Skin merchants, part II | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's Note: Jim Bispo's weekly column appears in the Beaufort Observer.

    When someone threatens you, protect yourself. The whole notion sounds imminently fair and reasonable - until someone actually does threaten you and you do protect yourself. At that point, your actions start to sound questionable - especially if Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson believe they have a reason to be involved. Of course Sharpton and Jackson don't have to worry about protecting themselves. They have (likely armed and surely dangerous) body guards to take care of that for them.

    In the George Zimmerman trial "Stand Your Ground" was never even mentioned except by the "State Attorney", Angela Corey, who mentioned it following the trial to say that it was not a factor in the case. (As I see it, Stand Your Ground is the FL equivalent of the NC Castle Doctrine) And yet, we are now inundated by folks who want to change it as the result of the Zimmerman verdict.. A little opportunism, you say?? Hmmm...

    As an aside, what do you suppose has happened to the gun control crowd?? They are strangely silent in the wake of the Zimmerman not guilty verdict. No one seems to be making noise about needing to get guns off the streets. The push is allegedly for "justice". Actually what people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson seem to be pushing for is mob justice.

    At the same time as folks are being told to retreat instead of sticking up for themselves, our government is telling children that they should not tolerate "bullying". Click here to see how your tax dollars are being used to fight bullying. In essence our government is telling us that the children should stick up not only for themselves but for each other when they see bullying happening as a way of bringing it to a halt. If they learn that the best way to take care of it is to confront the bully, how does that square with the message they will be getting when they grow up?? They will have to "unlearn" the lessons of childhood as to how to bring bullying to a stop. As grown ups they will be expected to retreat from "grown up" bullying (i.e. getting robbed, raped, or otherwise reviled) if the Stand Your Ground foes get their way..

    So why is it good to stand up for each other when we are children, but not so much when we are adults?? When we are young, bullys are bad. When we are adults, we need to be considerate of those who would harm us (i.e. grown up bullys) lest they get hurt (or perhaps just offended) when we defend ourselves.

    By the way, did anyone see the film of the three kids on the school bus beating the tar out of another kid (whom we never see on the film). Where do you suppose Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson were when it was time to see to dispense some "justice" to those involved in this incident?? Oh, did I forget to mention?? The "three" were black. The "one" was white. Could that possibly influence those skin merchants?? Hmmm...

    Where was the AP or MSNBC or CNN or any of the other mainstream media coverage of this incident?? Short answer: Nowhere to be seen (or heard).

    As I watched Eric Holder telling us that he has decided that U.S. Attorneys shouldn't prosecute small time drug criminals, it occurred to me that this entire administration is getting ever more aggressive about only doing those things they want to do and not doing those things they don't want to do: duly enacted legislation not withstanding. Upholding the constitution and enforcing duly enacted laws does not seem to be in their makeup. In the meantime, where in the world is Congress?? And, where in the world is the mainstream media?? How is it that both of them are allowing this to happen without even a murmur of dissent??

    Does it occur to anyone that Mr. Holder is favoring predominately black criminals when he decides to ignore the law when he tells U.S. Attorneys across the land to quit prosecuting small time drug dealers. He doesn't have to say small time "black" criminals. He already knows that he has pretty much covered the waterfront without saying it. Do you suppose this is but an extension of the treatment given to the New Black Panthers a couple of years ago after they stood in front of a polling place with night-sticks seemingly trying to intimidate voters?? Further proof that you gotta pay attention when the Anointed One or his Attorney General does or says anything. The long and short of it is that neither of them is to be trusted. Period...

    And, where do you suppose the press is on this issue?? Who knows?? Clearly, they are not paying much (if any) attention to the AG's malfeasance (or is it misfeasance - or perhaps nonfeasance). It may be time for a new word in the lexicon - "omnifeasance". "Definition: All kinds of bad feasance. And by the way, what do you suppose ever happened to gun walking, and all the other things that seem to have kept the thinking public's eye on the DOJ's performance (or is it lack or performance??) for the last several years??

    What seems to be particularly troubling is the feeling that has been expressed by local authorities that the "big time" U.S. Attorneys scattered about the country haven't shown much interest in prosecuting small time dealers up till now. The locals seem to be of the opinion that the latest pronouncement won't change much: nothing more than "institutionalizing" existing practice. Do you suppose this big announcement could be little more than another effort to distract us?? Or maybe it's an effort to qualify for a job with the Jackson Rainbow Coalition - or with the Al Sharpton TV show after the AG days are over (which can't happen soon enough for some folks).

    D'ya think??