Trayvon Martin Murder

The death of Trayvon Martin in Florida on February 26, was a tragic and since controversial topic.  Trayvon was shot by self-appointed neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman.  Zimmerman says that he felt threatened by the 17 year-old so in self-defense he shot him.  Zimmerman had earlier called the police and reported Martin as a suspicious character.  The police gave him specific  orders not to follow him.  Zimmerman weighed 250 pounds, and says that he felt threatened by the 140 pound teenager.  How can somebody feel threatened by somebody who is half there size and is armed with only Skittles and a can of iced tea.  Also, why did he follow the "suspicious character" when he was given direct orders by the police not to.  He should be arrested for interfering with the law if not for murdering a teenager.  


Zimmerman made about 40 calls to the police within the past year.  In each police call he seemed to have a negative attitude towards African Americans.  It sounds like Zimmerman is the boy who cried wolf.  Trayvon had not past criminal record and no motivation to attack or harm Zimmerman, and there is no evidence to tell why he would attack Zimmerman.  On the other hand, Zimmerman had a past criminal record, has a negative attitude towards African Americans and was in direct violation of police orders.  


What gives Zimmerman the right to follow and approach Trayvon Martin when he was given direct orders by the police not to follow him.  I would like to know in what way did Trayvon threaten Zimmerman when he is half Zimmerman's size and Zimmerman was the one carrying the weapon.  Trayvon didn't even know Zimmerman, yet according to Zimmerman Trayvon threatened him.  Its funny how with this odd series of events that Zimmerman was not even given a drug test at the scene of the crime.  Neighbors of the community say that Zimmerman had a negative attitude towards African Americans.  In my opinion, there is no doubt that Zimmerman murdered Trayvon Martin.  

Trayvon Martin Story

The 17 year-old African American Trayvon Martin was shot and killed on February 26, 2012 in Sanford, Florida.  The 28 year-old white man, George Zimmerman, was the shooter.  Zimmerman says that he shot Martin in self-defense.  Zimmerman was a self-appointed neighborhood watch captain for the Sanford gated community.  Zimmerman remains free, on the basis that the FBI cannot prove his story false.  Martin was heading back from the convenient store to the home of a friend when he was confronted by George Zimmerman.  Zimmerman, prior to confronting the teen, called the police and reported Martin as a suspicious character.  How could the 17 year-old high school student pose a threat to the neighborhood watch captain when he was armed with only a pack of Skittles and a can of iced tea.  Also Zimmerman weighs about 250 pounds while Martin only weighed 140 pounds.  How can somebody who feel threatened by somebody who is half their size and is armed with Skittles and iced tea.  


The Facts:

• Zimmerman called the police to report Martin's "suspicious" behavior.  Zimmerman was in his car when he saw Martin walking on the street.  
• George Zimmerman pursued Martin against the explicit instructions of the police dispatcher.  
• Prior to the release of the 911 tapes, Zimmerman's father released a statement claiming "at no time did George follow or confront Mr. Martin".  
• Zimmerman was carrying a 9 millimeter handgun.  Martin was carrying a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea.  
• Martin weighed 140 pounds.  Zimmerman weighed 250 pounds.  
• Trayvon Martin had no previous criminal record.  
• Zimmerman called the police 46 times since January 1, 2011.  
• The police did not test Zimmerman for drugs or alcohol.  
• Three witnesses say they heard a boy cry for help before the shots were fired.  
• Neighbors say that Zimmerman was "fixated on crime and focused on young, black males".  
• Zimmerman was charged in July of 2005 for resisting arrest with violence and battery on an officer.  The charges against Zimmerman have since been dropped.  

I don't understand how Zimmerman was not investigated at the scene or why he was not tested for drugs or alcohol.  In my opinion the entire situation was the plot of shooter, George Zimmerman.  Zimmerman has more history to be prosecuted or investigated for his behavior than Martin who has no criminal record.  Trayvon Martin was simply picking up some Skittles for his brother and a can of iced tea for himself when he was shot.  Trayvon Martin had no motivation to threaten or harm Zimmerman and has no criminal record to imply a history of bad behavior.  It is extremely scary to think that people like Zimmerman can kill an innocent teen and get away with it.  

Zimmerman's act of self-defense is protected under the Florida "Stand Your Ground" law, which states that if you are in a location which you are legally able to be you can use deadly force to defend yourself when you find it necessary.  This is a good law to have if people did not abuse it.  Having the right to defend yourself when the situation warrants it is necessary.  However, people should not be able to use deadly force for self defense.  This is an easy law to abuse.  Zimmerman had no right to kill the 17 year-old even if he was defending himself.  The situation is highly suspicious on the grounds that Martin had no motivation to harm Zimmerman, Martin was armed with only Skittles and a can of iced tea, and that Martin is half the size of a man who "threatened" by him.  

Information for this blog post was found on the following websites:

• http://www.thegrio.com/specials/trayvon-martin/trayvon-martin-15-facts-you-need-to-know-about-teen-shot-in-sanford-florida.php?page=1 
• http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/19/justice/florida-teen-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2 
• http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/03/trayvon-martin-case-timeline-of-events/ 
• http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/03/19/148937626/trayvon-martin-killing-puts-stand-your-ground-law-in-spotlight 
• http://www.thegrio.com/specials/trayvon-martin/feds-to-investigate-fatal-shooting-of-trayvon-martin.php 

The "R" Word

What does the term "retarded" mean to you.  To some people it is just a term that they use to insult their friend who is acting a little weird or different as a joke.  To others it is viewed as a hurtful term that is offensive to people with intellectual disabilities.  If you were a child with intellectual disabilities, how would you feel is people called you a retard?  Chances are you would not like being called that.  Many people do not realize it, but when you call someone a retard just joking around, that person can be truly offended by the term.  

People with intellectual disabilities are no different from rest of us.  We are all just people.  Nobody is perfect and we all have our own problems.  Many people do not treat those with intellectual disabilities with the respect that they deserve.  Those with intellectual disabilities should not be discriminated just because they are a little different.  

Swearing on the Internet

Social networking being used in classrooms and schools

There are many teachers who use the internet and social networking websites as a teaching element.  Using the internet to teach is a new way of connecting things that students enjoy with learning elements.  However, some students do not realize that when you are following somebody on social networking sites, they can see everything that you post.  Students sometimes post statuses using curse words, and are not remembering that their teachers can sometimes see these updates.  Teachers do not like to see students using these types of words.  This makes teachers rethink if using the internet for teaching is a good idea.  Especially if students are abusing there privileges on social networking sites that are related to their school.  


Students who feel the need to use curse words on social networking sites that they are also using in school should make two accounts.  One account to use for their own personal use and another account to use only for school related posts.  This way the student can say whatever they would like to on their personal accounts and can still use social networking for classwork.  

Common social networking websites

Some people do not seem to remember that everybody who they are friends with on social networking sites, such as facebook and twitter, can see every post that a person makes.  If you plan on swearing on the internet and you don't want some of your friends or family members to see it, then you are better off not posting it.  You can also be a little more careful of who you are friending to make sure that your friends do not care if you swear on the internet or not.   

Modern Day Slavery

Many people think that slavery does not exist anymore.  However, they would be incorrect.  Slavery still exists around the world, even in the United States.  Human trafficking is estimated to be the third largest international crime industry.  There are between 14,000 and 17,000 people in the United States who live as a slave.  Human trafficking is defined as the transportation of people by threatening or the use of abuse.  Slavery is when somebody completely controls the actions of another person.  Human trafficking is happening all around the world, and few people are aware of it.  

Each year there are approximately 600,000 to 800,000 people trafficked across international borders.  Slavery is also not the same as it was 100 years ago.  In 1809 the value of a slave was estimated to be worth approximately $40,000 in today's economy.  However, in 2009 the value of the average slave was estimated to be about $90, a significant decrease in the value of slaves.  President Barack Obama recently declared January to be National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.  Obama did this in an attempt to raise awareness about human trafficking and put an end to slavery.  Chattel slavery is a form of slavery in which people literally become the property of another.  

When you eat a chocolate bar it is more often then not because of an enslaved child who works to harvest cocoa.  Chocolate most likely starts in a plantation in West Africa.  At these plantations, child slaves are used to harvest the cocoa for chocolate.  Chocolate is the product of child slavery in Africa.  I bet you will think twice next time before you buy a chocolate bar from the store.  To think that the candy that we enjoy the most began because a child slave in Africa harvested the cocoa used to make the chocolate.  

Slavery is not legal anywhere but it happens everywhere.  People are participating in an illegal act around the world the denies people basic human rights.  There are approximately 27 million slaves around the world today.  Slavery is illegal, yet 27 million people are enslaved and denied basic human rights that all people should be granted.  Human trafficking is considered to be the modern day slave trade.  The slave trade was supposedly abolished.  Instead the name of the slave trade was changes to human trafficking.  




Information for this blog was found on the following websites:

• http://www.freetheslaves.net/Document.Doc?id=34
• http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/category/in-the-news/
• http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/category/the-facts/
• http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/category/life-in-slavery/

New Years Resolutions 2012

• To resolve the debt crisis in the United States by better controlling what our nations money is used for
• To resolve the problems in the public school system that are impacting the education of children
• To begin to better resolve the problem of global warming
• To work harder to end world hunger
• To try harder to find cures to deadly cancers
• To end animal testing for product safety
• To work harder to end underage drinking and binge drinking
• To work together to help those in need
• To end the job crisis in the United States
• To make safer communities for people to live in

The Invisible Children

Invisible Children Logo

The Invisible Children is a nationwide group that uses videos and other media sources to give young people the inspiration and determination to help stop the longest running war in Africa.  The war in northern Uganda in Africa has been going on for the past 23 years.  This war in norther Uganda has presented an extreme danger to the citizens living in Uganda.  The Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony, has greatly impacted Africa and the lives of innocent civilians.  Uganda's government has tried several times to end the war and negotiate a peace treaty with the LRA, but every time peace treaties are about to be signed, Joseph Kony backs out and the war continues.  The troops of the Lord's Resistance Army are made up of children that were abducted when they were young and are forced to fight in the LRA.  If one of the troops tries to escape or rebels, they are killed.  That is the only reason that these children are fighting for the LRA, because their lives depend on it.  The LRA will abduct children while they are sleeping and force them to be troops in this army.  Children as young as 9 years old are being abducted from the homes and forced to fight in this army.  These young children are forced by the LRA to carry guns and fight against the people.  Could you imagine one night your peacefully sleeping at home, and all of the sudden you are being taken to some unfamiliar place and being forced to fight in an army?  

Abducted Children Forced to Fight for the LRA

The Invisible Children was founded by Jason Russell, Laren Poole, and Ben Keesey.  These founders were all interested in film making and media.  After graduating, they flew to Africa in search of a search of a story to document, not knowing about the war or how long it had been going on.  While in Africa they learned about the war and how children were being abducted from their homes while they were sleeping and being forced to fight for the LRA.  Since they founded the Invisible Children group in 2003, they have been working to make the world aware of this war.  They work to get volunteers to raise money to help with protecting the people in Africa from the LRA.  With the money that they raise, they set up radio towers that can help warn villages when the LRA is near so that they have a chance to escape.  The Invisible Children have worked with the United States government and the Government of Uganda to help raise awareness about this war and end this war as soon as possible.  The Invisible Children have made a huge difference in saving the lives of young children from being abducted by the LRA.  One of the ways that they raise money is by selling merchandise online and also by going to schools all across America and giving speeches to the students, asking them to help raise money to benefit northern Uganda.  


The Invisible Children help to make villages safer from the attacks of the LRA by creating a protection plan.  This five step protection plan includes: 

1. Protection of Communities
2. Encouraging LRA Defection
3. Providing Rehabilitation and Family Reunification
4. Post-Conflict Recovery
5. Promoting the Arrest of Joseph Kony and Top LRA Leadership

Founders of the Invisible Children Working in Africa

Protection of communities is done by extending the early warning radio network, launching mobile response teams, and also by creating an LRA crisis tracker.  The early warning radio network is something that the Invisible Children has provided to villages to communicate information and location of the LRA allowing villages to be aware of possible attacks and abductions.  Encouraging LRA defection is something that the Invisible Children does over the radio.  Through FM radio broadcasts the Invisible Children sends "Come Home" messages directly to members of the LRA.  Giving these members the information on how to safely escape the LRA and return home.  Invisible Children provides rehabilitation and reunites families with the help of trained counselors.  These counselors help children that have escaped the LRA to become reintegrated with their society and village.  Conflict recovery is something that the Invisible Children created to better educate the people who have been previous members of the LRA.  They are also fighting to find ways to capture and arrest the LRA leader Joseph Kony and other top LRA officials.   


Information for this blog was found on the following website: 
~ http://www.invisiblechildren.com/homepage