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Trayvon Martin’s Shooting Was ‘Avoidable’

admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:37:22 +0000

Trayvon Martin’s fatal encounter with George Zimmerman was “avoidable,” and the teen was not doing anything criminal at the time of their confrontation on Feb. 26, a report by Sanford, Fla., police says.

The report, dated March 13, came nearly a month before a special prosecutor brought second-degree-murder charges against Zimmerman, 28, in the death of 17-year-old Trayvon. He has pleaded not guilty and said he acted in self-defense.

“The encounter between George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin was ultimately avoidable by Zimmerman, if Zimmerman had remained in his vehicle and awaited the arrival of law enforcement, or conversely, if he had identified himself to Martin as a concerned citizen and initiated dialog in an effort to dispel each party’s concern,” the report says. “There is no indication that Trayvon Martin was involved in any criminal activity at the time of the encounter.”

A large cache of reports, documents, photos and other descriptions of evidence in the case were released to the public Thursday evening after being disclosed previously to defense attorneys. The case has attracted worldwide attention with accusations by Trayvon’s family and civil rights leaders that Zimmerman, who is Hispanic, targeted Trayvon because he was black and said he appeared to be “up to no good.”

The report says a single bullet perforated Trayvon’s heart.

Other police investigative reports said that Trayvon had been staying in the gated residential complex for a week before the shooting and that he had been sent to the home of a friend by his father after the teen had been suspended from school for 10 days for marijuana possession. A toxicology report on his body found a small amount of THC, the psychoactive chemical in marijuana, in his blood.

A police report concluded that at the time he was confronted by Zimmerman, Trayvon “was in fact generally running in the direction of where he was staying as a guest in the neighborhood.”

Zimmerman had reported “suspicious persons, all young black males” to police on three previous occasions in 2011, the reports said.

“According to record checks, all of Zimmerman’s suspicious person calls while residing in the Retreat neighborhood have identified Black males as the subjects,” the report said.

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SOURCE: USA Today

William M. Welch, Yamiche Alcindor and Donna Leinwand Leger

Do African Americans Need to Get Reparations?

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:49:14 +0000

Reparations.

That single word has the power to bring forth memories of slave screams, blood-shed, lynching, raping and the unrepentant theft of generations of successful Black families by the United States of America.

It also has the power to breed resentment, as the 40 acres and a mule that Black Americans were promised by General William Sherman at the close of the American Civil War were snatched away by President Andrew Johnson and returned to their White owners.

Primarily left landless, fragmented, disconnected from our culture, and uneducated with little-to-no chance of gainful employment, the dregs of slavery and Jim and Jane Crow continue to poison our communities in both tangible and intangible ways.

During her investigation into the wealth — or lack thereof — in the African-American community, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien spoke with Rev. DeForest B. Soaries of First Baptist Church in Lincoln, New Jersey, who made the sharp correlation that “debt is slavery”:

“When I’m paying last month’s bills with next month’s check, that’s slavery. When I ‘m writing a check hoping that it doesn’t bounce, or when I pull out my credit card praying that it’s not rejected, then I’m living in financial bondage.”

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SOURCE: NewsOne

Kirsten West Savali

The Faith Journey of Brad Smith

admin — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:46:57 +0000

GROWING UP

Brad was raised in a Christian home in Youngstown, OH. His mom would take him and his other siblings to church. At age 11 or 12, Brad gave his life to the Lord. ”My parents provided me a strong foundation to grow from.

However the faith of my family wasn’t enough,” says Brad. ”I needed to get to know the Lord myself.” He wasn’t spending time in prayer or reading his Bible. ”I had a strong desire,” says Brad. ”I just had to experience things for myself.”

He played football in high school throwing over 2,700 yeard in his career and 34 touchdowns. Brad went to college at the University of Missouri and established himself as one of the elite quarterbacks in college football becoming on the second playing in Division 1-A football history to ever pass for 2,020 yards and rush for 1,000. He received numerous national and Big 12 Conference freshman honors and led the Missouri Tigers to a 5-7 record. His sophomore year their record was 8-5 and made their first bowl appearance since 1998. In 2004, Missouri’s record dropped to 5-6. The next year, Brad led the Tigers to a 7-5 record, his second Independence Bowl in 3 years and his first Missouri bowl win in 7 years.

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SOURCE: The 700 Club

Evangelist Daniel Whyte III, President of Gospel Light Society International, Calls for Global Day of Fasting and Prayer for America and the World

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 16:11:26 +0000

Wednesday, May 16, 2012 Commences the 165-day Global Call to Fasting and Prayer for America and the World

Wednesday, May 9, 2012 is the day that the President of the United States and leader of the free world, Barack Obama, broke thousands of years of Godly biblical tradition and announced to the world that he supports homosexual marriage. Along with other fasting opportunities, Evangelist Daniel Whyte III is calling upon all believers to join him in fasting at least one meal every Wednesday through the election (everyone is encouraged to fast the whole 24 hour period, but if you cannot do that, please fast at least one meal), praying and asking God for the following:

1. That all races understand that neither Romney nor Obama is the answer, but Jesus is the answer.

2. That we as pastors and churches repent of our hypocrisy because the church is more guilty than the government for the state of affairs in this country. The Bible says, “Judgment must begin at the house of God.”

3. That both Obama and Romney, who claim to be believers, would confess their sins and repent of lying, dishonesty, hypocrisy, and intentionally deceiving people for political gain.

4. That President Obama will repent of being a Judas and betraying the Lord, betraying the Lord’s church, betraying America, betraying thousands of black, white, and hispanic pastors who tried to help him, and betraying his own people who have overwhelmingly supported him; and as a Christian, that he would stand up, humble himself, and apologize to the nation for making such an abominable decision and statement.

5. For the salvation of millions of people in this country and in the world, including those in the homosexual community.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God…” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

“And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” (Mark 9:29)

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

This twenty-four hour fast will begin after breakfast on Wednesday, May 16, 2012 and will end at breakfast on Thursday, May 17, 2012. This one-day fast will commence an extended period of fasting and prayer which will end on November 6, 2012 (election day). Gospel Light Society is calling on all Christians around the world who believe in traditional marriage and who are willing to stand up for God’s Word to unite in fasting and prayer for any length of time during this 165 day period. Those who wish to participate may fast for 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 10 days, 14 days, 21 days, 28 days, 30 days, 40 days, or any amount of time that God leads them to fast.

Gospel Light Society International is a global online ministry that seeks to present the Gospel to all people, in every language, around the world “by any means necessary”. In many languages, GLS seeks to share the Gospel of Christ and help new believers grow in the saving knowledge of Jesus by connecting them with a church or a home Bible study group. For more information, visit http://www.GospelLightSociety.com.

Daniel Whyte III has spoken in meetings across the United States and in over twenty-five foreign countries. He is the author of over twenty books. He is also the president of Gospel Light Society International, a worldwide evangelistic ministry that reaches thousands with the Gospel each week, as well as president of Torch Ministries International, a Christian literature ministry which publishes a monthly magazine called The Torch Leader. He is heard by thousands each week on his radio broadcasts, The Prayer Motivator Devotional and the Prayer Motivator Minute, as well as Gospel Light Minute X, the Gospel Light Minute, the Sunday Evening Evangelistic Message and The Prophet Daniel’s Report. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from Bethany Divinity College, a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Texas Wesleyan University, and a Master’s degree in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He has been married to the former Meriqua Althea Dixon, of Christiana, Jamaica for twenty-five years. God has blessed their union with seven children.

Conservatives See Problem with Mitt Romney Being “Fine” with Homosexuals Adopting Children

admin — Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:42 +0000

Traditional values groups are disturbed that presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he’s “fine” with homosexual couples adopting children.

Last week, the presidential hopeful told Fox News host Neil Cavuto, “I know many gay couples that are able to adopt children — that’s fine. But my preference is that we … continue to define marriage as the relationship between a man and a woman.”

Peter LaBarbera of Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) takes exception to Romney’s position, saying a major reason for fighting for natural marriage is so children will not be placed in homes that are fatherless or motherless by design.

“As a pro-family person, he shouldn’t be fine with homosexual adoption,” LaBarbera contends. “Just because it exists and it’s happening doesn’t mean you’re fine with it. And so here Romney is undercutting his base, and it’s sad to see, but he’s obviously conflicted on all the issues surrounding homosexuality.”

When placed in the homes of same-gender pairs, the AFTAH president says that means homosexuals become the role models for children.

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SOURCE: Charlie Butts, OneNewsNow

Newsweek Declares Obama “the First Homosexual President”

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:14:47 +0000

Newsweek is celebrating President Obama’s endorsement of same-sex marriage on this week’s cover, an image of which it released on Sunday.

The cover features an image of Obama looking quite angelic with a rainbow-colored halo above his head (or as a HuffPost editor affectionately dubbed it–a “gaylo”). The image accompanies the issue’s cover story, written by Andrew Sullivan, titled “The First Gay President.”

In his cover story, Sullivan argues that Obama’s announcement has been years in the making. He also writes that the President has much in common with the gay community. “He had to discover his black identity and then reconcile it with his white family, just as gays discover their homosexual identity and then have to reconcile it with their heterosexual family,” Sullivan writes.

Following news of Obama’s endorsement, Sullivan wrote about the significance of the president’s announcement. “Today Obama did more than make a logical step. He let go of fear,” Sullivan wrote. “He is clearly prepared to let the political chips fall as they may. That’s why we elected him. That’s the change we believed in.”

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Source: The Huffington Post

Why Didn’t ‘Stand Your Ground’ Work for Marissa Alexander?

admin — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:32:46 +0000

margin:0 20px 20px 0;" hspace="5" vspace="5"/>Marissa Alexander, the 31-year-old Florida woman who fired what her family calls a warning shot at her abusive husband, was sentenced Friday morning to 20 years in prison.

Alexander was convicted of three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for firing into a wall near her husband and his two young children at their Jacksonville home in 2010. Alexander has maintained that she wasn’t trying to hurt anyone and that she was standing her ground against a man who had over the course of nearly a year punched and choked her on several different occasions. Alexander says that she believed she was protected that day under the state’s Stand Your Ground Law, which gives people wide discretion in using deadly force to defend themselves.

A judge and a jury disagreed.

The State Attorney’s Office offered a plea bargain that would have sent Alexander to prison for three years, but she rejected it, hoping to convince a jury that she had been defending herself when she fired the weapon.

Alexander’s case has become the latest battleground in a fight against what Alexander’s supporters call the misapplication of the Stand Your Ground Law and Florida’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws, which offer stiff sentences for crimes involving guns.

According to Florida’s 10-20-Life statutes, anyone who pulls a gun during a crime receives a mandatory 10-year sentence. Firing a gun during the commission of a crime equals a mandatory 20-year sentence. Anyone convicted of shooting and killing another person during a crime is sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

Alexander, who did not have a criminal record before the shooting, was convicted of felony assault with a gun.

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Source: Black Voices | Trymaine Lee

Rep. Allen West says: Obama May Lose African American Votes Over Homosexual Marriage Support

admin — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:43:46 +0000

Some African Americans will think twice about voting for President Obama in November after he declared his support for gay marriage, according to Republican Rep. Allen West of Florida.

“I think it’s going to cause an incredible discussion in the black community, because, as you know, on Sundays in the black community the most conservative people in America are in those black churches,” West told ABC News on Thursday.

“I think it may have been a huge miscalculation, especially when you have 41 states that recognize marriage between one man and one woman, and you just came off an incredible loss to them. Sixty-nine percent voted for [the recent same-sex marriage ban] in North Carolina, which is a key swing state he barely won last time,” West said

He noted that even as African Americans overwhelmingly supported Obama in 2008, gay marriage bans passed in both Florida and California.

African Americans oppose gay marriage 55 percent to 41 percent, while all poll respondents support it 52 percent to 43 percent, according to an ABC News poll taken in March. While 94 percent of black voters in California supported Obama in 2008, 70 percent also supported the Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage, according to exit polls.

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Source: ABC News | Chris Good

University of Florida Professor Claims Many Blacks See Cops As ‘Killers Behind The Badge’

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 18:33:09 +0000

A University of Florida professor recently published an article in “Law and History Review” from Cambridge Journals, which asserts that the racist and oppressive history of police officers in New Orleans have many Blacks viewing cops as “killers behind the badge.”

Jeffery S. Adler, professor of History and Criminology, researched race and police homicide in New Orleans between the years of 1925 to 1945, alleging that a practice of “fear conditioning” exists even now.

(In the picture above, a retired school teacher is bleeding after being beaten for allegedly resisting arrest in 2005. In the video below, you can see their savage beating caught on camera. They were criminally charged. Click here to learn the outcome of the charges.)

The research was done using police and newspaper reports between the 20-year time period, focusing solely on the deaths of civilians at the hands of the police. During this time, New Orleans was notoriously crime-ridden and violent, and violent offenders, Black and White, were dealt swift justice that often resulted in death. Blacks were killed at four times the rate of White suspects, with Professor Adler pointing out some facts that possibly contributed to the high numbers.

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SOURCE: NewsOne

D.L. Chandler

North Carolina becomes 30th State to Define Marriage as Between a Man and a Woman

admin — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:20:07 +0000

North Carolina Tuesday became the 30th state to define marriage within its constitution as between a man and a woman when a proposal that had drawn nationwide attention passed easily with a margin even larger than pre-election surveys.

With 98 percent of the vote reported, the amendment led by a margin of 61-30 percent, according to WCNC. The Associated Press called the race just after 9 p.m. Eastern.

Critics said the amendment was unnecessary because the state already defines marriage in the traditional sense, but supporters countered that North Carolina needed such an amendment to prevent a state court from legalizing gay “marriage,” as has happened in Massachusetts, Iowa and Connecticut.

The final pre-election poll from left-leaning Public Policy Polling had the amendment up among likely voters, 57-39 percent. Historically, marriage amendments have outperformed surveys.

North Carolina was the last remaining state in the Southeast to pass such an amendment. While the amendments have been popular in conservative-leaning states, they’ve also passed in such left-leaning states as Michigan, Wisconsin and Oregon. Minnesota, another “blue” state, will vote on one in November.

Some also criticized the amendment for prohibiting not only gay “marriage” but also New Jersey-style civil unions, which grant same-sex couples all the state legal benefits of marriage, minus the name. Supporters, though, said civil unions were simply a stepping stone to gay “marriage” legalization, and they noted that three states — Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut — had legalized civil unions only to follow by changing the marriage law, too.

The heart of North Carolina’s amendment reads, “Marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this State.” Opponents tried to change the subject from marriage in the closing weeks of the campaign, charging that the “domestic legal union” language could endanger women by impacting the state’s domestic violence statutes. Although some legal scholars shared that opinion, others disagreed, pointing out that other states have similar language in their constitutions and have had no problems. For instance, Idaho’s amendment is identical.

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SOURCE: Baptist Press

Michael Foust