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Is anyone else following the Oscar Pistorius trial?

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  • Is anyone else following the Oscar Pistorius trial?

    Thoughts on his innocence or guilt?

    I'm a bit fascinated by the whole thing, trial by judge alone, the "pitbull", Oscar's reactions in courts (covering eyes, crying, vomiting) and the live tv coverage.

    Crime of passion, pre-meditated murder, or a real case of mistaken identity?
    Start a discussion, not a fire. Post with kindness.

  • #2
    Originally posted by mcdreamy View Post
    Thoughts on his innocence or guilt?

    I'm a bit fascinated by the whole thing, trial by judge alone, the "pitbull", Oscar's reactions in courts (covering eyes, crying, vomiting) and the live tv coverage.

    Crime of passion, pre-meditated murder, or a real case of mistaken identity?
    I've been following bits and pieces of it. I was born in South Africa, so there's an interest for me outside of the whole who dun it scenario. I spent a year back there in 1996 and witnessed first hand a lot of the violence that is just the norm there.

    The interesting part is not only is it trial by judge only, it's trial by female, black judge. Not a big deal here in Canada, but in South Africa, apartheid is barely over and a lot of the biases still thrive there, especially amongst the Afrikaans culture. It will take more than a generation to change the way of thinking there.

    Gun violence is so prevalent there. It's a case of shoot now, check who it is later. Every suburban house is gated, and locked all the time. The bar I worked at had a "buzz in" gate for security, and we had a safe for guns to be kept in for patrons. Crazy atmosphere for this Canadian raised South African.

    Car jacking is so frequent that you're advised not to actually stop at stop signs and red lights at nighttime - especially if you're a woman on your own. You just slow down and check for traffic - stopping gives carjackers hiding behind signs and trees a chance to jump out and take your car, take you or kill you.

    When I was there in 1996 I was told you could buy an AK47 on the street for $40US. I worked at a restaurant in a strip mall type plaza. There was a bank on one side and a store on the other side of the restaurant. One morning at around 8am a bunch of guys on the back of a pick up truck with AK47s shot one end of the strip mall to the other before getting into the bank. The guy working in the store was shot in the arm and a young girl on her way to school was killed. I didn't witness the event, but heard about it afterwards. The oddest thing to me was how everyone just went on about their business. It didn't seem to have the same impact a tragedy of that nature would have on us Canadians.

    I don't know if he's guilty or not - but his argument of mistaken identity is so much more probable there than here given the violent climate of the country. I can also only imagine the grumblings amongst the staunch Afrikaans population.

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    • #3
      Think I'll ask my ex if she fancy,s a vacation there with me any time soon. The sooner the better as I miss her so damn much.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by Franklin View Post
        Think I'll ask my ex if she fancy,s a vacation there with me any time soon. The sooner the better as I miss her so damn much.
        I don't find that the least bit funny.

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        • #5
          Lighten up! And don,t bother replying to this as is my last comment for this thread.

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          • #6
            I would want to believe he acted out of love protecting his home and girlfriend, but then its hard to tell whether he should be going for an acting career or not! I am going to believe him, until proven otherwise. Thats my nature!

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            • #7
              I haven't been following it, but there is one issue with his defence that doesn't make sense to me:

              If he was living with the woman, and they were sharing a bed, why the hell did he not rollover to see if she was actually in the bed? He believed there may be an intruder, but did nothing to confirm where his g/f was?

              My wife wakes up all the time in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. If I were to wake up to random noises, I would first ensure that the person behind the door wasn't my spouse rather than blasting a number of bullet holes in the door.

              It is the irrational and unreasonable thinking that has me convinced he is likely guilty.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by HammerDad View Post
                I haven't been following it, but there is one issue with his defence that doesn't make sense to me:

                If he was living with the woman, and they were sharing a bed, why the hell did he not rollover to see if she was actually in the bed? He believed there may be an intruder, but did nothing to confirm where his g/f was?

                My wife wakes up all the time in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom. If I were to wake up to random noises, I would first ensure that the person behind the door wasn't my spouse rather than blasting a number of bullet holes in the door.

                It is the irrational and unreasonable thinking that has me convinced he is likely guilty.
                I'm not sure they were actually living together at the time. They had also only been together months, not years...so perhaps habits weren't completely known to each other yet??

                I hear what you're saying...but the story I read was that he had previously gotten up and was elsewhere in the house when he heard fussing in the bathroom. I don't think he got up from bed and shot the bathroom door down....

                Irrational and unreasonable thinking has become the norm in south Africa when it comes to this type of crime.

                One of the most troublesome things for me is that this type of violence happens not just daily there, but hourly. It's only this man's fame that has brought it to the rest of the world. Meanwhile people are dying in very similar circumstances every day there and the rest of the world never hears about it.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Beachnana View Post
                  I would want to believe he acted out of love protecting his home and girlfriend, but then its hard to tell whether he should be going for an acting career or not! I am going to believe him, until proven otherwise. Thats my nature!
                  That's what I'd like to think.

                  But, what I fear is that he acted out of sheer hate and distrust of his fellow citizen.

                  He didn't know who was behind the door, he says. What he claims is he believed it to be home invaders. What he means by that is that he assumed there were murderous, black thieves behind that door, and he shot because of that assumption. He believes in the validity of shoot now, ask later. He didn't care about who it might have been until he realized who it was.

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Franklin View Post
                    Lighten up! And don,t bother replying to this as is my last comment for this thread.
                    If you aren' prepared for feedback, don't post.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by MS Mom View Post
                      I'm not sure they were actually living together at the time. They had also only been together months, not years...so perhaps habits weren't completely known to each other yet??

                      I hear what you're saying...but the story I read was that he had previously gotten up and was elsewhere in the house when he heard fussing in the bathroom. I don't think he got up from bed and shot the bathroom door down....
                      IMO a reasonable person doesn't shoot first and ask questions later when they know there are other people in the house.

                      I understand crime rates are bad over there, but to trying to use that as an excuse for acting irrationally/unreasonably, is really pathetic.

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                      • #12
                        I agree HD, even if you were living under a constant threat of danger [and I am under the impression his house is a high security, guarded fortress], wouldn’t you still stop and think to check on the whereabouts of the ONLY other person in the house? If, as he asserts, he was yelling at her to call the police, it seems reasonable to me that she would answer back and let him know she was on the toilet, in the bathroom.

                        Witnesses have testified they heard yelling and screaming that night - I think they had a huge argument, she locked herself in the bathroom to get away from him, and in a rage he started firing.

                        I think his emotions are honest - but I believe he knew it was her behind the door and his tears are for himself and his potential future in jail.

                        I wonder if we will ever know the truth? Seems OJ’ish. MsMom- if the judge convicts him, will there be a reaction on the streets?
                        Start a discussion, not a fire. Post with kindness.

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by mcdreamy View Post
                          I agree HD, even if you were living under a constant threat of danger [and I am under the impression his house is a high security, guarded fortress], wouldn’t you still stop and think to check on the whereabouts of the ONLY other person in the house? If, as he asserts, he was yelling at her to call the police, it seems reasonable to me that she would answer back and let him know she was on the toilet, in the bathroom.

                          Witnesses have testified they heard yelling and screaming that night - I think they had a huge argument, she locked herself in the bathroom to get away from him, and in a rage he started firing.

                          I think his emotions are honest - but I believe he knew it was her behind the door and his tears are for himself and his potential future in jail.

                          I wonder if we will ever know the truth? Seems OJ’ish. MsMom- if the judge convicts him, will there be a reaction on the streets?
                          He lives in an exclusive Pretoria gated community. This means his house isn't gated, but the whole is behind 10ft brick walls with barbed wire and steel gates at the entrance. There will be armed guards there 24/7.

                          I don't think it's a reasonable excuse at all. I was just clarifying that he didn't roll out of bed and shoot at a door and the fact that they hadn't been together long, so habits not necessarily known, the story sounds slightly plausible. And, generally, slightly probable is all that is required to shoot in South Africa. Is that reasonable, hell no. Is it reality, yes.

                          The white South Aricans, or Afrikaaners, do "feel" as though they are under a constant threat of danger. This perceived threat is the only thing that gives any validity to his story at all. Yes, most of the time it's baseless fears that cause them to react so violently. But, it's also become a learned behaviour in many ways. Pistorious himself has been victim to several break-ins.

                          I don't think that this gives him any right to shoot first and ask later....but the overwhelming number of Afrikaaners will believe he did what he had to.

                          I think this is what I find fascinating. Its a Afrikaaner using ingrained race-based biases and excuses for his piss-poor behaviour. At little Zimmerman-ish to me. But, he isn't being tried by his peers...he's being tried by a black judge. There will be many who don't believe a black judge has the right to sentence a white man......barbaric maybe, reality absolutely.

                          I think they'll be backlash whether he's found guilty or not. I don't think we'll necessarily hear about some of it, but there will be a fallout from this for sure.

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                          • #14
                            South Africa

                            Here's an article from last year. This gives a snapshot into the Afrikanner mentality.

                            South African town accused of keeping apartheid alive - CNN.com

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                            • #15
                              IWhat was she doing in the bathroom in the middle of the night, was she crapping or peeing? If it is neither then she was going there for refuge so she pretty much should have had her pants down.

                              Secondly, why would any person think an intruder would head for their toilet?

                              Thirdly, wouldn't you screwam and say whoever gyou are come out with your hands up I have a gun aimed at the door.

                              Fourthly, how much noice does a person making going to the bathroom and why would you assume that the noise is an INTRUDER and not your girlfriend who I am sure he didn't just forget because any guy would be thinkging "I need to protect my girl"

                              Guilty based on the info I have.

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