George Zimmerman’s Wife Says He Has ‘Beaten Down Her Self Esteem’

George Zimmerman’s Wife Says He Has ‘Beaten Down Her Self Esteem’

The Florida investigative journalist who is the first reporter to sit down with George Zimmerman’s wife, Shellie, said that during their “stunning” hourlong interview, the acquitted killer’s wife said that her husband has “beaten down her self-esteem,” but she is “looking forward to getting her life back.”
Christi O’Connor spoke with ABCNews.com today about her experience locking down an interview with Shellie Zimmerman as the media focused its attention on her husband, who was acquitted of second-degree murder charges in the death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old, in Sanford, Fla., in February 2012.

What a world class jerk.  Click the link above for the full story

Hobbs' Hump Day Hot Topics

On this day 50 years ago, Dr. King opened what would become his most memorable speech by saying:

"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon of hope to millions of slaves, who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice...But one hundred years later...the life of the colored American is still sadly crippled by the manacle of segregation and the chains of discrimination."

Reviewing this opening paragraph by King forces me to ask: How much has changed from that day in '63 until now?

It would be impossible for anyone to suggest that there has not been significant progress in many respects for blacks in America over the past 50 years. Public accommodations, including hotels, malls and restaurants, are no longer separate. In '63 there were five black members of Congress, today there are 44 members.
In '63, the very thought of a black president was a fantasy but today, the Obama family has been a reality in the White House for four years.

Over the past 50 years, the black middle and upper classes have earned more academic degrees and money than at any time in history.

But a popular question that is often asked is what would Dr. King think if he was alive today? Had King lived, he would be 84 years old and very likely proud of the aforementioned accomplishments. But lest we forget that once the ink was dry on the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, acts that provided legal protections long overdue while eliminating Jim Crow laws, King switched his focus to poverty and the War in Vietnam. While King and President Lyndon B. Johnson shared smiles and hugs after Johnson signed the sweeping civil rights legislation into law in 1964 and 1965, the truth is that by 1967, the two men were not on speaking terms. Many of Johnson's white Democratic supporters who had previously supported King began to shun him after he called Johnson's escalation of the Vietnam War immoral. Further, as King began touring Appalachia and other hamlets of poverty in rural white America, he began to realize what we now know, which is that poverty knows no color and that in a nation with the material wealth that we have, how is it possible that people can go to bed and awake hungry, or ill afford to become ill as they lack adequate medical insurance when they are sick; that people are stuck in sub-standard housing or no housing at all?

These questions are often politicized and answered along well defined "liberal" vs "conservative" cliches with conservatives blaming liberals for wanting government to solve all problems and with liberals blaming conservatives for lacking compassion.

But these typical political arguments do not matter as much as what is within our hearts as human beings. Whether one is a Christian or not, the age old response from Cain after he slew Abel, "Am I my brother's keeper," is still very relevant. Should I be happy with my blessings if I know that others are struggling to survive? Do enough of us even ask anymore what can be done to ameliorate the issues of systemic poverty? Or, to query whose job is it to assuage the societal ill that is poverty; is it the responsibility of the government and if so, is it done through programs like the WPA and CCC under President Franklin Roosevelt? Or, is it done through the private sector, a sector, mind you, that is bent on making profit for its shareholders. While many corporations have foundations, how many of those foundations are specifically focused upon poverty and the sub-issues that result from poverty?

To that end, I suspect that King, today, would realize that the American dream is still very much a work in progress for a great many Americans. I believe that he would be disturbed by the increases in crime in communities across America including the scourge that is violent crime in black communities. I think that he would be dismayed that even in the wake of Trayvon Martin's murder that more young black men die from gang related violence than by being killed by law enforcement or what was the norm in his day, racist whites. And last, I believe that King would certainly take some black parents to task for failing to raise their kids in a manner to help them move upward.

But I also believe that King would be critical of the still pervasive systemic racism that finds police focusing more on minority communities for a number of criminal offenses. I believe that he would speak out about income inequality among men and women as well as red-lining and other traps, such as the balloon mortgages from the late 90's that saw disproportionately more minorities struggle to pay back home loans that lenders knew or should have known would lead to foreclosures.
And while it may dismay some of President Barack Obama's supporters who call this president the fulfillment of King's dream, I believe that an alive King would be dead set and vocal in opposition to the president's militaristic stances over the past four years, stances that once again has America on the brink of war in Syria simply because the president drew a red line on chemical weapons that he was right to denounce while refraining from hinting at possible American military involvement.

Toward the middle of his "I Have a Dream" speech, Dr King said, "We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now." That urgency still exists as far as many of the issues that I touch upon in this blog. Indeed, the very ideas of liberty and freedom, which King interposed during his powerful finale 50 years ago by projecting a series of "let freedom ring" posits, remain lofty concepts that revert back to the Founding Fathers. This week, Time magazine placed Dr. King on its cover and called him a "Founding Father." High praise, yes, but well deserved when considering how King's words served to rattle the conscience of the most important demographic in America---the "fence sitter," one who is lukewarm and neither cold nor hot. The ones who knew back then that the images of young black men and women being beaten senseless on television sets was wrong and yet did nothing to address it.

Today, the lukewarm reside among us all with respect to eradicating poverty and espousing a foreign policy that does not make us the world's cop ad infinitum. So as we all commemorate and smile about how far we have come since Dr. King revealed his dream in '63, let us commit ourselves to working to end the nightmare that far too many Americans and those who depend us for leadership around the globe continue to experience.

Chuck Hobbs, Esq., host and lead commentator for Generation NEXT is a trial lawyer, award-winning freelance writer and lecturer based in Tallahassee, Florida.  During the past decade he has appeared in a number of high profile cases including the 2003 gambling trial of former Florida State University quarterback Adrian McPherson and the 2006 Florida A&M University (FAMU) Kappa Alpha Psi hazing trial, both carried live on Court TV; the 2009 Rachel Hoffman murder case featured on Dateline NBC as well as his work as co-counsel in the 2011 wrongful termination of FAMU Marching 100 Band Director Dr. Julian E. White, who was initially fired and quickly reinstated by the university following the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion.

Zimmerman's wife pleads guilty to perjury

Shellie, “Miss Piggy” Zimmerman, the wife of acquitted murderer,  George “Fat Boy”  Zimmerman, pleaded guilty yesterday to a misdemeanor charge of perjury.

She will be placed on probation for one year and is required to file a letter of apology to Judge Kenneth Lester.

That’s it?  SMH…

Say That

"Trayvon Martin voters have the potential to become a critical mass influencing several important issues, including stand-your-ground laws, racial-profiling laws and stop-and-frisk policies. Typically, the voter turnout in midterm elections is dramatically diminished from presidential-election years. We can, however, make sure that in the upcoming midterm election Democrats, Republicans and independents across the country turn out to vote for Trayvon Martin amendments. Trayvon voters have a clear cause: capturing the passion over the devastating verdict returned in the trial of George Zimmerman and transforming these feelings into actions that can and will make a difference.
Simply put, this is your chance to vote for Trayvon.” ~ Benjamin L. Crump, Esq

Alan Williams, Florida Democrat, Sponsors “Stand Your Ground” Repeal

"It's not about gun control. It's about self-control," Rep. Williams recently told a radio station. "We hunt too. But we don't hunt young men minding their own business."

An outspoken critic of Florida's "Stand Your Ground" has officially filed a bill to repeal the controversial self-defense law.

Back in 2005, Florida was the first of 21 states to enact "Stand Your Ground," which allows people in fear of serious injury to use deadly force to defend themselves rather than retreat. It expanded on Florida's previous self-defense law, the castle doctrine, by permitting use of such force outside of one's home or vehicle.

Monday Rep. Alan Williams, (D-Tallahassee) sponsored HB 4003, which repeals "Stand Your Ground." He sponsoredthe same bill last year, which died in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

"It's not about gun control. It's about self-control," Williams recently told a radio station. "We hunt too. But we don't hunt young men minding their own business."

The law has come under particular scrutiny after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin. Although it was not officially used by Zimmerman's defense team, its language was included in the jury instructions and it was the reason police did not arrest Zimmerman for two months after the shooting.

After Zimmerman's acquittal, Williams announced plans to also file a bill clarifying the "Stand Your Ground" statue language, which is notoriously applied inconsistently across self-defense cases.

Last year a similar bill significantly revising "Stand Your Ground," sponsored by Chris Smith (D-Fort Lauderdale), also died in the Criminal Justice Subcommittee.

In fact, to this point, nearly every effort to change the state's self-defense law has been a dead-end.

In April 2012, a governor-sanctioned task force found that no major changes to the law were necessary. The finding was not surprising considering the consulting members consisted of the original drafters of "Stand Your Ground" and a handful of other known supporters.

More recently Gov. Rick Scott rejected activist group Dream Defenders' request for a special session on "Stand Your Ground," despite their 31-day sit-in protest outside his office.

Dream Defenders even gathered enough Democratic support to initiate a polling of lawmakers on holding a special session, but it was rejected by an overwhelming two-to-one majority.

House Speaker Will Weatherford has agreed to a hearing on Stand Your Ground in the fall, but he also appointed staunch supporter Matt Gaetz as the hearing chair.

And the push to keep the law as written was recently refueled by a questionable "unanimous" vote of support from Florida law enforcement. Florida sheriffs has since come out in opposition.

I applaud Representative Williams’ efforts to keep this issue alive, however, this is an exercise of futility.  Hopefully, what can come from this is a compromise in the form of an  amendment of  the SYG law instead of total repeal. 

Conservatives Are Calling For a Boycott of the Butler? Really?

Please take several seats.

Jane Fonda's turn as Nancy Reagan in the new film "The Butler" is allegedly angering veterans across the country.

An infamously vocal liberal, Fonda sparked controversy in 1972 when she visited enemy territory in North Vietnam and was photographed sitting on top of an anti-aircraft battery. That picture and her opposition to the war — she was once quoted calling American soldiers murderers — earned her the nickname "Hanoi Jane."

Fonda, 75, said she expected her casting to ruffle a few feathers.
"I know people say, 'Oh my gosh, Jane Fonda is playing Nancy Reagan,'" she told reporters while promoting the film last month. "But I don't think that whatever difference there might be in our politics really matters. As an actor, I approach her as a human being. I happen to know that she's not unhappy that I'm playing her."

But the Academy Award winner isn’t exactly doing all she can to alleviate the controversy.

According to a Fox News report from April, Fonda said veterans should "get a life" after hearing about the planned boycott of the movie. She reportedly said she knew her role would "tweak the right. Who cares?"

She also wore a "Hanoi Jane" T-shirt during a press junket last month to promote the film, according to the New York Post.

“The Butler” raked in $25 million  this weekend.  Those who are angered by Miss Jane’s appearance in the movie weren’t going to the movie anyway.  I echo, Jane Fonda’s sentiment:  Get your life!

Stand up for Trayvon Martin by amending ‘Stand Your Ground’

By Benjamin L. Crump, Published: August 16

Benjamin L. Crump is lead attorney for the family of Trayvon Martin.

As I travel the country, many people tell me they wish they had been on the jury in the criminal trial of the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. I tell them that although they did not have a vote in those proceedings, they do have a vote in establishing Trayvon’s legacy.

This vote, your vote, will be historic. It starts when you sign the Change.org petition by Trayvon’s family to amend “stand-your-ground” laws in 21 of the 31 states where they are on the books. It continues when you cast your vote in the 2014 midterm elections and each election cycle beyond until we make history by passing a Trayvon Martinamendment to the stand-your-ground laws in every state that has them. These actions will make you part of new voting bloc: The Trayvon Martin voter.

Trayvon Martin voters have the potential to become a critical mass influencing several important issues, including stand-your-ground laws, racial-profiling laws and stop-and-frisk policies. Typically, the voter turnout in midterm elections is dramatically diminished from presidential-election years. We can, however, make sure that in the upcoming midterm election Democrats, Republicans and independents across the country turn out to vote for Trayvon Martin amendments. Trayvon voters have a clear cause: capturing the passion over the devastating verdict returned in the trial of George Zimmerman and transforming these feelings into actions that can and will make a difference.

Simply put, this is your chance to vote for Trayvon.

Why is it critical to amend stand-your-ground laws? The Trayvon Martin amendments are common-sense legislation that would alter such laws to prevent the initial aggressor in a confrontation from being able to later claim self-defense. Stand-your-ground laws were not enacted to allow aggressors the opportunity to get away with murdering an innocent person, although this is, unfortunately, what has happened. Law enforcement officers initially cited Florida’s stand-your-ground law in their refusal to arrest Trayvon’s killer, Zimmerman, in February 2012. In large part, this law permitted Trayvon’s killer to walk out of the courtroom and back into society. Passing these amendments would prevent this type of tragedy and protect others, especially children, from being profiled, pursued and killed by aggressors.

In asking the United States to start a conversation about the tragic circumstances of Trayvon’s death, President Obama expressed his concerns and the need to review stand-your-ground laws. Sen. John McCain and other prominent Republicans have joined Obama in questioning stand-your-ground statutes. Even former Florida governor Jeb Bush, the Republican who signed the state’s stand-your-ground legislation into law, has voiced concerns. Regarding the shooting of Trayvon, Bush said in March 2012, “ ‘Stand your ground’ means stand your ground. It doesn’t mean chase after somebody who’s turned their back.”

Throughout history, positive change has come from tragedy. Society has learned that with time and through action, protests and national movements, change is possible. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 began in large part because of the brutal murder of another unarmed black teenager, Emmett Till, in Money, Miss., in 1955. It took nearly a decade before this tragedy resulted in the passage of the historic civil rights legislation. Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till Mobley, eventually got to see something positive emerge from something very painful: an acknowledgment that her son’s death was not in vain.

The 1963 murder of Medgar Evers, another unarmed African American, led to positive change. During his life as an activist, Evers organized voter registration campaigns, demonstrations and boycotts to end Jim Crow laws in Jackson, Miss. His death was an influence for the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

Even as we fight today for change, and may expect it to manifest immediately, it is important to understand that this process will take time. We should not, however, allow that to be a discouragement. We Trayvon voters must maintain a united front againststand- your- ground laws and continue to fight even at times when our efforts feel overlooked. No matter how seemingly impossible the task, if Trayvon voters remain steadfast, Trayvon’s parents, Tracy Martin and Sybrina Fulton, will eventually see something positive come out of something very painful : an acknowledgment that their son’s death was not in vain.

Bible Study Tonight on Talk Shoe

Hobbs' Hump Day Hot Topics

BAYARD RUSTIN: AMERICAN HERO

Perhaps few of the pejorative terms that have been used to describe President Barack Obama both before and during his historic presidency is that of a "Marxist" or "Socialist." While many of his opponents who use these terms probably could not define the terms if their lives depended upon it, suffice it to say that in some circles, the phrase has stuck to the president like white on rice.

Well, today's announcement that Bayard Rustin will awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom will certainly start the drum beat again from the extreme right as many of the vocal leaders of the same will scream "a-ha!" Obama is a Socialist after all!

When Rustin receives his posthumous award this fall he will join a distinguished group of Americans including baseball legend Ernie Banks, television mogul Oprah Winfrey and former President Bill Clinton, to name a few.

But none will draw the enmity that Rustin will in death as he did in life because of the fact that he was an openly gay black man during a time in which homosexuality was only whispered about if acknowledged at all, and because he was a committed socialist during the advent of the "red scare" age in which politicians and entertainers alike all feared being outed and shunned as communists.

If you have read to the last paragraph and still don't know who Rustin is fret not; Rustin was a graduate of Wilberforce University in Ohio where upon graduating in the late 1930's, he set about the cause of civil rights during an era in which Black American troops fought against Nazism abroad while living in a rigid race based apartheid system here at home. Rustin organized sit-ins and freedom rides during the 1940's, almost 20 years before the terms became forever etched in the American English lexicon during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. Rustin later served as one of the top advisers to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and as we begin to celebrate the 50th commemoration of the March on Washington that King led in 1963, lest we forget that Rustin was one of the chief architects of the original march.

The FBI, then under the leadership of J. Edgar Hoover, in seeking to undermine Dr. King's credibility, focused squarely upon Rustin, so much so that during a meeting at the White House in June of 1963, President Kennedy scolded King about having "communist infiltrators" within his organization and that because of that, the lines of communication between his administration and King was in jeopardy. Not soon thereafter, Rustin's role within the movement begin to wane, but the six years that he had spent advising King and devising grand marches and protest actions still loom large five decades later.
The very fact that Rustin's name is not immediately associated by non lovers of Black History facts goes to show that political fears of a socialist takeover of American politics has often left key figures and players on the sidelines. At least with respect to Rustin, now he can come out of the historical closet and take his place among the noted luminaries of the 20th Century.

RUBIO ON OBAMACARE

Speaking of Socialism, one area in which some conservatives have dogged the Obama administration has been in comparing the Affordable Care Act, or "Obamacare," with socialized medicine. Never mind that some forms of socialism have existed by law since the 1930's including the so-called "third rail" of politics, Social Security, as well as Medicare and Medicaid since the late 60's; again, by calling Obamacare "socialism" and in seeking dozens of times to repeal it in the House of Representatives, Republicans continue to advocate no solutions for making the law better as they only focus upon methods to prevent or delay its October 1st roll out.

Yesterday, while attending an invitation only breakfast with Senator Marco Rubio at the James Madison Institute, a think tank located in Tallahassee, Florida, I was able to listen as Rubio, a key contender for the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, described his plans to stall the short term budget next month. Rubio said unequivocally that he does not wish to see a government shut down, but that the only way that he could see the president avoiding the same is to ensure that Obamacare receives no funding.

Well, knowing that such is a non-starter for the president, most Democrats and even some Moderate Republicans like I, I felt compelled to bring to the public square that which I learned in private yesterday and note that yes, the "kick the can" approach with regard to short term budget votes simply allows the rigid partisanship and refusal to budge to remain while federal workers---including the military---pension holders and beneficiaries all could be in limbo.

As I've said before, if such is the case, then the pay and benefits for all executive, legislative and judicial branch employees should be on hold, too, until those elected to serve can figure out how to compromise as opposed to posturing.

CORY BOOKER WINS NOMINATION FOR SENATE

You want to see the second potential black president of the United States? Look no further than Cory Booker, the former Newark, New Jersey mayor who has garnered national prominence for his work in ameliorating the aims of that city. Yesterday, Booker won the Democratic nomination for the US senate and is a favorite to win the seat vacated by the late Frank Lautenberg outright this October. Booker is unabashedly liberal and during a future presidential campaign would have to very likely move his politics closer to the middle, nevertheless, his keen analytical mind, courage and ability to articulate grand visions and ideas certainly make him one to watch from the Democratic side of the aisle. Kudos!

HOLDER TO DECREASE SENTENCES

This past Monday, Attorney General Eric Holder---at long last---announced that the Justice Department will seek to end lengthy incarcerative sentences for low level drug crimes. For many years I have lamented the fact that state and federal prisons are filled with men and women who are drug users or low level dealers. This never ending game of "cat and mouse" finds people in a revolving door that becomes more costly each year to house the same in custody.

While I, for one, would like to see an outright end to the so-called war on drugs and see the same made legal and taxed for revenue purposes, until such gains enough of a nationwide foot hold, eliminating lengthy prison sentences is a good first step, with a second smart step being the removal of all mandatory minimum sentences that tie the hands of prosecutors and judges who cannot use their discretion to fashion an appropriate sentence.

Why do I say end the war on drugs?

Consider the following facts from today's NY Times: "there are 1.57 million Americans in state and federal prisons, an increase of more than 500 percent since the late 1970s, at a cost of $80 billion annually. In 2010, more than 7 in 100 black men ages 30 to 34 years old were behind bars. The federal system alone holds 219,000 inmates, 40 percent above its capacity, thanks to strict sentencing guidelines and mandatory minimum sentences. Of these inmates, nearly half are in prison for drug-related crimes."

The evidence is crystal clear that the war on drugs is not only costly to taxpayers, but that it is having a devastating impact on the black community. As such, I tip my hat to the first black attorney general who serves under the first black president for starting the ball rolling in addressing a system that so disproportionately impacts so many people of color.

Chuck Hobbs, Esq., host and lead commentator for Generation NEXT is a trial lawyer, award-winning freelance writer and lecturer based in Tallahassee, Florida.  During the past decade he has appeared in a number of high profile cases including the 2003 gambling trial of former Florida State University quarterback Adrian McPherson and the 2006 Florida A&M University (FAMU) Kappa Alpha Psi hazing trial, both carried live on Court TV; the 2009 Rachel Hoffman murder case featured on Dateline NBC as well as his work as co-counsel in the 2011 wrongful termination of FAMU Marching 100 Band Director Dr. Julian E. White, who was initially fired and quickly reinstated by the university following the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion.

30 Month Prison Sentence for Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.; Wife Gets 1 Year in Prison | Black America Web

30 Month Prison Sentence for Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.; Wife Gets 1 Year in Prison | Black America Web

Mary Mary Gospel Singer Admits to Trying to Stab Cheating Husband - Christian Blog - Christian Blog

Mary Mary Gospel Singer Admits to Trying to Stab Cheating Husband - Christian Blog - Christian Blog

Judge Sentenced to 28 Years For Selling Black Teens to Prisons

Judge Sentenced to 28 Years For Selling Black Teens to Prisons

Cover Up In Escambia County: The Real Story of the Devon Walker Beating

On July 26, 2013, Devon Walker along with his wife Tiffany decided to go out to eat with two white female friends.  They decided to go to O’Riley’s, an Irish Pub in Pensacola, Florida, that serves a mixed racial crowd but the crowd is predominately white.  While there, a young white man began to flirt with one of the white female friends.  Meanwhile, two men get into a physical altercation and are thrown out of the Pub.  After the two men are thrown out, their respective girlfriend’s get into an altercation as well, presumably because of what ever conflict their respective boyfriend’s were involved in. 
The young white guy who is flirting with Devon and Tiffany’s white friend, decides to play peacemaker and attempts to intervene in the altercation with the two girlfriends.   When this happened, security put the girlfriends and the young white man out of the Pub thinking that he was involved with the fight instead of trying to break it up. 
Eventually, everyone decided it was best to leave.  The young white man, however, wanted an opportunity to continue flirting with Devon and Tiffany’s friend so he invited the two white ladies to his trailer.  Understandably, the young ladies were not comfortable going to his house by themselves and said that they would not go unless Devon and Tiffany could come as well.  He agreed.
After the entire party got back to the house, the younger white man gets drunk and begins to use racial slurs. Tiffany told Devon she wanted to leave.  At this point, the younger white man realizes that the young ladies would leave as well.  In a drunken stupor, he yells at them that if they leave he will call the police and say that Devon robbed him. 
The older white man tells the younger white man to go back in the house. The older man stayed outside and continued talking to Devon, trying to apologize.  The younger man, however, went in the house and called the police as promised.  While Devon, Tiffany and the two young ladies are outside talking to the older white man, the police arrive. 
At this point, the younger white man comes out the house yelling, “This nigger tried to rob me!  This nigger tried to rob me!”
The “officers” sent everybody except Devon and Tiffany away.  They told the two men to go back in their house and they told the two young ladies to leave.  Once they were left alone with Devon and Tiffany, the two officers savagely and brutally beat Devon as his wife watched in utter horror.  She did, however, manage to record a portion of the beating with her cell phone.
Devon was taken to the hospital and no charges were filed at that time.  Only after 12 days passed and a social media campaign had been launched did the Escambia County Sheriff’s Department decide to arrest him.
Now, ECSO claims that Devon Walker’s injuries were minor and caused by the alleged physical altercation in the trailer park.  If that is so, how do they explain this picture which is NOT photoshopped:

And if Devon received these injuries from the alleged trailer park altercation,  then why were the two men not arrested?
If Devon injured the two men, where are the pictures of their injuries and why did it take ECSO twelve days to arrest him?
Escambia County Sheriff’s Office must think we are stupid. 
Realizing that Pensacola, Florida, is about to become the next Sanford, Florida, they have taken a preemptive strike and issued press release full of blatant lies.  Included in their press release, was this picture:
which is a hundred years old.   The picture that should have been used was the more recent picture at the time of his booking:

Of course, if they had used this picture, we would be able to see that his injuries still have not healed.
Somebody is lying and I’m the lie detector.  “For there is nothing hidden which shall not be manifested; neither was anything kept secret but that it should come abroad.”  Mark 4:22.
There will be no cover up in Escambia County. 
Read one of the four versions of the incident report here.

Well, Looky Looky: Guess Who’s Coming to the Doak

Florida State University announced today the appointment of Stan Wilcox, senior deputy athletics director at Duke University, as the institution’s new Director of Athletics, following a national search.

Wilcox was formally introduced during a news conference today at 5:15 p.m.

Florida State University President Eric J. Barron cited Wilcox’s remarkable depth of expertise in the oversight of athletics programs, business acumen, understanding of marketing, NCAA compliance, and experience in strategic fundraising initiatives as well as his track record of student athlete academic success as the reasons for the selection.

“I am excited about the future of Florida State’s athletics program under the direction of Stan. His exceptional portfolio of strategic planning and fundraising experience and his reputation as a motivator, effective communicator and facilitator, as well as a commitment to the education of our student athletes made Stan a clear choice,” said Pres. Barron.

Wilcox, who holds a law degree from Brooklyn Law School and a bachelor of arts in economics from University of Notre Dame, will plan and direct the overall administrative and operational activities of intercollegiate athletics for Florida State. The nationally acclaimed 20-sport athletic program has a budget of $75.2 million. As part of his duties Wilcox will ensure compliance with NCAA, Atlantic Coast Conference, and university rules and regulations.

“I am thrilled and very thankful to Pres. Barron for affording me this great honor. I have followed Florida State athletics from afar and through the ACC Conference; and have always been a big fan of FSU’s student athletes on the field and in the classroom,” said Wilcox. “I look forward to continuing in the great tradition of previous Florida State athletic directors as well as addressing the challenges and opportunities that this outstanding athletics program will hold. Go ’Noles!”

Prior to his role at Duke, Wilcox served as deputy athletic director at his alma mater, Notre Dame, from 2005 to 2008, where he supervised 11 programs ranging from strategic planning initiatives to football to women’s soccer. He also served as associate commissioner of the Big East Conference from 1994 to 2005, providing leadership and conference oversight for NCAA governance. Following completion of law school, Wilcox worked as a legislative assistant with the NCAA from 1989 to 1994.

This is historic and groundbreaking for obvious reasons and I applaud President Barron for his commitment to cultural diversity while pursuing quality candidates.  I, along with others, have been very critical of my alma mater in that African American representation is very low among high ranking administrators at FSU.  This, however, is definitely a step in the right direction.  These kinds of decisions is why we will ALWAYS be one step ahead of those crocodiles in Gainesville.  GO NOLES! 

Hobbs' Hump Day Hot Topics: THE "RACISM DENIAL" CARD

This morning I begin with two relatively simple questions; first, is "racism denial" the new racism? And second, regardless of whether the answer to the first question is yes or no, if there are significant numbers of Americans who do not believe that racism exists, how do we "elevate the conversation about race?"

If you don't watch Fox News, there is a chance that you have never heard of Jesse Watters, a so-called "ambush" reporter who often appears on Bill O'reilly's show, among others. This week, Watters took aim at Oprah Winfrey based upon her recent remarks on the "Today" show comparing Trayvon Martin's death to the death of Emmett Till, the Chicago teen who in 1955, was lynched in Mississippi for allegedly whistling at a white woman.
Winfrey, comparing the two deaths, said “In my mind, same thing...but you can get stuck in that and not allow yourself to move forward and see how far we’ve come.”

Watters, ignoring the second half of Winfrey's comment, immediately took issue by stating, "I feel like Oprah diminished her brand here. It was a big, missed opportunity for Oprah Winfrey. I was expecting her to kind of take the high road and elevate the conversation and to bring the country forward and add a little unity here. But instead, she made this atrocious analogy and I’m a little disappointed in Oprah."
No, Mr. Watters, I'm a little disappointed in your disingenuous and condescending disappointment. Again, while I take no issue with Winfrey's statement as a whole, when Watters decided to ignore that Winfrey conceded the progress that has been made in America since Till's death, he did so to besmirch her reputation and his parsing, indeed, is a disappointment.

As to my original question about race denial, Watters by his comments falls squarely into a trend that I have noticed that suggests that because the Klan sheets are neatly tucked away in the linen closet and because the explicit racial language rarely rears its ugly head from whites to blacks in the public square (Philadelphia Eagles receiver Riley Cooper not included), that such means that racism no longer exists.
But the public square is not the proper place to judge the private thoughts of our fellow Americans in that today, many will say one thing in public and feel completely different in private. One only must check Twitter or the comments sections of any major news site to see just how nasty and vile some Americans feel about any number of subjects with respect to race. Even on sports sites like the Rivals.com network, one can find folks safe in their anonymity who will boldly spew the most racist invectives imaginable about Trayvon Martin, President Barack Obama and of late, the Dream Defenders, a mostly minority group of students who have staged a peaceful protest at Florida's Capitol for three weeks while seeking changes to Florida's Stand Your Ground Law.

In my experience, most whites who play the racism denial card are not virulent "I hate 'the blacks'" styled people, rather, they simply are incapable of sensing where race inures benefits for whites or still serves as a detriment to blacks in certain areas. To my white brothers and sisters of this ilk, if I write that 70 percent of many jails and prisons in Florida are filled with blacks, they will knee-jerk respond that "blacks commit more crime" or should "become more personally responsible." It never occurs to them that with respect to say, drugs in America, that blacks on a whole lack the financial wherewithal to import and support the billion dollar illicit narcotics industry and that much of the cocaine, heroine and methamphetamines that are bought and ingested in America are bought and ingested by whites. Yes, it is easier to spot, arrest and incarcerate the low level black drug dealer or the crack cocaine fiend on the corner in any inner city neighborhood, but it is far more difficult to spot---let alone arrest---the powder cocaine fiend in the patrician gated community or the board rooms, courthouses and schoolhouses across America.

Now, in the aforementioned scenarios, does race matter from a policy standpoint? Absolutely, if not conscious and deliberate then certainly in application. But the race deniers, again, will fall back to their hold card, the "personal responsibility" card, without conceding that the still mostly white power structure bears a responsibility of arresting both/and, black and white, if drugs are considered to be an inherent evil that must be removed from our daily existences.
Second, how do we "elevate" the conversation regarding race if it is a soliloquy and not a dialogue? Meaning, for too many race deniers, again, the problem is neatly described as follows: "poor, lazy blacks who are making children out of wedlock who subsequently perform poorly in school and are on a clear pathway from the schoolhouse to the prison house, an issue that if 'the blacks would solve for themselves' would eliminate all other problems with respect to race.'"
Ok...while I often lament that blacks have myriad issues that must (and are) being addressed internally, such a one sided soliloquy fails to account for the many areas within which even the most responsible blacks are victimized by deep seated, institutional white racism. As Ishmael Reed pointed out recently, again, in public, many of President Barack Obama's white detractors will list a number of policy issues that he has supported that draws their consternation but in private, there are many of the same and others who simply refuse to respect the fact that a black man is President of the United States. Again, most are either too polite or too cowardly to say such in public, but the thousands of tweets calling the President "nigger" or "gorilla" while he is addressing the nation and cartoons of cotton fields and watermelon patches being planted outside the White House only reinforce that in private, it is damned near impossible to "elevate" a conversation about race when so many whites are stuck in neutral or deep in the muck of a very private yet still potent bigotry.
On a more benign note, this past weekend was President Barack Obama's 52nd birthday and when I wished the president felicitations on Facebook, the overwhelming majority of my Facebook friends who hit "like" were black.

Now, this is not to say that all of the president's supporters are black and to be clear, I have many white Facebook friends who love or respect the president who may have missed the post. But I know that, again, when we talk about racial polarization, one area in which the talk can begin is with respect to showing respect for the man who inhabits the Oval Office.
But to do that, again, both sides have to listen and talk and again, what I sense is a cynicism in which many whites believe that blacks "whine" and refuse to be "personally responsible" and, as such, when parallels between Trayvon Martin and Emmett Till are drawn, the same immediately shut down any ability to listen to black concerns about this issue or to even analyze why they may have in a knee-jerk manner immediately defended Martin's killer, George Zimmerman, when on any given day, they do not support men or women accused of murder?

But then again, for these same folks wanting to "elevate the conversation" like Jesse Watters, if they cannot find it within themselves to respect Oprah Winfrey, a woman who overcame poverty, sexism and yes, racism, to become a billionaire, or if they cannot respect Barack Obama, a man who never has been arrested and one who graduated near the top of his classes at Columbia and Harvard Law to become a senator and President, then how on Earth will we ever be able to have a rational conversation with folks of this ilk?

 

Chuck Hobbs, Esq., host and lead commentator for Generation NEXT is a trial lawyer, award-winning freelance writer and lecturer based in Tallahassee, Florida.  During the past decade he has appeared in a number of high profile cases including the 2003 gambling trial of former Florida State University quarterback Adrian McPherson and the 2006 Florida A&M University (FAMU) Kappa Alpha Psi hazing trial, both carried live on Court TV; the 2009 Rachel Hoffman murder case featured on Dateline NBC as well as his work as co-counsel in the 2011 wrongful termination of FAMU Marching 100 Band Director Dr. Julian E. White, who was initially fired and quickly reinstated by the university following the hazing death of drum major Robert Champion.