This page was last updated on May 17, 2012.
Not fair; Lynn Coleman [Gardner]; Beaver County Times; May 16, 2012. Though the letter was signed “Lynn Coleman,” I’m guessing this is the same author who signed her name “Lynn Coleman Gardner,” also of White Township, to previous letters. If any readers know differently, please let me know.
Ms. Gardner has written at least 47 letters since 2005. Previous letters from Ms. Gardner I critiqued are here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“In the case of George Zimmerman, accused of shooting 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, it is absolutely unfair he gets released on bond and his whereabouts are kept under cover.”
[RWC] You can read more on this topic in critiques here and here. As for “his whereabouts are kept under cover,” I’m sure it has nothing to do with death threats.
“If an African-American man had done the shooting, he would be kept behind bars without a shadow of a doubt. But yet Zimmerman’s lawyer made sure he had enough time to get his required bond money, making it easier to obtain for his release.”
[RWC] By “African-American man,” I’ll go out on a limb and guess Ms. Coleman really meant a black “African-American man.” Not all African-Americans are black.
In any case, Mr. Zimmerman is African-American (maternal great-grandfather), Peruvian-American (mother), and white (father).
“Zimmerman did admit his guilt and, and weeks later at his bond hearing casually decides he would like to apologize to Trayvon’s family, who no longer have their innocent son.”
[RWC] Mr. Zimmerman did not “admit his guilt;” he said he shot Mr. Martin in self-defense. Though we don’t know who started it, injuries to both men indicate they were in some kind of fight before Mr. Zimmerman shot Mr. Martin.
How does Ms. Coleman know Mr. Martin was an “innocent son?”
“The ideal of these electronic-monitoring devices in my opinion gives criminals a piece of cake.
“Don’t misunderstand me, it’s not a racial case. However, the circumstances seem unfair.”
[RWC] “[I]t’s not a racial case?” Just three paragraphs ago Ms. Coleman asserted, “If an African-American man had done the shooting, he would be kept behind bars without a shadow of a doubt.”
Did you note what’s missing from the letter? Ms. Coleman made no mention of the bounty on Mr. Zimmerman offered by the New Black Panther Party. “Not a racial case?” No, not at all.
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