Martin-Zimmerman, part 2

For context, read Part 1 first.

In reading more about the shooting, I've decided to relate another story which could be helpful to those who want to take a more objective look at what happened here.

This story is fairly short and straighforward.  There was no conflict or anything, but I think it is instructive in its own way.

I used to do a nightly delivery route.  It was quite unconventional as it didn't require signatures, and the deliveries were made to vans.   Yes, that's right- vans.  These vans were used by repair people, who went out in their vans to do service work the next day.  I would deliver parts to these vans, and pick up broken or used parts from them.  The vans were parked in the driveways of the homes of the technicians.  The route would take me to these locations at the wee hours of the morning.

Needless to say, the unconventional mode of delivery and the fact that I was in neighborhoods at odd hours was something that attracted attention.  I was stopped a couple times on this route.

One of those times, I recall feeling a bit resentful about being stopped.  I hadn't done anything wrong.  I don't think I said anything, but there may have been something in my attitude that caused the cop to remark that he would continue to do what he did.  I guess he felt that I was challenging his authority to do his job.

Just relating that bit of the story because it is entirely possible to be resentful if you aren't doing anything wrong and somebody decides to treat you as if you were.

Martin was just a kid.  You kinda expect that kids do kid stuff.  But you expect more from somebody who is a bit older, and also from those who are in authority.  The greater responsibility lied with the others, not with the kid.  Now the kid is dead.

No, I'm not going soft.  Not saying that Stand Your Ground is wrong.  But to lose your gun rights can happen if stupid people are allowed to do stupid things.  All rights can be lost that way.

Zimmerman basically got an order to get back into his car.  He didn't do that.  The kid probably found him first, or they found each other about the same time.  The altercation occurred shortly thereafter.

The kid may have attacked first, but Zimmerman shouldn't have even been in that situation.  Zimmerman knew he had a gun, and that his own gun could be turned against him.  Therefore, he shouldn't have allowed Martin to get that close.

I think Zimmerman could have warned Martin, but he may not have thought of it.  Or things may have happened too fast.  Martin may have confronted Zimmerman, but by that time, the situation was already out of hand.

At any rate, one man is dead and another is probably ruined.

Was this necessary?

The result of this event is just going to fire up the ideological war between the right and the left.  As I have written before, ideology can make you stupid.

This event wasn't about ideology, but it is now.