Media Malfeasance

All the collective hand wringing, rallying, calls for a dialog on race, urges to vigilantism, and symbolic protests in support of Trayvon Martin are built upon lies the media sold to a willing populace. It shouldn’t really be shocking that so many people could buy into this, especially since it fits so neatly into preconceived notions about race relations in this country. But a civilized society must demand sobriety and self restraint.

So let me see if I can roughly summarize the Trayvon Martin shooting as it progressed in the press…

Media begins with narrative “White man ruthlessly guns down innocent black youth”, approximately 3 weeks after the event
It is learned that George Zimmerman, the shooter, is half Peruvian; New York Times calls him a “white hispanic” (more info…)
NBC runs edited 9-1-1 tape of Zimmerman, making it seem he that he deliberately pointed out the presumed race of the victim (“he looks black”); In reality the operator had asked him for that information. Viewers are left with the impression Zimmerman has race on his mind (more info…)
ABC runs poor quality video from police station and surmises there are no injuries visible on Zimmerman; In reality a clearer tape shows something like an abrasion on his head but is inconclusive. Viewers are left with the impression his story of self defense is a fabrication. (more info…)
Reports claim that a garbled audio portion from the 9-1-1 tape clearly shows Zimmerman using a racial slur (“coons”). In reality, the tape is unintelligible and even self-appointed “experts” can’t agree (maybe it was “punks”, maybe it was “cold” - a reference to the cold weather than night). Viewers are left with the impression that Zimmerman is a racist. (more info…)
The press runs photos of the men from many years earlier showing Zimmerman heavier set and frowning. The photo they run of Martin shows a happy cute kid in a Hollister shirt. In reality, a more recent photo would show Zimmerman in a suit and Martin as an older kid making obscene gestures at the camera. Viewers are left with the impression that Zimmerman is a thug and Martin is an angel. (Zimmerman) (Martin)
President Obama further injects race with comments that if he had a son, he would look like Trayvon. In reality this statement is meaningless since it is arbitrarily applied (why hasn’t he made any such comments about the astonishing level of black homicides in south Chicago?). Viewers’ impressions are further stoked – this was a racial killing.

What we know now about Zimmerman now is completely different from what the media led us to believe. That this shooting, a tragedy regardless, would have been anything other than a hate crime was completely alien to the media. So they framed it the only way they see things. And in doing so, they helped stoke the flames of racial hatred. Spike Lee went so far as to tweet the address of where he thought Zimmerman lived. Instead, he endangered an elderly couple with his thuggishness (more info…). I personally am losing my patience for this sort of behavior.

I normally wouldn’t even bother mentioning this topic, except that I think it illustrates exactly why we should always begin with the assumption that some sensational story in the press is a complete lie. And then work our way to the truth with a heavy dose of skepticism as best we can. Nobody commenting on this story knows what happened that night. I certainly don’t know.

The New Black Panthers, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and their ilk don’t know either. But they all profit from stirring up this level of animosity. They get to be self-appointed leaders and cash in on their status, regardless of the harm they cause. And they are able to do this because the media grants them this stage. And to top off this whole mess, the President of the United States decided to wade into this issue (for reasons of politics, I am convinced). It is a sad and fitting colophon to the false post-racial narrative he supposedly represented.

But the real problem is this - if we can’t count on Americans to question the simplistic themes that are being presented by the media and to critically think about the possible explanations and reasonable reactions, then we have a lot more to worry about than justice for Trayvon. A group of people such as that is easily controlled and manipulated. Such a people will not remain civil for long.