<p>I think that a lot is being made about the lack of notification of next of kin. </p>
<p>Here is a 2006 bill that died in the Florida legislature that would have addressed this problem. It does not appear that the delay in notification of next of kin was “Trayvon specific.”</p>
<p>True about the same neighborhood, Bay. Z still saw him as one of the “they” who “always get away”. I’m not saying proximity will help all people see others as individuals; Zimmerman clearly has a history of looking for --something–and finding it. For most folks, I think, it would help.</p>
<p>I agree with your sentiment Garland. I too see boys in sweatshirts all the time, white, black, asian and see boys in sweatshirts, period. I see my students at the college I teach at, my kids and their friends, etc. Not a threat.</p>
<p>I think there is also a difference between being racist, and racially profiling someone. I think people use racial profiling as a method to identify risk, which I think Z did (which I believe is inappropriate) while not necessarily being racist. We don’t know what Z felt in his heart, if he was racist. However I think racial profiling was in play here. Additionally, if racial profiling is considered an acceptable practice in a particular setting, ie. this gated community in Florida, the South in general, an airport etc. then one can use that practice while also not necessarily harboring ill feeling towards all people of that race. </p>
<p>Again, what did Z mean when he said Trayvon was suspicious looking, looked like he was high, and up to no good? What did he base these perceptions on??? I realize we have our own thinking based on our life experiences, beliefs, culture, etc. To me it appears that other than Trayvon’s skin color, he had NO reason to have these perceptions and I believe if my kid in a sweatshirt was walking in that neighborhood, it would have been believed he belonged there and he would not have been deemed “suspicious”.</p>
<p>Depends on the jurisdiction and circumstances. Technically, the gated community within a 20 minute walk from my residence is “private”…complete with private security patrols and gates in some areas. </p>
<p>However, because several public streets go through that community and a past local court ruling…they’re not allowed to completely deny public access to that area. </p>
<p>It’s one reason why I often use that area to go on my weekend afternoon and late evening strolls when I feel the need to do my 1-2 mile walks. Even when I was dressed really scruffily or as a leather-clad '50s style hood…no one ever stopped to bother me…even late at night. </p>
<p>Then again, like at Harvard…the local cops/private security upon casual glance tend to see me as someone who “belongs there”…rather than a suspicious person up to no good.</p>
<p>Contrast that to my African-American college classmate who I saw was stopped multiple times by Harvard PD…despite the fact he is the actual Harvard PhD student and I was never stopped for ID on the same campus alone despite my non-student status at those times. It was such a serious issue there that even HUPD themselves acknowledged it was a serious problem which they needed to address.</p>
<p>“then one can use that practice while also not necessarily harboring ill feeling towards all people of that race.”</p>
<p>Racism is not simply a matter of harboring feelings. It’s not simply prejudice. It is a system of advantage/disadvantage where people are actually treated differently (and often “unconsciously”) based on their skin color, and assumptions based on skin color. (I know from documentary evidence that there really were slaveholders who bode no ill will toward Black people, nor even thought them different in any substantive way than white people. But they were still racists.)</p>
<p>Zimmerman may have bode no ill will toward Black people. (I doubt that’s the case, but I will give him the benefit of the doubt.) But he may have been part of a system of relations from the police department on down whereby Black people (whether suspects or victims) were treated and were to be treated differently based on their skin color. No one had to say or give an order that said, “Treat Black people differently.” That’s the way racism works - it was simply assumed.</p>
<p>From what I’ve read, 12 hours passed between the time the PD arrived at the scene and the time Trayvon’s dad called the PD the next morning.</p>
<p>Before rushing to judgment about the PD’s incompetence, it would be helpful to know if there is a protocol for identifying bodies with no identification. For example, is there a standard 24 hour waiting period to see if anyone calls? (How many times have we read newpaper articles stating “identification of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.”)</p>
<p>Assuming that the PD had Trayvon’s cell phone and the battery was charged, how should they have proceeded to use it? Would they start calling random numbers and ask if the person who answers knows whose phone it is? Or would they contact the telephone carrier and ask to know who paid the bill? Do they need a subpoena to get this information from the carrier? My guess is that they do, but maybe not. How would they know that person is next of kin? Also keep in mind that the 12 hour period spanned the evening hours, so perhaps they had plans to use the phone for i.d., but were waiting until business hours to pursue it. They had no way of knowing that Trayvon was under 18.</p>
<p>“Assuming that the PD had Trayvon’s cell phone and the battery was charged, how should they have proceeded to use it?”</p>
<p>Bay, you’re undercutting your credibility here. Oh, I see what you’re saying … police procedure saying something like “immediately impound and store all evidence associated with the victim. Do not use any of it to guide your investigation.”</p>
<p>Zimmerman is an idiot for allowing himself to become involved in a scuffle/fight/struggle with Martin. No one who is carrying a gun should ever allow that to happen.</p>
<p>Btw, NewHope, you raised an issue I hadn’t even thought of, and that is the physical handling of the phone by PD in order to obtain identification information from it. Presumably, the phone was treated and stored as evidence. If the PD handled it, fingerprints could be compromised, call history could be compromised. The phone would essentially become worthless to the investigation and case.</p>
<p>OK-- According to one sourse (I did not go to the Florida Administrative Code myself), it appears that the responsibility to notify the next of kin falls to the medical examiner’s office. However, the practice apparently is for the ME to have the law enforcement personale do it.</p>
<p>Here is the Orange County Sherriff’s Office procedure. Seems CID is supposed to hande it if there is investigation into murder.</p>
I’m sorry to say that I don’t think you’re the average white person in this respect. I think there are a lot of white people who think they have the attitude you describe, but really don’t when they’re on a dark city street.</p>