You realize I agree with you, right? Yes, you are allowed to carry a firearm due to the state's law. I think I've said this repeatedly now. The problem is he's under the guise of being a Neighborhood Watch captain. Under their guidelines, you are to report any suspicious activity to the police. You're certainly not suppose to follow, question, and shoot any suspects.

The Neighborhood Watch program is suppose to watch the neighborhood. They're not suppose to kill anyone in the area. Yes, he has a legal right to his handgun. But, he is certainly not in his legal right to follow-through like he was a police officer.

Don't know how much clearer I can be on that.

 

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You're missing the very basic point: Martin physically attacked first.

Nothing before that matters as it pertains to the SYG law.

 

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The point is you shouldn't have poked the dog to cause the incident in the first place. You call the animal control or the police. Stop ignoring the instigating factor.

 

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First i fixed your quote to match the supposition most of the arguments are based on.

Now, from that, are you really sure the SYG still applies?

That's what this case is going to boil down to, imo. Once the two physically met up, who made the first move, who instigated it, will determine ALOT. Or at least it should.

 

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That's where the issue lies. Who instigated what. According to everything I have read, Zimmerman stated which was corroborated by a witness he lost track of Martin and was walking back to his car when he was attacked by Martin and the rest is history.


In that scenario, if it's truthful, In the eyes of the law the instigation ended when Zimmerman turned around and walked away. Once Martin attacked him that was a new confrontation instigated by him and the SYG applies.


Don't get me wrong, I think the law is way too broad and I kind of understand what the author of the bill was trying to convey, it just doesn't hold up in the real world.

The instigating factor was the Martin physically attacked first.

No laws were broken until that point. Plenty of poor thinking, perhaps, but if Martin attacked first then Zimmerman was within his rights to shoot.

Your line of reasoning would allow celebrities to physically attack paparazzi and normal people to beat the hell out of Occupy protesters.

 

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Fixed your deeply flawed post.

 

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You are assuming facts not in evidence.


As to Z-Elder. If that is your policy, if something bad happens like the Martin thing, you will probably lose big time in a civil lawsuit. Zimmerman should have talked to Martin when he first saw him. Then, when Martin identified himself, offered him a ride home. But, following him, alone, in the dark, without any attempt to call out to him or identify yourself is just stupid beyond belief.

 

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And that's when he should've let the police do their job as requested by the dispatcher. Zimmerman put himself in that situation. I have no idea if what you say is true about Zimmerman walking away and Martin attacking him.

Unfortunately, the only person I know who can state what happened is Zimmerman since Martin is dead or barring some witness who saw everything from start to end. But, that's why a jury of his peers should put that to a vote.

The bottom line is this: This should have never happened. A young man is dead over nothing. This whole thing is going to end badly regardless of the final outcome. And if what you say about Florida is true, thank you. I'll never live there now.

 

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