As predicted, this week protests and rallies sprang up in more than 100 cities in the U.S. to oppose George Zimmerman’s acquittal, leading President Obama to speak out on racial profiling in the U.S. The Rolling Stone also came under attack when the magazine unveiled that its latest issue featured a glamorized photo of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover. Finally, Detroit filed for bankruptcy in a move that didn’t surprise many experts or residents, but now the city must struggle to dig itself out of the financial and economic hole that had been deepening throughout the years.
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Protests In Major U.S. Cities Erupt After Zimmerman Verdict, President Obama Comments On Case
Thousands this week have gathered in support of Trayvon Martin and his family across the U.S. following George Zimmerman’s acquittal.
The protests, the largest of which were organized by the National Action Network, took place in many major U.S. cities including New York, Miami, and Chicago. These “Justice for Trayvon” rallies have attracted ordinary citizens as well as civil rights leaders like the Reverend Al Sharpton, who heads the National Action Network, and celebrities such as Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
Martin’s parents also made an appearance, with Sybrina Fulton speaking to the crowd in New York while father Tracy Martin participated in the Miami rally. The Martins and their supporters are encouraging the federal government to take up the case and charge Zimmerman with civil rights violations.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama finally commented on the trial’s outcome at a press call where he declared that most African American men had been subjected to racial profiling during their lifetime. President Obama described his own experiences to illustrate the racial disparities that remain so prominent in the country.
“There are very few African-American men who haven’t had the experience of walking across the street and hearing the locks click on the doors of cars,” he said. “There are very few African-Americans who haven’t had the experience of getting on an elevator and a woman clutching her purse nervously and holding her breath until she has a chance to get off.”
The President’s comments have been met with both support and backlash.
Celebrity-Like Image Of Boston Marathon Bomber Featured Latest Rolling Stones Cover
The Rolling Stone is now stuck in hot water after printing a touched up, Jim Morrison-like cover of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar “Jahar” Tsarnaev.
While the article seeks primarily to uncover how a seemingly angelic Tsarnaev could have transformed into the “monster” who claimed three lives and injured around 260 others, the image depiction of Tsarnaev drew immediate outrage. Boston’s mayor and many citizens around the country believed that the front page cover glamorized Tsarnaev and the terrorist attack.
The outrage was not without consequences. In retaliation for the Rolling Stone’s cover, Sergeant Sean Murphy of Boston’s police department released classified photos of Tsarnaev when he was trapped and injured in the boat where he was found, bleeding and lying weak on the ground. A few major retailers, including Walgreens and CVS, also refused to put the latest issue on sale.
The full article can be read here and includes a statement from the Rolling Stone’s editorial team defending their cover page portrayal of Tsarnaev.
Detroit Files for Record-Breaking Bankruptcy
Detroit had long been considered on the decline since its glorious Motor City days in the 1950s when the city was the fourth largest in the U.S. and had one of the country’s highest per capita incomes. But on Thursday, the city filed for bankruptcy, an event that many Detroit residents considered unsurprising given the city’s decades-long economic troubles.
The city filed the largest municipal bankruptcy recorded in U.S. history with a staggering $18 million debt. There are also talks about cutting workers’ benefits, pensions, and altering Detroit’s municipal bond market to try and pay off the debt, suggestions that have sent the city’s residents into a kind of quiet panic. The state also filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy protection, which seeks provisions for restructuring municipal debt.
However, Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and state-appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr have proposed that the bankruptcy will actually help turn Detroit around. They have claimed that the city could start to establish the necessary fiscal and policy changes that would prevent another downfall.
But starting Friday, the state is also facing a legal battle as a state judge ruled that Gov. Snyder had overstepped his responsibilities in declaring the city’s bankruptcy. Many unions have agreed with the judge’s ruling, but Gov. Snyder has stood by his decision and insisted that the city needed to file for a bankruptcy.
As the auto industry left Detroit, the city began to see some of the highest unemployment and crime rates in the country. Public services are often inefficient and inadequate, given the lack of financial and material resources the city needs to take care of its remaining residents. So many residents chose to escape the city that approximately 80,000 of Detroit’s buildings remain completely empty, most of which are dilapidated seeing as the city is unable to fund their restoration and upkeep.