that. She has had some very bad ones, so the Dr. does NOT want her to go without. Long stories I could tell you that is so hard for me to comprehend . I have seen the shows they have did that show the false store fronts and such. Seems there could be a better way to insure people who really need the meds get them; My friend uses CVS and they have messed her stuff up so many times, a few that caused big messes.

              The way I understand her, the prescripts are logged to the State of Florida when filled. Lord Jesus, I wouldn’t not want that job! Couldn’t possibly get the headache medication you defiantly NEED lol Sending Heartfelt prayers and hope that things get worked out and your on the road to enjoying the life God intends you to.

              • Thanks Mimi. I have had to use CVS in addition to Walgreen’s for the past two years. Walgreen’s has its own policy and will NOT fill prescriptions for both hydrocodone and oxycodone at the same time. So what I do is give Walgreen’s the script for one and then race across the street to CVS to get the other before they are registered with the state. In other words I was drug store shopping and figured out how to beat the system. Many of us have learned how to do such things by studying the law itself, then figuring out how it actually works. Now I will only be getting scripts for oxycodone, 10 mg, 4 times per day, 120 per month, the one that has no tylenol but is extremely hard to find. I have a nurse who frequently comes to my home so she may be my lifeline.

                  • Thanks.. I have educated myself about how to avoid addiction and to minimize the effect on my liver. I get my blood tested every 3 months and sometimes even more often.

                    • Good deal. My fav Uncle, lol he has various med issues and just keeps on trucking. But the Dr gave him Hydrocodone and IT KEEPS HIM UP FOR 2 Days lol! It works totally diff on him and per his Dr, who has been Dr 30 + yrs, first patient he personally had with this effect lol

                • Walgreen’s has its own policy and will NOT fill prescriptions for both hydrocodone and oxycodone at the same time. So what I do is give Walgreen’s the script for one and then race across the street to CVS to get the other before they are registered with the state. In other words I was drug store shopping and figured out how to beat the system.

                  Be careful, Jordan. I know you said you guys have studied the laws, and maybe it depends on the state, but I have heard of people being criminally charged for MD shopping, pharmacy shopping.

                  Do you have access to a pain specialist MD? They might be able to find a different med, one you haven’t tried, which would help your pain, but not require risky tricks on your end.

                  I know you’re watching out for internal organ damage, but also remember, if anything happens that causes further pain, the MDs may not be able to relieve that pain, because your body has become used to a high level of pain meds, you will have developed a tolerance. Tough situation you’re in…

          • Nettles, I think for whatever reason (maybe because SDC contacted them!) both RZ Sr and Cashill found TCTH, and at that point, SDC became the gatekeeper for information about whomever else was out there, and he only provided a couple of other names (Diwataman, Chip). And, Cashill’s book seemed to be primarily SDC’s work, so he may have not wanted to cross SDC by including any “outcasts” lol

      • In the radio address that Mr. O’Mara did on Seaview Radio, he says he is a “perceived democrat” but and then the interviewer cut him off.

        I think that just as the label of a pinky wearing ring lawyer was inaccurate, Mr. O’Mara’s political views may be wrong as well. It really shouldn’t matter what his political views are. I’ve always maintained, politics should have stayed out of the GZ case, but so many just won’t allow it to remain outside.

        I do think Sundance’s perception of Mr. O’Mara’s political views clouded his assessment of how O’Mara was handling the case. Also, Sundance’s lack of legal knowledge didn’t help either.

  5. WOW I guess I not surprised I missed this but I see it as a huge THORN in SD SIDE 🙂 ** bet Don West wish he had a refund lol

    Years before they would endure a televised pummeling in the Florida courtroom of Judge Debra Nelson, the two lawyers representing accused murderer George Zimmerman actually donated money to the prickly jurist’s first election campaign, records show.

    http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/trayvon-martin/judge-debra-nelson-873407

  6. http://legalinsurrection.com/2013/10/florida-senate-stand-your-ground-panel-advocates-for-lawsuits-against-people-who-lawfully-defend-themselves/
    Some of the legislators are also seeking to hamstring community watch programs, presumably to ease the ability of some constituents to criminally prey upon others by reducing the risks that this suspicious conduct will be observed and reported to the police.

    Someone posted this link earlier. The article, and this paragraph in particular, reminded me of how backwards everything was in this case. It wasn’t just that the narrative led so many of the public to “forget” TM’s felonious assault on GZ, which enabled GZ’s “good” value of self-defense to be overridden by GZ’s awful assault of TM (gag) – it was that all “good” values became “bad”. MOM touched on it during trial when he reframed the scheme team’s own reframing of “wannabe cop” by saying how wanting to be a cop was a good thing. But this community watch program was another upside down thing – it’s GOOD to watch out for your neighborhood, for your fellow humans, and what’s bad is CRIME (and I seem to remember Obama criticizing neighborhood watch at some point, when he even started the “see something, say something” program – I guess it’s okay if you’re “spying” for your political party).

    Anyway, everyone here knows how everything was backwards. My point actually is, I wish we could figure out some way to publicly reframe (ie, accurately frame) so many parts of this case. Certainly we’ve done that here, deconstructed the narrative. And you guys have done an amazing job in looking back over CTH threads recently and putting them in perspective. I like that this author has written this article – but this is a conservative website, so many people don’t even know it exists, let alone would want to read what it might say. But what’s the answer, when (IMO) all media is biased one way or the other. It is outrageous how journalists no longer seem to do investigative work. (I’ve posted in the past that I don’t buy the reasons that they have no time, or that their editor disapproves. In any other profession, when people want to get ahead, or win an award of some kind, they work on their own time.)

    How to get the truth out there, to the general public not just one side, when the media isn’t interested? I don’t know the answer, but I wish we could accurately frame all that happened in some way so that anyone could see it. To put some drama to it, really American culture is at stake. When criminals are seen as martyrs, and people wanting to help others are seen as bad, American (which are shared with other cultures, such as Canada!) values such as hard work, honesty, and community, are being thrown under the bus to celebrate the underclass culture of a minority of hoodlums, whatever color, and those who make money off of them.

    Those are my longwinded thoughts of today lol Thoughts, frustrations, but no answers yet…..

    • Well said, part of the issue is who controls pop culture which includes the media, once something becomes accepted in the pop culture fighting that is almost impossible. Everyone know Tea partiers are racist nuts, the NRA is full of gun-loving survivalists, Southerners are racist that want to bring back the Confederacy and so and so on. Point being that once a narrative becomes part of Pop Culture, facts to the contrary become irrelevant.

      I know everything sounds bad but I saw some cracks, after the trial some people that I would never expect actually agreed with the verdict and some implied that TM was responsible. It gives me hope.

      • I’ve said since the beginning….ALL members of the scheme team are personal injury / wrongful death lawyers and statutory immunity puts these type of lawyers out of business. Thats what all the screaming and ranting about SYG is all about. As my father always says…….. follow the bouncing dollar !

        • That’s unAmerican, (sarc) but some tort reform could help in this manner as it makes less lucrative for them to spend so much money of stunts, it will not be profitable anymore.

          • It would be great if the Texas “loser pays” laws were adopted across the nation. I believe that law was passed in Texas to discourage the exact kind of civil suits Crump wanted to bring against George, even though George was exonerated. The law demands that if you bring a lawsuit against someone, and you lose in court, you have to pay the legal fees for the one you sued as well as your own. It give’s pause to atty’s who sue based contingency fees. It discourages people from suing for frivolous reasons knowing that they may be stuck with the full monte. There are plenty of people who sue for no other reason that get get rich quick.

            Remember the case where someone tried to sue McDonald’s, or one of the chains, because he spilled hot coffee on his lap and got burned, or something. I don’t think that person won their case. There is a certain amount of common sense required to make it through life.

  8. This is really disheartening, as it gives those like Nifong and Corey even more reason to keep on being corrupt. Like Nifong was disbarred and shamed, so to should Corey be. I am not hopeful that will happen.

    http://www.americanthinker.com/2013/10/duke_lacrosse_case_reveals_the_judicial_systems_flaws.html

    This doesn’t reveal “flaws” in the judicial system. It reveals a complete and total “failure.”

    I heard the idea floated that all judges should be term limited. There is a very good case for that argument as some presidents have appointed federal judges to life appointments who do not rule according to the Constitution, or even by earlier precedent. They rule from the bench depending on their political ideology. Justice John Roberts actually changed the Obamacare lawsuit in order to find it constitutional.

    • Yeah, I am still just a tab bit confused on how Congress legally gave themselves power to madante commerce into exsistence with the Supreme Courts blessing! I am just wondering what industry with lobbying powers will force us to buy their products next. As much as I know this was an Obama plan I blame congress. Because even after the Supreme Court ruled for the mandate Congress had the power to correct itself. All this talk about it now with the Jr. Senate is gerrymandering. At this point I am so sick of both parties. These are all career politicians and I do not see the future getting better any time soon.

      • Danny- I agree with the disgust of most in Wash. but, there are a few trying their dangdest to stop the chit already. It’s the utter total and complete failure of Republican leadership such as McConnell, Cornyn, Boehner, Cantor and I’ll add Paul Ryan to that garbage pile, that is destroying the party actually. There are a few good guys but they cannot do much of anything when they don’t have the support of the party leadership. I will never fault someone for standing up for what is right and best for the country.

        I’m curious how you think Congress had the ability to correct the Obamacare law that was changed by a SC justice. You’ve watched Harry Reid in action, you’ve heard Obama saying how many times that he will veto anything that reaches his desk that doesn’t fir into his radical ideology. Granted the Republicans could very well have done a whole lot better on messaging since Ocare was passed, but they chose to remain mum on the subject. They’ve still not stopped feeding at the trough of those like Karl Rove, who clearly does not have anyone’s best interest in mind other than his own.

        • In a nutshell the wording on subsidies could have, and should have been challenged an changed through Congress. Some Reps. say the law makes subsidies available only to people who buy insurance through state-run exchanges. For instance the majority of Republican Senators refused to set up state wide exchanges. But the Federal Gov. took over and set it up for them. Some Reps. say the law’s language on subsidies doesn’t apply to the federal exchanges. Of course the supporters of the law say it does even though it is NOT written. A ruling in these Senators (Reps.) favor would abolish those subsidies in much of the country and by extension let more people claim that insurance is unaffordable. Under an exemption in the law, people who can’t afford insurance don’t have to pay the penalty.

          • Danny. The Republicans couldn’t even get Obama to agree to a one year delay as we are watching the entire system crash in most every state. Obama will not, under any circumstances change a word in the law. Not one word. The House could vote for anything it wants, but it has to get out of the Harry Reid senate, which nothing will. If it miraculously did, Obama would be waiting at the door of the oval office with his veto pen in hand.

            Don’t get me wrong, I am as disgusted as you are with the majority of those in Wash. however, currently the Obama admin is put themselves out there for all to see that they really are the party of obstruction. I’d also add the party of mean and nasty with the lenghts gone to to hurt the people. All those people being hurt are not just Republicans. They are Democrats as well.

        • I think there are a few cases on appeal as well. But these are from Conservative groups fighting for what Congres should have before they passed the law! These are not mere oversights!
          ~ The Goldwater Institute, on behalf of an Arizona doctor, is trying to block the Independent Payment Advisory Board that Republicans once dubbed a “death panel.” The board is supposed to impose Medicare cuts if spending exceeds inflationary targets; the Goldwater Institute contends the agency would exercise vast authority with little oversight, in violation of separation-of-powers principles.

          ~ The Pacific Legal Foundation is pressing the second suit for a small business owner in Iowa who wants to invalidate the entire law for violating the constitutional requirement that revenue-raising bills originate in the House. The Senate passed Obamacare first, though it did so by amending a House-passed bill on an unrelated subject. A trial judge found that procedure to be adequate and said the origination clause didn’t apply anyway because revenue-raising wasn’t the main purpose behind the law. “It’s just like trench warfare in World War I,” says Tim Jost, a health law professor at Washington and Lee School of Law. “It’s going to be, ‘Fight every hedgerow, fight every ditch.’

          • I think many were caught by surprised by the Supreme Court decision, the law as it was written was unconstitutional and it was but as Mini said by relabeling the penalties into taxes thereby the law was re-written. Since then they have been scrambling and there has not been any consensus as to how to deal with the law, trying to defunded or repealing.

            The law itself is a mess, as people are finding out and it will implode if not enough young healthy people sign-up for it, but at the current prices on the exchanges, paying the penalty or “tax” and only getting healthcare when they needed will become the norm. Here is an article you may have since from some who are shocked at the law. Illuminating.

            http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_24248486/obamacares-winners-and-losers-bay-area

            • Bori- For far too long those wanting to get egregious laws passed have been using and abusing the commerce clause. That is what Roberts did with changing the penalty/fee to a tax. It then became legal based on the commerce clause. About the penalty, which the Dems still refer to it as a penalty, the fed. gov. atty. arguing before the court admitted that there was nothing written into the law to enforce the collection of the penalty other than deducting it from any tax refund due. Remember all those blank spaces left in the thousands of pages, and the vast powers given to the HHS Secy.? Yeah, well she now added that the IRS can go directly into people’s bank accounts to deduct the penalty. Can you imagine that? The penalty starts out small but over time it keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

              • Mini, this law was not passed using the Commerce Clause, though that was the governments main argument but under the Congress power to tax, that is how Chief Justice Roberts justified his decision. That argument was an aside, not their main argument.

                The decision put restraints on the Commerce Clause in some ways it went against a ruling a few years back.

                • Bori- I think you missed the part where I said that it was John Robert’s that made it about the commerce clause when he changed the law to make it a tax instead of a fee or penalty. No, it was passed outside of the commerce clause. That was why it was challenged to begin with. Robert’s had to make it a tax in order to claim it was constitutional.

                  • Mini- I think we are sort of saying the same thing but let me clarify. The Obama Administration and most Democrats argued that the Commerce Clause gave them the ability to a Mandate individuals and companies to purchase a product (healthcare) or face penalties for failing to do so fines.

                    In his decision which was 2 parts he agreed Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Kennedy that this was not possible as it was a stretch of the Commerce Clause, this was part I believe was written by Scalia, but then he agreed with Kagan, Ginsburg, Sotomayor and Breyer that Congress could use its power to tax to make the law passed, not the Commerce Clause, as many pundits thought would be the case and as was the governments whole argument.

                    The only time that the government even argued that it could use its taxing powers was as a response to a question by one the Justices, it was not their argument to the court.

                    This is what I meant, sorry if I was confusing.

                • I have read many opinions about whether Obamacare is constitutional or not. I am an Originalist, like Scalia and believe that you must read and understand the Federalist Papers in order to interpret the Constitution in the context of today.

                  There is nothing in that document that allows direct taxation of the people in this case. Yes, I know that we all pay unconstitutional income taxes but even that had to be classified as an indirect tax in order to pass the test. It is all BS as is the creation of the Fed.

                  Roberts was dead wrong. Read Scalia’s response. This link is somewhat overwhelming.

                  Click to access 11-393c3a2.pdf

            • My youngest daughter is at KU. She says many students were influenced Ron Paul. Their plan is not to buy health insurance. Since most are already covered by the school’s plan, there is no dire need to buy anything extra. I am surprised there has been no national plan to discourage young people from supporting everyone else;

            • That could also fall by the wayside as the SC could as it did with the mandates, just interpret the law that it implied Federal exchanges as well. But this will take another year to reach the SC. There other constitutional issues as well but they won’t come into effect until the full law is in effect, years from now.

              • I remember the argument that the law had to take full effect, and then those harmed by the law would have a “ripe” case before the SC. I so believe that is beginning to happen right now with the sticker shock at the costs of Ocare for little service and value.

    • Mattingly had a short 2 minute piece back in February covering the letters and emails George was receiving… it was surprisingly anti-narrative, pointing out that public opinion was likely swayed by the misleading picture of Trayvon as a child that was being used in the media.

      Glimmer of hope that this won’t be the typical let’s trash GZ some more piece (though I did notice that Sonny Hostin is involved).

      • Right Nivico, “The program draws on CNN analysts Sunny Hostin and Mark NeJame”. We know what to expect from Hostin. NeJame, you never can tell – he flip flops sometimes. Hope the program will present honest picture…

    • Unsure if there has to be a 990. Either TM foundation applied for tax exemption, they are just a not for profit. The only Foundation that has tax exempt status is the Miami foundation.

      • Have been doing some research, here is what I understand the procedure will be. If the Justice for TM Foundation did receive tax-exempt status they would have filed a report on or by May 1st but that report would not be made public until the following year.

        The Foundation was incorporated in March of 2012 so it was in existence for little over a month before the May 1st filing deadline by the IRS. It is doubtful that it had received any tax-exempt status by then as it takes usually months for that to occur. Their first filing would only cover the period from late March until April 30th of 2012 unless their assets, endowments were less than $50,000 in which case the public disclosure requirement is waived.

        Now the filing done on May 1st of this year will be disclose next year, so we have a few months to wait to get a look at the financials. Now the other Foundation was dissolved before before the May 1st deadline, it had a FEIN but unsure of its tax status, so if they did not receive tax-exempt status, taxes would be due and no disclosure would be made.

        I think that is about it, again this is my understanding based on my research.

        • In 2011, I looked into the possibility of setting up a texting donation program with one of the many cell phones providers. I was looking to give people the ability to donate $10 to the food bank by texting a word to a number.

          I noticed that the parents of Trayvon have set-up such a program. They and the legal team tweeted out the number to donate $10.

          I learned the food bank I was looking to help was not qualified for that program because they do not receive at least $500,000 in donations each year.

          I was surprised to see Mr. Crump on the news complaining about the donations that George Zimmerman had received while the family of the teen didn’t get as much. I thought to myself, you can’t have a text number unless you have $500,000 already.

          Either Mr. Crump brought more misinformation to the public or perhaps this Miami Foundation gives the family what they need to qualify for stuff only bigger charities get access to.

          Later I learned of the HOA settlement and wondered if that gave them the baseline to quality for the texting program.

          • Nettles – the HOA settlement went to the “estate of TM,” which is not a non profit, foundation., etc., “estate” monies of a victim & monies received belonged to Sybrina/Tracy, the heirs of TM’s estate, it has nothing to do with non profits, etc.

        • Bori, I remb on the TM Foundation (hope I speaking of correct one lol so many). BUT the one I am speaking of, stated that this was NOT a Tax Exempt donation. So that means the Foundation or whomever, HAD to pay taxes, Correct? And the person donating could not use as an exemption? This stuff I over my head lol

          • IIRC you are referring to the Legal Defense Fund that was established for the family, but I could be wrong. But you are right one of them had the disclaimer that it was not tax-exempt. I believe the CTH wrote about this.

            • I cant remb. I am trying to catch up and then I will see if I can find what I was thinking about. I think of all the trash can tour $, trip to London and coast to coast. And smh

                • I wonder if either parent ever went back to their jobs? Also just for being nosey, I would like to know the follow up on the whole Victim Fund thing. I think last I remb hearing, CHUMP was saying something like she hadn’t returned to the paperwork. I may be misquoting, and sorry if I did.

                  • I believe Natalie Jackson had said afterwards that the money would go to charity, my thinking is that they just donated the money to their own charity but don’t know for sure.

                • One more thing that I meant to add is how this is normal, in cases like this. No one really cares about it, instead they talk about who will play the part in the movie, that they may be profiting from their own failures is never considered.

    • No one knows who has been reported to the Fla. Bar, but the accused, until their investigation is complete. If no actions are taken against the atty. we will never know. If he is to be sanctioned in any way that will be made public. Maybe NatJac has to run far away from him ASAP. I’ve no doubt that at least several reported him for his lapse in ethics, to say it mildly.

    • “To get a sense of justice and emotional clarity over the death of Trayvon Martin, many cling to the image of a saintly youth and ignore the more difficult reality of a troubled teen picking a fight with an inept neighborhood watchman. Accepting this reality does not lead to a conclusion that Trayvon deserved to die, but it denies the self-justifying conclusions that keep race relations dysfunctional. It also allows us to ignore more troubling and far more common tragedies like the one that befell 18 year old Jett Higham, another African American youth who lost his life in a nighttime run to a local convenience store. The media decided that this tragedy was a non-story, as his killers were also African Americans teens.”

      The perfect epitaph to the story.

      • Bori –

        Thanks for posting that quote from the Schiff article.

        Every time we find a short and succinct statement regarding an aspect of the GZ case, it helps to post the quote here. You never know who might be reading at this site, but would not necessarily follow every posted link. Every little bit helps and this blog is followed by a wide variety of individuals.

        The Schiff quote is particularly effective.

        I have been remiss at times in posting links, but not taking the time to extract and also post a usable quote in addition to posting the link.

  17. Tonight @ 10 EST on CNN has a Special on The George Zimmerman Trial.
    Sorry Folks, can not watch and will have to DVR.
    Season 4 of The Walking Dead is beginning tonight. (yes….I am one of those)

    • It is called “Tragedy on Trial: The George Zimmerman Story” Nettles favorite investigative guy 😛 Dave Mattingly will be “investigating unresolved questions surrounding the Trayvon Martin Case.”

      • This is a comment from the same Charles about which the article is written, and I wanted to say something about this comment;

        “I’ll play a little race card here: I’m white, raised in rural white America, and spent 7 years married to a lovely African American woman later in life. I will tell you, that completely transformed my thinking about race. I know many people who claim to be color-blind – and every single one of them is white. You will never, ever hear a black person in this country describe themselves as color-blind; and you’ll hardly ever find one who says they know white people who are. Ask yourself – are you in this moment thinking that’s because black people are racist? No – it’s simply because they are in the minority; the minority sees the majority on display every day, and feels the difference. Majority culture people don’t see it, because they don’t have to. They own the cultural rules.

        There are dozens of little day to day ways in which the majority (white) culture assumes a definition of “normal,” “average,” “customary,” and “right,” which are in fact only that way for the majority culture itself. They are as simple as things like “You have to know that song, it was on the Top 40 list!” Wait – whose Top 40 are we talking about? They are as whimsical as white people saying “dance like nobody’s watching” and black people saying “dance like everybody’s watching.” They are as in-your-face as the wildly different social acceptability of the N-word depending on the race of the person uttering it. It is, simply, a profound and deep fact. And at least in my case, speaking for one, it wasn’t until I shared a bed and a life with a minority culture person that I could see it.”

        You can read the rest of his comment here:

        Comment of the Day: “Incomplete Ethics Observations On George Zimmerman’s Acquittal”

        There has been a certain “cultural relativism” that has taken hold of Western Society, and imho is detrimental to everyone. Charles argument with his example is that the Top 40 is not everyone Top 40 but in this case the “whites” Top 40. But it goes beyond that because the argument is that because blacks may not agree with the Top 40 their Top 40 should be seen as just as equitable.

        Following that logic, if Blacks thought that TM was justified in assaulting GZ for following him, thereby dissing him, and now are calling for his head because TM acted according to his cultural beliefs then they are justified and we should feel the same way. If we don’t then that just proves their point that we are an inherently racist society.

        I can see the appeal of “cultural relativism”, we have seen the horrors thinking one Culture is above another has had through history, but that also does not mean that this approach is right. Just because some cultures have different set of morals and act based on those does not mean that they are equivalent just because they just that “different”. If people in Black culture are more tolerant of drugs, does not mean that all drugs laws are racist against them but it is a reflection of their tolerance. Having grown up in a predominantly black neighborhood and seeing first hand the damage that some drugs were causing to the community, I witnessed first hand how they affect the community for years to come, and I also saw that a lot of the laws that are now so controversial were passed in the 80’s were at the behest of the community at that time, but that was another different time.

        Some Muslims have arranged marriages with girls that are pre-teen it is in their culture after all who are we to judge, right? Or that if your daughter or sister dishonors you in some way that it is okay to beat them or even kill them, it is their culture and if we are following the Cultural Relativism they are right to feel this way and we are just a bunch of bigots for not feeling the same way. These are extreme examples but I think my point is made. I laugh at some who say that Muslim woman had the right to inherit and own property. What people often forget is what good does it do to have a large house and gold-plated Mercedes is they can’t drive it, but these things can help a widow get a husband, otherwise they still had nothing without a man.

        Now it may seem like I am suggesting that Western culture is above others and that is not my claim, there are values in all cultures that we can learn from but using the my culture feels this way, so everyone must feel the same is fallacious no matter whose culture we are talking about that is why we have to insure that laws are objective and applied to all, regardless of culture.

        • plenty of useful insights. I think the notion of colorblind is not helpful. In grammar school I remember (way back then) in second grade all of us darling and different kids talking about our ethic backgrounds. It is natural, viva la difference.

          however, group think rather than treating people as individuals is the biggest failure I see, that and wearing a chip of racial resentment on your shoulder so one has a ready excuse for abusing others.

          I have also found that racial identity politics become the goal not equality and fighting discrimination in any form, the hierarchy of whose the biggest victim becomes more important than dealing with case by case incidents of discrimination.

          • I agree the colorblind is a nice concept but unrealistic, it how we act despite our differences. Do we treat each different because of each others actions or because of our sometimes obvious and or perceived differences.

            Far too often the differences are blamed for any conflicts without taking into account the actions that preceded the conflicts.

        • I understand the point about majority/minority culture – a minority culture (whether the hearing impaired community, the gay community, blacks, etc) always knows more about the majority culture than vice versa because they live in both cultures. As far as the top 40 example, I think that’s a matter of simple exposure – I remember learning, when I went away to college, that there wasn’t just the top 40 I was used to (basic rock), but also a country top 40, and then I realized there must be others as well. I didn’t have to marry someone and become immersed in the country music culture to learn it – I think it’s just a matter of growing up and becoming exposed to more things. Perhaps people who live in big cities learn it sooner. I think it’s similar to travelling to other countries and realizing what is the norm in the US isn’t necessarily the norm in other places. And I don’t think you have to become so immersed as this blog writer did to understand that there are different cultures (IMO, even a family system is a “culture”) – you just need to be exposed to a couple of different cultures to understand there are differences and to know not to assume how you think is how others think. You don’t have to actually learn everything about that culture.

          And you don’t have to agree with everything about that culture. I feel I totally understand what Boricuafudd is saying. In term of the women’s example, I remember being in graduate school in a class about international cultures. A male student stated that if these African cultures wanted to cut off little girls’ genitalia, that was okay, because it was their culture. Yeah, suffice it to say, that guy was lucky to leave that classroom with his own genitalia intact. I pointed out that there are African cultures where the lighter skin blacks dominate the darker skin blacks, and if we were talking about that, we would be disgusted and want to “teach” them the right things. Yet, it’s part of their culture. Anyway, I won’t continue that rant, but no way do I think a culture has more rights, than in say this example, a woman’s right to bodily integrity. There do seem to be certain things, particularly in the human rights area, that should be accepted in all cultures, because human rights should be more important than any cultural norms IMO.

      • Sorry it sickened you Jordan. My view on equality in the Justice System may not align with somes fatigue with blacks using the courts for social justice. I take a VERY different approach to raising awareness. I feel this blogger is good @ showing how Justice was not incidential in the Zimmerman.
        He made very good reponses to misapplication of where the INJUSTICE was in this case!

        Charles (a commenter) “There is no racial equivalency between minority and majority cultures, and in particular between black and white in this culture; you simply can’t substitute one variable for the other and expect logical connections to obtain.”

        He responds; “It’s not silly; it is undeniably true. Charles’ own comment proves it is true. Not only can I “substitute one variable for the other and expect logical connections to obtain,” I must be able to do so, because the criminal laws must not be applied differently to different races. The Constitution says so, and the argument that Zimmerman, who is more black than Elizabeth Warren is Cherokee, can be subjected to an unsupported prosecution because he happened to be lighter than the young man he killed is a flat-out rejection of the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence”

        Charles: “…and wildly at odds with decency.”
        Response: “I hate to burst bubbles, but the it’s the criminal justice system, not the decency system. The justice system is based on hard evidence and clear laws. What constitutes decency is subjective, and thus a useless standard for objective justice. I think it’s indecent for a prosecutor to give a press conference stating that she is seeking “justice for Trayvon,” when the prosecution’s client is the people of the state, and its objectives must be truth and enforcement of the law, never vindication for a victim. I’m funny that way.”

        • The fact that a group of people regardless of color could call for the prosecution of someone because one was armed, one was not, one was black, one was not, one group marched one did not, the prosecution sought ” justice” for one side….and people feel it was in the SPIRIT of a “victim” not letter of the law, and yet feel there was no harm in affording GZ bond, a trial, because he got an an aquittal should be a concern to EVERYBODY! Sure, yeah he was found not guilty, but if someone feels the way this person does, it is the same as saying the jury found him not guilty for lack of evidence, or because his lawyer created doubt in the jurors mind!
          The point of the post is that GZ should never been arrested in the first place.

      • Jordan –

        I found the article to be a little bit confusing in parts to follow, but I thought that it was quite good in dissecting the lack of logic being employed in many of the arguments against the jury verdict in the GZ case.

        • His writing style and delivery IS a bit confusing. It is more of a legal eagle defensive type take on the case. He seems to take the approach like ” argue it all you want but legally…..” Sometimes though depending on the topic you have to take that approach.

          • For me I took that approach mainly with people who felt GZ initiated the shooting by geting out of his car. Ya, know the ” Only if he stayed in his car” argument.
            Yeah, and only if GZ was never born! What does that have to do with the law?
            Ok. I will take the bait. Lets say GZ is partially responsible for getting out of the car?

            What was Trayvon defending himself against though? A guy that walked by him on a sidewalk with a flashlight on the phone? Wow that phone and flashlight was pretty threatning! Beyond that even IF TM had percieved GZ as a creepy ass cracker, for getting out of his car, and standing his ground….once GZ told him there was not a problem, and was seems heading back to his truck, law would rule that a disengagement. Law allows the initial aggressor to disengage.

            Funny thing is they know that! If I remember John Guy kept trying to prove after it was PROVEN TM assulated GZ first that TM backed away when he on top of GZ because he saw the gun. (with no luck, because forensics proved otherwise)
            So they KNOW the law……They tried to use the initial aggressor disengament part of the self defense law to excuse TMs assualt.

            So regardless if anyone views GZ getting out of the truck as “poor judgement” or views him as Mr. Wanna Be Cop, poor judgement does not equate to proof of second degree murder or even manslaughter!
            If that is the case then those responsible for that “child” beating someone should be held accountable.

            • That leads to next argument against GZ, “TM paid with his life for his stupidity” I added stupidity but the point being that it was to steep a price and GZ should pay somehow.

              • Well then. That is an easy one. Trayvon Martin lived by his “culture” and died by his “culture.” Which was a thug kind of life.
                It pisses me off because parents could have used this whole case to teach their children that this is the outcome when you chose to confront, and pound someone because you need to keep your ego! The person you confront and pound COULD be armed! That is kinda stupid to die for.
                There is no evidence at all even by “DDs” account TM was afraid that night! If anything evidence points to him being the exact opposite.

                As them viewing GZ should pay? This line of thinking goes to that Charles guys view from the other blog that you so concisley addresssed here! I think it goes beyond even what you point out. I feel they are taught the history of their culture and even though they have had no experience being a true victim as their ancestors were, they intentionally keep revictimizing themselves because really that is all they see their culture capable of….fighting for equality, using their own skin color which segregates themselves! These are double standards! In the process they are making themselves the victims. Some of it is intentional and some is not. Not all of it is a culture issue.
                Obviously it is not. Blacks did NOT victimize themselves during the civil rights era. They fought on being Americans, they fought to have the SAME rights as the rest. Now some blacks are fighting to have different laws, rules, and regulations specifically for their skin color!

                Double standards will never do well in race relations.
                For instance they view GZ as a white/hispanic. Our President is black/white, but they call him black, not white/black. They view themselves black when culturally they could be various mixes.

                I can honestly say that if GZ were black & TM white I still would have supported GZs defense. Why? Because being white myself I would have expected a hell of a lot more from a white kid! It is a sad truth. One that would most likely lead some blacks and whites calling me a racist instead of starting a conversation about how I can help them or how we all can help each other.
                What is even more sad not all blacks view the world through victims eyes, but they pay the price for those that do. That is a double whammy! I was raised around diverse cultures… hispanic, mexican, italian,asian, black, even had experience with Amish and Mennonites. Sometimes I was the minority! Sometimes I was embraced, sometimes not. One big difference though was not the diverse community. Most times all of us had no choice but to live as disadvantaged people in that community. But we all did attend the same church. And I will allow the individual reading this to interpret that without getting into religious subjects.
                I think when people feel accountable to a higher power, whatever that higher power is to them….the struggles, the challenges, the differences bring people together for positive outcomes instead of just for funerals, and to marches. This whole asking the government to make people equal is the most flawed thinking if you ask me. It actually divides people more then it brings them together. The government may be a higher power in a limited sense of its purpose, but it is in no shape to stand on a pulpit and preach equality or decided a punishment for hate, They can not even function, or come to bipartisian agreements themselves.

  20. Well looks like the Grifters Crane and Frederick Leatherhead are taking up a new racist cause. I guess they think since they were there and begging / receiving $ thru out whole TM ordeal why not strike out and follow CHUMPSTER.

  21. After watching the CNN special report, for anyone who wants to give the reporter your feedback, I used his facebook page to get my views to David Mattingly. I’m going to be posting a thread about the media reporting on this case and I’ve reached out the Mr. Mattingly for his thoughts. I suggest you take the time to give your feedback as well if you have any hopes of getting fair and accurate reporting in the future.

    https://www.facebook.com/pages/David-Mattingly-CNN/109448392418114

  22. I’ve never heard of this singer before, but I just saw this video on crayfisher blog. I think I like it – there are some crowd shots, and there’s a guy wth a sign that says “two parties, same result”, which basically speaks to me because I think the politicians anymore (and the parties) are really just there to preserve themselves, not to work for us.

          • Thanks yours was not too shabby either, I just did not want to repeat the points over you had. Maybe someone will ask what I am referring too, or will doubt was is being said, that is a start.

          • With all this vomiting happening from you all watching it, maybe I should just delete it from DVR..lol. I kinda figured trial truth points would be left out of this “Special”. They want to still reach those who did not watch the trial.

          • The Mattingly production is an excellent excellent example of what is wrong (and correctable) in the media/news-information business.

            If the objective of the Mattingly program was to present an unbalanced review of the GZ/TM case, then it succeeded remarkably well.

            Was that the objective?

            • I did not watch it yet today. So I can not comment on the objective of that program. But from what I have seen online and from the MSM this whole time it appears their objective is a confusing one. Because on its face it seems they all want to discuss race relations in a very counter productive way, or to insert race relations where it does not apply.
              I totally get the whole “tragedy” from their view point. I get it a young man died. It was avioidable in more ways them one.
              There are various debates that seem to be lumped together when they are very different topics and issues.
              For some it was the gun that killed TM. To some TM was murdered because he was black. To some a right to murder law killed TM. Etc.
              What they fail to acknowledge which is concerning to me is that TMs own violent behavior is was caused his own death.

              Unlike the children sitting in their class rooms who were doing nothing wrong and died at the hands of a sick twisted mentally ill young man, there was an ergency felt to protect our children, arm our teachers, and some rational debate on gun control and mental health even through the emotionalism.

              …Trayvon Martin did not have clean hands. He took the risk of confrontation when he had other options. It is high time those issues are discussed with out forcing blame on GZ even IF you view him as being reponsible for TMs death for leaving his truck. Even IF you view GZ following him as wrong. Even IF you view carrying a concealed gun as unfair, those are questions of moral fortitude not of the law.
              Facts stand. Everything GZ was attempting to do was within the law in order to DETER a crime.
              Suppose they one day are GZ. Suppose I see their home potentially getting robbed. I am guessing they would like me to just drive on by. Suppose I see them getting beaten by a teen on a street corner. I suppose I should not get out and help because it is not my property. To top it off 1. I am white 2. The perp is black 3. I am armed

              It is emotionalism attempting to make rational decisions that affect millions of people.

    • Francis Oliver is prominently featured, and not once does Mattingly bother to inform viewers that she is the mother of one of the attorney’s working for the Martin family… hardly the impartial concerned community member he made her out to be.

      Doesn’t bother to mention any of the lies and questionable circumstances surrounding Rachel Jeantel’s discovery, coached statements, and testimony… she had credibility issues because she had been dishonest (‘in fact she lied’ to the SAO) not because she was illiterate as was implied.

      Again they edit and misquote the juror as stating GZ got away with murder… when she was merely repeating what the interviewer said.

      Again, they play only portions of the NEN call… highlighting the two curse words uttered during a four minute call (assholes, shit)

      And then, AND THEN, they have the nerve to hypocritically turn around and criticize the defense for entering Trayvon’s crude but unedited texts into evidence thus making them public.

      And what’s with Mattingly’s complete 180… in February he acknowledged that the public was misled by the media’s use of childhood photos of TM, but now he criticizes the defense for using current photos and likenesses that show TM in a realistic light?

      Ugh… it is sooooo frustrating.

      • And the irony of showing Benjamin Jealous saying ” the trial is over he should get out of the spotlight” as he continues to travel with the Martins and scheme team bilking people out of money for their questionable “foundation”

      • so glad I did not watch, frustrating is a moderated way of describing the experience of propaganda and manipulation. CNN must be desperate for viewers relying on the racist bullies addicting to hating on George.

        • You are right. But the truth in all of this is they picked the wrong man to be the poster boy for racism. They ran without knowledge that GZ was a white guy who murdered a black kid in cold blood. Instead of correcting their narrative they added as much fiction as the public would swallow. One good thing did come out of it. They exposed themselves. The public who still swallows their BS has shown truth matters naught!

            • Psst Danny – he WAS a white guy, with a small amount of black in him. Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race 🙂

              I don’t know your race, but I’m white, and I’m having to start checking boxes that say “white, nonhispanic” (kind of irritates me that I am now defined by what I am NOT!)

              • Okay. Lets just say he is not black.
                I hear ya on the white/non hispanic box. We can make this much easier if we just have a box that that say “Not black” @ this point.

                Technically, biologically there is only one “race”. Homosapien or human.
                There is a lot of confusion about Hispanics not being a race and just an ethnicity. There is confusion between race, ethnicities, ancestry, and lineage.

                “For Census 2000, American Community Survey: People who identify with the terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” are those who classify themselves in one of the specific Hispanic or Latino categories listed on the Census 2000 or ACS questionnaire – “Mexican,” “Puerto Rican,” or “Cuban” – as well as those who indicate that they are “other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino.” Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person’s parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. People who identify their origin as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino may be of any race. ”
                Because like their countries of origin, the group is heterogeneous in various ways, including race, ancestry,and lineage. Same goes for Haitians.

                Here is something funny. The US identifies blacks as the minority race, but they are the 2nd largest ancestry group. German ancestry is #1. Irish used to be #2 it since has been pushed to #3.
                Hispanic and Latinos are the largest ethnicity in the US.
                In the ancestry group Mexicans are #4 while Puerto Ricans (who have beautiful islands I might add) are #12. Where I am from many many identify as Puerto Rican. They do not like to be called Spanish. Spanish is what they speak. Some blacks do not identify as African American, they prefer black. And do not call a Dominican black! They do not like it. This is from my own experience, it may be different in other parts of the country. But, Census records show 75% of the time Domicians mark “other” and also check Native American.

                So I do suppose for the sake of saving census time it is easier with what we got. But it does cause issues where the FBI crime statistics are concerned as well as public race relations. I usually do not use crime stats to make a point. Hispanics and Latinos are considered white or other. There is no way in knowing if crime is rising in that group. Also, splitting the races between black/ non hispanic and just white misrepresents what the majority really is because we look @ population to determine if the race commits more or less crime per their population. For instance on face value many would say whites commit more crimes then blacks. But with a 12% of the black population committing the same or more crimes as whites… crimes blacks commit are disproprtional to their population. If we want to break the white crime rate down even further we can not. Because most sub groups are part the white or other categories.

    • Yeah, I think this foundation is a little suspect. There are already plenty of organizations (local, state, federal) working on mental illness. The family says they want to draw attention to the need for more mental health – but the son DID have mental health available to him, he had recently been inpatient, and if he was diagnosed with bipolar and schizophrenia, he was discharged on medications.

      While we could always use more mental health options (new meds, more housing, more community case managers, etc), here’s the thing – we can’t just lock everyone up as was done in the past. Most people with mental illness, even schizophrenia, take their meds and are never a suicidal or homicidal risk. They may be a little “odd”, they may need some oversight in the community, but they have the right to live as freely as they can.

      There are a minority who pose a risk to themselves or others, and they tend to go through a cycle. They stop taking their meds, so they have to be hospitalized. In the psych hospital they get stabilized on their meds again, and are eventually discharged home. Then they either decide they don’t like the side effects, or they decide they’re feeling fine now, and stop taking their meds and the cycle repeats. But even these people can’t be hospitalized forever – once they’re stable on their meds and making appropriate judgments, they have the right to go home.

      • As far as this particular man, from the article it seems he couldn’t handle being given another diagnosis (he had already been told he was bipolar, then later they said schizophrenia – I’m thinking possibly with these two serial diagnoses, maybe he was actually schizoaffective – schizophrenia with a mood disorder). It doesn’t say whether he had stopped his meds, so we don’t know if that may have played a role. Clearly he was despondent, and we don’t know if there was any outpatient therapy going on to help him cope with this. Basically, there’s a lot we don’t know in his particular case. But he was apparently a smart, hardworking guy, who had goals he was working towards. With the proper medication and oversight, I’ll bet he could have continued his dreams. It’s really a shame. But I don’t think at this point we can say the mental health system failed him – it was there for him and he availed himself of it. Did he not share his feelings with the mental health practioners? Did he stop his meds? Did his therapist not explore enough of what was going on inside of him? Was he discharged with no follow up care? We just don’t know from the article.

        • There lies in the rub, oversight, the meds treat the systems and stabilize the person with variable rates of success but the disease is there. We are asking people with a mental disease to make this decisions, the meds that are used can have terrible side effects and are life changing, no matter how you look at them. As someone who dealt with this directly I can tell you it is hard on the person, life is hard enough without having to depend on pills that change who you are and limit your activities. I won’t claim to have an answer but while it may seem harsh, and inhuman sometimes commitment is the better alternative.

      • It’s interesting that Corey apparently does know the difference between a fight and an assault and yet she threw all of her support behind the family of the assailant and charged the victim in the Zimmerman case despite the obvious one-sided nature of the injuries…???

        There’s definitely a disconnect here between her knowledge of the law and her application of the law.

        Geragos made the same observation about former prosecutor Sunny Hostin’s complete disregard for Zimmerman’s injuries… he told her that if this were any other case, she would have no doubt charged the person who inflicted those wounds with felony aggravated assault with great bodily injury.

  28. New thought:
    So South Park jumped the shark? I have only read about their episode, but they made it much of it about stand-your-ground.
    I know RZJr had expected them to be clear-minded.

    Other thought: What is the matter with us? Did we swallow the wrong color pill or the right one???

      • Cypher(Matrix) ” You know, I know this steak doesn’t exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth, the Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy, and delicious. After nine years, you know what I realise? Ignorance is bliss.”

        Yes ignorance can be bliss, until that ignorance comes back and bites you in the ass. Is is so much easier to believe the fantasy as it shields us from reality, and it allows us however temporarily to escape the reality and our shared responsibility.

        • The cock-sure-ness of the Z haters, and their numbers, both make me doubt myself and my perceptions and biases. I don’t know how they could get their own perceptions and conclusions out of the details of that case, but did I maybe only expose myself to certain ones, and certain people’s analyses?
          Bori, was it you, though, who posted about someone telling you that eliminating SYG has huge financial implications for PI lawyers because of immunity implications? I owe that person a thank you. I think that is a major piece of information, and explains a lot.

          • It was not me, but that has been the issue since the law came into existence. The lawyer’s lobby has been using both money and political clout to repeal this section of the law. Did you know that has the same SYG law? Difference is that the Immunity provision is not there, so even if you had legally defended yourself in California you may still be sued for wrongful death or injury.

            • I was confused for a long time by the comments I would occasionally see about “they” or “the higher purpose is to repeal SYG”
              I would sort of wonder “really”? Are you sure? maybe the person saying this is a serious gun right type? What do the people who are saying these things know that I don’t? And somebody here answered it for me.

              This may be a useful piece of information to keep in mind when speaking with other-pillers or skeptics. It was hugely illuminating for me, a major missing dot. (the personal injury SYG $ issue, I mean)

              • “The bill approved Tuesday requires local sheriffs to issue guidelines to neighborhood crime watch programs, particularly that participants are prohibited from pursuing and confronting suspects.”

                So basically they want ‘crime watch’ to be literal… watch crimes being committed in your neighborhood and be prohibited by law from doing anything about it.

                What are residents supposed to do when the alternative, call the police and hope they get there in time, proves ineffective time and time again… just live in constant fear?

                Anyhoo, I’m in agreement with you, Jordan… this will be a short-lived victory for the anti-SYG crowd. The very notion that citizens can be prohibited by law from confronting (i.e. speaking to and/or questioning) suspicious individuals in their neighborhoods is a violation of the Constitution.

                • More work for the Sheriffs I say! Do not think the law will prohibit self defense or SYG against anyone who is not a watch capt. which is quite stuid being the anti SYG supporters want to stop SYG for the civil purposes under the law. As long as someone is NOT on a community watch board then what? And what happens under the laws if a watch capt. uses their discretion and just does not call and ignores a potentional crime? Will the HOAs sue the resident? Can another resident sue because they did not report it or try to stop it? Can the cops charge this watchman for not reporting/ stopping it? And what exactly is confronting and or pursuing? What happens then if a crime watcher on duty faces a criminal that confronts them? This would be so easy for a criminal to claim “Hey I was climbing in a window to rob John Smith and this watch guy told me to stop. He scared me and I fell and broke my leg. So I am suing him because he confronted me.”

                  Floridians, you need to do some research and remove the individuals who are removing your rights to a safe and peaceful community. The police need to stop putting your citizens at risk and do their job to protect you and your neighbors because you now have been stripped of rights to protect each other.

          • “…eliminating SYG has huge financial implications for PI lawyers because of immunity implications…”

            Actually, it does not, because the immunity provision (776.032) of Florida’s Justifiable Use of Force (776) is separate from SYG (776.012, 776.013), and both are separate from the regular old self-defense part.

            SYG and immunity were put into the J.U.of F. law at the same time, but are not the same thing.

            The immunity provision is designed to keep someone who didn’t do anything wrong from being dragged through criminal and civil courts anyway, with the attendent damage to their lives and bank accounts. They don’t get to arrest first and figure out if they have enough evidence for an arrest later.

            Of course civil attornies don’t actually have to prevail in court, they just have to convince defendents to agree to undisclosed settlements to get the nightmare over with.

            What this is really about is doing away with the immunity part, not the “no duty to retreat” part.

            If the Sanford police had not used SYG as shorthand for the entire Justifiable Use of Force law in general and the immunity provision in particular, that would have been one thing fewer for the public to be misled about in the Martin/Zimmerman case.

            • “They don’t get to arrest first and figure out if they have enough evidence for an arrest later.” This is something that confuses people too, as they see a lack of arrest as a lack of investigation.

        • I should add: the “I know this steak doesn’t exist” people are a subset of the illusion-pill group. In this case, from where I see it, that subset is particularly immoral. (or amoral, whichever)

        • also, my own thoughts about that movie were that a significant part of its point was simply about television.
          But apply the point to the blogosphere as well and then you are not so confident of the pill colors. Certainly leatherpeople or axiomamnesiacs would say the Z-defenders took the wrong pill…

          😦

          I hope I am not raising red flags of stealth mind poisoner or concern troll. Nettles, my offer to establish my real identity for you stands. (just an obscure private citizen, but if you wanted to be sure of my agenda, I can contact you with verifiable info on who I am)

          • Not at all, I think it is healthy to examine one’s conclusions and put them to the test. I’ll ask you do you think the other camp is capable or even willing to do the same? That is what differentiates both camps, we imho, can admit being wrong about this or that, others just double down.

            • I do know of anti-Z people who have altered their thinking *somewhat* about what happened — some of them because of facts or reasoning I offered to them. I think in some cases the resistance is in simply vanity connected to PC-ness, in some cases it is just too painful to acknowledge some things, in some cases, it is tool hard to truly empathize with a “white” guy who “profiled” someone else, and some part of it imo is major stereotyping of gun-owners. I think simple *time* may help the process along as far as people reaching what you and I believe to be clear thinking about all of this. I myself am not a fan of SYG, or perhaps I am conflicted about it.

              • I believe part of the issue with SYG laws is that we have been indoctrinated about what is a good thing to defend and what is bad. For instance it is good to defend your ideas and ideals, that is seen as having principles. But to shoot someone to defend your car, house, tv, or anything material is seen as selfish, immoral, after it is only a material that may be replaced.

                When it comes to defending your life or those of a love one, it gets trickier but then the question has become whether there was another way, which is fine to consider after the fact but in the heat of the moment, it is impossible to answer as we are behaving on instinct.

                One thing that is not talked about is what about the other person(s). They made a decision that you had something they wanted and wanted to take it from you, by force if necessary, should not the responsibility we ask of the ones victimize by as high or not higher since they are the ones want what was not theirs.

                But here is the conundrum, if a burglar breaks into your house how would you know that whatever material wealth is all he that he wants, or that this is what he wants in the first place? Or if your are attacked in the street that they will be satisfied with just your wallet or car? Or if you are woman attacked that the attacker will be satisfied with just raping you and won’t decide to not leave a witness after he ravished you?

                SYG laws were meant to solved this, to the extent that it could and even then it still puts obstacles and requirements on your actions. But the bottom line is the law in Florida for instance is rarely used, after hundreds of thousands of crimes since the law into effect in 2005 the Tampa Bay Times, which wants the law repeal, could only find 200 cases were the law was mentioned, less than 150 were the law was actually evoked and just over 100 actual SYG hearings and only about 55 times that immunity was granted, it is a red herring.

                • We have been indoctrinated with a moral mandate that gives the government the ability to decided who should live and who should die without utilizing the laws. Those that know the law are useless unless you create more needs. For instance it is much easier to entice a starving dog with a juciy steak then it is for one with a full belly.
                  Next step is to make the one with the full belly feel guilty he is full. That is the new breed. To always be dependant. No one is ever truly free. We just survive.

    • I watched it. It really was more about the World War Z incorporation. I thought the parts about the profiling and needing GZ to kill for the Government was making fun of public perception surrounding the SYG law and how the gov. really needs people like GZ! and lynching of GZ was made fun of. You should watch it with a open mind viewing it as complete fiction as it is. I think SP took the movie and this case and splashed them together to make fun of things that could happen that have yet never happened, that did happen, and may happen if you believe in a movie and the PR of this case!

  30. Crump’s office responded to my 990 request: Info (Info@parkscrump.com)Add to contacts 7:16 AM Keep this message at the top of your inbox
    Please contact the Miami Foundation regarding your request. The Trayvon Martin Foundation is housed under the Miami Foundation.
    Picture of Info

  32. I had heard that the EBT (food stamp) system had failed in a bunch of states this weekend, and people couldn’t use their cards. I just heard tonight that in Louisiana (who is from there, is it Art Tart? Maybe Jordan, too???) the system would let people use their cards, but it no longer gave a limit. I’ve never heard of anyone who gets more than $200/month (I don’t know if it’s different in different states). The news showed a Walmart in Monroe, LA, and shoot another town I forgot the name – but they let them just get whatever they wanted. Somehow the “news” got out, because the stores were flooded with people, buying up to $800 in groceries, but some actually were allowed to buy flat screen tvs – with their food stamp card! Anyway, the people on tv (Megan Kelly’s show) were arguing – one said that Xerox is hired by the government to oversee this system, and they should be responsible, and the other said that Walmart told the shoppers they could buy whatever they wanted (probably wanting the bigger sales, and figuring someone else would pay), so they should be financially responsible. I guess they checked with some higher power, because at the end of the show, Megan said Walmart is going to have to eat those costs. It seems to me that if there is an upper limit each month, you certainly could at least put that limit on it (they were saying that Walmart didn’t want to tell the people to wait a day until it could be fixed, because they were afraid of headlines blasting “Walmart won’t sell to EBT people!” But I’m just shaking my head that so many people would be so willing to take what they knew wasn’t theirs. What’s that phrase – “getting one over” …??

    • The EBT is used for cash (welfare) and food stamps, I was reading in a local paper that other businesses were turning away customers and someone made a decision to allow people to shop for food, so they would not go hungry but put no cap on the transactions. One lady had a cart with over 700 dollars worth of groceries in Spring Hill, La but the system had come back online and it showed only .49 cents left on her card. She was allowed to leave, as the store would not press charges if she left the food. Others is line found out and left dozens of carts on the aisles on the store.

      The cards showed active they would not give a limit, so all the transactions went through. The would know who spent what and could pursue it if they desire. It would probably be a PR nightmare for them though, let’s see what happens.

      “Lynd explained the cards weren’t showing limits and they called corporate Walmart, whose spokesman said to let the people use the cards anyway. From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700.00 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Walmart said they wouldn’t press charges if she left the food.

      “Lynd explained the cards weren’t showing limits and they called corporate Walmart, whose spokesman said to let the people use the cards anyway. From 7 to 9 p.m., people were loading up their carts, but when the cards began showing limits again around 9, one woman was detained because she rang up a bill of $700.00 and only had .49 on her card. She was held by police until corporate Walmart said they wouldn’t press charges if she left the food.”

      Another excerpt from the same article:

      “Walmart employees could still be seen putting food from the carts away as late as Sunday afternoon. “I was just thinking, I’m so glad my mom doesn’t work here [Walmart] anymore, that’s the only thing I could think about, those employees working, that would have to restock all that stuff,” said O.J Evans who took cell phone video of the overflowing shopping carts at the Mansfield Walmart.

      Evans believes it was natural human reaction that led people to fill up their carts during the glitch, but Walmart shoppers Stan and Judy Garcia feel very differently. “That’s plain theft, that’s stealing that’s all I got to say about it,” said Garcia.

      Lynd says contrary to rumors, nobody was unruly or arrested and they were mainly there to help prevent shoplifting and theft.”

      So the police was there to protect the thieves and their stolen property, only in America.

      You can read the rest here:

      http://www.ksla.com/story/23679489/walmart-shelves-in-springhill-mansfield-cleared-in-ebt-glitch

      • I am not familiar any other food stamp states. I do not recall hearing of any major problems here in Florida. We have had a few cases of abuse, like a store owner letting a friend use the card to buy alcohol and tobacco products.

        • The downed EBT systems is run by XEROX. XEROX supplies the system for only 17 states. Some states were not affected because they use a different company. My state was one of the 17 but there were no reports about people taking advantage of the downed system. May have happened on a smaller scale though…. 😦

          • Most companies stop accepting EBT, once the limits on the card could not be verified. The La. Walmarts made the decision to accept the cards without limit, which is what led to their abuse as soon as the word got out.

            In California another state affected by the glitch, the talk was of doing a “Rodney King” if the system was not fixed.

            • I heard Corprate told then to accept them. Prolly because they too were afraid of riots! Mobs rule ya know! But still!
              I think we will end up hearing of arrests….or at least I hope we do!

            • It would be theft by deception or theft by threat (which is a felony) or even some form of theft by threat of causing a riot (i forget the name of it). Lets not forget damage to any goods people just left sit!

                  • Problem is that the government will not give Walmart the information, I believe they are prohibited by law, which you leave the company to try to figure out the identities of who was involved by different means. The government would know who overcharged their cards but that is about it.

                    • It does not look like Walmart wanted to prosecute anyways. Like arttart said they will have to suck it up. Unless the DA presses charges themselves?

          • Danny – it happened on a tremendous scale in La. & Walmart is stuck with thousands & thousands of dollars in the “snafu” of those dishonest that took advantage of the system when it was down & customers knowingly ripped off Walmart. WHEN it was announced over the microphone the system was “again working,” carts full of groceries were left all over the stores & the customers walked out.

            Since it made National news for a couple of days, I think La. was hit the hardest, Mansfield, La. & Springhill, La., just right out of Shreveport, La. where I live. These people were DISHONEST & got away w/it, Walmart will suck up the cost.

            _______________
            Retailers on hook for EBT card purchase snafu! Shoppers empty food shelves in Mansfield, Springhill, La.!

            http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20131014/NEWS01/310140032/Retailers-hook-EBT-card-purchase-snafu

          • Danny – it happened on a big scale in small towns in La., Mansfield & Springhill which are right out of Shreveport, La. where I live. The “dishonest” cleared the shelves of almost everything. The cities made National News for the rip offs w/paying customers videoing some customers taking out several loaded shopping carts from the store.

            Walmart is going to have to SUCK up the losses, they in good faith allowed the customers that ripped them off to go over the $ 50.00 limit which is customary for Walmart when XEROX is down but the customers took advantage & now Walmart gets to suck up the losses.

            NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.
            _________________________________________________

            Retailers on hook for EBT card purchase snafu! Shoppers empty food shelves in Mansfield, Springhill, La!

            http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20131014/NEWS01/310140032/Retailers-hook-EBT-card-purchase-snafu

            • I am just not understanding the fact that Walmart COULD allow it to happen…legally anyways. Stores can get in big time trouble for welfare fraud by allowing people to commit the fraud to begin with! And those that swiped their cards can be found obviously. They made the transaction!

              • To me it is Welfare fraud by the store and the people. Those that did not make a transaction and made the mess should be charged once identified!

            • As for the thieves who took off with carts full of goods. Guess that is up to Walmart if they want to prosecute.
              But get this two years ago @ one of our local Walmarts a guy stole a pair of work pants (he needed them for his new job he was 21 yrs. old) Security chased him across the highway once he left the store. He was hit by a car and died!

      • “Evans believes it was natural human reaction that led people to fill up their carts during the glitch..” What a crock! I am betting this will not be the last we hear about those who pretty much intentionally stole items. They took adavantage of the systems glitch knowing full well their acount limits and certain items that can not be purchaced using EBT cards. Those who did this should face a penalty. If I walked into a store with a stolen credit card and bought stuff I would be prosecuted.

        Evans is part of the problem. Double standard! The law is the law poor or not! If it is human nature for people to steal from the very people they already take from, then those who complain about their hard earned money going to these people have a right to say where it goes without being called names.

        My state has slowly been changing the welfare system. They complained but they adjusted.
        Most recently the changes have saved tax payers over $170 million. Some other changes ….. People with children and are 21-58 have a work requirement or they lose their benefits. Medical benefits cover six scripts per month. Anything after that requires a medical neccessity. They now educate people to only use the emergency room for emergencies. Many on state welfare were clogging our emergency rooms for minor aliments. And emergency room visits cost ALOT more.

        I have private insurance. If I go to the emergency room I pay a $250 deduc. if I am not admitted on top of my reg. deduc. if I owe any. I usually do because my deduc. is $5 gs. (btw… I like my health insurance. and my deduc. is high only because the charge for coverage is low, I even have higher copays but it evens out to the same coverage provided before. We just pay a different way now).

        I do not mind paying taxes to provided food for the disadvantaged. I really do not. But there were times when we were a younger family starting off….. I went shopping and saw families with a cart full of food while I had to budget. My wife would plan two meals out of one whole chicken. Here when we walk out of the store the people using an EBT card are driving an Escalde with shiny rims, and I am driving an 11 year mini van and pushing $50 in food to feed 5 until next pay check! I considered myself poor then. What if my banks system were down that shopping day and I filled my cart full of stuff I knew I really did not have the money for? Would Evans still feel it was just a human reaction or would he agree I was robbing my bank?

        • Funny you mention that, I had a situation where the bank had a similar glitch, I went over by $20 accidentally, the next month the bank charged me the $20, it also penalized me $35 for being over the limit and another $20, $5 dollars for everyday that my account was under. It was an honest mistake, but the bank did not care one bit.

          As for the shopping, boy do I hear you, I go around 6 or places to get our food. Seeing full carts of food being paid by these cards full of junk food most of the time, irks the heck out of me.

          • One time I had an extra $ 1200 in my bank account…..had no clue where it came from. I did not touch a damn penny until I contacted the bank to find out where it came from. Found out it was legit….someone to this day I have no clue who… got my routing number and put it in there for Xmas!

          • When I lived in LA we did pretty well finacially so I have no clue how this happened. It was our first yr. there. My kids did not even get free or reduced lunches. But the school district put us on some holiday list to get a basket to make a holiday meal. The fire dept. delivers the basket from their truck. So here these firemen come to delivery this basket I am like WTH? We told them we did not need it. We had everything we needed….turkey is defrosting two days already. They thanked us because they were short baskets and they had 3 more houses to deliver and only two more baskets. The firemen were going to stop @ a Vons and chip in to make one more. So instead they gave my kids a ride on the firetruck and let them sound the siren.

            Sometimes I do wish these programs were a little more accountable and if people really do not need it they pass if forward. The gesture was very nice though.

            • Back in 2008, my company went bankrupt without any warning, as you may have guessed this was not the most optimal time to try to get a job.

              My neighbor gave my name to a local charity that bought gifts for my kids for Christmas, we were really struggling after 8 months as the most of the savings had been spent 1 year before relocating for the job that I lost, months later.

              It was without a doubt the most special Christmas for us, ever since I sponsor a family with the same charity every year and provide gifts for them as they did for my kids.

              • Yeah in 2009 job loss was an issue with us because the company changed hands. We ran out of savings in about 8 months too. So we moved cross country. Very expensive move. That company began closing down the next year. We moved back lived in our house for 3 months without our funiture. My Mom was with us then too. It cost over 3gs we had to save up to bring it all back. My kids had a very hard time with all of the adjustments. Especially trying to rebuild savings in LA and moving cross country twice! I hated saying no but we had to. We had help from family that we actually have paid back! I was happy I could forgo the community help and pass it forward. Some were not and are not as blessed. So I do donate, always have, always will. There may be a day I do need it.

              • As a volunteer at the soup kitchen, I get to witness the community’s generousity all the time.

                We’ve got something special going on with the women and men who are experiencing homelessness in my hometown. High school students go to visit the soup kitchen and spend a day volunteering and talking with the clients. One client was so overwhelmed by the care shown by the students he gave them a written promise to stay off drugs from then on. He promised to return to them 1 year later drug-free. He kept that promise and in so doing so, Glen, has influenced a number of students who visited the soup kitchen to make positive choices. One kid in grade 11 was in tears because he knew that Glen “got him” and his struggles to self-medicate.

                Men and women experiencing homelessness have found a voice and are eager to help the students see how choices they make today, can affect their life. Leaving home too early, drugs, teen pregnancy. It’s having quite an impact.

                In Ontario, for those getting welfare, they have to actively search for a job for 20 hours a week and they have to volunteer for 20 hours a week to help fill in some holes in their resume.

                Most people in need of help, it’s a temporary situation. I’m very glad that donations from the community allow the volunteers the opportunity to help another in need out.

                Did you know Justin Bieber and his mom needed a food bank? I tell the kids at the facility, you could be the next Justin Bieber. Just don’t forget to give back. Justin has donated tens of thousands to food banks all throughout Ontario.

                You never know who you are helping be the best person they can be.

                • I can honestly say it was also the way I was raised by my great-grandmother, though we were very poor she would help anyone she could most times without being asked. I recall a neighbor who was struggling once he lost his job, and my grandmother would invite him everyday for “chats” around dinner time. She knew he was not eating properly and his pride would prevent him for asking so she used that excuse to get to come over and share dinner. It took some months but he got a job and got his life back in order, so what he did in return was buy food and bring it over for my great grandmother to cook, his wife had passed away several years earlier, and though he was an excellent cook, he did this to repay my great grandmother. She too, was very proud and would not ever complain about our lack of resources she always said we were rich in other ways.

                  I have tried sometimes not as successfully as she did, my great grandmother was sort of known in our small town, to help people. She would feed anyone that needed it, gave temporary shelter to others, even had a couple of battered women and their children stay with us until the situation got better.

      • boricuafudd – When Walmart knew the system was down & NOT showing the monetary limit, which the recipients clearly knew when they received their card w/their limit on it, how did the customers find out & quickly take advantage loading up baskets of food? Did Walmart announce they didn’t know the amount available on the Food Stamp Cards & for the convenience of their customers were using the honor system?

      • Oh I am sorry for putting this link above here. This is relevant to the Feds. that I was discussing the last few days. not the Florida Bar panel from the tweet.

    • That’s fascinating Nettles. From what I understand, when the Fla. Bar decides that a complaint has merit, and is considering some sort of action against the accused, they make their recommendations to the Fla. SC. The Fla. SC then decides if punishment of any sort will be brought against the accused. I would imagine that more than a few complained about Corey and her actions.

      Also interesting in the article Danny linked below with the Q and A period, the most telling answer to me was in the vary last sentence-

      “Not only did the state prosecutors not have enough evidence to charge a “hate crime” under Florida law (which has long existed as an enhancement to any underlying crime charged), the jury acquitted Zimmerman outright based on what little evidence of a provable crime that did exist.”

      I believe I read that the guy providing the answers is in charge of the criminal division of the Fla. Bar. If I am not mistaken, it was because of the SC Bar that Nifong was taken down ultimately. The SC attorney general stepped in before any further actions could be taken against the accused. If this is in fact a hearing on charges against Corey and the prosecution, too bad they didn’t act as quickly as the SC Bar. It could have, and should have prevented George from having to go to trial to being with. It appears they agree that the evidence against GZ for a crime were all but non-existent.

      • “Put another way, the feds do not like bringing weak cases (something the state probably should have thought smarter about when making its charging decision in this case). As disappointed as many are with this verdict, we must not allow that disappointment to serve as the basis for questioning the wisdom of federalism or our state court jury system, or allowing prosecutors, without cause, to take successive bites at the apple until they “get” their man.”

        “Smarter about when making its charging decision” and “allowing prosecutors, without cause” are pretty strong statements coming from a former State Bar Criminal Section Chairman.

        • Sorry Bori. I missed that H. Scott Fingerhut is the immediate past chair of the Criminal Div. at the Fla. Bar. I am also cognizant that the Fla. Gov. does have much sway on the Fla. SC. I am hopeful that this panel, whatever they are about, is looking at least one of the actors in the railroading of GZ. It could be Corey, it could be Crump, it could be a meeting against the actions of any number of people. I don’t see this being about the Kruidbos case.

          • BTW Bori. I do agree that it is critical that state’s remain in chage of their own legal systems. I do wonder if Fla. isn’t in need of a serious intervention with the utter corruption coming out of that state. It’s always been less than stellar, but it has gone over the cliff with Pam Bondi.

  36. LOL, this question made me laugh. Yes, I think Sundance has gone too Hollywood. 🙂

  39. How does everyone follow Annette’s blog? I mean how do you know when a new comment is made aside from the comments at the bottom. Yahoo no longer sends me notifications and I know I am subscribed to comments.

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