The Liberal Media, Stand Your Ground, and Alleged Racial Bias

One of my friends asked me this question “Angel, what is your problem with mass media? Most of them are right-wing, except NBC. Some have even had to apologize to people because of right-wing pressure.” He said something, to that effect, I can’t remember all the liberal attacks that I am subjected to. I answered that with a question of my own: is it a right-wing thing, to do the right thing?

Remember during the initial reports of the George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin case? During the eye of that storm, NBC purposely edited the George Zimmerman 911 calls to mislead the listeners into thinking that George Zimmerman was volunteering Trayvon Martin’s race. Just listening to the edited version would lead anyone to think that this guy could be a racist. Why would NBC do that?

When you listen to the original, unedited version of the call, the context of when and why Zimmerman says, “He’s black” takes on a completely different meaning. George Zimmerman mentioned Trayvon Martin’s race only AFTER the operator asked for a full description. Part of what makes up a person’s description is what they are wearing, and their skin complexion.

However, merely mentioning someone’s race or skin color doesn’t make you a racist. Although, NBC felt differently initially, and they sought out to convince the public George Zimmerman hates blacks. That is until they got caught in their game! Some heads rolled, and they had to apologize for lying and misleading the viewers! Oops! Let’s be honest though, this is far too common in the media.

Is this example some form of right-wing conspiracy? I don’t think so! Because you were caught lying and pretty much had no choice whatsoever, you are forced to apologize. That’s not the right’s fault, it’s your own fault for lying and misleading your viewers. The right-wing didn’t force NBC to do anything, wishing to remain relevant forced them to do the right thing. You can’t lie to your viewers and expect to continue being relevant in today’s free news world.

Last night, I read a few articles about a gentleman named Michael Giles, no relation to our very own Doug Giles. Hah! His story caught my attention for the first time because I saw a few picture memes comparing his story to George Zimmerman’s mislabeled “stand your ground” case. Except that, Giles is black, and was convicted of several crimes for shooting his gun. He’s in prison, serving a mandatory 25 year minimum, and some people would have you believe it is because he’s black! That’s the sell these memes are pushing.

I decided to read several accounts of the story, including the change.org version which I actually signed. I believe a man should be able to defend himself. Though I feel that according to some accounts, Giles made a mistake, there is forgiveness in my heart for a man who served the country and had no prior criminal record. How is it possible that child rapists, and actual murderers, with many prior arrests can walk the streets in a much shorter time? It doesn’t see fair to me at all!

In any case, I found that mostly liberal leaning sites are carrying this story. The majority of them do Giles no favors. They illustrate the plight of a U.S Airman unjustly jailed for defending his life. As a former Airman myself, I decided to pursue this story a little deeper, I wanted to know what happened. Once again, I soon discovered that the liberal news sites were presenting only one angle of the story. A view that will incite the race baiters and those easily influenced by “controversy.” They asked the question “Why is Zimmerman free, and Giles is in jail for 25 years?”

In a nutshell, Zimmerman was being beaten, and feared for his life. He fired his weapon because he thought he was going to die. We all know the rest of the story. I’m not going to open up that hornet’s nest for debate. Michael Giles, on the other hand, was at a club, while he was there a brawl broke out between some groups of young men, groups that he had no connection to. This is where Mr. Giles screwed up. He did not have his gun on him. The gun was in his car! According to the story, he went to his vehicle to retrieve his gun, and then returned to the brawl to find his buddies.

Are you seeing the differences here? Stand your ground means that you feared for your life and acted on the impulse to survive and preserve your life. In the eyes of a lawyer, judge, and jury, this man had the time to leave the scene of danger, go to his vehicle, retrieve his weapon, and then instead of fleeing the scene; he RETURNED to the danger zone with his gun. Upon returning to the brawl, he was struck by one of the fighters, and dropped to the floor. He then took out his gun and fired a warning shot because he feared for his life. He hit the one guy who attacked him in the leg, and according to some versions of the story injured three others.

The liberal reports would have you believe that a black man was denied the use of “stand your ground,” because he is black. However, upon examining the facts, you can see that it’s not so cut and dry, and you can see why this man is in jail. He made some big mistakes, and unfortunately for him; those mistakes are crucial when using the “stand your ground” laws against the 10-20-Life laws.

Yes, both sides will try to present stories in a way that favors their particular view. That’s a given, but to refuse to acknowledge that the mass media favors liberal views, that is just insane. Though I will admit I’m starting to notice the tide shifting in some cases. Perhaps they are maturing?  

Image: Courtesy of: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wwworks/8126627367/