Apparently, a person described as a “George Zimmerman Supporter” (read: Person who likes persons who shoot black kids in cold blood) is selling targets, for target practice, meant to resemble the young Trayvon Martin, who was murdered early this year. The targets show a person wearing a hoodie and carrying iced tea and Skittles, as Trayvon was the night he was gunned down in cold blood. (Details here and here.)
Apparently the targets, available at Gun Broker Dot Com, sold out very quickly. (Gun broker has taken down the page, but you can probably contact them through their customer service department.)
The unidentified producer of this target has indicated that is main motivation is to “make money off the controversy.”
(Kudos to gun lovers who have taken exception to this target.)
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“There is a petition to sign to encourage the Virginia Attorney General, Ken Cucinelli, to take action against the Hiller Armament Company, in Virginia. ”
That seems like a hopeless mission, given what we know about Cucinelli.
Freedom of Speech means we have to tolerate the very worst of us.
Keep in mind that speaking out on any subject likely will lead someone to want to restrict our speech.
, the problem is this law is based upon the beelif of reason. Even the most educated people can lose their temper, and most people are far from educated in the United States. The end result is that whatever the community considers reasonable ends up becoming the difference between a murder charge and standing your ground. If you are a minority or a poor person, and the other person involved is rich or white or both, you know as well as I do who will get the murder charge and who will not. If Trayvon Martin had stood his ground, he would be on his way to the pen, whereas Zimmerman, as an affluent Jewish person, had little doubt to believe that the court system would see it any other way. If I am attacked, I will stand my ground, but since I am just poor white trash, I know that the law will not defend me- unless it is another poor person. I was walking back from my job at McDonald’s to my college dorm room when I lived in TN, and a pickup truck full of fraternity brothers decided to throw beer bottles at me. If I had (rightfully) beat them down, I know I would have went to jail, and these frat boys would have gotten away with it, because they are rich/upper middle class, and I am just poor white trash. If it had been black or hispanic people who had done it, I could get away with it, but then again, Ive never in my life had a black person or a hispanic person insult me for being poor, let alone attack me.
Paul, this isn’t about freedom of speech. It is about two things: The illegal use of imagery representing a person who did not give permission, and condoning racial murders.
Regarding the first, there is no speech issue, and the petition is about that. Signing the petition is not about freedom of speech, it is about lawfulness and respect. Not singing that petition specifically because of freedom of speech issues is incorrect.
Regarding the second issue, there may or may not be a freedom of speech issue. Imagine sending around targets that look like the President of the US, or Gabby Gifford, or some other public figure. There may well be laws that are constitutional that cover that. But yes, it might well be that if someone wants to say something like “I think it is a good idea to make a target that resembles some young black kid and fire bullets at it in celebration of some guy who did that in real life” then they are protected in being able to do that.
But that is not what the petition is about. Coming to the rescue of the person who is doing this may not be in the best form. You might not be seen, Paul, as a “white knight” arriving on the scene to protect the freedom of speech, but rather, someone coming along to protect a dickhead in Virginia from doing something that is illegal and unprotected as well a well as a total dickhead move.
Feel free to reconsider your position!
Your countrymen terrify me.
From the outside it seems like every hate crime, incitement to violence, and other disgusting abuses are met with either +FREE SPEECH!”, “SECOND AMENDMENT!” or “FREEDOM OF RELIGION!”
Shooting dead unarmed kids, calling for the death of certain minorities, disgusting religious practices that end up with newborns dying in agony, toddlers blowing their own heads off with daddy’s gun…
All are met with shrugs, bluster about the constitution, or calls of “They’ve suffered enough” Fuck the actual victims, the perrs are just exercising their rights as ‘mericans.
Once again, Paul shows up when guns are the topic. Once again Paul shows up and is fucking stupid.
Also, why aren’t there gun targets with Zimmerman’s face? I’d say he is a legitimate threat to society that people need practice shooting at in case he goes on another rampage.
Perhaps to something that doesn’t reduce to “freedom of speech’s sole purpose is as a loophole to let the bad guys get away with things.”
I don’t really care to discuss the hoodie as I think it was done simply to grab some of the spotlight aka money when it was easy to do. Poor taste in my mind. My question is we’re the black panthers ever prosecuted for putting a bounty on zimmerman’s head????
Were not we’re….iPhone auto correct sometimes just hates me.
I don’t advocate a bounty but word on the street is that Zimmerman is a dangerous cold blooded killer while trav was a kid walking home who got murdered, so I don’t think that particular rather lame attempt at balance is appropriate.
Oh that poor, poor victim. LEAVE GEORGE ZIMMERMAN ALOOOOOOOOOOOONEEEEEEEEEEE!
And btw, that bounty was apparently for a citizens arrest and not a hit. Shove everything you own up your ass, dan-o.
And they are not related to the original black panthers in any way. Just a fringe group trying to lay claim to any legacy the black panthers may have. Try to be honest. I know it is hard for you.
http://articles.latimes.com/2012/mar/27/nation/la-na-nn-black-panther-party-20120327
Firstly, let me state that the person who produced this is a contemptible excuse for a human being.
Secondly, on the legality of it… are you sure that personality rights apply? If I made a target depicting Hitler would that also be illegal?
As far as I understand it, this is a states law issue and different states have different rules about how long after death a personality’s image is protected. I don’t know what the law is in Florida.
There’s also the issue that it doesn’t actually show his face, so to its probably doubtful that that law would apply anyway.
I think the best tactic to pursue in prosecuting this guy would be the incitement to racial hatred one.
You don’t see some small difference between the image of the leader of a fucking country and a person who made the national news solely because he was murdered?
Unfortunately, the purists have fought tooth and nail to prevent any kind of meaningful statutes on this.
First the People making and selling this Target are indeed DICK HEADS, so tell them so and tell everyone not to buy any of their products until they become more civilized.
That being said if the Virginia Attorney General, tries to shut them down they’ll get an amazing amount of publicity, will likely get off, and being labeled Martyrs then sell many more Targets.
“Once again, Paul shows up when guns are the topic. Once again Paul shows up and is fucking stupid.”
I’m defending Free Speech and that includes your right to tell me I’m a DICK HEAD.
Disagreeable: “Secondly, on the legality of it… are you sure that personality rights apply? If I made a target depicting Hitler would that also be illegal?”
Hitler is/was a public figure. That’s different, legally.
As far as I understand it, this is a states law issue and different states have different rules about how long after death a personality’s image is protected. I don’t know what the law is in Florida.
The action is being taken in Virginia, and in Virginia it is 100 years. This information is all in the petition.
There’s also the issue that it doesn’t actually show his face, so to its probably doubtful that that law would apply anyway.
The person who made this states it is Travyon Martin.
I think the best tactic to pursue in prosecuting this guy would be the incitement to racial hatred one.
Perhaps.
Paul: that he might get off could be an important point, but it depends.
People get charged with things all the time and get off, and that almost never matters. However, when a particular application of the law is new or unusual, then it can matter. I was speaking with a prosecuting attorney the other day about a possible prosecution that would be highly unusual. It is something, he said, that prosecutors all around the country are itching to try, but no one has had the air tight case yet. He indicated that if anyone tried this and failed, it would make it harder to do again.
Regarding whether or not to sign the petition, these considerations are irrelevant. 99% of petition signers can’t know if it is a good idea from this perspective or not. No sense in second guessing; let the prosecutor decide and make the case if he likes as to why he did or did not do it.
I’m defending Free Speech and that includes your right to tell me I’m a DICK HEAD.
THISISNOTABOUTFREESPEECH
@ #11 Drivebyposter, I could be wrong but the picture says DEAD or Alive. http://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnn-reports-black-panthers-offering-bounty-on-trayvon-killer-george-zimmerman/
Please feel free to google “wanted dead or alive black panthers” and select picture if you only believe your fingers.
Is there no law that comes into play when someone puts a bounty on your head and asks everyone in the U.S. for you to be killed and you get paid $10k?
It wasn’t the Black Panthers.
OK. The bounty put on the head of Zimmerman saying Dead or Alive by the NEW Black Panthers. Is there any law against asking someone to kill another person for money? This is an honest question that deserves an answer. Please keep in mind I agreed the above target should not have been sold.
There probably is, though I’m not sure if this is an example of that or not. It is certainly a dickhead move, though.
But I do want to re-stress: There is a difference between overreacting and wanting a gold blooded killer “wanted dead or alive” and overreacting and wanting an innocent victim who is already dead to be symbolically shot by countless hateful racists shits.
(Not that you are saying there isn’t, but I just want us all to keep that firmly in mind.)
Just a thought, since it sounds like the petition might not have all the effect we could want: I wonder how Mars, Inc. feels about their Skittles logo being used on something like this?
Martin, good idea. I wonder if Mars and Skittles gave him their permission to use their trademarked product to make a profit. I think not.
dan-0: Your own article says:
So you can stop worrying about your hero. The NBPP backed off and stopped and the police, as far as I can tell, are satisfied and that and they pretty much seem to have done it just to for attention. On top of that, Zimmerman is being protected 24/7. Probably at tax payer expense.
Zimmerman is being protected 24/7. Probably at tax payer expense.
(With good reason,”Can you say Lynch Mob?”)
The American way is to have a trial and let a jury decide!
That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I mean, this WAS basically a lynching except for method, but Zimmerman’s not much of a mob.
FIFY.
That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I mean, this WAS basically a lynching except for method, but Zimmerman’s not much of a mob.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/george-zimmerman-medical-report-sheds-light-injuries-trayvon/story?id=16353532
Don’t jump to judgement, let the jury decide
Paul: “A medical report compiled by the family physician of Trayvon Martin shooter George Zimmerman and obtained exclusively by ABC News”
Independent evidence with secure chain of evidence. NOT.