I RARELY PAY ATTENTION to the letters written into the local newspaper. Too many letters are from misinformed individuals who almost always vote Rep*blican and actually believe that Limbaugh and Beck and O’Reilly are sources for actual “news.”
I am astounded by the people willing to put their name in print and claim credit for something that would take them five minutes of research on the internet to discover was not so. Still, I do look.
In Tuesday’s edition (July 16) of the Seattle Times, a letter appeared that actually made sense. It was written by a Mr. William Wheeler of Bellevue, Washington and I quote the second half of the letter:
“Close your eyes and imagine the exact same set of facts. But this time, imagine that George Zimmerman was black, and Trayvon Martin was a white teenager, wearing a hoodie, and walking from the store.
Imagine this black Zimmerman was carrying a gun, had been told by the police not to continue following white Trayvon, and continued to follow him anyway. Then imagine this white Trayvon confronted black Zimmerman and was ultimately shot to death by Zimmerman.
If, under those circumstances, Zimmerman was found ‘not guilty,’ you [white people] would probably be more outraged about his acquittal than you were about O.J. Simpson’s. You would have a right to be outraged . . .”
As a man who was a “bully-target” in my youth, who only learned to defend myself in my twenties, who became a bouncer and a bartender that placed in some pretty tough situations, I can only say this: the moment that George Zimmerman left his car, with a gun, and stalked Trayvon Martin, then ANYTHING that Martin did was justifiable self-defense.
So, the case WAS indeed about George Zimmerman and self-defense, they just got it wrong as to who was in fear of losing his life.
Mystically liberal Virgo enjoys long walks alone in the city at night in the rain with an umbrella and a flask of 10-year-old Laphroaig who strives to live by the maxim, “It ain’t what you know that gets you into trouble; it’s what you know that just ain’t so.
I’ve been a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet, a pawn, and a college dropout (twice!). Occupationally, I have been a bartender, jewelry engraver, bouncer, landscape artist, and FEMA crew chief following the Great Flood of ’72 (and that was a job that I should never, ever have left).
I am also the final author of the original O’Sullivan Woodside price guides for record collectors and the original author of the Goldmine price guides for record collectors. As such, I was often referred to as the Price Guide Guru, and—as everyone should know—it behooves one to heed the words of a guru. (Unless, of course, you’re the Beatles.)
My high school students (I am a teacher) occasionally ask me for advice about their “relationship” problems. That advice frequently includes my telling them to “walk in the other person’s shoes” - try to view matters from the significant other’s perspective (something I wish someone had told me when I was a high school student many moons ago). I applaud Mr. Wheeler’s comments.
Make a copy of Joe South’d wonderful single, WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES. Then play it for your students and have a discussion. Ain’t I just fulla good suggestions . . .
SUNNY27 Apologies for the delay in responding here: I just realized that I have several “pending” comments! Seeing ANYTHING though the eyes of ANYONE other than myself usually takes hard work (or lotsa acid). Thanks for the input! NEAL