Johannes Mehserle and Oscar Grant. Rioting Will Make it Better. Right?
Involuntary Manslaughter. Jury Gets it Right
In the videos Johannes Mehserle looked as shocked as everyone else when the gun fired and killed Oscar Grant. Mehserle stated that he saw Grant trying to get something out of his pocket and that he reached for his "Taser" and instead (accidentally) drew his gun.
I believe the jury got this one right. And I know how much Oscar Grant's family thinks I'm wrong minded and probably a racist by saying it. But what did Johannes Mehserle have as a motive to murder Oscar Grant? If there was a motive, it never surfaced at trial. Why, in front of hundreds of people, would Johannes Mehserle murder Oscar Grant? If you cannot come up with a reason, if you cannot say that Mehserle planned, lay in wait or had a motive...how can you say that he murdered?
Meanwhile, poor Oakland once again gets to host riots. The rioting began shortly after the verdict came in. The businesses were fair game. In the leading picture on FOXNews.com looters are seen carrying off merchandise from a Foot Locker store. How does this action reverse the verdict? How does this bring respect to Oscar Grant's family? How does rioting in the streets, breaking windows, burning anything handy or stealing prove that the jury got the verdict wrong? It doesn't.
Would things have been any different if the verdict had been murder instead of involuntary manslaughter? I don't think so. I think an excuse to pillage is all that some of these people want. I doubt that most of the looters and rioters know the names OR the facts of the accused, the victim or the event.
The word racism has been thrown around a lot lately. Had Johannes Mehserle been black, would there have been a trial? Had Oscar Grant been white, would there have been a trial or would there have been rioting? I doubt it. A white on black incident HAS to be scrutinized. No one can call racism unless it is white on black violence. No one can use a verdict to riot unless it is a white on black trial.
Racism is what people use to describe white people not liking people of "color". What do we call people of color that riot, destroy their own neighborhoods and shout for the death of white people? There is no word. Why? No one wants to say that ALL people are of color. White is a color. People of color shouting hate towards white people are just as racist as white people doing the same to people of color.
Yes, Johannes Mehserle killed Oscar Grant. The jury said that it was involuntary manslaughter. So be it. At last count 80 rioters had been arrested and damage was still occurring in Oakland.
Published by Sherry Tomfeld
Gardening and food preservation are her passion, she has been doing both for 30 years.Working thousands of head of hogs, raising cattle, goats and chickens to being lead cook in a 90 resident nursing home. S... View profile
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21 Comments
Post a Comment...Then YOUR race would have been EXTINGUISHED LONG AGO!. But keep pushing "whitey" as you apparently LUUUUUVE to brag about doing, and you will get your war, Einstein of the troglodytes. And by the way bubba", your ignorance about weapons shows you only handle firearms that kill whitey I'm sure. The tazer guns are almost identical to a certain handgun moron, I'll let you research that so you get some sort of education today besides the hate whitey speeches from your parents, peers and liberal teachers.
you think they owe you something. Continue being part of the problem instead of the solution and this downward spiral you have been preying on will one day consume you as well. I will not even waste my breath to remind the self chosen ignorant about the racially motivated violence blacks enjoy doing to "whitey" on a daily basis all around this country, except for a few areas who do not tolerate such insolence. The Entire country should adopt the same attitude, and thank god the trend is starting to catch on, and the brainwashed are starting to awaken from their fraudulent media fed coma of ignorance. Keep thinking you are raising your children appropriately by instilling all your anger, hatred, violence, mistrust, and just plain WRONG attitudes towards ANYONE with "white" skin. My ancestors fought and died for EVERYONE'S freedom, and still here you spew your total BS about how you have the right to make "whitey" PAY! So if "Whitey" had the same attitude as YOU, ignoramus, Then YOUR ra
Hey "bubba" the trend is starting to catch on, and everyone is getting tired of hate mongering racist frauds like you. There is something seriously wrong with so many aspects of this country and it is even oozing out to the rest of the world. just like the roads here (driving), attitudes are twisted and out of control and need SERIOUS ADJUSTING! I went away from the computer and forgot about this garbage, I come back and hit the update button, and theres some angry violent racist threatening all "whites" and making angry, (but lame) racial attacks and threats, and yet places like yahoo allows that?! what a joke to just further prove the epidemic of race card fraud that is well stated by Thomas Sowell. Look him up, he's got the angry, violent, "blacks have the right to attack and kill whitey"culture in America PEGGED!! If you do not learn to stand together as fellow Americans, you will perish as ignorant, clueless individuals who all think you have the right to violate others because y
I hadn't heard about this. You put a lot of thought into this Sherry, and it is very much appreciated.
A few years ago in our neighborhood in the East Bay Area of San Francisco (very close to Oakland) three young men were doing a drug deal. One young man was white and two were black. They were all acquainted with each other -- maybe even called themselves friends (all three in their early 20s). The two African American men were there to make a drug buy from the white man. An argument ensued when the two African American men wanted the drugs but did not want to pay for them. Because the young white man refused to give the others the drugs, he was shot and killed. There was no riot that night because a young man had been killed. Eventually an arrest was made and the two black men were tried for murder by a jury of their peers. One young black man was acquitted and the other was sentenced to a minimum prison term. The friends and family of the victim were devastated and saw it as an injustice. No one used that verdict as an excuse to burn and loot the stores in Oakland, Richmond or San Pab
I have no idea about this case at all
Well done. Boy has this stirred up some strong comment and controversy!
Suppose someone intends to beat someone with a bat, then accidentally kills. Is that involuntary manslaughter? No, it's voluntary manslaughter because there was intent to harm. I agree with A Henderson.
Sherry - I thought you made excellent points here, and very brave.
You are a fool if I had ever seen one. Take the whole race issue away from, because as much as it could be a racial conflict it is greatly a professional one. You are an officer of the law, you are trained to protect not harm citizens. It is your duty to be able to distinguish a taser and an object of lethal force, you are so simple-minded if you honestly believe there isn't an inherent difference. And then of course race comes into the issue of course being a white women you are unaffected as it becasue I'm sure you believe you are colorblind or not racist, but until you are in the position of a minority you have no place to speak on the reception of racist attitudes. And it's the dismissal and simplification that perpetuates the comfort in current strained race relations. Please expand your horizons.