Fake photographs of Trayvon Martin are being used to diminish public concern about his killing; emails and other documents of the Department of Homeland Security reveal that the hacktivist group Anonymous was investigated as a dangerous security threat; Egyptian women are finding ways to express their revolutionary voices through music. These discoveries and more below.
On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that have found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.
The links below open in a new window. Newer ones are on top.
When in Doubt, Smear the Dead Kid
A fake photo of Trayvon Martin has become popular because it’s part of a new cottage industry of “truth about Trayvon” content, calibrated to convince people that they really shouldn’t worry about the implications of this killing.
DHS Investigated Anonymous and Kept Tabs on Political Hackers
The Anonymous hacker movement was seen as a serious security threat during the first few months of Occupy, according to internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents and emails released to Truthout last week.
U.S. healthcare—by the numbers
While the Affordable Care Act is debated in the U.S. Supreme Court, Reuters conveniently provides some of the relevant numbers about the U.S. healthcare system.
Anti-Gay Marriage Group’s Leaked Docs Reveal Divide and Conquer Racial Plans
The National Organization of Marriage (NOM) is best known for its looney anti-gay “gay marriage storm” commercial (over 1 million views), but new documents outlining the organization’s clunky strategy to widen racial divides in order to defeat gay marriage may be their new claim to fame.
Empowering Egyptian Women Through Music
“I entered this competition because I wanted to represent the generation that witnessed the revolution, and let people know what’s happening,’ explained 14-year-old Zain Abed before she launched into a robust rendition of James Morrison’s “Up,” her entry into the “Sing Egyptian Women” contest.
Israeli Peace Marchers Protest Iran War Talk in Tel Aviv
Haaretz reports that hundreds of Israeli peace activists marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday to protest all the talk of striking Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. Their placards demanded “No to War with Iran,” and “Talks, not Bombs.”
How your data will fuel the coming digital/biological convergence
The secret thread running through the SXSW Interactive conference is one that, once noticed, is seen propagating throughout everything from politics to comedy, social media strategies to street parties, all the way to the very laws of thermodynamics.
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By joey, April 15, 2012 at 12:55 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The stand your ground law lets you walk away from a
crime scene with your gun if you have a NRA card and
your dues are paid up.
PH___ the report about the divide over whether to charge Z was also carried in the
Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinal IIRC.
gotta agree with you though that most of what’s available to read is based on the
emotional outrage that this shit engenders and details haven’t been prminently
featured.
All I read on this so far was that the police let him go, which isn’t the case by the article you provided.
The numerous stories which abound blaming the Sanford police should be rewritten that the DA let him go against the police wishes and name the lead guy Norman Wolfinger, who in my opinion should be tried for malfeasence in public office.
CC—is there any reason to think that there was some organized cover-up rather
than just the usual small-town chickenshit?
as much as it’s obvious and satisfying to think that because Zimmerman acted like
a total asshole he must be entirely responsible for the kid’s death, it’s just as likely
that the kid acted wrongly.
but yeah, in the big picture Zimmerman needlessly and obnoxiously started the
shit rolling downhill.
“According to court records: George Zimmerman is the son of retired Virginia Supreme Court magistrate Judge Robert J. Zimmerman, his mother Gladys Zimmerman is a court clerk….He has three closed arrests:
1) 7/18/05 for resisting an officer w/violence, and battery on a law enforcement Officer div 10…
2) 8/9/05 for domestic violence div 44…
3) 8/10/05 for domestic violence div 46…”
How could Zimmerman get a Florida CCW License with three violence arrests in Virginia? How could he be approved for “Police” activity with such a record?
Could his father have provided influence in a cover-up?
I haven’t seen any information on how the confrontation came about, any of you heard?
Since Trayvon was talking with his girlfriend on the phone ( proven by phone records) about 1 minute before the shooting, telling her he was being stalked or followed and that he was scared, she told him to run (He was less than 70 yards from his fathers house), could he have started running and been tackled by Zimmerman?
We won’t get to hear Trayvon’s testimony.
The only facts we know for sure is the Dispatcher telling Zimmerman not to be following Treyvon and that his girlfriend was on the phone with him just before he was shot.
I saw the video. Didn’t look to me like he had been in a life or death struggle.
On the other side of the coin did Treyvon believe he was in danger from a stranger stalking him?
Seems plausible to me.
How many of you think there would be a dead boy if Zimmerman had followed the Police Dispatchers directions and stopped following Treyvon?
.....March 27: ABC News confirms that the night Trayvon Martin was shot, Chris
Serino, the lead homicide detective on the case, said he “disbelieved” George
Zimmerman’s testimony and recommended in an affidavit that Zimmerman be
arrested for manslaughter. But the State Attorney’s office, headed by Norman
Wolfinger, instructed him not to press charges because it was deemed there
wasn’t enough evidence to lead to a conviction…....
I haven’t read anything regarding any prosecutor refusing this case I only have read where the police took Zimmermans testimony and the witnesses and failed to charge him and that is what troubles me when it involves a capital crime.
The Sanford, FL police are the ones who decided not to press charges in a capital case, while I do believe police should have descretion in traffic or domestic cases, felonies are another matter.
Zimmerman should have been booked and a magistrate determine if the statute is applicable in this case or whether or not to grant bail until it is determined by the state.
CC there is plenty of reason to doubt that Zimmerman
was acting prudently or wisely or decently, but there’s
little reason to doubt that Martin was on top of and
beating on Zimmerman when Zimmerman shot the kid.
I agree that there is a disciplined effort to portray Trayvon as a more or less Juvenile delinquent but there are some facts that I have only heard once since this hit the news.
As I recall it has been proven by phone records that at 7:12 Trayvon was on his phone talking to his girlfriend telling her some man was following him and that he was scared.
Three minutes later:
At 7:15 Zimmermann was calling the police that he was under attack, then the shot.
In that three minutes Zimmermann had to exit his vehicle confront the teenager pull his gun shoot the victim and call 911.
All this after he had been told to stop following the boy.
Could any of Zimmermann’s actions have been staged on that dark rainy night?
Could Trayvon have thought he was in imminent danger from the unknown person following him?
Would the fact that he was shot be a proof that he certainly was in danger?
Why did Zimmermann exit his vehicle?
Was Zimmermann looking to instigate a confrontation?
Zimmernmann has claimed that he was attacked and shot the unarmed boy in self-defense. Has he claimed to have been attacked in his truck? Or does he claim to have exited his truck and approached the scared boy?
I see huge holes in Zimmermann’s self defense story, do you?
By doublestandards/glasshouses, March 28, 2012 at 12:29 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The Sanford police are trying to cover their asses. A guy who assaulted a police officer was allowed to wander around the neighborhood with a gun and a boy died as a result. If a black man assaulted a police officer, he’d be dead.
The shooting in Sanford was wrong. George Z, should
have stood down and allowed the police to take over.
However, I think the real problem once again is over
shadowed. Black on Black violence still out ranks every
murder in this country. But that is not news worthy
such as the case of someone named Zimmerman, who turns
out to be Hispanic. Now that his name and race have
been identified it has even got more twisted because it
becomes just another killing, not a white man killing
someone.
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By joey, April 15, 2012 at 12:55 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The stand your ground law lets you walk away from a
Report thiscrime scene with your gun if you have a NRA card and
your dues are paid up.
By heterochromatic, March 30, 2012 at 7:35 am Link to this comment
PH___ the report about the divide over whether to charge Z was also carried in the
Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinal IIRC.
gotta agree with you though that most of what’s available to read is based on the
Report thisemotional outrage that this shit engenders and details haven’t been prminently
featured.
By PatrickHenry, March 30, 2012 at 3:45 am Link to this comment
tic,
All I read on this so far was that the police let him go, which isn’t the case by the article you provided.
The numerous stories which abound blaming the Sanford police should be rewritten that the DA let him go against the police wishes and name the lead guy Norman Wolfinger, who in my opinion should be tried for malfeasence in public office.
Report thisBy heterochromatic, March 29, 2012 at 8:50 pm Link to this comment
CC—is there any reason to think that there was some organized cover-up rather
than just the usual small-town chickenshit?
as much as it’s obvious and satisfying to think that because Zimmerman acted like
a total asshole he must be entirely responsible for the kid’s death, it’s just as likely
that the kid acted wrongly.
Report thisbut yeah, in the big picture Zimmerman needlessly and obnoxiously started the
shit rolling downhill.
By Cliff Carson, March 29, 2012 at 8:03 pm Link to this comment
Reported on CNN this morning:
“According to court records: George Zimmerman is the son of retired Virginia Supreme Court magistrate Judge Robert J. Zimmerman, his mother Gladys Zimmerman is a court clerk….He has three closed arrests:
1) 7/18/05 for resisting an officer w/violence, and battery on a law enforcement Officer div 10…
2) 8/9/05 for domestic violence div 44…
3) 8/10/05 for domestic violence div 46…”
How could Zimmerman get a Florida CCW License with three violence arrests in Virginia? How could he be approved for “Police” activity with such a record?
Could his father have provided influence in a cover-up?
I haven’t seen any information on how the confrontation came about, any of you heard?
Since Trayvon was talking with his girlfriend on the phone ( proven by phone records) about 1 minute before the shooting, telling her he was being stalked or followed and that he was scared, she told him to run (He was less than 70 yards from his fathers house), could he have started running and been tackled by Zimmerman?
We won’t get to hear Trayvon’s testimony.
The only facts we know for sure is the Dispatcher telling Zimmerman not to be following Treyvon and that his girlfriend was on the phone with him just before he was shot.
I saw the video. Didn’t look to me like he had been in a life or death struggle.
On the other side of the coin did Treyvon believe he was in danger from a stranger stalking him?
Seems plausible to me.
How many of you think there would be a dead boy if Zimmerman had followed the Police Dispatchers directions and stopped following Treyvon?
Report thisBy heterochromatic, March 29, 2012 at 6:40 pm Link to this comment
PH—-
.....March 27: ABC News confirms that the night Trayvon Martin was shot, Chris
Serino, the lead homicide detective on the case, said he “disbelieved” George
Zimmerman’s testimony and recommended in an affidavit that Zimmerman be
arrested for manslaughter. But the State Attorney’s office, headed by Norman
Wolfinger, instructed him not to press charges because it was deemed there
wasn’t enough evidence to lead to a conviction…....
http://tinyurl.com/89n2lsf
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, March 29, 2012 at 6:31 pm Link to this comment
tic,
I haven’t read anything regarding any prosecutor refusing this case I only have read where the police took Zimmermans testimony and the witnesses and failed to charge him and that is what troubles me when it involves a capital crime.
A serious lack of jurisprudence.
Report thisBy heterochromatic, March 29, 2012 at 9:20 am Link to this comment
PH—I guess I’m misinformed. I had read that after
Report thisextensive questioning a police investigator wanted to
file charges but the prosecutor turn him down.
By PatrickHenry, March 29, 2012 at 3:10 am Link to this comment
Posted this on the wrong thread.
tic,
The Sanford, FL police are the ones who decided not to press charges in a capital case, while I do believe police should have descretion in traffic or domestic cases, felonies are another matter.
Zimmerman should have been booked and a magistrate determine if the statute is applicable in this case or whether or not to grant bail until it is determined by the state.
Report thisBy heterochromatic, March 28, 2012 at 4:34 pm Link to this comment
PH—- you keep saying it, but repetition isn’t explanation.
are you suggesting that Martin’s family bring a civil suit?
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, March 28, 2012 at 4:20 pm Link to this comment
A jury needs to determine the guilt or innocence of the parties involved.
Report thisBy heterochromatic, March 28, 2012 at 4:04 pm Link to this comment
CC there is plenty of reason to doubt that Zimmerman
Report thiswas acting prudently or wisely or decently, but there’s
little reason to doubt that Martin was on top of and
beating on Zimmerman when Zimmerman shot the kid.
By Cliff Carson, March 28, 2012 at 1:57 pm Link to this comment
I agree that there is a disciplined effort to portray Trayvon as a more or less Juvenile delinquent but there are some facts that I have only heard once since this hit the news.
As I recall it has been proven by phone records that at 7:12 Trayvon was on his phone talking to his girlfriend telling her some man was following him and that he was scared.
Three minutes later:
At 7:15 Zimmermann was calling the police that he was under attack, then the shot.
In that three minutes Zimmermann had to exit his vehicle confront the teenager pull his gun shoot the victim and call 911.
All this after he had been told to stop following the boy.
Could any of Zimmermann’s actions have been staged on that dark rainy night?
Could Trayvon have thought he was in imminent danger from the unknown person following him?
Would the fact that he was shot be a proof that he certainly was in danger?
Why did Zimmermann exit his vehicle?
Was Zimmermann looking to instigate a confrontation?
Zimmernmann has claimed that he was attacked and shot the unarmed boy in self-defense. Has he claimed to have been attacked in his truck? Or does he claim to have exited his truck and approached the scared boy?
I see huge holes in Zimmermann’s self defense story, do you?
Report thisBy doublestandards/glasshouses, March 28, 2012 at 12:29 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
The Sanford police are trying to cover their asses. A guy who assaulted a police officer was allowed to wander around the neighborhood with a gun and a boy died as a result. If a black man assaulted a police officer, he’d be dead.
Report thisBy jimmmmmy, March 28, 2012 at 8:14 am Link to this comment
Stall, Dissemble, MInimumize, and obfuscated. This is the us media mantra.
Report thisBy GoyToy, March 28, 2012 at 7:28 am Link to this comment
Why so much in this killing (murder?) and so little on the Iraqi lady near San Diego who was bludgeoned to death?
Report thisBy Dennis In MI, March 28, 2012 at 6:23 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)
Re: fake pictures, Why on earth do we only see Zimmermans mug shot next to a 13 year olds sports pics. That’s fair?
Report thisBy jthompson, March 28, 2012 at 4:48 am Link to this comment
The shooting in Sanford was wrong. George Z, should
Report thishave stood down and allowed the police to take over.
However, I think the real problem once again is over
shadowed. Black on Black violence still out ranks every
murder in this country. But that is not news worthy
such as the case of someone named Zimmerman, who turns
out to be Hispanic. Now that his name and race have
been identified it has even got more twisted because it
becomes just another killing, not a white man killing
someone.