The Politics of Death

I just finished reading the Martin thread on H&R, and I’m sickened.

You know what really grinds my gears?  This is exactly what Welch & The Jacket are talking about when they condemn people politicizing everything.  Within days, this whole thing has become either a 1) You hate black people and don’t care if they’re murdered!, or 2) I can’t believe this guy is getting railroaded by the black/outrage community!

Both sides left a giant, fresh, steaming cow-flop in the middle of the road, and most of the Reason commenters stomped right into the middle of it.  This is what they do.  Either way one side wins something; if he’s acquitted, the blues get to cry racism, and if he goes to jail, the reds get to cry reverse-racism.  And all the commenters are feeding directly into that mindset.

For the love of Zod, we’re debasing into common political trash talk a young man being killed (whether justly or not).  And for the people saying Zimmerman is being railroaded…really?  Justice in this country is so pro-black, so afraid of the black populace, that they treat them preferentially?  Is that what we’re going with?  Must explain all those majority-white prisons.

And everyone bringing up 1992 – really?  Is it not enough work to have to tell liberals all the fucking time that it is no longer Alabama in 1969, that now we have to remind each other that the world is not Los Angeles, 1992?  And let's not forget ascribing collective actions to people.  All whites weren't racist scumbags before LBJ passed a magical law, and all blacks aren't just waiting for an excuse to torch something.  Judge the individuals, not the collective.

Can’t everyone just take a step back, take a deep breath, and stop being useful idiot footsoldiers for these assholes?  Jesus tap-dancing Christ; we act like we’re so much smarter and better than everyone else, and then we flunk this test BIG-TIME.

I know this comes across as just being a butt-hurt whiney bitch, but I don't really care.  It's something I felt like I had to say.

/rant