If you follow gun news at all, you already know the story, or at least most of it. From what I can gather, these are the facts.
George Zimmerman saw 17 year old Trayvon Martin walking down the street after dark and called 911.
He reported to 911 that Martin was peeking into windows and was acting like he was on drugs (whatever the fuck that means).
911 Dispatch asked Zimmerman if he was following Martin, Zimmerman confirmed that he was, and Dispatch told him this was not necessary and to wait for police to arrive.
Zimmerman at some point exited his vehicle, pursued Martin on foot, and confronted him.
A fight ensued, an eyewitness confirms that the two were struggling.
Zimmerman fires once and hits Martin.
Martin dies of a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Martin was unarmed.
Zimmerman is found by the police with a bloody nose and some kind of injury on the back of his head.
Carrying a concealed firearm is not a priveledge in my opinion, it is a right. Self defense is also a right. I also equally consider it a right to be in public without being molested by anyone who simply considers you suspicious.
Zimmerman had every right to observe what he considered to be a suspicious person. But the moment he exited his vehicle to confront Martin, he gave up his right to claim self defense. In fact, in my opinion (worth less than gash in a gay bar), the person who had a justifiable right to self defense in this situation was Trayvon Martin.
If I am walking home from a convenience store after dark and a stranger starts following me, I’m in condition red. I consider myself about to be attacked and I would be prepared to defend myself. If that asshole gets out of his car to “confront” me, my hand would be on my concealed weapon, ready to draw and fire. If he gets close enough for me to hit him, he is only alive at this point because his guardian angels are holding my arms down.
People want to focus on the fact that Martin was a stranger to Zimmerman, that Zimmerman had a right to be suspicious of Martin in this situation. But Zimmerman was a stranger to Martin as well, and Martin had every right to be aggressive and combative towards Zimmerman. If it was your 17 year old son, wouldn’t you want him to be willing and prepared to protect himself?
There are some reports that Martin initially ran when approached by Zimmerman. This further supports Martin’s right to defend himself, in that his first action was to get away from what he thought was a dangerous situation. This action in fact goes beyond Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and it’s stipulations for what is allowed in the context of self defense. And I can tell you, if I start running and the stranger starts chasing me, I am certain at this point that at a minimum, a fist fight is about to go down.
Zimmerman gave up his claim to self defense when he voluntarily left the vehicle to confront Martin. He didn’t break the law by getting out of his car, but he became the aggressor in the situation when he did so. If you don’t agree with me, put yourself in Trayvon Martin’s shoes. Or better yet, put your own child into his shoes. Then consider why people are calling for Zimmerman’s head. Fuck that guy, he is guilty of manslaughter at a minimum.
There is an ethos that comes with carrying, and it is specifically designed to prevent shit like this from happening.
UPDATE:The plot thickens. The phone call sure does make it look like Zimmerman initiated the physical confrontation with Martin.
