Washington – Obama: ‘Trayvon Martin Could Have Been Me, 35 Years Ago.’

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     US President Barack Obama (2-R) delivers remarks on the Trayvon Martin case during a surprise visit to the press breifing room at the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 19 July 2013.  EPA/SHAWN THEWWashington – Looking for positive lessons to draw from the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, President Barack Obama said Friday the nation needs to do some “soul-searching,” look for ways to bolster African-American boys and examine state and local laws to see if they encourage confrontations like the one in Florida.

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    “Where do we take this?” Obama wondered aloud in an impromptu appearance in the White House briefing room. “How do we learn some lessons from this and move in a positive direction?”

    “You know, when Trayvon Martin was first shot, I said that this could have been my son. Another way of saying that is Trayvon Martin could have been me, 35 years ago,” Obama told reporters at the White House, in his first public remarks after the acquittal by a Florida court of Martin’s shooter, George Zimmerman.

    The president said it’s time “for all of us to some soul searching,” but he also said it’s generally not productive when politicians try to orchestrate a conversation.

    On the positive side, he said race relations in the United States actually are getting better Looking at his own daughters and their interactions with friends, the president said, “They’re better than we are. They’re better than we were.”

    The president declined to wade into the detail of legal questions about the Florida case, saying, “Once the jury’s spoken, that’s how our system works.”

    But he said state and local laws, such as Florida’s “stand your ground” statute, need a close look.

    Obama said it would be useful “to examine some state and local laws to see if they are designed in such a way that they may encourage the kinds of confrontation” that led to Martin’s death. He questioned whether a law that sends the message that someone who is armed “has the right to use those firearms even if there is a way for them to exit from a situation” really promotes the peace and security that people want.

    And he raised the question of whether Martin himself, if he had been armed, “could he have stood his ground on that sidewalk” and shot neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman if he felt threatened when being followed.

    Obama’s appearance marked his first extended comments on the Martin case since Zimmerman was acquitted last weekend of second-degree murder and manslaughter charges in Martin’s death last year. Jurors found that Zimmerman was acting in self-defense when he shot the unarmed black teenager. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.

    U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has said the Justice Department has an open investigation into the case. The department is looking into whether Zimmerman violated Martin’s civil rights.


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    35 Comments
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    sambayon
    sambayon
    10 years ago

    I wish he had been Trayvon Martin so we wouldn’t be suffering from him now

    Benny
    Benny
    10 years ago

    If it would be so – our economy would be much better of

    StevenWright
    Member
    StevenWright
    10 years ago

    It should have been him this year…. Idiot.

    kahans
    kahans
    10 years ago

    Was Obama 35 years ago on drugs like trayvin?

    from-here_to-there
    from-here_to-there
    10 years ago

    and I could have been Yankel Rosenbaum… just walking along singing a song. going peacefully when brutally murdered by some low-life thug.

    Obama could have been a dope smoking whoop-a– drop-out attitude case starting fights with people because he didn’t like the fact that the cracker also as a right to walk behind him.

    yup… both of us would be dead – but who lived right…

    fat36
    fat36
    10 years ago

    and g-d could have made me black and it could have been me 2. what dos that have 2 do with if this guy was on drugs or has a criminal record or acting like a tough guy.and why is the president involved they all have a chip on there shoulders no matter how high of a position there in.

    haroldk
    haroldk
    10 years ago

    “soul-searching,” look for ways to bolster African-American boys

    ..Hmm…perhaps African-American boys should stop shooting each other

    Psssst 4 African-American boys were shot in Chicago last week by other African-American boys

    10 years ago

    No, I’m not going to say it.

    10 years ago

    I find the statement hard to believe. So bc he has the same skin color he automatically could have had the same upbringing?? I find that comment itself to be racist. So basically since I’m white anyone else white I can relate to? What gives?? Trayvon was on his 5th suspension,Obama was on his was to Columbia university.

    bubii
    bubii
    10 years ago

    Well president it looks like you were a thug back then since today we know for sure you are one.

    SandraM
    SandraM
    10 years ago

    Seriously? Is this what Prez Obama can offer after days of rioting, mayhem and destruction? Why is he fanning the flames?

    Obama disappoints, again.

    shnitzel101
    shnitzel101
    10 years ago

    actually what Obama said was that if he had a son he would look like trayvon.however after it came to light that trayvon was a lowlife pot head he went into damage control and held this press conference to modify his previous comments

    bored
    bored
    10 years ago

    Why doesn’t this dope say something dopey like that every time a black is killed by a black. Statistically a young black man is more likely to get killed by another young black man than by a white or any other denomination.

    yossele
    yossele
    10 years ago

    “How do we learn some lessons from this and move in a positive direction?”

    Mr. President, let’s start by teaching black teens not to commit aggravated battery.

    iamoverhere
    iamoverhere
    10 years ago

    what a shameless excuse of a president,
    someone tell him not everything is about him,
    he doesn’t need to to divide this country anymore then he already has.

    MrSmith
    MrSmith
    10 years ago

    What a pitty it wasnt

    10 years ago

    The skin color is more important than the facts.We know that Martin had a long list of crimes ,we know that HIS OWN MOTHER threw him out of her house etc.

    Mark Levin
    Mark Levin
    10 years ago

    They were both thugs and both doing drugs so it could have been. The thing is Fearless Leader didn’t start up with anyone with a gun!

    georgewashingtonbridge
    georgewashingtonbridge
    10 years ago

    This one’s too easy. I pass.

    bennyt
    bennyt
    10 years ago

    Mr. President, were you smoking pot and taking pictures of yourself holding a pistol 35 years ago too?

    anon1m0us
    anon1m0us
    10 years ago

    Did the president just admit possesing drugs, illegal guns and pictures of underage girls on his cell phone?

    Smokey
    Smokey
    10 years ago

    Obama has always had difficulty understanding why many white people fear many black people..He cannot understand that the fear comes from experience, not from blind hatred. He cannot understand why many women fear the overpowering strength of many men, why short people fear tall people, why old infirm people fear the strength of young, athletic people, why black people from the inner city react to the racial hatred constantly drummed into their hearts by the likes of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and others. Here is his description of his white grandmother spoken many years ago:

    “I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe.” .

    gimmeabreak
    gimmeabreak
    10 years ago

    I can only shake my head in disbelief and despair after reading the unbelievably vicious, racist rants and trades here about the President of this country and a dead teenager who was doing nothing wrong when followed and approached by a man with a gun. And this from many who consider themselves Frumme Yidden. Disagree with the President if you will,… but this?? A shondeh.

    leahle
    leahle
    10 years ago

    The profound racism people post on this website is so disturbing. I always expect better from Jews and some of you always let me down. I hope this Shabbos brings you the understanding and compassion you most certainly need.

    barchaim
    barchaim
    10 years ago

    you missed your chance

    10 years ago

    Unfortunately, I think that the U.S. Dept. of Justice will press for an indictment of George Zimmerman, on civil rights violation charges, even if they have a weak case. The problem is that once Zimmerman is acquitted a second time, there will be worse riots in this country, than the ones which occurred this past week!

    Reb Yid
    Reb Yid
    10 years ago

    IOW Obama is saying he’s a violence-prone black guy and any time a white guy will follow him he’ll try to beat him to death.