News & Commentary

Jameer Baptiste is a native Floridian born in Hollywood and raised in Pembroke Pines. While at Florida International University, he dedicated his time to the advancement of the LGBT community as president of the GLBT Advocacy Coalition, vice-president of Stonewall Pride Alliance, and recruitment officer/sergeant-at-arms and proud brother of Delta Lambda Phi Fraternity; Beta Delta Chapter.
Jameer graduated, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Public Relations. He continues to focus his attention and talents on the advancement of the LGBT comm

Inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tropical Storm Isaac reduced the first day's program for the Republican National Convention down to a 30-second introduction.

But there was still a full day of free-speech activity on the streets of Tampa. The storm may have diminished the size of the protests – busses dropping off out-of-town protesters from across the state and region wouldn’t drive into a tropical storm warning zone – there were nevertheless hundreds of protesters on the streets braving the wet to exercise their First Amendment rights.

Toda

At the end of this month, thousands of protesters, journalists, and political activists will descend on the Tampa Bay area for the 2012 Republican National Convention. And with their arrival comes increased police presence, new local laws, and millions of dollars in surveillance and law enforcement equipment, all of which will change the way citizens in the area live their lives and understand their rights.

In just over two months, our state will be at the center of global attention, as thousands of journalists, political activists, and protesters descend on Tampa for the 2012 Republican National Convention.

Guest Post By Martha Jackovics, Beach Peanuts

On the very same day that Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn sent a request to Gov. Rick Scott to restrict carrying firearms during the Republican Convention this summer, the governor responded:

No.

Not exactly a shocking response from the gun owner, NRA member, and the man who stacked the new Stand Your Ground Task Force with gun friendly lawmakers,some who actually wrote the law and have already defended it as it pertains to Trayvon Martin case in op-eds before they were appointed.

When news broke about the shooting death of Trayvon Martin and the decision of the Sanford, Florida Police Department not to press charges of any sort against the shooter, George Zimmerman, the ACLU added its voice to those who were calling for a more thorough outside investigation.

Our Mid-Florida Regional Director Joyce Hamilton Henry was one of five speakers at the first rally in Sanford, held at the Allen AME Chapel.

Our concerns about the inept work of local police and prosecutors has been heightened by reports that the detective investigating the shooting death of Trayvon had recommended the filing of charges, but was overruled by the States Attorney for Seminole County.

And now, with so much of the conversation (witness Change.org, that has collected approximately two million signatures on a petition calling for the arrest of George Zimmerman, essentially defining Zimmerman’s arrest as justice for Trayvon),we have tried to change the focus of the discussion.

The op-ed below the break, which is reprinted from the Tampa Bay Times (formerly the St. Petersburg Times) focuses on:

Not putting excessive faith in the criminal justice system;
It doesn’t always render justice or too frequently it renders inadequate justice
We need to use this incident to address (a) problems of race, (b) problems with local law enforcement, and (c) America’s gun culture

Questions in teen's shooting need to go deeper