I am angry that George Zimmerman was acquitted. By stalking Trayvon Martin on his way home, by getting out of his car, despite the advice of the 9-1-1 operator, Zimmerman created the situation. Even if things happened exactly as he said they did once out of the car (which I doubt), that situation was still created by Zimmerman. There was no reason to believe that Trayvon would not have arrived at his father's house without Zimmerman's interruption.
So there's that, and yet, the jury acquitted him. When you don't have trial by jury, the system is open to certain abuses, but trial by jury has it's shortcomings too. I hope the civil case goes better, and I hope people are more aware of ALEC and that it loses some influence.
For now, I also hope that Zimmerman's conscience tortures him. That may be too much to ask, but he did something really venal, that can't be fixed, and I at least believe that he was not prepared for that. A friend had commented on how he seemed to be in over his head, and I don't doubt that. Becoming so was largely self-inflicted, but I do think there is another problem here that is worth exploring.
Guns do not kill people on their own. That it true. However, they do make killing much faster and easier, and that's worth taking into consideration.
If you are hunting to feed your family, this is a good thing. The gun does not require as much physical strength as a bow and arrow would, I think accuracy is easier, and the propulsion of the bullet is going to be much more powerful than a spear you throw (even if you have an amazing arm), increasing the likelihood of a fatal shot rather than a glancing blow.
If you are home alone and someone is breaking in, and you have children there, and are concerned for their lives, being able to warn off, and if necessary, shoot the invaders, is again something that can be
helpful.
However, it is no small thing to take a life, and once you make it easier, you also make it more likely, and that is the time to have serious thoughts about what you can and cannot live with. For example, I saw a news story recently where the residents of one neighborhood with a lot of thefts were putting up "Glock block" signs, to indicate that they are not going to just call 9-1-1 - they will shoot:
http://dailycaller.com/2013/06/20/grandma-organizes-glock-block-to-shoot-neighborhood-criminals/
Now, the organizer had a break-in also, and I get that feels different than simple theft. I also get that there is a sense of violation with any theft. My mother and I have both had fraudulent activity on our bank accounts. We have had multiple bikes stolen, and I have had my purse and wallet stolen at different times. This causes inconvenience, and anger and feelings of helplessness, and I totally get that. I also know that none of those things would carry the death penalty.
This isn't a new thing. When I was a teenager there was a rash of "jockey-boxing" going on, where kids would break into cars and steal whatever was in the glove box. One man found a kid going through his glove box and fatally shot him, and faced no charges, because it was legally treated as a home break in with justifiable self-defense. I don't know what was in the guys glove box, but I doubt it was worth a human life, even when the human was a thief.
And you know, I have been ready to kill someone before. That's not a joke. I was walking on this path through the woods going back to campus, and this guy riding a back came up beside me. He started talking and being sexually suggestive, which was creepy, and I kind of told him to get lost. He did ride off, but I saw that he had only gone a short way ahead, and when I stopped, he stopped.
It ended up being fine, but it felt threatening. I took it seriously enough that I went back to a different dorm in case he was still watching, because I didn't want him to know where I lived. And I didn't fear for my life; I was worried specifically about sexual assault, which again, does not carry the death penalty. However, I remember thinking that if he tried anything that I was going to kill him. There was not going to be any wounding or disabling, and leaving him as a potential risk. I was not going to stop fighting until he was dead.
I'm glad it didn't come to that, but yes, if it is to prevent death or rape of myself or a loved one, yes, I would use deadly force, and consider it justified. Despite all of that, I believe it would haunt me. I believe I would feel guilt later, and question if there had been another way that I couldn't figure out, and that's how it should be. If I don't care about taking a human life, even justified, I am defective.
So, how are you going to feel if you kill someone over a bird bath on your lawn, or some maps in your glove box, or a stupid cycle of feelings of inferiority that result in you carrying a gun, but that also makes you feel more aggressive and you end up picking a fight?
Guns have a weird mental affect on people. They get tied up with feelings of masculinity and patriotism and righteousness, where you will have families of people at a risk for suicide who are advised to clear the guns out of the house, at least temporarily, and they won't do it.
What I am asking for, though, is very clear thought. If you are interested in owning guns - and there is not automatically anything wrong with that - you really need to go over the following:
- Why do you want them?
- What uses are likely? (intended and unintended)
- Would you be able to part with them temporarily to protect members of the household?
- What results can you live with?
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