# Duke Lacrosse, DSK, Trayvon Martin ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 27, 2012, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952 "2012-03-27T15:05:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/101 "2012-03-29T14:11:38Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > What does any of this have to do with the matter we are discussing? But, since you brought it up, it appears the police [did care](http://slatest.slate.com/posts/2012/03/27/trayvon_martin_parents_in_d_c_george_zimmerman_says_he_was_attacked_.html). It was the Florida attorneys office that instructed the detective not to press charges. First, nobody knew that at the time this became national news. Second, do you think any of the angry people care? This is a story because a guy shot a kid and _got away with it_ after a cursory investigation, not because a guy shot a black kid. The black kids who set fire to a white kid in Kansas are not national news because they haven’t been caught. If the police had asked them a couple of questions and written the whole thing off as justifiable use of force it would be an even bigger story than Trayvon’s. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/102 "2012-03-29T14:15:12Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Here’s the latest story from the media’s hunt for the Great White Defendant: > > [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/us/killing-of-iraqi-woman-leaves-immigrant-community-shaken.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/28/us/killing-of-iraqi-woman-leaves-immigrant-community-shaken.html) > > Anyone else find the family’s claims suspicious, or are we all on board with hunt for the white racist killer? I don’t know what that has to do with “the Great White Defendant”. Are only whites capable of anti-Islamic prejudice? :rolleyes: Anyway, what on earth could the family possibly have to gain by making up a fictional anti-Islamic killer, other than reducing the odds that the police will find the actual killer? Unless you think someone in the family killed this woman, and it’s a smokescreen, it doesn’t make much sense to doubt them. ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/103 "2012-03-29T14:29:46Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Unless you think someone in the family killed this woman, and it’s a smokescreen. That is exactly what I suspect. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/104 "2012-03-29T14:58:53Z")
And you base that on what, exactly, other than a lack of desire to acknowledge that some people are xenophobic? ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/105 "2012-03-29T17:01:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > And you base that on what, exactly, other than a lack of desire to acknowledge that some people are xenophobic? Xenophobia? Yes, there’s plenty of that out there. Xenophobes breaking into random foreigners houses and bludgeoning them to death, simply because they are different (nothing was stolen from the house)? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is uncommon. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/106 "2012-03-29T17:07:44Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Xenophobes breaking into random foreigners houses and bludgeoning them to death, simply because they are different (nothing was stolen from the house)? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is uncommon. It’s a strange story and I don’t think you’re completely wrong to be skeptical, but the fact that nothing was stolen doesn’t cast doubt on the racist murderer theory. I also doubt the police bought the family’s story at face value. If they felt the woman was killed by someone in her family and the note was an attempt to cover the killer’s tracks, I would have expected a quick arrest- but maybe they’re building a case. ---
**Author:** ![Algher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Algher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algher)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/107 "2012-03-29T18:00:22Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s a strange story and I don’t think you’re completely wrong to be skeptical, but the fact that nothing was stolen doesn’t cast doubt on the racist murderer theory. I also doubt the police bought the family’s story at face value. If they felt the woman was killed by someone in her family and the note was an attempt to cover the killer’s tracks, I would have expected a quick arrest- but maybe they’re building a case. East County San Diego is either the first or second highest concentration of Iraqui Immigrants along with Detroit. This influx has created a bit of tension in the area, so the appearance of a racist targeting them is not something that I would dismiss out of hand. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/108 "2012-04-05T14:44:44Z")
So now we have NBC apologizing for editing the 911 call, ABC placing that floating chyron over Zimmerman’s head at the police station, and an “enhanced” version of the 911 call that suggests Zimmerman did not not use a racial [slur](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOt1wEDy0SI&feature=player_embedded). Question: Does anyone really believe NBC “mistakenly” edited that 911 call? These things are not done by interns and put on the air without many eyes looking at it first. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/109 "2012-04-05T15:27:47Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Here’s the latest story from the media’s hunt for the Great White Defendant: The media gave its game away when some outlets started referring to Zimmerman as a “white hispanic.” If a mestizo wins the Nobel Prize, will the media refer to him as a “white hispanic”? Of course not, he will be referred to as “hispanic” or “latino”. He is referred to as “white hispanic” because that better fits the Leftist narrative. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/110 "2012-04-05T15:36:10Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > Question: Does anyone really believe NBC “mistakenly” edited that 911 call? These things are not done by interns and put on the air without many eyes looking at it first. I think it was a mistake in the general sense that confirmation bias tends to warp peoples’ thinking. Probably the relevant editors at NBC “knew” that in all probability Zimmerman was a racist who stalked and murdered Martin. So they naturally were not very skeptical of evidence which confirmed this view. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/111 "2012-04-05T16:48:34Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > Xenophobia? Yes, there’s plenty of that out there. > > Xenophobes breaking into random foreigners houses and bludgeoning them to death, simply because they are different (nothing was stolen from the house)? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that this is uncommon. There is news today that the 17 year old daughter was caught having sex with a man in a car back in November (and it was _not_ the male cousin she is betrothed to in a pending arranged marriage) and then later was fighting with her (now deceased) Mom while riding in a car and was so distraught she threw herself out of the moving car, breaking her arm. It’s also reported that the murdered Mom had filed paperwork initiating a divorce from her husband. Finally, the note the family turned over to the authorities (the note that told the family to go back to Iraq) was a photocopy, not the original copy, which the family now says was mistakenly thrown away. Nothing suspicious here… ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/112 "2012-04-05T16:59:25Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > I think it was a mistake in the general sense that confirmation bias tends to warp peoples’ thinking. If this continues, my head is going to explode from overexposure to accidental irony. [Anyway, here is a story about what actually happened.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/nbc-to-do-internal-investigation-on-zimmerman-segment/2012/03/31/gIQAc4HhnS_blog.html) **yorick73** seems to be suggesting NBC claimed it was an accidental edit, which they did not, as that claim would be stupid. They are saying they should not have edited the call that way, and I agree. Their edit changed the context of Zimmerman’s reference to Martin’s race. Clearly it’s part of the insidious liberal conspiracy to do push whatever the agenda on this story is supposed to be this week. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/113 "2012-04-05T17:27:12Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > If this continues, my head is going to explode from overexposure to accidental irony. [Anyway, here is a story about what actually happened.](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/nbc-to-do-internal-investigation-on-zimmerman-segment/2012/03/31/gIQAc4HhnS_blog.html) **yorick73** seems to be suggesting NBC claimed it was an accidental edit, which they did not, as that claim would be stupid. They are saying they should not have edited the call that way, and I agree. Their edit changed the context of Zimmerman’s reference to Martin’s race. Clearly it’s part of the insidious liberal conspiracy to do push whatever the agenda on this story is supposed to be this week. You are correct. Mistaken was definitely the wrong word. Deliberately would have been much more accurate. You seem to be incapable of even imagining that the 911 call was “edited” in such a way to fit the narrative. I think **Brazil84** is correct that NBC didn’t see this as a manipulation since we all “know” that Zimmerman acted out of racial animosity. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/114 "2012-04-05T17:27:30Z")
Good WSJ article along the general lines of the OP (but a bit of a sharper edge): [The Exploitation of Trayvon Martin](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303302504577323691134926300.html?mod=googlenews_wsj) ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/115 "2012-04-05T17:32:34Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Their edit changed the context of Zimmerman’s reference to Martin’s race. Clearly it’s part of the insidious liberal conspiracy to do push whatever the agenda on this story is supposed to be this week. Well, ABC’s agenda was to present Zimmerman as racially motivated, and their dishonest edit of the 911 call clearly did push that agenda, so I guess you are correct that it’s pushing an agenda. I would also assume that you are fine with the idea of the media always reporting the races of those accused of crimes, especially in cases where no arrest is made. That would be OK, because the media would just be “reporting facts”, right? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/116 "2012-04-05T17:33:27Z")
Shelby Steele blames Jesse Jackson for bad thing. Film at 11. ---
**Author:** ![yorick73](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/b5a626/32.png) [@yorick73](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yorick73)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/117 "2012-04-05T17:39:32Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Well, ABC’s agenda was to present Zimmerman as racially motivated, and their dishonest edit of the 911 call clearly did push that agenda, so I guess you are correct that it’s pushing an agenda. > > I would also assume that you are fine with the idea of the media always reporting the races of those accused of crimes, especially in cases where no arrest is made. That would be OK, because the media would just be “reporting facts”, right? > > Regards, > Shodan Oh, he’s already claimed that, since it is a fact, reporting the race of the victim and perp means nothing. Funny how many news stories deliberately omit race…even when the perp is still on the loose. I’ve seen stories that report on tatoos, hair style, etc. and leave out any mention of race. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/118 "2012-04-05T17:44:11Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > You seem to be incapable of even imagining that the 911 call was “edited” in such a way to fit the narrative. Here we are again: anyone who disagrees with your biased view is always blind and clueless and incapable of understanding that you are completely correct in all particulars. NBC blew it here, and the press blew it when they misidentified Zimmerman as a white guy last month. I make no bones about that. I think people who say this is all about media bias should at least acknowledge they’re interpreting things. > [@yorick73](#): > > Oh, he’s already claimed that, since it is a fact, reporting the race of the victim and perp means nothing. I hate to be blind and clueless again, but that’s not what I said. You said the press should not have mentioned the races of Zimmerman or Martin until it was proved that the shooting was racially motivated and that any other course of action indicates bias, and I said your proposal was ridiculous because the Martin family was speaking to the press and the police ahd Zimmerman’s mug shot on file. It was both implausible and impossible to keep the race thing under wraps. It doesn’t speak to bias, and reporters don’t need to prove that a fact is relevant before reporting it. They’re not prosecutors. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/119 "2012-04-05T17:57:03Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Shelby Steele blames Jesse Jackson for bad thing. Film at 11. Are you familiar with the term “ad hominem”? > [@Marley23](#): > > I think people who say this is all about media bias should at least acknowledge they’re interpreting things. In your opinion, is it likely that the NBC edit was intended as a way of having it fit better with the racism angle? ---
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952/120 "2012-04-05T17:58:33Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > There is news today that the 17 year old daughter was caught having sex with a man in a car back in November (and it was _not_ the male cousin she is betrothed to in a pending arranged marriage) and then later was fighting with her (now deceased) Mom while riding in a car and was so distraught she threw herself out of the moving car, breaking her arm. > > It’s also reported that the murdered Mom had filed paperwork initiating a divorce from her husband. > > Finally, the note the family turned over to the authorities (the note that told the family to go back to Iraq) was a photocopy, not the original copy, which the family now says was mistakenly thrown away. > > Nothing suspicious here… That’s hilarious. I’m surprised this guy didn’t leave a note that said: > [@](#): > > This is my country. Go back to yours, terrorist. > > ``` > --Not the husband > > ``` [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duke-lacrosse-dsk-trayvon-martin/616952.md?page=7)