Jasmine Thar Case Draws Comparisons to Trayvon Martin; Why Hasn’t Her Killer Been Charged?

[ScreamingMeemie]

http://www.blackyouthproject.com/2012/05/16-year-old-jasmine-thar-shot-and-killed-gunman-has-not-been-charged/

snip-

Last December, 16 year-old Jasmine Thar was visiting family in North Carolina when a single bullet struck her, as well as her aunt and cousin. While the other two women survived, Jasmine died from her injuries.

The shooter, James Anthony Blackwell, lived across the street. He claimed his 700 model Remington rifle went off by accident. The local police believed him, and Blackwell was released without any charges being filed against him.

-snip

snip-

Thar’s family is outraged that Blackwell has not been charged. They point to the implausibility of a single bullet, fired by accident, going through a window and hitting three different people; as well as the fact that Blackwell, a white man, had confederate flags and Nazi readings and memorabilia in his bedroom, as proof that there might have been a far more sinister motive behind the shooting.

According to Forbes Magazine, the FBI is now looking into the case.

-snip

*It is open season on America's black youth... and a lot of people seem okay with that.

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Not only this

It is open season on America's black youth... and a lot of people seem okay with that.

But as well - someone is going to come along any minute now and say Jasmine really shouldn't have been on the street in the first place. Then another one will come along and say - well as a gun owner he had a right to have three accidental gun shots go off. Then they'll try to explain how this magic bullet worked.

I'm a gun owner. I have NEVER had my gun go off accidently and have one bullet strike three different people. Anyone who tries to tell me that it IS possible a god damned liar. They lie to themselves, they lie to me, they lie to all of us.

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. And how many times, when cleaning a gun or moving a gun does one point it out towards a window?

To me, that is negligence at the very least. MrG was a gun owner as well. He never had a gun go off by accident either.

[bowens43]

2. apparently it's still ok to murder brown people in the US

but make no mistake...the underlying issue is easy access to weapons and ammunition.

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. Mix it with hate and it is a lethal combination.

If Remington is looking into faulty gunsmithing, those rifles should be publicly recalled.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

3. Isn't "went off by accident" an admission of negligience?

The law can't judge him for being a Nazi asshole but it can judge him for allowing a firearm to be loaded and discharging resulting in serious injury and death. Those sorts of charges are filed against people who accidently back-over their own children trying to drive to work.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. I would have thought so.

And, in my opinion, from what's been released, the perp (because he is a perp) is using the fact that Remington has had issues with this type of rifle as his defense. So a rifle automatically went off, shoulder high, through a window, across the street and struck three people.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

9. If he knew that then that just doubles down on his negligience

You can't argue improbabilty or speculation in court. You have to have evidence of what did happen.

What did happen was he had a weapon he knew was unsafe and he did not have it properly maintained, unloaded or stored. It's like having a dog you know is prone to bite and then leaving it unchained in an unfenced yard. He knew and did nothing. That's proveable because he admitted as much.

[ScreamingMeemie]

11. Agreed.

And I would not leave my dog, not a known biter, out in the yard anyway because you just never know.

My husband used to tell the children (he collected WWII rifles), "Always assume a gun is loaded and you will never get into trouble".

Not to assume that is negligent.

[sendero]

19. Last I heard..

.. that is manslaughter at the very least. These PDs are getting crazy. Do they think they can just get away with this shit forever?

[awoke_in_2003]

5. K&R...

And we will hear next to nothing about this in the media. Yet, if her name were name Natalie Holloway, and she were white, you wouldn't be able to escape the story

[ScreamingMeemie]

6. Three times I have posted about this here. The first was a petition drive

to get the case looked into by the Feds.

The second was an update (and I kicked the first), and now this one.

I doubt we'll see it here, on the front page, 20 minutes from now.

[coalition_unwilling]

10. K&R for increased visibility - n/t

[BlancheSplanchnik]

12. I'd venture to say that her being female has a lot to do with it.

I was talking about sexism vs. racism in a reply on another thread, that tells the Trayvon Martin story, only with the victim as a GIRL of UNSPECIFIED RACE:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002700580

I have noticed that on those rare occasions when public attention is directed at racism AND sexism against a Black woman or women, the focus is on the racist aspects, while the sexist part is generally completely ignored! Ever noticed that?

I was just comparing the fact that murder of women, of any color--overt hate against women, and public victim blaming of women--does not ever seem to stir up a grassroots movement protesting hate and violence against women, while the parallel situation in a male, racist context DOES.

It is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT that racism and violence capture public outcry (in case anyone thought I was complaining). What I am trying to say is, I want the SAME MASSIVE PUBLIC DEMAND for WOMEN.


On Edit: I ALSO am noticing a trend in this thread. Many posters are seeing this through a Racism filter---that it was written as a metaphor examining Racism, because it parallels Trayvon Martin's murder. Many people are missing the point that this kind of victim blaming and normalization of FEMICIDE is the accepted norm in REAL LIFE stories like the OP's. -------------

[FailureToCommunicate]

13. All three victims were FEMALE.

They also happened to be African American.

Poor Jasmine and her family.

Too many sexist, and/or racist idiots with guns in this country.

[Uncle Joe]

14. It seems to me that if nothing else he should have been charged with involuntary manslaughter,

this looks highly suspicious.

Thanks for the thread, ScreamingMeemie.

[Meiko]

15. The Remington 700 has a long history

of accidental discharges due to a bad trigger design. It was CNBC I believe that did an hour long report about it. The shooter may have been negligent, I don't know or he could be a racist who killed this young girl on purpose, I don't know that either but the shooting is certainly worth an in depth investigation considering the circumstances.

[DiverDave]

17. And this brownshirt KNEW it

and is only using it as an excuse to get away with murder.

If the investigation is anywhere near competent, trajectory will show he had to aim at this woman

It was deliberate.

[Meiko]

18. I have to agree with you

It is unlikely that anyone who owns a Remington 700 would not be aware of their trigger problems. The whole thing stinks.

[hfojvt]

16. "open season on America's black youth"

I cannot believe you wrote that and people are buying into it.

http://homicide.kansascity.com/news/kansas-city-community-leaders-seek-answers-to-surge-in-homicides/

"The scene Thursday was tragically typical:
The quiet of a residential street on Kansas City's east side is disturbed by several rapid-fire popping sounds. A car speeds away as someone calls 911. Police arrive and find a 20-year-old black male dead on the sidewalk, bleeding from the head."

...

"Two of this year's homicide victims were 16-year-old girls, shot to death in separate incidents that escalated from verbal arguments.
On March 16, Jalisa Reed was with a group of people at an apartment complex in the 7600 block of Monroe Avenue when another young woman exchanged words with a young man. He left, then returned with a gun and fired toward the group. Jalisa was killed and another young woman was wounded. No charges have been filed."


http://www.examiner.com/article/trayvon-martin-story-is-sad-but-blacks-have-bigger-issues


"When the reports are released later this year, similar homicidal numbers are expected in 2010 and 2011. Also, FBI studies have shown murder victims are three times likely to be black. And the assailants are typically that of African descent. In other words, black-on-black crime couldn’t be more chronic.

Yet, we become livid when another race or color deem our lives utterly useless and expendable.

The past few days, yours truly covered the tragic deaths of two 16-year-old girls in Kansas City – both reportedly slain at the hands of black men. Jalisa Reed, a student at Schlagle High School and Renesha Jones, a student at Center High School, are no longer with us. They’ll never be wives and they’ll never be mothers because ruthless killers chose to extract those dreams away from them."

[madokie]

20. Does everyone realize now

Why our President has to walk so softly.
There is a lot of stupid racist people here in America yet and we can't ever relax until they are gone.

[Nine]

21. Maybe the bullet just wanted to talk to those three ladies.

Who knows what really happened in that house? Maybe that bullet just came over to ask them a question and they all lunged their bodies toward the bullet violently and maliciously.

[vaberella]

22. It's always been open season. Media just moves faster now. n/t

[lunatica]

23. It won't be long before someone comes out to say he's the victim

I'm sure Jasmine's character will be thoroughly trashed in any way it can be to make her look like she deserved it. And he'll be thoroughly characterized as the victim, probably forced to have the weapon for self defense against his neighbors.

[hack89]

24. So who is doing most of the killing? nt

[ScreamingMeemie]

25. It appears Mr. James Anthony Blackwell is, unless, in the FBI investigation, it comes out that

Jasmine had some secret life outside of her life that we know of. Or are you suggesting collateral damage? Which would be very interesting on a progressive board.

[hack89]

26. I was referring to your comment about it being open season on America's black youth.

I thought you were talking in the general sense and that this particular killing was part of a pattern - hence my question. My apologies if that was not your intent.