PLEASE NOTE: The Reality TV World Message Boards are filled with desperate
attention-seekers pretending to be one big happy PG/PG13-rated family. Don't
be fooled. Trying to get everyone to agree with you is like herding cats,
but intolerance for other viewpoints is NOT welcome and respect for other
posters IS required at all times. Jump in and play, and you'll soon find out
how easy it is to fit in, but save your drama for your mama. All members are
encouraged to read the
complete guidelines.
As entertainment critic Roger
Ebert once said, "If you disagree with something I write, tell me so, argue
with me, correct me--but don't tell me to shut up. That's not the American way."
There are lots of ways that at some point in a physical altercation either party involved could end up with grass stains on their back even if they started it.
I think the biggest thing is the "if you had only stayed in your car like 911 told you to"...
And, I can see a scenario like my one martial arts/self defense teacher discussed, guy is following you, guy is making it really really really clear that they intend to do you harm...do you wait for them to actually start harming you or do you at some point decide that the best defense is a good offense and deck him with the hopes you can slow him down enough to run away. The only problem with doing that is when the guy has a gun or other weapon and you don't completely take his ability to retaliate away with the first attack.
That is where the "stop touching me like that" before you throw the first punch comes in. People may have noticed the threatening behavior and will swear they saw him start the fight.
That does assume that Zimmerman was doing something that might be seen as threatening or provoking even if the kid would be wrong for starting the fight (if he did and I think we will never really know as we only will have one side of the story).
Did they actually take him downtown and at least question him, as the reports sound like they just sent him home with his still smoking gun in his hand and a pat on the back for a job well done.
I do understand making it legally easier to kill an intruder in your own home. I do have a bit of a concern that if you make it seem like anyone can shoot anyone who might "look suspicious" as self defense that we are going to see a lot more people killed for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Oh, but silly me, guns owned by citizens only kill criminals, they can't kill anyone else. Yes, I've seen the NRA peeps out working some spin already. The law is good, no one should have been arrested, the kid must have done something illegal or he wouldn't have been shot, etc.
p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e - p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e - p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e -
p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e - p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e - p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e -
p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e - p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e - p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e -
p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e - p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e - p l a c e h o l d e r t e x t g o e s h e r e -