08:39 – I get so tired of hearing Sharpton and the other demagogues playing the race card at every opportunity. Yes, Martin was a young black man. Yes, Zimmerman has a “white” name. But Zimmerman self-identifies as Hispanic, and is apparently of mixed white and black heritage. To attempt to portray this incident as a racially-motived killing goes beyond contemptible. In a rational world, Zimmerman wouldn’t even have been charged with a crime. It was so clearly self-defense that the police didn’t charge him for weeks, until they caved to political pressure.
Much has been made of Martin’s age and race, that he was somehow “profiled” because of them. Maybe so, but so what? It is not sexist to state that men are much more likely than women to commit violent crimes. It’s fact. It is not ageist to state that young men are much more likely than older men to commit violent crimes. It’s fact. And it’s not racist to state that black men are much more likely to commit violent crimes against whites than the converse. It’s fact. Whites are immensely more likely to be the victims of violent crime perpetrated by blacks than the converse. That’s not racism. That’s reality.
Everyone has situational awareness of threats. It’s been bred into us by millions of years of evolution. If I, as a 60-year-old white man, am walking down the street and see someone approaching me, I instinctively evaluate the situation without even having to think about it. If the person approaching is female of any age or race, the potential threat is minimal unless she’s behaving strangely. Not zero, but not of much concern. If the person approaching is male of any age or race, the potential threat is much, much greater and I am accordingly more alert. If the man is also young, I’m still more alert. And if the young man is also black, I’m still more alert. And if it’s a group of young black men rather than just one, I’m on full alert. And if the group of young black men is rowdy, I’m in DEFCON 1 and mentally prepared to engage multiple targets. And there’s nothing sexist, ageist, or racist about that.
13:59 – This is very cool, at least to me. Tracking information on the two science kits I mailed Monday to the UK.
Customs Clearance UNITED KINGDOM July 17, 2013 6:14 pm
Customs Clearance UNITED KINGDOM July 17, 2013 6:13 pm
Processed Through Sort Facility UNITED KINGDOM July 17, 2013 6:02 pm
Processed Through Sort Facility ISC MIAMI FL (USPS) July 16, 2013 11:06 am
Arrived at Sort Facility ISC MIAMI FL (USPS) July 16, 2013 10:45 am
Processed through USPS Sort Facility MIAMI, FL 33112 July 16, 2013 9:24 am
Depart USPS Sort Facility GREENSBORO, NC 27498 July 15, 2013
Processed at USPS Origin Sort Facility GREENSBORO, NC 27498 July 15, 2013 8:07 pm
Dispatched to Sort Facility WINSTON SALEM, NC 27106 July 15, 2013 5:33 pm
Acceptance WINSTON SALEM, NC 27106 July 15, 2013 4:07 pm
Electronic Shipping Info Received July 15, 2013