Zimmerman Found Not Guilty

[duvalbill]

When some psychotic white guy kills classrooms full of small children, we are told not to worry:  its just a psycho---not typical, not rational, doesnt pertain to the rest of responsible gun owners.

And people, while hesitant, reluctantly decide on the side of reasonableness and optimism and acquiesce.

But here is an example of a person who has shot another child to death, a person who we are now being assured is a reasonable, typical, and rational gun owner, and what are we being told about the child killing?

He deserved to die, and the killer should have no consequences.

In a country where reasonable people are already uneasy about these murders happening with accelerating frequency, its really shocking how tone deaf the radicals are.

Says Zimmerman deserves to die, then calls others "radicals."

Ridiculous.

are you delusional?  Who said this?

I misread, apologies.

[MEGATRON]

and what are we being told about the child killing?

He deserved to die

You are better than this sort of hyperbole.

[4thlittle]

I don't think I will move on until the laws are changed so that murders similar to the one GZ committed are punished as criminal behavior. 

How, exactly, would you rewrite the law?

Good question.  Each state has murder, manslaughter, and self-defense laws.  Is there a state statutory scheme on those issues that should be Florida's model?

[NotNow]

http://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2012/Chapter776

[MEGATRON]

and what are we being told about the child killing?

He deserved to die

You are better than this sort of hyperbole.

um.  a little late to the ball game.  look up and check out the above statements.

No, I was addressing what you really meant to say: that we are told that Martin deserved to die.  No one has said anything resembling that statement.

[MEGATRON]

The traditional requirement to avoid lethal force served us pretty well for a hundred years or so.  what was wrong with that?

For the record, I am in complete agreement with this statement.

[Demosthenes]

and what are we being told about the child killing?

He deserved to die

You are better than this sort of hyperbole.

Is he?

[4thlittle]

The traditional requirement to avoid lethal force served us pretty well for a hundred years or so.  what was wrong with that?

Did it? I don't know whether that is the case or not.  Avoid lethal force: (1) completely?; (2) unless you reasonably fear that you will die if you don't use lethal force?; (3) unless you reasonably fear that you will die if you don't use lethal force AND something else -- you did not (a) cause; (b) provoke; or (c) escalate the situation?

I suspect these legal standards have always been controversial, especially since they deal with matters of life and death. 

[sheclown]

The question is. "Is self defense color blind?"

[MEGATRON]

The question is. "Is self defense color blind?"

How is that the question?

[strider]

This is the part that I believe would be relevant to Zimmerman.  I think that it is a given that he was initially the aggressor and so the passage above gives him the protection even though he initialed the conflict. It is why I think that under the current law, the protection of "stand or ground" or what actions can be defined as self-defense switch back and forth between two in conflict depending upon whom is winning. Of course, accurate and honest eye witness testimony would also determine that but without real evidence to the contrary, it ends up being the one who wins to tell his story.  Doesn't seem like a very well written law to me.

[strider]

The question is. "Is self defense color blind?"

How is that the question?

If Martin had knocked out Zimmerman with his first punch and put him in the hospital, would Martin be in jail right now?

[fsquid]

Already there are boycotts called against Florida and its merchants. 

I doubt many will cancel Disney plans because of this.

[BridgeTroll]

Already there are boycotts called against Florida and its merchants. 

I doubt many will cancel Disney plans because of this.

My plans for Sanford are on hold though...

[BridgeTroll]

In those other threads most who took great issue with the outcome of the trial defined Zimmerman as the aggressor.  Meaning that the act of following someone deemed suspicious is enough to warrant the label as "aggressor".  IMHO the only modification to the law would be to more clearly define aggressor.