Jeralyn E. Merritt, a defense lawyer, criticizes Obama's remarks on the Zimmerman trial at TalkLeft. What mendacity did Obama pursue, and why?
The first mendacity I notice is Obama's divisive comparison of himself to Trayvon. Quite frankly, Obama seems much more like Zimmerman than Trayvon. Was Obama engaging in mixed-martial-arts fighting? Did he state he wanted a rematch because his opponent wasn't bloody enough? Was there evidence that he was a burglar? Did Obama appear to be casing homes in the rain? No, Obama wasn't much like Trayvon. Obama went to a snazzy private school. Obama was cared for by well-to-do people. Obama was smart and articulate. Why did Obama compare himself to Trayvon? He was dog-whistling to black folk that white folk are the source of all their problems. Red meat to his base. Mendacity for power.
The second mendacity I notice is Obama's words about Stand Your Ground Laws. The Stand Your Ground Law had NOTHING to do with Trayvon and Obama knows it. He says so. So why does he bring it up? Did he check to see who benefits from it? In Florida, the proportion of black defendants who succeed in staying out of jail because of Stand Your Ground is twice the proportion of other defendants who succeed in staying out of jail because of Stand Your Ground. Perhaps he does not know this. I think this is Obama's reflexive bigotry against weapons and self-defense, but it also is red meat to his base and more mendacity for power.
The first mendacity I notice is Obama's divisive comparison of himself to Trayvon. Quite frankly, Obama seems much more like Zimmerman than Trayvon. Was Obama engaging in mixed-martial-arts fighting? Did he state he wanted a rematch because his opponent wasn't bloody enough? Was there evidence that he was a burglar? Did Obama appear to be casing homes in the rain? No, Obama wasn't much like Trayvon. Obama went to a snazzy private school. Obama was cared for by well-to-do people. Obama was smart and articulate. Why did Obama compare himself to Trayvon? He was dog-whistling to black folk that white folk are the source of all their problems. Red meat to his base. Mendacity for power.
The second mendacity I notice is Obama's words about Stand Your Ground Laws. The Stand Your Ground Law had NOTHING to do with Trayvon and Obama knows it. He says so. So why does he bring it up? Did he check to see who benefits from it? In Florida, the proportion of black defendants who succeed in staying out of jail because of Stand Your Ground is twice the proportion of other defendants who succeed in staying out of jail because of Stand Your Ground. Perhaps he does not know this. I think this is Obama's reflexive bigotry against weapons and self-defense, but it also is red meat to his base and more mendacity for power.
