Wikipeda:
A stand-your-ground law states that a person may use deadly force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of a threat, without an obligation to retreat first. In some cases, a person may use deadly force in public areas without a duty to retreat. Under these legal concepts, a person is justified in using deadly force in certain situations and the "stand your ground" law would be a defense to criminal charges.
As new witnesses come forward and files are re-opened, the latest story paints a picture of a scared Trayvon Martin who realized he was being stalked. The stalker, 28-year-old self-appointed neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, claimed he shot Martin in self-defense after being punched and knocked down by Martin.
But certain key elements still remain. That Martin was unarmed. That Zimmerman was the pursuer of a person who was simply walking home. That Martin realized he was being stalked. That Zimmerman asked Martin what he was doing there and that at some point according to witnesses, Zimmerman turned around and was heading back to his vehicle. At this juncture, a scared 17-year-old could be thinking anything, I know, I used to be one. That includes the thought that Zimmerman may be walking back to his SUV to get a crowbar or a gun. Threatened teenagers think fast, oftentimes not making the best decisions under duress. This very well could have been the moment for Trayvon Martin to do whatever it takes to prevent the older Zimmerman from acquiring a weapon.
Under those circumstances, the unarmed Martin had one of only two choices to make. Either turn around and run for his life, or to use force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief of an impending threat. Therefore, it is very reasonable to believe Martin decided to stand his ground and simply because he wasn't packing heat, he lost the battle.
All of this ignores the real possibility that Zimmerman (according to his 911 call) had underlying racial motivations fueling his attitude.
The moral to this "stand your ground" story is an NRA wet dream. It tells every American, regardless of skin color, social or economic class, to hurry and go buy a gun because you can't stand your ground against the center-right America without one.
At minimum, Trayvon was a victim of a gun crime.
Think Progress - What everyone needs to know about the Trayvon Martin Smear campaign
3 comments:
if Zimmerman had turned around and was returning to his vehicle (as you premise), how could Trayvon have "stood his ground" without stripping those words of any meaning?
As I wrote, Zimmerman "turning around" doesn't necessarily mean the 17-year-old suddenly felt safe. After steadily pursuing Martin, which we know is a fact, what was Zimmerman turning around for? To get a baseball bat, knife or gun? Again, threatened teenagers think fast, oftentimes not making the best decisions under duress. This very well could have been the moment for Trayvon Martin to do whatever it takes to prevent the older Zimmerman from acquiring a weapon.
Remember that it was Zimmerman who was the initial aggressor pursuer. If I were in Martin's shoes during this event, I would have never felt safe.
Hello! In your blog article did you use the information from some researches or here are fully your private reflections? Can't wait to see your answer.
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