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TJP
Mar-19-2012 17:16
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Hate Crime For Gays But Not Blacks?
Poetry by Luke Easter Salem-News.comVerdicts should be rendered on the aggravated intent of the other, And not based solely on group popularity versus one’s skin color.
 Clockwise from top left; Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, Dharun Ravi and Tyler Clementi. |
(CLEVELAND) - Once again, Americans are challenged to confront needless death in the headlines; alleged crime and apparent lack of crime - conflicts that just fail to make sense.
A young man named Tyler Clementi, leaps from a bridge after he is outed for being gay; he was exposed by his roommate, and now that man faces up to ten years behind bars.
It seems the thought police are gaining a lot of ground in America.
The fact that a young man committed suicide is tragic and without question there are many impacts, but from all accounts, this man took his own life strictly by choice.
In another case, a Black teenager named Trayvon Martin walked to a store to buy his little brother candy during halftime while they watched a football game.
When he returned from his brief walk to a convenience store, the unarmed youngster, who was not a troublemaker, was gunned down in front of his Florida home.
He was killed aby a 'neighborhood watch' captain named George Zimmerman, who is 28-years old.
Had Zimmerman not been allowed to carry a gun with authority, the 18-year old Trayvon Martin, whose family naturally is extremely devastated, would be alive.
But the worst thing, the glaringly ugly, in-your-face part of this crime, is that there is no crime according to police' the trigger puller in this case has been arrested or charged.
Of course we would like to expect more from a racist state that was part of the slave-owning Confederacy; it would be nice to think laws protecting those who Murder Black people are a thing of the past.
A blatant shooting death goes unpunished, and a man who communicated the wrong information about another man's sexual orientation may disappear for a decade.
- by Tim King
Hate Crime For Gays But Not Blacks?
First of all we need to get one thing straight,
Blacks are born with their skin color, oh wait,
Hatred is based upon that race and not the sex?
Gays have chosen their lifestyle lest we forget.
Okay, we hear a lot of talk about, “Gay Pride,”
But when confronted this guy commits suicide?
Dharun Ravi was found guilty on said bais crime,
14 of 15 counts and he could do 10 years jail time?
The case put a national spotlight on bullying Gays,
While Trayvon Martin’s killer freely walks away?
Unarmed young teen shot in cold blood is not hate?
This innocent Black youth did not choose his fate.
Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge,
Was 18 year-old Tyler too ashamed of what he did?
Just three days after he was caught on by web cam,
His sensual embrace lovingly kissing another man.
Dharun neither encouraged nor pushed to this death,
And neither is he responsible for Tyler’s last breath,
But, George Zimmerman purposely shot and killed,
Not even for a funeral was the Watch Captian billed.
A female professor at the New York School Of Law,
Ms. Susan Abraham actually had the unmitigated gall,
“It’s very important to say we’re not tolerating this…”
Racially motivated shooting? No! A homosexual kiss.
Prosecutor Julia McClure said she’ll consult the Clementi’s,
And yet no such luck is going on in that Florida community,
Does it always seem like more credence is given to attacks,
Committed against groups other than Hispanics & Blacks?
Has society misconstrued the meanings of bullying & hate?
Didn’t Tyler call the other man inviting him over for a date?
Neither was it their first gay encounter therefore, not so fast,
911 tapes in Sanford, Fla. prove it was meant to be the last.
Not only has George not been arrested he’s not been charged,
Free & clear as a bird, a murderer in the spotlight living large,
Well, does Zimmerman have a history? Ha! Complaints galore,
A 17 year-old not on a bridge just walking home from the store.
Tale of two cities resulting in the destruction of two young lives,
Where those results of guilty should be reversed on the demise,
Verdicts should be rendered on the aggravated intent of the other,
And not based solely on group popularity versus one’s skin color.
By Luke Easter
Luke Easter is a poet who writes about things that are very close to the heart of Salem-News.com. Another former U.S. Marine, Luke heals the world with an approach that reaches people on a different level, one known for centuries, yet too often forgotten in the one we live in.
We live in a world of social & economic injustice. The main reason for founding America in the first place was to relieve the oppression of the King of England. Patrick Henry said it best, “give me liberty or give me death.” And yet, all too often death seems to be the only way out. Why is there such a high suicide rate especially among teens, in the land of the free & the home of the brave? What makes headlines? Good news? Ha! More depressing stories than anything else. I feel poetry takes an edge off the hurt of bad news while still delivering it but in a, “glitzy” sort of way. Giving a different perspective. Kind of like slap in the face as opposed to a knife in the back. At least with the slap you’ll live to see another day and you will know whom it’s from. I wasn’t here for the beginning of the world but at 59, I just might be here for the end.
Even though it’s still a knife, rhyme poetry helps to dull the blade. And that’s my job. You can write to Luke Easter at: lyricsfromlucas@aol.com
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Anonymous March 28, 2012 6:16 pm (Pacific time)
I think people with racist mindsets forgot to take the meds their doctors addicted them to. Racists have lower IQ's and actually don't bathe as often; (statistical data), they are far more likely to molest their own kids (more statical data), and this explains so much is wrong in Alabama, Mississippi and other redneck confederate traitor states. White men with racist attitudes should be placed in reeducation camps and held to blame for what is taking place, forced to accept responsibly for these acts. Every time a Black person is murdered, a thousand racists should be placed in these camps. Then, you toss the racist perp in the mix, and tell the rest that this is the guy who got them locked up. Then, they will kill the original criminal, and we can prosecute a dozen for murder and the rest within a hundred feet of being accessories. We can teach them that there are backlashes for their whacky and sick perversions.
Nathan Lund March 24, 2012 2:28 pm (Pacific time)
While I am also offended by the poem (not because it says being gay is a choice, but because it implies that it's a choice that deserves discrimination), I also realize that the backlash to the poem only proves the point of the article: People are more focused on heterosexist bigotry than a black teen killed for no good reason. As a society, we too readily ignore the racist disparity in punishments. I am bisexual and white, but it is easy to see the irony in the responses focused solely on the "choice" wording of the poem. Trayvon Martin's death is an absolute tragedy, and though it is the case emphasized by the media, it is not an isolated incident. The Stand Your Ground (Shoot First) law in my state, Florida, has been a tool for justifying murder in far too many cases.
Anonymous March 20, 2012 3:00 pm (Pacific time)
That poem is disgusting in its own way. The author of the poem is ignorant, being gay isn't a choice.
Moreover, George Zimmerman deserves to rot in prison for killing that boy.
Editor: Luke Easter is an incredible person, I too disagree that being Gay is a choice, but trust me that Luke cares greatly about all people, it is just sad that a group of dire importance like Blacks gets left in the dust.
March 20, 2012 12:46 pm (Pacific time)
IT WAS A GOOD SHOOT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ABOUT ANOTHER 30 MILLION JUST LIKE IT. IMAGINE HOW MINORITY ON HUMAN BEING CRIME WOULD DROP DRAMATICALLY. THEN WE CAN DEAL WITH THE OTHER NON-HUMAN RACISTS. POWER TO THE HUMANS!
Tim King: Burn in hell you smelly bastard.
Anonymous March 20, 2012 12:47 pm (Pacific time)
ANYONE who stands up for what happened to those poor people at My Lai is a devil.
Anonymous March 20, 2012 11:35 am (Pacific time)
Gays are not a race, it's an orientation.
EazyD March 20, 2012 10:15 am (Pacific time)
Ummm yea gays don't choose to be gay. Also, rest assured this Zimmerman guy will rot in prison for a long time.
Anonymous March 20, 2012 8:35 am (Pacific time)
We shouldnt be dividing ourselves we should be uniting. Dont know if you are born gay or straight, but we know hate is something you learn.
Anonymous March 20, 2012 7:02 am (Pacific time)
Pretty confident that racial animosities will be getting worse. That is what people like Jesse Jackson, Sharpton, NACCP, Obama, and others who make their living stirring up the uninformed minorities want. You can try to suppress the aboce assessment, but it is out there from grade school students to our geriatric population. People know the score about racism, and who the real guilty ones are. BRING IT ON!
Editor: Ha ha ha ha! Don't worry, I like your type: in fact I have worked with many developmentally disabled people, of course you I'd just refer to as a 'retard'.
Tim March 20, 2012 6:57 am (Pacific time)
You think Gays choose to be gay?
Anonymous March 19, 2012 6:19 pm (Pacific time)
Nothing makes sense, everything is backward and upsidedown.
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