Democracy Now! April 12, 2012

April 12, 2012 from Democracy Now! via Creative Commons License BY-NC-ND

George Zimmerman is finally charged with second-degree murder, 45 days after killing Trayvon Martin and sparking national outcry. Connecticut is poised to repeal the death penalty as momentum grows for a Supreme Court challenge. Outrage over "Stand Your Ground" laws after Trayvon Martin killing has sparked an exodus of corporate sponsors from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a corporate-funded group that worked with the National Rifle Association to pass similar measures across the country. And a grand jury has met to consider whether charges should be filed in the Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. case, as an autopsy casts further doubt on police claims. Plus headlines and more.

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American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

The American Legislative Exchange Council is a 501 American organization composed of legislators, businesses and foundations which produces model legislation for state legislatures and says it promotes free-market and conservative ideas. According to the organization's website... Explore this topic

Stand your ground

In the United States of America, stand-your-ground law states that a person may justifiably use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of an unlawful threat, without an obligation to retreat first. The concept sometimes exists in statutory law and sometimes thro... Explore this topic

Shooting of Trayvon Martin

The shooting of Trayvon Martin took place on February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. Trayvon Martin was an African American teenager who was shot and killed by 28-year-old George Zimmerman, a man of mixed ethnicity (Latino and white American). Martin, who was unarmed, had been... Explore this topic

National Rifle Association (NRA)

The National Rifle Association of America is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1871 that promotes firearm ownership, as well as police training, firearm safety, marksmanship, hunting and self-defense training in the United States. The NRA is designated by the IRS a... Explore this topic

Politics of the United States

The United States is a federal constitutional republic, in which the President of the United States, Congress, and judiciary share powers reserved to the national government, and the federal government shares sovereignty with the state governments. The executive branch is head... Explore this topic

Koch family

The Koch family of industrialists and businessmen is most notable for its control of Koch Industries, the second largest privately owned company in the United States. The family business was started by Fred C. Koch, who developed a new cracking method for the refinement of hea... Explore this topic

Social Security debate (United States)

This article concerns proposals to change the Social Security system in the United States. Social Security is a social insurance program officially called "Old-age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance", in reference to its three components. It is primarily funded through a ded... Explore this topic

Center for Media and Democracy

The Center for Media and Democracy is an American non profit organization based in Madison, WI. It is a liberal organization that tracks the use of public relations by corporations and politicians. Explore this topic

United States

The United States of America, commonly called the United States and America, is a federal republic consisting of fifty states and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states and the federal district of Washington, D.C. are in central North America between Canada and Mexico. T... Explore this topic

PepsiCo

PepsiCo Inc. is an American multinational food and beverage corporation headquartered in Purchase, New York, United States, with interests in the manufacturing, marketing and distribution of grain-based snack foods, beverages, and other products. PepsiCo was formed in 1965 wit... Explore this topic

Also See

Shooting of Trayvon Martin

Stand your ground

George Zimmerman

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