Only some people get to stand their ground.

Lenny McAllister seems like a decent guy, which is why you have to feel for him as he tries to convince his republican friends to be consistent when it comes to their outrage over the George Zimmerman case.

A little background: There is an African American woman by the name of Marissa Alexander, who is sitting in a Florida jail and facing 20 years in prison for firing a gun in the air to scare off her -allegedly- abusive husband. Now, as is to be expected, folks are wondering why the "Stand- your- ground law" has been applied in such an inconsistent manner.    

But back to Mr. McAllister. As a conservative he makes a strong argument that by supporting Ms. Alexander as openly and robustly as they did the man who killed Trayvon Martin, they would be killing two troublesome birds with one stone.

"Despite how much I know from personal experience that the vast majority of conservatives are not racist and misogynistic or despite how much I say it, sometimes actions are better than words to prove this. In the case of Marissa Alexander standing her ground against domestic abuse in Florida, conservatives have a chance to prove themselves above the recent criticism. To boot, no one died, as Marissa allegedly only fired a gun into the ceiling to scare off a documented abuser after he admitted to starting yet another incident. Therefore, no one risks dishonoring the dead in their defense of Second Amendment, self-defense rights.

Marissa Alexander is a Black woman currently in jail in Florida for invoking her “Stand Your Ground” privilege to discharge a firearm while trying to escape abuse at the hands of her current husband. This occurred during an ongoing altercation that caused her to fear for her life.

This is not a Black-White issue, as the Martin case has become. Although she is Black, domestic abuse is not, nor is it a social condition that only impacts minorities or the poor. Domestic abuse cuts across socioeconomic lines to remain the “dirty little secret” costing Americans thousands of broken lives and $700 million in lost business productivity annually.

For conservatives that regularly talk about the impact of the family on America’s future and the waste of resources as we struggle to revive our economy, the Alexander case highlights much of what we stand for. For weeks, many conservatives (and authorities in Sanford) granted Zimmerman the benefit of the doubt and the right of “innocent until proven guilty” in a manner that Alexander, a battered woman that ended up in the hospital after enduring one episode of abuse, never was. For conservatives that regularly talk about the colorless beauty of American justice, this is a case that will highlight how much we care for justice across demographics."

Mr. McAllister's call for consistency is admirable, but I am afraid that he is preaching to an empty church. This case is not about any of the things that Mr. McAllister mentioned (although it would have been nice if it was) this case is about reacting to the other side and taking an opposing position. It's about us against them, "color arousal", and all the negative impulses and sentiments that go along with it.

 I believe that my conservative brethren will rise to the occasion. I challenge them to do so. As I mentioned not too long ago, all of the complaining about the erroneous actions from the “progressive left” concerning “race-baiting” in the Trayvon Martin case should be replaced with one simple, collective decision: conservatives must be involved in these types of social issues. This case is a good one to get involved with....

 Anyone that claims to be a staunch conservative but misses the point of why this case holds the potential to be utterly important nationally (in contrast to the Martin-Zimmerman case) invalidates their arguments on the American family, on American justice, and on moving towards being a color-blind society. Anyone that has a true understanding of the horrors (e.g., beatings, emotional blackmail, rape, torture) that victims – especially female victims – of domestic violence endure would surely embrace the invocation of “Stand Your Ground” in the Alexander case."

Mr. McAllister, please do not hold your breath.   

*Pic courtesy of Politc365