Shoot first. Ask Questions Later

This George Zimmerman trial has many people on the edge of their seats. Testimonies. Reports. Witnesses. Doctors. It's been a real life drama that has stirred many emotionally charged discussions. And I have not watched one minute of it. Why? Because I believe that he will walk free and clear when all the dust settles and I don't want to get my hopes up for a conviction that will probably not come to pass (I pray that I'm wrong about that.) George Zimmerman may be a racist or a cop wanna-be or an overzealous neighborhood watch guy but he has the law on his side for the most part here (or at least that's what the defense is arguing). The Stand Your Ground Law is has existed in Florida since 2005 and has probably done more harm than good depending on what side you see it from. 

What's really interesting to me is not the case but the law itself. Have you read it? Click here to see how it breaks down in the Sunshine State. The law says basically that you have the right to defend yourself, using deadly force if necessary, if you are at home, in your car, or anywhere you are if you feel threatened. Pretty scary if you ask me. But on some levels I can get with this. Here's my view from the middle.

On one side...
This law is crazy. People have the right to defend themselves but do you have to bring a gun to a fistfight? That sounds cowardly. It also sounds like a law that gun lobbyists want in place to justify their fear. People can shoot each other if they feel threatened. What exactly constitutes a threat? This law has allowed people to shoot one another for the craziest reasons. For example, the case of Michael Dunn, a 45-year old White Florida man who shot and killed a Black teen after an argument over loud music.  How about Ezekiel Gilbert, from Texas, who was acquitted of murder for shooting a woman because she refused to give him the sex that he paid for. Really dude? 

Also, this law is unevenly enforced.  The Tampa Bay Times studied 200 cases where Stand Your Ground was used as a defense. Do you know what they found out? They found that people who killed a Black person were not guilty 73 percent of the time. Are we trying to give justice or mask racism?

On the other side...
If you think about it, you have the right to defend yourself by any means necessary. If someone broke into my home where my family rests their heads, I may not have time to call 911 let alone wait for them to rescue us.  There are plenty of instances where people are threatened and are unsure of what a potential assailant may do. Look at the case of Owen Whitlock, a 62 year-old Florida man, who was confronted by Jose Ramirez, the father of his grandchild, over a barbecue grill. Ramirez came to Whitlock's home and threatened to show Whitlock what they do to people like him in prison. Whitlock warned Ramirez to back off but when he didn't, he opened fire. I would have done the same thing. 

Or think about women who are abused by men.  Generally, women can't take men on in a fisticuffs brawl. And if it's a domestic dispute, observers are very hesitant to step in and save us these days. Don't we deserve to protect ourselves somehow? I think of the case of Marissa Alexander, a Jacksonville, Florida woman who fired warning shots above her abusive husband's head to keep him from coming after her (and she even had a protective order taken out against him). What was she supposed to do? Allow him to kill her after he violated the protective order? She already followed protocol and it didn't help her. The gun, in this situation, saved her life.

I learned two things from this Trayvon Martin case. Number one, I would think twice about moving to Florida. Between the hurricanes, Stand Your Ground laws  and that sad presidential election process in 2000 I don't think we're compatible. And number two, if we are outraged by this cases and this law we need to pay more attention to legislations when they are introduced. Outcry after a verdict is telling but it's not moving anything. Where do these laws come from? Who introduced them? Who is backing them up. And what are we going to do if we disagree? You have a voice with your voter's registration cards and with your wallets. Support the candidates that represent your philosophy and stay on them while they are in office. The power rests with the people.