Finally.
The special prosecutor in Florida has charged George Zimmerman with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. Now we'll find out, with due process, whether Zimmerman is legally innocent or guilty. It looked like Zimmerman might get away with simply declaring that he is innocent. I fully support our system of justice which presumes "innocent until proven guilty." I want to see this decision made in court, not in the shooter's mind.
And on the bigger issue: I think "stand your ground" legislation is dangerous. I don't want an untrained volunteer like George Zimmerman driving around my neighborhood at night, carrying a loaded gun, and thinking that he has a license to shoot…..
How about you?
That's the thing, Zimmerman and the gun. No matter what his motivation, whether he deliberately stalked and shot the boy because he was a racist, or whether they had ended up getting into an altercation.
ReplyDeleteThe bottom line is that he went outside to see what a stranger was doing in the neighborhood; and he went outside with a loaded gun.
Vigilantes and firearms. Not a good combination. And regardless of what gun owners and lobbyists have to say about people killing people, not guns--let's face it, it's a lot harder to fatally stab someone accidentally. And a young child getting into your collection of designer pillows isn't likely to put one over his head until he suffocates. Guns have a lot more of a margin for error when you don't intend for them to go off, but a lot less of a margin for error when you intend to hurt someone.
At least make it just as hard to get a gun as to get a driver's license--and make the waiting period just as long. That doesn't seem like too much to ask.
All the blather about "rights" of gun ownership drowns out the reasonable objections to putting guns into the hands of most of us, most of the time.
ReplyDeleteI guess that the 2nd Amendment should be done away with along with the rest of the Constitution. If you tear down part you start to tear down all. "They" will be coming for you when you no longer have safeguards for your rights. Studies have shown that societies that allow weapons have less crime. Why did the special prosecutor do away with the grand jury and issue a presentment instead...cause they would not have indicted???
ReplyDeleteA closed mind is not a pretty sight.
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