WaPo | Zimmerman would not have followed Martin if Zimmerman
weren’t carrying a gun. If Martin were perceived as dangerous, wouldn’t
an unarmed individual keep his distance until police arrived?
Thus,
we conclude that Zimmerman’s actions led to the confrontation that
ultimately resulted in a fight that ended with the fatal shooting.
It never should have happened. And it didn’t have to.
The
jury obviously felt that Zimmerman acted in self-defense, or, at least,
that the state failed to prove otherwise. It must have been a terrible
conclusion to reach because, no matter the legal definitions that guided
them, it seems impossible that someone’s young son, guilty of nothing,
should die while his killer walks. Adages become such for a reason: The
law is an ass.
As soon as passions cool, assuming we let them, the discussion that
needs to take place surrounds a question: What was George Zimmerman
doing walking around his neighborhood armed and loaded? In what world is
this normal behavior?
The answer: Not a world most of us want to live in. Let’s start there.
