Thank you Sofia, and as a parent of a teen you know where I am coming from. They want to go out, hang out, and be teenagers. The messages we as a society are sending our teens seems to be based on fear and mistrust. Unfortunately, race has been a defining factor in American history, and its something that is a fact of life. I have been all over the world, and have seen bad/crazy people from all walks of life. Why we feel the need to pathologize certain groups is beyond me.

You know what DJ? When I was at Pratt and used to go the the local grocery store, there was an older gentleman there always sitting on a milk crate asking for money (he was black). He knew well enough never to ask me for milk, instead I would buy him milk and whatever else he wanted (food). We talked often, perhaps I may have been one of the few students who actually stopped and talked to him, but he was a world of knowledge even though to most just a beggar and an annoyance. One day as we were talking he gave me a lesson on Portuguese history and of course slavery came about. I was ashamed and told him such. I knew the Portuguese were the first who had started it, but he right away corrected me and said, yes.. true... but you guys recognized your mistake fast and were the first to stop it, therefore the ones that used slaves the least amount of time (which I was unaware of). Day after day we talked, got him what he wanted from the store. Then one day a bunch of neighborhoods kids started calling me trashy names, etc. It was the very first time I saw him getting up and started running after those kids saying, she IS my friend, she may be white but she sees no difference. Please respect her as you would one of your own. A few days later he was not there yet those kids were there. I must say at the beginning I was a tad worried but kept on walking as if nothing.

Suddenly they run to me and instead I looked at them smiling and to date I am thankful I had the hope they were not thinking in giving me a hard time. They grabbed my grocery bags and asked if they could help me all the way to my apartment. I thanked them and we all walked and talked. It was one of my most treasured moments living in Brooklyn.

Every country has its problems with racism. But I must say out of all countries I lived in (even compared to England) I feel it more prominent here. In Portugal my husband (Irish American) and I lived right next to a poor area where new African immigrants moved to prior to finding a permanent place to live. Never ever did I feel threatened or bothered to living there nor did other white or black Portuguese.

What a great story Sofia! Thank you for sharing.

The conversation that you and the beggar engaged in is what needs to happen on either a large scale level, or in small groups all over the country.

My family and I are also immigrants. Though my children are American, they are 50% Southeast Asian, so have a little color in their skin.

We talk often and openly about color and equality. I wonder how common this is in Wisconsin homes.

When i lived in New York (Long Island) prior to coming to WI, I felt that segregation was all around. Unlike NYC, in Long Island I sensed a lot of tension when I was out and about.

Although Sussex is quite homogeneous, when we moved to Wisconsin I felt that a lot of that tension simply went away, at least out here in the suburbs.

I wonder what makes one community more/less "tense" and how can we affect changes to this tension?

Bren,

Um, Jeb Bush is not an indirect party to this crime.

@TC, I am generally in favor of one's right to defend him/her self when necessary--so I can't pin this one the NRA. Sadly, I think if Trayvon did have a gun and shot Zimmmerman, he would would be alive---but he would have been arrested, and starting his second month in jail. I do think that we as a society have an unhealthy and conflicted relationship with guns, that like race, we will likely never be able to have a mature, honest conversation about.

Respectfully disagree. The NRA is pushing laws like this all over the country, which are completely unnecessary in the case of legitimate self defense. You can support the right to defend yourself, while accepting the responsibility for knowing yourself and your weapon well enough to respond properly. An umbrella of immunity just gives people the license to go off half-cocked.

You are correct, though; it's foolish to imagine that vigilante-friendly laws will be applied evenly in all cases, involving people of all races. Another reason why they should be done away with.

@TC, with gun rights, just like voting, we will never be able to assess the intelligence of those exercising those rights. LOL! Given that guns are a right, how do you limit the proliferation of these laws---and I'm thinking purely on the basis of how politically popular they are. Even look at the names of them: "Stand your ground", or "Castle Doctrine". These laws can make for a dysfunctional reality, but they are political gold.

I have family who live on the west and south sides of Chicago who would disagree with your idea that these self defense laws are unnecessary. :)

Didn't then-governor of Florida Jeb Bush sign the Stand Your Ground bill with a smiling NRA lobbyist standing next to him? I believe some people build intellectual walls so fortified, so impenetrable, that the real world becomes distorted. Even without the apparent (as apparent as the video footage showing a hale and hearty Zimmerman walking around after the shooting but innocent until proven guilty, etc.) shenanigans surrounding the Martin case, this law makes the already-difficult job of bringing criminals to justice in Florida that much harder. A ridiculous law. Tell me how Jeb Bush isn't an indirect party to this young man's death.

@Bren
You are a fool. No stand your ground law allows for the easy use of murder. If Martin was shot in cold blood, the Stand your Ground law doesn't even come up. If Martin turned on Zimmerman and did begin smashing head into the ground it is self defense. If you want implicate Jeb and the NRA, why not include the gun mfg. Aren't they just as responsible under your logic.

Hoodies are a massive problem in the UK currently, and it's not just kids with dark skin. The hoodie (and inability to identify the face) leads to a lot of suspicion, and it is rightly placed in many cases in the UK. This does not in any way excuse Zimmerman, but there is defniitely a strong reaction to wearing hoodies that is unrelated to race and extends beyond our borders.

Craig and Randy: I am still awaiting more facts as well. But the fact that is most important (and troubling) is that Zimmerman first pursued the young man who was minding his own business. Again, I tell my own kids to avoid trouble until it can no longer be avoided. If my son was in a similar position where a stranger was following him, where does his right to defend himself from a stranger begin?

Randy: I didn't point out the obvious. Overzealous indeed. Neighborhood watch is the eyes and ears of the Police. They are not law enforcement, and packing heat while on patroll of your neighborhood is obviously overzealous.
My worry is this: IF it turns out that this kid was engaged in criminal activity; it will fan the flames of those who are racially biased. This will give talking points to the David Duke membership drives, just making matters worse.
Until the media starts to report the whole truth and not use hype and fear to promote their product (news), we are never going to move beyond a society that is full of hatred.
Whatever the outcome is, it will still be a tragic story.

DJ: I understand your concern completely. The second someone touches, confronts, or corners your kid -he has full right to defend himself. Unfortunately not everyone would agree with me.

@DJ Bradley -- If a stranger were to tail me in a car, it would make me very nervous. If that stranger were to get out of his car and I noticed he was carrying a gun, I'd become even more nervous. We have a duty to stop and identify ourselves to police officers, but no such duty exists to private citizens like Zimmerman. Add in the racial factor -- Zimmerman looks visibly Hispanic and young -- Trayvon had every reason to feel threatened himself.

Florida has that stand your ground law.Why shouldn't it apply equally to Trayvon?

@Craig -- There's a lot of smearing coming out about Trayvon -- that he'd been suspended from school, etc. But I thought it was established that he was visiting his father, who lived in that neighborhood, and was coming back from a trip to the convenience store to buy candy. So far there has been no question about that and no implication of criminal activity.

We know there was a struggle before the shooting. The only thing at issue is who attacked whom, and as I said above, Trayvon may have legitimately felt in fear of his own life.

Heather A. - Zimmerman did call the police and if you listen to the phone call, the only thing Zimmerman did wrong at this point was to get out of his vehicle and follow Trayvon. And quite honestly we don't know how far he followed Trayvon. We don't know if he was walking fast and following him, or if he was running after Trayvon. All we know is that the dispatcher says, "Are you following him?" Zimmerman says, "Yeah". The dispatcher says, "OK. We don’t need you to do that". Zimmerman then says, "OK".

None of us know what happened that night because we weren't there. If Zimmerman shot Trayvon for no reason, then he should be held accountable. If on the other hand, Trayvon was beating Zimmerman to the point that Zimmerman feared for his life, then he had every right to protect himself.

People need to step back and let the system work. Trayvon's family has a right to raise all the questions that are necessary to bring out the truth. On the other hand George Zimmerman is innocent until proven guilty and he has been unfairly crucified in the court of public opinion. Eventually, all the evidence will be gathered and at that time law enforcement and the court system will determine whether or not this was a justified shooting.

And another thing... It really bothers me when people say that, Trayvon Martin was armed with candy. Zimmerman had a gun." Yes, Zimmerman had a gun that he was licensed to carry. But on the other hand, if Trayvon used the can to hit Zimmerman, it then becomes a weapon. If it's true that Trayvon was was beating Zimmerman, then his hands have now become enough of a weapon that George Zimmerman may have feared for his life.

Again... We don't know what happened. It may turn out that Zimmerman shot an unarmed 17 year old and should be held accountable. Or it may turn out that Zimmerman feared for his life, and this is just another unfortunate, tragic death of a 17 year old.

A second look at this video raises some suspicion. No date, no weapon, and logo placed over Mr. Zimmerman's head. Could it be more media manipulation? Possibly.
It could be an old arrest not related to the killing.

New kid out of college can't get the ABC banner off his head the entire video? That should stir up the internet for a few more weeks. lovely

Actually ABC lied, as usual, to push their agenda. There is clearly a gash and dried(?) blood on the back of Zimmerman's head. Look it up, plenty of pics online.

Zimmerman whether hispanic or not can STILL be white. There are lots of hispanics that are white, much as light brown and even "black"

Sofia: Last month I was at my Dr.'s office and they told me they needed my race on file. I asked what the choices were, and they are: Black, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Indian, and White (not Hispanic)...This was their definition, not mine.
When I voiced my objection I was told, "to properly treat and diagnose"- this information is helpful. I disagreed, as Nationality should be equally important.
Being of the Heintz 57 varieties makes it hard for me to pick one. ;-)

Sofia. They need him to be white for this to be a story. Otherwise it is just one of the 8 shooting that happen every day in Chicago.

@Craig: I am totally with you. I have noticed lately a lot of the forms are starting to have not just race but also nationality and especially in terms of hc that is very important. Myself being white, there are some health issues much more prominent in Southern/latin Europeans than Northern Europeans. So I do believe that color/race/nationality in such cases are very important.

Asking about 'race' for medical reasons and then limiting to a few options is stupid to the extreme. I'd have to answer 'white' but that would tell a doctor nothing about my ethnicity (which I'm not even sure about myself) and any associated genetic conditions I might be prone to. For instance, my father's family hailed from East Prussia/Poland, but as we later learned they were Jewish, that means genetic material from a lot farther south. Many people don't know what 'nationality' they are.

Many people do not, but for those who do, it can make a big difference in the care they get. If you don't want to provide it, don't. It's your health after all.

@ Randy and @Victor: you both make a lot of sense and it is so true. That is often a problem with people that have been adopted and I know of a case where it makes it very hard for Drs. to figure out how to treat that person not having a family history to relate to. And Randy I can understand about your background as most Portuguese also descent from Judaism and some also Muslim during the invasion. So even us who know we are from Portugal do not have an actual sense of where we originated.

JB, I am outraged, and I haven't blogged about it because I have been busy lobbying MPS to try a solution that I have created. They have already co-opted part of my idea with the town halls, but that is just a portion of it. I suggested they have these town halls back in September, but unfortunately they waited for the deaths of their students and a couple of fights happened before trying my ideas out.

This case here, I cannot do much except try to understand from afar. You are a sharp guy JB, so I know you could not have simply jumped to the conclusion that I am "using" this case. I teach my sons how to be men; unfortunately they already know the real meaning of being Black in the U.S. All these other points about the Black Panthers or the mother, who gives a damn? Did you read the post? My ideas focused on two ideas: how can we have a discussion around racism that is productive; AND what can we do so that our youth feel like they have a reason to live.

I respectfully submit that as my sons' role model--I have been a great steward of their "race", along with many others they have met and know. To accuse me of pushing an agenda is an insult. My intent is a dialogue, I don't need an agenda. I'm working to leave this world a better place, its not an agenda, its my mission.

@J.B.
Your comments are pretty pathetic. "But...but...bad things are happening elsewhere!" "The president is selling hoodies!" Whatever that means. Let's make it simple for you by removing race - An armed man pursued and killed a teenager, in spite of being told not to pursue by the police. There are no circumstances that should keep this man out of jail, and yet he is. Why is that?

@DJ
"I haven't blogged about it because I have been busy", that maybe true and I can fully understand a complicated schedule, yet you have written pieces praising Obama and attacking Walker. I can't assume that you have no agenda because you have used an undecided case some 2000 miles away from Milwaukee to attempt to prove a point. If Zimmerman is innocent your blog is just one more voice of non-rational thought on race.

My ending statement might have been a little harsh and at 1am, phrased incorrectly. I am not attacking your judgment with your kids specifically as I don't know you or your kids. However, I did wish a general judgment on black culture. When 95% of black murders are committed by other blacks and little to no outrage comes from black leaders, there is a strong case for serious hypocrisy when this incident becomes the cornerstone for any arguments regarding race relations. Especially when black white crime is more common the white on black crime.

As for your, 'who gives a damn' regarding the Panthers and the child's mother, these are key to having a rational discussion. The leaders of the black community have accepted them.

A valuable discussion on race must revolve on fixing the black inner city community and restoring integrity to a society that is now accepts violence and broken homes as normal. (cont.)

@DJ (cont)
Racism in the realm of hoses and segregation is gone, except for a few straggling idiots on the fringes. The current label of racism only exists as excuses to not call attention to the fact the blacks have destroyed their own culture. A black boy in a hoodie poses a threat because of what the black community has allowed to happen and not because whites hate blacks.

My wife likes looking at houses for sale on line, whether or not we are moving. This last weekend she saw a couple of the old Victorian house for sale near downtown. Those houses are absolutely beautiful and sell for dirt cheap. Why? Not because whites won’t live near blacks, but because they know that those neighborhoods exist where the crime is the highest. It has become a personal safety issue.

The fix requires people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson go on a city-to-city tour putting the blame on inner city black parents for not taking child rearing seriously, on black males for disrespecting society with their immoral activity and blaming city leaders for not holding the actions of the inner city as the reason for urban decay. When the black community decides to pick single cases like Trayvon as the reason blacks are mistrusted you show the rest of the country that black are uninterested in truly fixing their problem and instead wish to play a blame game.

@J.B. Schmidt -- The big hoo-ha in all of this stems from the fact that (it seems now) the recommendations of the initial investigator, who doubted Zimmerman's account of things, were ignored and Zimmerman let go without charges, which in turn led Trayvon's parents to take this to the national media in order to get justice. That's what casts doubt on the system -- Trayvon is presumed to be responsible for his death for simply walking down a street wearing a hoodie.

DJ is obviously unnerved that there's a crime of 'walking while black and casually dressed' in the wrong neighborhood. I am too, because I have grandchildren of various colors and the sad truth of it is that some of them would be more at risk than others.

Zimmerman doesn't deserve the chair. His crime is manslaughter at worst. But he and everyone else should learn the lesson that it's a bad idea to fancy yourself the neighborhood Dirty Harry and provoke a situation that ends in a fatality.

@Randy
I can accept that. My larger point is that clinging to this case while thousands of black kids are dying in the inner cities around the country is hypocritical and not building sympathy, especially when an accepted black organization, Black Panthers, is putting bounties on people heads.

Neither Zimmerman (guilty or innocent) or the non-black American citizen is responsible for the reaction people have to hooded black kids. It is the responsibility of the black leaders and blacks themselves for letting their culture become one of violence. We can't just throw a racist label on that and claim that whites are trying to hold down black kids; when most whites want to respect black people but find their culture offensive.

I have a son entering his teenage years in about 2 months. My wife and I understand who ones outward presentation can affect the reaction people have of you. If parents aren't willing to teach that and then take responsibility for their kids if they don't follow the proper example; you can't blame the rest of society for the misinterpretation.

JB, I never said or meant to imply that I was "too busy to blog", but what I should have said is that I am on the ground working to make things better. I do outreach with youth, I do outreach with kids who are on the brink of making bad choices. I don't write about it because I'm too busy doing it. And I do not mean that in the arrogant way it sounds. Do I care about the carnage taking place among Black men in inner cities around the country? Absolutely. Do I have the capacity to make those changes? No. I do what I can where I can, and have to be happy with that. Again, I must reiterate, I do not have an agenda--except that this case struck eerily close to home in that I can envision my own kids following my instructions on how to respond to a stranger, and not being able to get out of the situation safely. The mom, the Black Panthers, the media---I say who cares about them because they are not interested in solving the larger youth problem that is brewing in this country. I am speaking from a position of concern about all youth generally, and maybe I should have made that more clear.

I am aware of the conditions in the Black community in the inner cities. I have also visited White communities with similar poverty levels and have seen the same issues. Instead of crack, there is meth. Instead of shootings, there is domestic violence. What I see as the problem is that a group (Blacks) are being judged widely on the basis of the impoverished fringe of our community. What do I call the fringe? I think of the Black people I know personally, past or present, and 99% of them are working, raising families, and living productive lives. There is 1% that will not get right even if you cut off their left hand and left foot. So the fact that my son is viewed as suspicious when he wears a hoodie bothers me because he is not being judged on his merits as an individual. And still then if he commits a crime, blame me for his upbringing, not the entire Black community for his misdeed.

@DJ
I commend your effort. Your approach to this case has not been the same as others nationally.

I have a serious question for you. In your opinion, working in the trenches, what can I, a white Greendale resident, do to help? Knowing full well that accepting hooded kids wandering the streets is not an acceptable answer.

Lastly, the days of dogs and fire hoses are gone, but trust me racism is a thriving thought process these days. I invite you to accompany me to any number of places, and note the reactions I get. And I couldn't be further from thug at this point in my life: suburban, married, professional, doctoral degree---all people see is that I am brown, and as a result a threat. It is not fair that I get an extra level of scrutiny because the news and newspaper have led you to believe that I am a bad person. The media loves racial strife---as you can see from this case---so why not work to make it look like most Black people are bad? Its going to increase revenue. If you have ever been in a situation where you were singled out, you know what I mean--and let's be honest who of us has not? But when it becomes a pattern, it becomes problem.

Last thing JB, I do not view my culture as a culture of violence. Think of your own peer group. You have a large group of people who are doing the right thing, and perhaps some fringe people who are doing some not so good things. Does that mean that you have a culture of illegal activity? If you look at numbers alone, the majority of Black people are doing the right thing. The news media would have you think different, but its true.

Buckle up as your son approaches the teen years! You have been warned. :) Seriously, the outward presentation matters, but you will soon realize that you will exercise less control over that aspect rather than more. You buy the clothes of course, but your son's tastes will be driven by his peers FIRST, and your expectations last. Controlling the wallet to control the wardrobe only lasts so long. My vision for your son and my son is to be taken at face value---not a thug, not a threat, not a person who looks out of place.

JB, the first thing to do is listen to your own son and get a feel for who his friends are. The kids we have closest to us are our ears to the street. Secondly, find an avenue where you feel comfortable getting involved. I began my career working with disadvantaged youth because I saw the difference having a caring adult made in the lives of young people. Do some mentoring, and in the process, listen. I mean really listen to what the young people are telling you. This incident is almost trivialized with the hoodie taking front stage. This incident is a reflection of our society's fear of the youth nowadays. My theory is that we fear what we don't know...we don't know our youth, thus we fear them. I get that accepting hoodies is off the table for you. :-) But talking to some youth and hearing how they view the world is the best way to start.

@JB, not sure where you live but there is one organization I love, have often not only gone there to help but also took my daughter there too and we both put in a few hours here and there called Growing Power. I just love them cause they are doing something good and helping the community all at once. Apart from that much as Dj recommended talk and listen to your son. Get him involved in local/community organizations even if just one or two hours a month. It makes a world of difference, they learn so very much, you have a great time bounding with him and even invite some of his friends along. Good way to see who he is hanging out with.

@DJ
The struggle faced by today's teen of all races frightens me. Not just because my children will experience it, but because I feel like our society has failed this generation. Our public education deals in facts and not morality (not a bad thing); however the parents don't get involved when the kids get home.

I would like to know more about your work with MPS. I know other school districts are trying to find ways to help lost students, would your efforts be interchangeable?

JB, back in September, on the heels of the wild summer and before the school year started in earnest, I met with an MPS official and pitched them an idea of having student led town hall meetings, where students would create action plans to work with their peers. The kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for, and as such giving them control of a problem that they have a vested interest in seemed like a smart thing to do. My mistake was underestimating the bureaucracy that is MPS and the accompanying politics. I wanted to do this idea within MPS because so many of our region's young people are there everyday. Long story short, the town hall meetings took place, were sparsely attended by the students, and the students still have no voice in the process that impacts them completely. My challenge to MPS was to not only hear from the students who are engaged enough to show up at a town hall---but the students who are not. The voices of the trouble makers and the middle of the road kids need to be heard also. I am retooling my idea to somehow make it more politically palatable for MPS, while still putting the kids at the center of the issue---which unfortunately I think MPS will not do.

@Sofia
Thank you. I will definitely look into that.

@DJ
And your discussion is born!
Your idea sounds so simple, I like it. Don't get me wrong, the logistics/planning/politics/implementation must have been a bear, but the concept is so straight forward. I can see how getting kids to attend might be struggle. Can I ask if you would be willing to try it in a smaller district? As a representative for my church's teen group, I have been involved with a couple of the parent groups in my local school districts. They are always looking for ways to not only get students involved in helping other students, but also trying to get parents more interested. Something like this could work!

JB, the logistics would have not been an issue had the MPS folks followed my original idea. The town halls they eventually did were to put out the public relations fires. My idea was to have these discussions in the schools---where the kids are/were--not invite them somewhere offsite where they have to get transportation, bus money, etc. I would be glad to try it in a smaller district, or work with you to help you outline a proposal. Email me at darnelljbradley@gmail.com and I will let you take a look at what I proposed for MPS, and you can see if it works for you.

@Alred -- Who's the racist? The Hispanic guy who made the snap decision that a black kid walking in his upscale neighborhood had to be up to no good. And you for immediately assuming that Trayvon Martin was a 'crazy gangsta thug'.

http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/29/second-trayvon-martin-twitter-feed-identified/ Defend this, Randy you pantywaist.

@Bob, the special bearing unfortunately comes in because my sons who are not thugs are received and perceived differently based on their race. I wish it was another way, but this is the way they get. I don't know Trayvon Martin. I don't know his experience, I don't know his background. What I do know, and what I stated in the blog was that I give my kids the same instructions on how to deal with strangers. My instructions failed to include that some people might be fearful enough of you to think that they have a right to stop and ask your business. The common concern---youth---is there. I will await the facts that come out in this case as well.

I understand what you're saying, DJ, but at this point we don't know if that was the take-away from this particular situation. Maybe if there was some evidence of Zimmerman having made racist statements in the past or acted in that fashion in the past, we could at least logically assume that might be the case. At this point, it's basically the circus that has risen up around this sad event that has driven the dialogue, not any particular evidence in the case itself that would lead one to conclude it was a racial incident.

Likewise, with the gun control argument, it's hard to state that Zimmerman wouldn't have been packing a gun and been ready to use it with or without the law in place.

We've got a victim who in many ways is being victimized again as a pawn in certain parties personal agendas - and who sadly has no say in the matter at this point.

from a comment: If Obama had a son, he would not look like the victim. Thus no concern or need for soul searching by the rest of the country will be necessary.

@Alfred -- Yes, a racially motivated beating is outrageous. The difference is that in that case there have been arrests. In the Martin case there wasn't, despite the recommendation of the initial investigator that Zimmerman be charged with manslaughter.

Randy, do you mind if I call you a pantywaist? Mr Zimmerman was arrested, he wasn't charged, get the difference. Face it Randy, you don't really give a rip when a bunch of gangsta hoodlums attack us, do you?

Mr Zimmerman was attacked by this thug Martin and if he didnt have a gun, Mr Martin would have killed him....God Bless the 2nd Amendment and Stand Your Ground.

@Alfred -- That would be 'Mr.' Pantywaist to you.

Zimmerman was taken in, questioned, and then let go, despite the recommendation of the initial investigator that he be charged with manslaughter.

There was a way for George Zimmerman to avoid any putative attack -- stay in his car, follow Trayvon Martin back to the house where he was staying, and watch him go lawfully in the door. He could have let the police handle it, as he was told to do. But no . . .

You seem pretty confident about what you think went down. Were you there?

Mr Pantywaist, read the damn police report with all of the witness statements, its all there. Stop listening to race baiters and poverty pimps in the mainstream media.

Care to link me to that police report, Alfred? I was unaware that it was available online.

Forgot, Mr. Pantywaist...Mr Zimmerman was arrested, he simply was not charged. Stop believing Rev Poverty Pimp Jackson and the New Black Panthers who have a bounty on Mr. ZImmerman.

Sounds like the black gang was charged and arrested two weeks after the incident. First I herd of this.
Why wasn't the president calling out for their manhunt during those two weeks?

In other words, Alfred, you're pulling that released police report out of . . . thin air.

I also see that pantywaist is your insult du jour. Does it mean someone who doesn't have to carry a big ol' gun in order to feel adequate?

"Mr Pantywaist, read the damn police report with all of the witness statements, its all there. "

No it isn't, Alfred. "These pieces of evidence have not been released by prosecutors or the Sanford Police Department, _nor have witness accounts or any statements_ even though Zimmerman’s statement was leaked from within the department."

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/03/29/report-police-initially-wanted-to-make-arrest-in-trayvon-martin-case/#ixzz1qXVQwg3B

Let me emphasize the part about no witness accounts being released.

good point Alfred.

Golda Meir once said:
" Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us."

Fact is, the black people and Dems who are rallying behind this cause don't CARE if he was a murderous little thug....he is simply a means to an end, nothing more.....they don't care about Trayvon, why the hell should I?

All good questions DJ. The answer to all of those questions: because their parents did not instill discipline in them. How many of us have said to ourselves after seeing one of our children do something ridiculous that "if I had done that as a child they would have been scraping me off the wall after mom/dad was done with me". I'm sure we are all questioning whether or not we are too easy on our kids these days. Did our harsh upbringing result in our desire to succeed and behaving in a socially acceptable way? We have become way too lax(and no I am not advocating corporal punishment) in disciplining our children and installing values in them. Any behavior is acceptable these days. There's always a label or something to blame the behavior on. I can get away with my behavior because <insert excuse here> : gender bias, age bias, race, my momma didn't love me enough, I'm addicted to <X>(it's a disease after all, not a personal failing). And how many kids these days are growing up in broken homes where one or both of the parents are completely absent? Fewer excuses and more personal responsibility and our society and country would be a better place. Expect more of your kids, stop making excuses for them.

Why? Because our society has decided that children are more valuable for their consumer spending than for their human potential.

Because the short-sightedness of our corporate culture treats the youth as a resource, from which money (theirs or their parents') can be extracted.

As a result, any messages that get them buying are right, proper, and fair game, regardless of the effect on their self-image.

Think this isn't a new problem? It's scope has increased exponentially with the rise of ubiquitous advertising.

What is our culture now? It is advertising, Of all of the messages, claims, and promises that a young person hears, what percentage do you think are advertisements? Advertisements with no loyalty to the truth? Easily over 95%.

Per Lyle's point below - this is, in fact, a new problem. The ocean of commercial media is a psychological assault.

@Taoist: What a load of cr*p. The parents are the greatest single influence on a child. If you don't want your children to see the advertising message then turn off the TV, control their internet and keep the cell phones out of their hands. And if they do see messages you don't want them to see then it's your responsibility to sit down with them and discuss it(again, here's your chance to influence, get in the game). Your BS is just more excuse making and absolving yourself from the responsibility.

"My kids are fat because of the evil food suppliers". Wrong. It's because you refused to take control of their diet and feed them nutritious foods, thereby making it a habit for them. "My kid got busted for smoking pot the other night. Evil cops should have let them party in peace." A no, you should be setting a good example for your kids and talking to them about avoiding drug and alcohol use and why. No, you shouldn't be firing up a blunt in the house in front of your kids like it's no big deal.

Your kids are a representation of you. If they are mess, it follows that you are a mess.

@25301 -- I actually agree with you, except I prefer to lead by example rather than control. I would no more limit my child's access to TV or the internet than I would limit his access to the library simply because he might check out a lame YA book. There is quality to be found anywhere, which my son proved in his teen years when he chose to watch Discovery, TLC, and the History Channel on cable rather than MTV, Interestingly, that's what is usually on when I visit him now that he's grown.

@235301;

Respectfully, you need to learn how to read. I'm not making excuses for anyone; I'm saying that parents need to open their eyes and realize that the only bias that exists in the media is a commercial bias. Kids need to be taught, from an early age, to be skeptical of all media. They need to learn that, sadly, the right of corporations to go after their wallets and their identities is sacrosanct in our society.

DJ's question is, "what is happening to young people?" He also made it clear that he was applying the question to young people of all races. The answer is not only that American consumer culture takes no responsibility for their minds, other then to make every effort to warp them into stupid, pliable consumers; the answer is also that American consumer culture is now very effective at doing that, and that the youth realize this is going on, while many of their elders do not.

As, clearly, you do not.

@Lyle
I assume you are trying to make the point that youth have not changed over time in their desire to challenge authority and act like adults.

I was of belief until 3 years ago. Your youth and my youth were probably not that different. I may have had more access to greater amounts of TV; however, information technology wise we weren't that different. In my teen years we had a computer that only was good for word processing (glorified typewriter). Yes, culturally we had become more liberal, but not significantly enough to make a substantial difference. Other then that my access to drugs was probably the same, porn probably the same and violence probably the same.

That is not true today. Where as our parents had the ability to limit our exposure to items they felt inappropriate, you can't do that today. Considering you can access everything (yes, everything) from your cell phone, children are hyper-exposed. Where we would have to sneak around for contraband, kids today are able to download it on their phone on the bus ride home from school. While they are still attempting to challenge authority, the access to methods of doing such are limitless. That separates this generation from every other. I also believe that parents were not prepared and we are still trying to adjust to this new way of life, because banning all electronics is akin to branding your child with a scarlet letter.

Strangely enough, JB, I think we agree on this (see my response to DJ above).

I happen to believe that the problem isn't media itself, but commercial, profit-driven media. Media beholden to nothing but the bottom line. In other words, markets run amok.

@J.B. Schmidt....My intent of making the quote was to illustrate that adults and parents are always behind the curve when it comes to dealing with youth and children. We do have new challenges, including many that have already been illustrated and mentioned. I really think that kids are the barometer of what's going on in the larger culture. I find it terribly sad that so many fear their children and children of others. But this is a general indication of a splintered society which is searching for new meanings to define itself. One of the elements present in our contemporary society is the hatred and distrust now permeating the media. This incident in Florida illustrates how divided we have become and how quickly we are to start pointing fingers at one another blaming and condemning. In problem solving it is not the problem that is the issue but the solution. The need and ability to change must be perceived and embraced.

@Lyle you DO have a great point and I think are right on track. TV, the media, commercials and the easy access to all is impacting tremendously our kids. We as parents have to be on top of it all, talk a lot with our kids and be open about it. In this generation the challenges are others and the main problem is that they are constantly changing almost on a daily basis. Also the actual lack of communication between tweens and teens nowadays worries me. They "talk" through texting, through IMs and so on. We are loosing direct contact, thought-out conversations. Which brings me to another point. I DO love the idea DJ has for the MPS schools, but I would say it would be amazing to see that in every school. Letting the kids have a chance at talking, expressing their feelings, being themselves and having us adults (parents, teachers, even other official authorities) listen to them without interrupting. It would help us better understand their minds, stress, worries and so on.

@Taoist Crocodile...the concerted effort of media advertising to create indiscriminate consumption is nothing new. It began in earnest with the introduction of television in the early 1950s. As more media channels have evolved the more we and our kids have been assaulted. For example; cell phones as a safety device. I think most parents rationalize a cell phone for their child to be used in case of emergency or a means for the child to call the parent or the parent to call the child. This may be all well and good, but what has evolved is something entirely unnecessary; where kids are connected 24/7, are able to access the internet and the ability to constantly game.

In general, I think parents don't have the courage to tell their children no and have some misplaced priorities. Parents are concerned to not feed their kids sugary cereals but in turn buy their kids 4G smart phones.

@Sofia Reino...There is no substitute for personal relationships. Our children and children of others are not just after thoughts. I grew up in a simpler world than my children, but I am well connected with them because we dialogued constantly. I knew and know their friends, I know their strengths and challenges, I know where they can be trusted and where they can't, and I love them without condition. However, they were well aware of our expectations, where the boundaries were concerning behavior for both them and their peers. I was deeply involved with their peers and not afraid to engage them when they were stepping off the path. I have been gently honest with both the peers and their parents. My children's peers knew I genuinely cared about them and they would come to me before they would to their own parents. I didn't rescue them but helped them with facing consequences. In fact some my oldest children's childhood friends still call me some thirty years later. I became a father figure for those that didn't have a dad at home. They knew I could be trusted not to inappropriately share their confidences and that I wouldn't tolerate self-destructive behavior. I was not my kid's friend nor was I their enemy, I was and am their father.

@Lyle: and that is admirable. I too am very connected with my daughter. For all I know she may be one of the few at her school without an internet phone. She can call and text and that is that. She has no need for anything else. She also knows well a cell as well as Internet access is a privilege not the norm. I remove them whenever I see the need to. My home is always an open door to all kids as first and foremost I love having them around, but also it is a good way to getting to know them. Dinner time is dinner time, where we all talk as a family. We all eat what is cooked, whether they like it or not, we always start with news of the day where even my toddler gets involved. We have a very open dialogue going and I do not hid much from them. They realize life is tough and the more they learn now the easier it will be once they are on their own. Everyone has chores (and that is not just cleaning up their own things). I am also a big believer that a parent is a parent and not a friend nor an enemy. I use my love for food to keep us all together, cook together, help each other and so on. I want to make sure the day they fly with their own wings they are ready for life. Not only knowing how to take care of themselves but also make the right decisions. I let my oldest learn from her own mistakes and let her figure it out on her own. I do not cover up, I do not do things for her. Am just here to guide her.

@Sofia
It is good to know that I am the only 'strict' (as my oldest would say) parent. I parent in much the same way you do. I always tell him I am not strict, I am loving. He usually just rolls his eyes and walks away.

@Lyle: I am often know as the "mean Mom" in a loving way from different friends of my daughter as I put them all to work when they come over and I tell them I give tough love!

TC: and the media: Don't forget they manipulate the news to gain our viewership and thus make money off of us.....in the process, they make fools of us because we are at their mercy to report the truth.
The truth to this story is so screwed up and twisted I would not dare to make an assumption of who is guilty.

@Jorge -- Did not belong there? He was staying with his father, who lived in the community. George Zimmerman had no right to ask him to leave any area.

Since when has Geraldo Rivera ever been known for the wisdom of his comments?

Hoodies can just mean you like to keep warm. I know that's why I wear them.

JRH, you raise a good point. The Unabomber has been TOTALLY slighted in this discussion! :-) All this talk about hoodies, and no one has yet to mention the one man who single-handedly popularized this garment in the mainstream! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Unabomber-sketch.png

@DJ -

That's exactly what I'm saying here!

No love for good old Ted - what is this country coming to? Next we'll be slighting Manson when some new goofball tattoos or carves a swastika into their forehead.

Oh the humanity of it all!