Mediaboss Marketing

RUSH: Whos next? Boston. Steve, glad you called. Im glad you waited. Welcome to the program.

CALLER: Hey, Rush, mega dittos. Thanks from the Peoples Republic up here.

RUSH: Thank you very much. Great to have you here.

CALLER: I got a question for you, and I was just wondering: Do you think its possible for this racial divide with the Trayvon thing is originating from the White House? I mean, could that possibly be?

RUSH: Do I think its possible that the racial divide or that the energy, the impetus

CALLER: Yeah.

RUSH: in the racial divide might be coming from the White House?

CALLER: Yeah, as a political means to divide the parties, just like the

RUSH: What would make you?

CALLER: George Stephanopoulos thing with the birth control.

RUSH: What would make you think that, Steve? What possibly?

CALLER: Well, because we havent had Obama is supposed to be the president. He could calm this whole situation down if he just came on and said, Everybodys gotta cool it. Calm down his minions, Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson and

RUSH: But he didnt do that.

CALLER: Reverend Wright. Theyre all coming out of the woodwork.

RUSH: But he didnt do that.

CALLER: No.

RUSH: What Obama said was, If I had a son, hed look like Trayvon. And everybody said, So? But that, widely viewed, is stoking it. Then the New Black Panthers came along and offered a bounty, and nobody said anything about that, nobody criticized that. And then yesterday, did you hear about this? Maybe it was this morning, that Eric Holder actually praised Al Sharpton for his work in the Trayvon Martin case. I kid you not. The attorney general called him Reverend Al, and praised Reverend Al for his great work in the Trayvon Martin case.

Look, let me speak bluntly here, Steve. You gotta be very, very careful. This is why you should not try this at home. Leave it to the trained specialist like me. There is no question that this is coming from the White House. There is no question that the White House wants this kind of chaos and unrest in the culture. They, for some reason, have determined that it is helpful for Obamas reelection, because they believe that they can tie all of this to the existence of Republicans and conservatives, that the racial problems exist because of never-ending racism of the right, never-ending racism of Republicans. Thats why George Zimmerman is called in the New York Times a white Hispanic. There are people in the race industry who became excited that this event took place, because it allowed them to carry forward with their template, that we still are a nation, essentially, with slaves.

You couple that with what I think is a chip on Obamas shoulder about the founding of the country, the ingrained discrimination, his anger over it and his opportunity here now to finally make it right. I dont think theres any doubt. I think at least we could say this. If in the White House they wanted to cool this down, which they should do, they could do it. All it would take, as you said, would be Obama addressing the nation, to calm this down, and then speaking about it in genuine American terms, not racial terms. If they wanted to do that, they could. Other presidents have. Its not happening here. I guarantee you, what everybodys waiting on now is for this state attorney and her decision. Its a powder keg waiting to go off. Nobody, that I can see tell me if Im wrong nobody that I see is doing anything to try to make sure that powder keg doesnt explode whenever this decision is reached, cause no matter what the decision is the potential for an eruption is real on either side. I appreciate the call, Steve.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Reverend Sharptons group held their meeting today. They had a convention in Washington, the National Action Network convention, and Eric Holder, the attorney general, was there, and we have a couple of sound bites. Heres the first.

HOLDER: Thank you very much, Reverend Al. I appreciate your kind words, and Im especially grateful for your prayers and for your partnership, your friendship, and also for your tireless efforts to speak out for the voiceless, to stand up for the powerless, and to shine a light on the problems we must solve and the promises, the promises that we must fill.

RUSH: Okay. Heres the author of the Tawana Brawley hoax being held up on a pedestal by the attorney general of the United States, who thanks him for his prayers, his partnership, his friendship, and his tireless efforts to speak out for the voiceless. And the attorney general wasnt finished.

HOLDER: I know that many of you are greatly and rightly concerned about the recent shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. Three weeks ago the Department of Justice launched an investigation into this incident, which remains open at this time and prevents me from talking in detail about this matter. However, in recent weeks Justice Department officials, including assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, Tom Perez, have traveled to Sanford, Florida, to meet with the Martin family, the community, and local authorities. The Justice Departments peacemakers are continuing to meet with civil rights leaders, law enforcement officers and area residents to address and to help alleviate community tensions.

RUSH: Justice Department peacemakers? Thats a new one. Justice Department peacemakers. Why didnt he bring in the folks from the UN at the same time? One thing he did, he didnt mention the New Black Panthers. Theyre gonna be ticked. You know, theyre trying to stand up for the voiceless and the powerless and the fearful and the afraid. I know. I know, theyve got a Wanted: Dead or Alive poster. The bounty is still out there from the New Black Panther Party. And the attorney general and his peacemakers from the Department of Justice are on the case in Sanford, Florida, and they made every effort to talk to everybody in this case except I didnt hear him say that he tried to find or reach out to and speak with the Zimmerman family. Speaking of which, Zimmerman, nobody knows where he is. His lawyer last night held a press conference, audio sound bite 13, lets hit it.

SONNER: We want to announce today, as of now were withdrawing as counsel for Mr. Zimmerman. Weve lost contact with him. Up to this point, weve had contact every day. Hes gone on his own. Im not sure what hes doing or who hes talking to, but at this point were withdrawing as counsel. If he wants us to come back as counsel, he will contact us. We had contact as of, I believe, Sunday. In the last couple of days weve lost he has not returned phone calls or text messages or e-mails.

RUSH: Craig Sonner continued. Hes the lawyer.

SONNER: I still believe that he was acting in self-defense that night. Nothing that Ive said about him or this case has changed in any way. I just cant proceed to represent a client who doesnt stay in contact with me.

RUSH: You dont have to tell everybody that. I mean theres still attorney-client privilege here. By that has ticked off Alan Dershowitz at Harvard Law. Weve got the sound bite. I dont have time for it right now, but he says that he is shocked at the behavior of Zimmermans lawyers. But theyre probably scared, too. Theyre human beings. They live in Sanford, Florida, their client is Zimmerman. Youd be a little frightened, too, given all thats going on, the attorney general coming in, holding up and praising Al Sharpton with his peacemakers from the Justice Department. For crying out loud.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: There is breaking news out there, ladies and gentlemen. Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey plans to announce as early as Wednesday afternoon that she is charging neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to a law enforcement official close to the investigation. It was not immediately clear what charge Zimmerman will face, but he will be charged by the special prosecutor Angela Corey, who was appointed by the governor, Rick Scott. She was appointed by the governor. She is a state attorney here in the state of Florida.

She announced yesterday she wasnt going to take the case to the grand jury, which everybody then raced to assume it meant she was going to charge him. If youre not gonna charge him, why put the bulls-eye on your back? You know, let that go to the grand jury. So (interruption) But nobody knows where Zimmerman is to hang him, Snerdley. Snerdley thinks that Zimmerman will be hung this week. Nobody knows where he is. Greetings. By the way, this is a scoop from the Washington Post. The Washington Post is who has this. Its their report. Its up on Drudge now. And just repeating: George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to a law enforcement official close to the investigation.

And the blurb is: Florida special prosecutor Angela Corey plans to announce as early as Wednesday afternoon that she is charging neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, according to a law enforcement official close to the investigation. It was not immediately clear what charge Zimmerman will face. It isnt known. On the same day that Eric Holder goes to the National Action Network and praises Al Sharpton for his great work promoting peace and understanding in the community. And the attorney general referred to the peacekeepers at the Department of Justice who are also investigating this travesty of justice in Sanford, Florida.

By the way, a story here from our local NBC Eyeball News affiliate: Community activist Michelle Williams has been going non-stop, talking or just texting on the phone. The hectic day follows the release of audio where Michelle is heard speaking about the Trayvon Martin case. Williams can be heard saying, Let me tell you something, the things that is about to happen to these honkeys, these crackers, these pigs, these pink people, these (beep) people, it has been long overdue,' unquote. Michelle Williams is the chief of staff with the local chapter of the New Black Panther Party.

As a community activist, she has also worked very closely with both the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office as well as the Tampa Police Department. Whoever did this report for the local NBC affiliate, Channel 5, said, I have interviewed Michelle in the past on community issues, and truth be told was shocked to hear such harsh words coming from her so I asked to sit down with her to give her the opportunity to respond. Michelle would not deny that it was her on the recording. She did say what I had heard, and what is now all over the radio and internet, is just a short part of a much longer dialogue where her anger was building over the issue.

She explained further, with tears in her eyes. Im angry right now. Im angry that we dont have a Justice Department that says we need to change laws. Im angry that we have a Florida Governor that has not made any real statements about this judicial system. Im tired, John. Im tired. She would go on, Thats not me. Thats not my demeanor. And for something so heart-wrenching that I am watching unfold. I have a 17-year-old son. That could have been my son.' So again to repeat, Let me tell you something, the things that is about to happen to these honkeys, these crackers, these pigs, these pink people, these (beep) people, it has been long overdue.

Shes the chief of staff with a local chapter of the New Black Panther Party, and the local NBC reporter says: Oh, shes been as sweet as pie every time Ive ever talked to her! Shes just sweetness and light. I dont know this side of Michelle!

He really is shocked that somebody with the New Black Panther Party would speak this way. Anyway, so thats that. And as information pours in, we will then pour it back out for you. By the way, the parents of Trayvon Martin were just on MSNBC after speaking at Sharptons National Action Network conference, and they called for everybody to respond peacefully to the special prosecutors announcement. Everybody just be peaceful about this. So if youre just joining, if you are a welfare recipient the kind of person Governor Christie was talking about yesterday and youre just now getting up and turning on the radio, the Washington Post says that the special prosecutor, Angela Corey in Florida, will charge George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin. We dont know what the charge will be. Dont know the nature of the charge.

Grab audio sound bite 15. We played the two sound bites of the lawyer for George Zimmerman, who has now withdrawn, who has pulled out, Craig Sonner. He said: We cant find Zimmerman, dont know where he is; were no longer his lawyers until he calls us. Dershowitz from Harvard Law was on Piers Morgan Tonight last night on CNN, and Piers Morgan said, What was your view as a lawyer of what went down today, these lawyers for Zimmerman basically pulling out?

DERSHOWITZ: I was very upset and very disturbed as a criminal defense lawyer and as somebody who teaches professional responsibility to students. The lawyers cant say that we cant reach him, we dont know where he is, he may or may not be available. He cant say that he called the prosecution. All of these things are covered either by lawyer-client privilege or by the secrets that lawyers are supposed to keep of their clients. And theres been no reason why these lawyers should have appeared on television, held press conferences, and disclosed all of this information. All they had to is quietly say, Were no longer representing the defendant. Our role in the case is over.

RUSH: All right. Doesnt mean much, but still, thats the view from Harvard Law on the attorneys for George Zimmerman. But again, nobody knows where Zimmerman is. The lawyers dont know where he is. They say they dont know where he is; they probably dont. The Trayvon Martin family and the New Black Panthers are worried that Zimmerman has fled the country. They are worried he will never be found. They are worried that he will never be found and therefore he will never face justice; it wont happen. Thats what their big fear is, that somebody has helped George Zimmerman to flee the country. Now, if he fled the country, where would he go, Snerdley?

Where do you think he would go? (interruption) Okay, somewhere where white Hispanics could blend in. Well, that would be Brazil, and Brazil also does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, plus a lot of hot supermodels come from Brazil. Not that that would matter in this instance. But they do. And so it could well be that thats where Zimmerman would go if hes left. Nobody knows where he is. Did you ask me, Why would he leave? (laughing) Thats right. Thats right. Why would he leave? Just has a New Black Panther bounty on his head, a Wanted Dead or Alive poster out there that the peacekeepers at the Department of Justice have not seen fit to condemn.

A lot of people, a lot of people calling for riots if hes not arrested. Michelle Williams from the New Black Panther Party is basically talking whats gonna happen to the pink people. Thats right. Obama said, Yeah, yeah, if I had a son hed look like Trayvon, essentially saying, My son would have been killed. Yeah, Zimmerman, it might have occurred to him that hes not safe. You never know.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: TIME Magazine just tweeted the following. TIME Magazine. Heres the tweet: George Zimmerman had more leeway to shoot Trayvon Martin than a US soldier has to shoot insurgents. Now, what does that mean? George Zimmerman had more leeway to shoot Trayvon Martin than a US soldier has to shoot insurgents. TIME is being purely political and snarky here, but what it probably means is that the rules of engagement and they were going to give medals for courageous restraint in Afghanistan, where our soldiers purposely didnt pull the trigger against the enemy if there was the slightest possibility a civilian casualty would occur. They were thinking of medals for this. Courageous restraint. So what, America is more lawless than war? Shooters in America have more leeway than soldiers in a war? And what is the implication? What a rotten country we are? I mean thats the natural inference from me, given the tweet.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Maybe thats it. Maybe what TIME Magazine is saying with that idiotic tweet of theirs is that if a US soldier in Iraq had shot a terrorist in the way Zimmerman shot Trayvon Martin, it would have been immediately investigated. Thats probably right. TIME is probably among the legions ticked off that there werent immediate charges against Zimmerman and an immediate conviction and an immediate carrying out of the death sentence. But if a soldier had done this in Iraq, why, hed be investigated and court-martialed and strung up already. No doubt thats what TIME Magazine meant.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Nah, the announcement, of the charges against Zimmerman is at 6 p.m. Beyond that, well have to wait and see.

Read more from the original source:
Eric Holder Praises Reverend Al Sharpton; Reports Say Zimmerman to be ...

Ten years ago this week, George Zimmerman made national and international headlines after he shot and killed Trayvon Martin, an unarmed Black teenager.

On February 26th 2012, Zimmerman was working at a local gated community in Sanford, Florida, as a crime-watch volunteer when he encountered 17-year-old Martin as he returned to his father's house from the store, where he'd bought some Skittles and iced tea.

Against the advice of a 911 operator, Zimmerman followed Martin, eventually shooting the teenager dead after an altercation. In July 2013, he was found not guilty and was acquitted of his charges, a decision that sparked national outrage and fuelled the birth of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Justice Department officially closed its investigation into the killing of Martin in February 2015, after the case was deemed not to meet the standards for hate crime prosecution.

In the last decade, Zimmerman's name has become commonplace, and the now 38-year-old has clung onto the case, seemingly as a means of remaining relevant, and has continued to make headlines.

The acquitted killer has not shied away from the courts since the Martin case, and has filed a number of high-profile defamation lawsuits over the past ten years.

In 2019, Zimmerman sued the Martin family, their lawyer and prosecutors for $100 million. In the lawsuit, he claimed he suffered "malicious persecution," and accused Martin's parents and their lawyer of conspiring to impose charges on him.

The lawsuit was tossed by a Florida judge earlier this month.

In 2020 he sued Senator Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg now the Secretary of Transportation for a whopping $265 million.

Zimmerman claimed the two politicians separately defamed him on Twitter in tweets posted to commemorate what would have been Martin's 25th birthday, despite neither of the tweets mentioning him.

The lawsuit claimed that Warren and Buttigieg did so "for political gain in misguided and malicious attempts to bolster their standings amongst African-American voters, all at Zimmerman's expense."

He also tried to sue the media, unsuccessfully. In June 2014, a Florida judge dismissed a defamation lawsuit Zimmerman filed against NBC in 2012. Zimmerman claimed the story purported that he'd willingly told a 911 operator that Martin was Black.

Besides his lawsuits, Zimmerman has also been involved in a number of efforts over the past ten years designed to profit from his notoriety, from speaking engagements to hundred-thousand dollar auctions.

Perhaps most notable among them was his decision to auction the gun he used to kill Martin with, which sold to an anonymous buyer for $250,000 in 2016.

Zimmerman advertised the firearm as a "piece of American history," though many of his initial listings were removed due to hoax bidders and reticent gun sale sites. UnitedGunGroup.com eventually hosted the auction, with bids starting at $5,000.

In the original auction posting, Zimmerman claimed that "a portion of the proceeds will be used to fight Black Lives Matter violence against Law Enforcement officers, ensure the demise of Angela Corey's persecution career and Hillary Clinton's anti-firearm rhetoric."

Previously, in 2013, Zimmerman had curiously started selling some of his artwork, with a piece featuring the American flag selling for $100,099.99 on eBay. In 2015, he would go on to sell a painting of the confederate flag to raise funds for a Muslim-free gun shop in Florida.

His last reported public appearance was due to take place last November, as he was scheduled to speak at the Lethal Force Gun Laws 2021: Tactics & Strategies Conference at the Riverside Hotel, Idaho.

However, hotel management canceled the event after learning that Zimmerman was due to speak and give a 'step-by-step narrative' of the shooting that killed Martin.

In a statement, management said: "We recognize the immense pain that George Zimmerman has inflicted on many of our guests, team-members and community. With their respect and safety as our priority, we have canceled the event. We are unequivocally opposed to providing George Zimmerman a platform and he is not welcome at The Riverside Hotel."

Legal troubles seem to follow Zimmerman, and in the months following his acquittal he was pulled over numerous times for speeding, although he only once received a ticket when he was fined $265 in Lake Mary, Florida.

In 2014 he found himself in hot water when he was involved in a road rage incident. Zimmerman reportedly followed a driver into a gas station after a heated exchange, and as he tried to call 911, Zimmerman threatened to kill himgun in hand. He then appeared at the man's workplace two days later. No charges were pressed.

In 2016, a man was sentenced to 20 years in prison for shooting into Zimmerman's truck, narrowly missing him. Matthew Apperson was convicted of second-degree attempted murder despite claiming he was acting in self-defense after Zimmerman pointed a gun at him.

His personal life was also riddled with altercations and encounters with law enforcement.

In September 2013, Zimmerman's then-wife filed for divorce. A few days later, she called 911 after Zimmerman allegedly punched her father in the face and threatened to kill her family. He was taken into custody but no charges were filed.

A few months later, in November that year, Zimmerman was charged with aggravated assault after he allegedly pointed a shotgun at his new girlfriend. He was released on bail the following day, and his partner recanted her statement and dropped all domestic violence charges the following month.

The acquitted killer had another run in with the law in January 2015, when he was arrested for aggravated assault after allegedly attacking his then-girlfriend with a bottle of wine. As with many of his prior incidents, no charges were filed.

Zimmerman was also banned from dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble.

He continued to find himself in the limelight, and even agreed to fight the rapper DMX in a celebrity boxing match in 2015. The fight would go on to be canceled.

That was not his only encounter with entertainment heavy-hitters, as he threatened to "beat" rapper Jay-Z and feed him "to an alligator" in 2017, after he learnt that the musician would be producing a documentary and feature film about Martin.

His feud with Jay-Z continued, as a year later he allegedly threatened the rapper and his wife, pop superstar Beyonc, warning he would be "bringing hell" upon the couple.

In text messages sent to private investigator Dennis Warren, Zimmerman once again threatened to feed the pair to a "13 foot gator," as well as levelling insults at the celebrity duo.

"Oh yea and tell Jay-Z he's a bitch and his wife's a broke whore," one of the messages read.

Zimmerman was also charged with misdemeanor stalking and harassing Warren, who worked on the Jay-Z documentary. Over the course of nine days, he had called Warren 55 times, left 36 voicemails and sent him over 65 texts.

Newsweek approached Zimmerman's family for comment.

Read the original:
George Zimmerman's Bizarre Life Since Trayvon Martin's ... - Newsweek

Marc Wilson claims he fired his gun out of self-defense after a group of teens yelled racial slurs and tried to run him off the road in Statesboro, Georgia, in June 2020. Photo courtesy of Wilson's family

Late one night in June 2020, William Marcus Wilson, a 21-year-old Black man, fired his legal handgun at a pickup truck full of teenagers after some of the teens allegedly called him a racial slur and tried to run him and his white girlfriend off the road in Statesboro, Georgia. The next day, Wilson learned that one of those bullets struck and killed 17-year-old Haley Hutcheson, who was in the backseat of the truck.

This week, Wilson, who goes by the name Marc, is on trial for felony murder and aggravated assault, which carries a life sentence and the possibility of the death penalty. Wilson and his legal team are arguing that despite the tragic events, Wilson was left with no option but to stand his ground to ensure his safety, as well as that of his girlfriend.

Me and my girlfriend were very scared that night, Wilson told a detective after the shooting. A truck full ofall I saw were white maleswhite males driving their car at me and are flipping me off and yelling racial slurs.

Self-defense claims led to acquittals for Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse and George Zimmerman, who killed Trayvon Martin. But this is a rare case of a Black man using a stand your ground defense, and the historical data does not point in his favor.

Wilsons trial is a particularly interesting case because its a dynamic of a self-defense case that we haven't seen, Melissa Redmon, the prosecutorial justice program director at the University of Georgias School of Law and a former Fulton County district attorney, told VICE News. It's something that should be watched closely to make sure that Marcus Wilson is afforded the same consideration and support that other [defendants] who have alleged self-defense have gotten.

Fearing for his life

At around 1 a.m. on June 14, 2020, Wilson and his then-girlfriend Emma Rigdon, who is white, were driving away from a Taco Bell in Statesboro. At a stoplight, they pulled up next to a pickup truck. According to Wilsons defense team, Wilson said two male teens in the truck leaned out of the window and called Rigdon a n----- -loving bitch, and shouted, Your lives dont matter!

Wilson later told police that when the light turned green, the pickup truck swerved in front of them and tried to knock his car off the road. Wilson said the males in the truck were leaning out the window screaming more racial slurs while flashing middle fingers at them.

It was just weeks after the murder of George Floyd, and Wilson said he was already feeling nervous, so he pulled out a gun and fired two warning shots at the truck.

He said he heard a loud sound that made him think they might be shooting back at him or ramming his vehicle.

Fearing for his life, Wilson said he fired his gun once more at the truck. That bullet struck and killed Hutcheson.

When Wilson found out the next day that one of the passengers of the truck had been killed, he turned himself in. He was denied bail after Ogeechee Circuit Superior Court Judge Michael Muldrew, who originally presided over the case, said Wilson posed a significant threat to the persons in the community, despite having no criminal record.

In February, Muldrew was recused from presiding over the trial; the defense claimed he met with two of the prosecuting attorneys in private and allowed them to view emails Wilson sent to his family. Muldrew was replaced with Judge Ronnie Thompson, who granted Wilson his release on a $100,000 bond.

However, Thompson ruled that Wilsons case was not airtight enough to grant him immunity from the charges under Georgias stand your ground laws.

And the teens tell a different story, one that says Wilson never had a claim to self-defense and that they did not yell out racial slurs. They told police they thought Rigdon was a classmate theyd seen earlier that night who also has a Black boyfriend. In opening statements, Chief Assistant District Attorney Barclay Black said that no matter what happened before the shooting, Wilson was wrong to escalate the encounter by using deadly force, and his decision to do so resulted in the death of an innocent person.

As we proceed through that evidence one thing is going to ring true through this whole trial, Black said Wednesday, according to the Statesboro Herald. That is no matter what gets thrown around this courtroom, no matter what fingers get pointed at anybody, Haley Hutcheson didnt do a doggone thing to anybody, except get a bullet in the back of her head.

Since the incident, the teens memories of that night have been called into question. All four admitted to drinking alcohol as they drove around town. In their investigation, police found beer cans at the scene that match the brand they were drinking, with investigators believing that the loud noise Wilson heard was likely a can that was thrown at his car. And at least one of the police reports written by a Statesboro detective reads that one of the teens, Luke Conley, was seen by a witness yelling out of his window right before the shooting.

Additionally, Conley is currently facing charges of obstruction of justice for withholding information and providing conflicting statements about who he saw in Wilsons car. A month prior to the shooting, Conley was also arrested on charges of driving under the influence and a hit-and-run. Neither case has been litigated, according to Georgia court records.

Race matters

The defense, led by former Georgia NAACP president and attorney Francys Johnson, argues that despite the tragic death of Hutcheson, Wilson responded reasonably.

This case is about how Emma Rigdon and William Marcus Wilson missed their early graves when they decided to go on a late-night run to Taco Bell, Johnson said during his opening statement Wednesday.

Since Johnson took on the case in July 2020, hes been blunt about his belief that race has played a major role in how this case has been perceived.

We believe that if Marc Wilson was a white gentlemen that night, accosted by a truckload of angry, belligerent, possibly drunk Black men, and he used a legally possessed firearm to defend himself and his passenger, that he would have been given a medal and not given a prosecution, he told reporters during a Zoom call at the time, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Data backs Johnsons belief. Stand your ground laws, which give legal gun owners the legal grounds to use deadly force when threatened regardless if there are non-lethal options available, exist in some form across 37 states, according to the Giffords Center, including in Georgia.

But from 2005 to 2010, the first five years after stand your ground laws were introduced, just 11 percent of cases involving a Black shooter invoking stand your ground and white victim were deemed justified, according to a 2020 study by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, compared to 45 percent of cases involving a Black victim and a white shooter.

One of the most famous cases of stand your ground being used successfully was in 2013, when George Zimmerman, the man who shot and killed Trayvon Martin, a Black 17-year-old who was walking home through Zimmermans neighborhood, was acquitted. Zimmerman successfully claimed he felt threatened by Martin, despite initiating the interaction by following him through the neighborhood.

And just two months after Huchesons death, in August 2020, Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, shot and killed two people and injured a third during protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was found not guilty on all charges including intentional homicide. The white teen successfully claimed self-defense, arguing that he had little choice but to use deadly force when confronted by protesters both at a car dealership he says he was trying to protect, and people who tried to disarm him after the initial shooting.

But that trend may be changing. Last November, Greg and Travis McMichael failed to convince a Georgia jury that they acted in self-defense when they shot and killed Ahmaud Arbery, a Black 25-year-old jogger who they suspected was a burglar in their neighborhood. They were both sentenced to life in prison.

Redmon said that the impact the Arbery case had about who can claim self-defense is very likely to loom over the jury in this case, in a way that will possibly benefit Wilson.

The McMichaels prevented Arbery from disengaging. Here, you have the exact opposite: a couple going about their business and the victims initiating the contact and being antagonistic towards them, Redmon said. When we think about self-defense, we typically think about someone coming at you and you having to defend yourself as opposed to you initiating an encounter and it [going] wrong.

But it doesnt mean that there wont be hurdles to overcome for the defense.

When someone is deceased, most citizens are going to look to what could have been done to prevent this. That's the difficulty in getting them to accept a self-defense defense in most cases, Redmon said. In this case, you have the deceased victim who in a sense was an innocent bystander in that she wasn't driving the truck.

Ultimately, it will come down to which version of events the jury will ultimately believe.

The state is going to focus on the reasonableness and whether or not that fear and his subsequent actions were reasonable, Redmon said. The other thing is the credibility and which version of events is most likely to be true. Both sides will have to convince the jury which version of events actually happened.

The jury selected to decide the case is made up of eight white males, four white females, two Black females, and one Hispanic male. The jurors range in age from 20 to 70. The trial is expected to last through to the beginning of next week.

Follow Trone Dowd on Twitter.

Continue reading here:
Black Man Charged With Murder of White Teen Says He Was Standing His Ground - VICE

I want to help people!

This is a desire that motivates all therapists in one form or another. Through direct service, we therapists help one individual, one couple, one family, and one group at a time. Depending on our caseload at any given moment, that adds up to a relatively small number compared to the number of people in our geographic region. We may also help people indirectly through teaching, supervising, writing, and consulting. These activities may help larger numbers of people, although we are less likely to see the fruits of our labors.

Through a series of chance circumstances, I had the opportunity to help, potentially, a much larger number of people. After being certified in hypnosis in 1997, I became interested in the growing academic psychological literature on virtual reality (VR). I noticed that hypnosis and VR have a number of elements in common, with both experiences giving access to alternative realities and both experiences feeling real.

While I was collaborating on research using VR, George Zimmerman was acquitted of Trayvon Martins murder. When some people responded to Black Lives Matter with white lives matter or all lives matter, I thought these comments reflected a profound lack of understanding of the lived experience of being Black in the U.S. (not that I presume to know the lived experience). I had the idea that VR could be used to help individuals understand the lived experiences of people different from themselves. I began discussing this idea with colleagues and others, offering my idea for others to do good in the world and to help people, if the idea was viable. To my surprise, a venture capitalist offered me enough money to do a proof-of-concept study to see whether the idea worked. I was thrilled. My hope was that if the data came out the way I hoped it would that I could make a difference on a bigger scale.

The study results were very promising and the reactions from participants were equally positive; we were able to change participants attitudes and deeply affect them so that they were more aware of how their biases affected others and were motivated and had new learning to treat people different from themselves more respectfully. These results left me facing a difficult choice. Should I close my practice and go full-time into the unchartered waters of building a company to provide this service as workplace training and the opportunity to make a difference on this scale, or let go of the idea and keep my practice open?

Values High

The opportunity to have a much bigger impact was enticing. In the language of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), building a company to upskill employees for respectful and inclusive behavior, and making an impact on a large scale would be a values rush or high. How could I not choose to build the company?

If youve known entrepreneurs or start-up employees through your practice or personally, you know that startups are an emotional roller coaster. Id seen it firsthand with clients and family members but living it myself was a different story. Yet I felt it was all worthwhile. What we were building was powerful and could help employees treat each other more inclusively. It felt like I was on a mission in a way Id never experienced in my professional life.

The Downs

Right as we were about to launch the company to the public and start selling our program, COVID hit, with quarantines instituted for an unknown length of time. Work for most people moved from the office to the home. We struggled to adapt and survive. We figured out how to provide the VR experience so people could access it from home without a dedicated VR headset.

As we tried to sell our product to HR and DEI (diversity, equity, & inclusion) leaders, we found ourselves competing with higher priorities - companies were trying to address work fires about COVID-related remote work, as well as the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Brionna Taylor and how these deaths affected employees. In the end, we didnt get the traction that Id hoped for.

The Values Crash

As the companys money was running low and not enough was coming in, it was heartbreaking for me to realize that three years of work (and no income) would not come to fruition. Instead of a values rush, it was a values crash. In building the company, Id felt a thrumming sense of purpose driven by the opportunity to influence many people on a deeper level. Now, I was looking at a return to doing clinical work, helping one individual, one couple at a time. I still loved my clinical work when I had left it behind three years earlier but returning to it felt like a let-down.

To me, to use a drug analogy, it was like going from a cocaine high to drinking weak tea. A bit of caffeine just didnt cut it. I spent weeks, months, in a funk, doing an ACT values worksheet and felt that I had no valuesat least not ones to which I wanted to take committed action. The fact that COVID continued to restrict life around me probably didnt help my outlook. I knew I was grieving, but that knowledge only took me so far. I set a date for myself: come January, Id start letting people know I was re-opening my practice.

In January, though, I was still struggling to find values and meaning in clinical work. Dont get me wrong. I like doing clinical work and feel Im generally helpful to people. But running a company was like directing a musical production with a full orchestra, while working directly with clients was like directing an intimate one-or-two-person show. Each activity is rewarding, but in different ways.

Talking with friends and family helped. Time helped. And getting intellectually stimulated about clinical work helped. I am someone who likes to do a deep dive into training and to learn a new set of skills or approach every few years. Three professional opportunities helped get me really excited about returning to clinical work.

Acceptance and Commitment TherapyI had it in my sights to get more training in ACT, an approach to therapy that, in part, helps people articulate and then live their values. It seemed an apt fit, given my values crash. I had the good fortune to be accepted into an ACT peer consultation training group with experienced clinicians. This wonderful group of clinicians and the training spurred me to think about my eclectic approach in a deeper way. I became excited to use the ACT approach and techniques with clients.

Discernment CounselingI also had the good fortune to watch videos of Bill Doherty, Ph.D. doing Discernment Counseling with a couple. Discernment Counseling is a specific modality for couples in which one or both spouses are considering divorce. The goal is to help the couple get clarity and confidence in the path theyd like to take their relationship. Id received this training before starting my company but stopped when I closed my practice. What an honor to learn from him! The videos left me re-engaged and eager to see more couples for discernment counseling.

Ethical Lives of ClientsThe third professional opportunity was hearing Bill Doherty speak about his recent book, which focuses on the ethical lives of clients that we, as therapists trained in an individualist culture, may not see or address. Reading his book and discussing his ideas with colleagues brought my systems training closer to the forefront, leading me to think more deeply about the ethical dilemmas our clients face that they may or may not see, and how to raise those issues.

Value Reflection

Although there are things Id have done differently with my company, Im proud of the work we did, and of what I learned. I know enough about the failure rate of startups to know that Im in good company with the failure of my company.

Im also thankful that I had the opportunity to re-find and re-commit to the values that initially led me to become a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. Its exciting to be re-energized by the work as well as intellectually stimulated.

Useful References

Virtual Superheroes: Using Superpowers in Virtual Reality to Encourage Prosocial Behavior

Using Virtual Reality to Encourage Prosocial Behavior

VR for Civility Training: Envisioning a More Respectful Workplace

File under:

Here is the original post:
Re-Directing Clinical Passion: Benefits and Pitfalls - Psychotherapy.net

Before LIV Golf and its obscene amounts of oil money made lots of ordinary golfers into nihilistic heels, Patrick Reed stood alone as the most disliked man on the PGA Tour. Dating back to his college days at Georgia, before he was dismissed from the golf team and went to Augusta State, he was suspected by his teammates of being a cheater and a thief. As a pro, the cheating reputation became even more pronounced, especially after an incident where he was penalized for moving sand to improve his lie in 2019, as well as a controversial drop he took at a tournament he won last year.

Reed, who peaked in 2018 with a Masters win and a top-five U.S. Open finish, ditched the PGA Tour for LIV in June. But, evidently unsatisfied with the Saudi mountain of cash, Reed has now hit back at one of his critics by hiring a clown of a lawyer for an absurd $750 million lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas on Tuesday.

The suit, which can be read in all its glory here, alleges defamation by Golf Channel and one of its commentators, Brandel Chamblee. Chamblee has expressed strong negative feelings against LIV Golf, Mohammed bin Salman, and those who align themselves with this sportswashing venture, and hes also singled out Reed in the past for his rules controversies. His comments are very clearly all opinions, or reporting on what other people say, and cannot be considered defamation by any serious person. They have, however, led to this very fun rebuttal from Reed, which is pretty indicative of the corner that so many LIV golfers have backed themselves into.

Mr. Reed has never accepted blood money, and in no way supports terrorism and/or human rights violations, or murder, the lawsuit says.

If the suits consistent confusing of its and its wasnt enough to ridicule it, Reeds choice of lawyer certainly does the job. Larry Klayman, a long-disgraced litigator who doesnt get out of bed in the morning without filing a civil suit, was perhaps the only man antsy and shameless enough to take on such a pointless and frivolous task. Klaymans already attempted a class-action suit against the PGA Tour for its suspension of LIV golfers, but his more despicable greatest hits include an unending obsession with the lie that Barack Obama is a secret Muslim born outside the U.S., a claim that Black Lives Matter is responsible for igniting a race war, and other unsuccessful defamation lawsuits filed on behalf of such characters as George Zimmerman, Roy Moore, and Joe Arpaio. If Reed is concerned by the perception that hes an unscrupulous jerk who will keep company with anyone wholl help him make a buck, he certainly isnt clearing his name by aligning himself with Klayman.

Hopefully this suit will be quickly dismissed, but what will stick with me much longer than its arrogance is page seven, which includes a massive list of heckles that people have allegedly shouted at Reed while hes golfed. As the lawsuit so eloquently notes, These personal attacks occur frequently while Mr. Reed is actively preparing to make his golf shot, or during the golf shot, much less thereafter as he is walking to his next golf shot, as well as lining up and making putts on the green, which putts require a high degree of concentration. Here they are in order:

Now that we know Reed is trigger-happy with defamation lawsuits, it might be wise to take some care when interacting with him. So when Patrick Reed is actively preparing to make his golf shot, or during the golf shot, much less thereafter as he is walking to his next golf shot, as well as lining up and making putts on the green, which putts require a high degree of concentration, please do not yell at him, Why dont you introduce your children to their grandparents you ungrateful bitch?!

See the original post here:
A List Of All The Ways Fans Heckle Accused Cheater Patrick Reed - Defector