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Students Sit In At Scott’s Office Calling For Special Session
July 17, 2013
About 40 students sat in Tuesday at the Governor’s Office, waiting for Gov. Rick Scott to return from a trip to New York and take up their demand for a special legislative session addressing laws they say unfairly affect minority youth.
As of shortly before 5 p.m., they were leaving Scott’s waiting area and making plans to spend the night in the Capitol rotunda.
The students, part of a group called the Dream Defenders, said they’re responding to the “not guilty” verdict in the trial of George Zimmerman, who was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death last year of black teen Trayvon Martin in Seminole County.
They want Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” self-defense law changed. They asked for a meeting with Scott, and when told he was unavailable, vowed to wait for his return. They want Scott to call a special session to create a Trayvon Martin Civil Rights Acts and address “stand your ground vigilantism, racial profiling and a war on youth that paints us as criminals and funnels us out of schools and into jails.”
Scott’s office put out a statement suggesting the governor is unlikely to meet their demands.
“As the governor has said, as a father and a grandfather, his heart goes out to Trayvon Martin’s family and all those affected by his death,” said Communications Director Melissa Sellers in an email. “We are grateful that people across our great nation have the right to assemble and share their views. … Immediately following Trayvon Martin’s death, Gov. Scott called a bi-partisan special task force with 19 citizens to review Florida’s Stand Your Ground law. This task force listened to Floridians across the state and heard their viewpoints and expert opinions on this law. The task force recommended that the law should not be overturned, and Gov. Scott agrees.”
The governor’s task force did not include opponents of the controversial “stand your ground” law, although Senate Minority Leader Chris Smith, D-Ft. Lauderdale, had asked to be appointed. The panel recommended few changes, and the 2013 Legislature refused to hear any bills that would have changed “stand your ground.”
“Even the governor’s task force filed legislation that wasn’t heard,” Smith said. “There was a fear of even discussing it. But I think the more and more pressure that’s put on Florida to at least have the discussion, I think (it) will happen this year.”
The stand-your-ground law drew widespread publicity when Zimmerman was not arrested for 44 days after shooting the 17-year-old Martin. The law says people have a right to meet “force with force” if they reasonably believe such steps are necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm.
While Zimmerman ultimately was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, a six-member jury Saturday found him not guilty.
The students sat in the governor’s waiting room from 11 a.m. until shortly before close of business. As Capitol police looked on, they sang and chanted and took turns describing their own encounters with racism.
“So you’re telling me — again — that people who look like me, we don’t matter,” said Shamile Louis, 21, a student at the University of Florida who came from Gainesville to participate. “Our bodies don’t matter. We can lie in the street and be dead and it’s cool. I had a friend killed about a month ago in Orlando. Still no arrest. Still no nothing. Another black man gone. Another young black boy without a father. And so that’s why I’m here today.”
Dorothy Inman-Johnson, a retired poverty-agency administrator and former mayor of Tallahassee, said she she’ll keep protesting until “stand your ground” is abolished.
“If ’stand your ground’ was doing what these legislators said it was supposed to do, the presumption of self-defense should have been Trayvon’s, not George Zimmerman’s,” she said.
There were about 100 protestors when they first marched to Scott’s office, but their numbers dwindled as the day wore on. They ate pizza and played cards while waiting. Some said they expect buses to add to their numbers on Wednesday, with groups coming from Miami, Boca Raton, Orlando and Alabama.
by Margie Menzel, The News Service of Florida
Comments
8 Responses to “Students Sit In At Scott’s Office Calling For Special Session”
REGARDING:
“Let us remember slain Civil Rights workers James Cheney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner whom were murdered by the Ku Klux Clan in Neshoba County Mississippi on June 21, 1964.”
It was a terrible thing.
Does it apply here?
Were any participants from Mississippi?
Were any members of the KKK?
Were civil rights violated?
The FBI’s investigation has turned up any evidence of racism in this event despite their best efforts and extensive interviews. The friend on the phone indicated she suggested to TM that Z might be following him because he was gay, but surely Z wasn’t attacked for that was he? What do you know that they don’t know? Tell us so we can pass it on to our Attorney General. He’s looking for an excuse to prosecute.
David for less prejudice
less hatred
fewer assumptions
REGARDING:
“They want Florida’s controversial “stand your ground” self-defense law changed.”
So does the Attorney General of the United States.
In fact he seems to want all right to self-defense removed from law.
That would be the case here since SYG wasn’t used.
Z claimed self-defense, supported by the fact the physical evidence all supports the claim Z was attacked and was in the process of having his head smashed into concrete when Z killed the child.
It would be good if these protesters spelled out exactly what they would want it changed to become.
Maybe they have a better idea.
They could tell us and we’ll listen and call our representatives.
AND
“the 2013 Legislature refused to hear any bills that would have changed “stand your ground.””
Talking to the governor is nice but the legislature makes the laws. I hope their high schools and colleges are teaching civics. If so, I have to assume they are wanting to be seen rather than be effective.
AND
“While Zimmerman ultimately was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, a six-member jury Saturday found him not guilty.”
Which means the jury believed evidence didn’t support the charge.
This is especially so when we consider the physical evidence indicates the child attacked Z, was beating Z’s head into the concrete and had no marks on his body other than skinned knuckles and a hole through the heart.
AND
“I had a friend killed about a month ago in Orlando. Still no arrest. Still no nothing.”
One possible explanation is that nobody who knew what happened was willing to snitch on a brother.
David for truth, justice and ??
The trial is over and the jury has deliberated, decided and spoken.
MOVE ON!!!
I’m with 429SCJ – Gov. Scott is not a choir director. Go back home to your own state and protest there.
@Dennis Wiggins, Trevon Martin was a member of a race, that just as my people has suffered hundreds of years of slavery and discrimination, genocide.
Where were you Mr. Wiggins, were you at your people’ protest for Miss McCormick? Put thy own house in order first!
Let us remember slain Civil Rights workers James Cheney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner whom were murdered by the Ku Klux Clan in Neshoba County Mississippi on June 21, 1964.
Americans must embrace multiculturalism or the nation will fall.
429SCJ: Very well put. Agitators from other states always think things should be “their way” no matter where they are located. If people feel they are being targeted or are in fear of the Stand Your Ground law then maybe they shouldn’t be doing whatever they are doing to put that fear in them. I say stay in their own state and deal with their issues and leave us along.
The real issue here is not the fact that someone was found innocent of lawfully defending himself. The real issue is that, sadly, there are people in this world that thrive on hate and misery. That fact is evident by their picking and choosing of issues. If they were good folks just trying to do the right thing, they would be as adamant in protesting ALL perceived injustices, not just the ones they say are racial, in nature.
If these folks would admit the truth, race baiters like Sharpton, Jackson and obama would not make a living stirring up hatred.
No citizen who has the right to be somewhere should have to run in order to spare his life – that includes Trayvon Martin AND George Zimmerman, in this case. The evidence overwhelmingly showed Zimmerman acted in self-defense, and that should be that.
For those who are saying justice was not properly meted out, ask yourselves, “If the roles were reversed and Zimmerman had been the (now deceased) stranger, would I want Martin jailed?” Whatever your answer is, remember, you can fool yourself, but God knows whether it’s true or not.
And on that note, where are Eric Holder, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, et al., regarding Melinda McCormick, who was killed by three people, one of whom openly stated “that he hated white people?” I said it before, and I will say it again – that DEFINIETLY sounds like a hate crime to me!
I would not recommend messing with Gov Scott as he is no choir director.
If people have a problem with stand your ground, then they should request a special referendum through their district representatives.
After the will of the people of Florida is determined, then you can like it or leave it, if you don’t like it.
As far as outsiders go, we do not go to other people’s state telling them how to live. Who are they to come here and dictate. Don’t like Florida, then hit the road Jack.