[quote]angry chicken wrote:
[quote]Chushin wrote:
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
I live in a very nice neighborhood in Fairfax, VA. I go to parties and socialize frequently with people in “gated communities”. I have walked to and from houses to my car carrying things. I’m a big scary looking guy according to some people. I have NEVER been approached, challenged, stopped or otherwise impeded while in my neighborhood or in nicer, gated neighborhoods.
If I were minding my business and someone not obviously a police officer followed me in a vehicle at night while on their cell phone, got out and approached me aggressively and in a challenging way, I would most likely be ready to fight them. Not saying I would definitely fight them, but I would definitely preparing for a fight. If they TOUCHED me (i.e. assaulted me) in the course of the interaction I would beat the shit out of them without hesitation. I feel that’s a pretty reasonable reaction for someone minding their own business who is approached at night in an aggressive manner (attacked) by a non police officer (a thug). It all depends on perspective. The KID could have been in fear of his life by Zimmerman’s aggressive approach. We’ll never know, will we?
But then again, what do I know? I’m just a person with a very violent history who probably deserves to be shot and killed, right?
Zimmerman is a stupid bitch who should have stayed in his car. If he goes to prison, he’ll be shanked in his first week if he’s in Gen Pop, within a month or two if he’s in protective custody. If he is acquitted, he’ll DEFINITELY have to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life. I don’t really care how this “trial” turns out, it’s all a media circus anyway. But that man WILL pay for his stupidity one way or the other. What don’t come out in the wash WILL come out in the rinse. That’s exactly the kind of vigilante justice that Zimmerman subscribes to, right? I mean if he ISN’T a vigilante, he would have stayed in his car and waited for police, right? I think that “citizens” will make sure that justice is served one way or the other in this case. He’s a dead man walking, it’s only a matter of time.[/quote]
I’m not staking any position here, and am really just curious about something, AC.
Can you imagine any circumstance where you might basically do the things that Zimmerman is known to have done?
Two things that may have brought this question to mind for me are 1) Your obvious nature as a “take charge and act” kind of guy, and 2) Your well-known antipathy towards the police.
I guess the history of break-ins in that community would have to be part of the context of my question.[/quote]
I can’t imagine any circumstance where I get my ass kicked by a 17 year old. Not for the next thirty years, anyway. I cannot imagine taking it upon myself to “patrol” my gated community. I take responsibility for MY castle. As a felon, I’m not allowed to own firearms, but I assure you my wife owns several. If someone were to break into MY house and put MY family at risk, he’d be going out in a body bag. That’s where my responsibility ends as far as I’m concerned. I live in a very tight community. My town has parades all the time and I know everyone on my block on a first name basis.
I’ve fixed at least SOMETHING on most of their houses. But it is not my responsibility to protect any other family but my own. Now my community does NOT have a Home Owners Association. I will NEVER live in a community that has one. I’ll be damned if some controlling asshole is gonna tell me what color to paint the door on the house I own. This neighborhood watch shit is a symptom of hyper controlling HOA’s. Next they’ll be fining you if you mow your lawn a day late. Oh wait… Fuck HOA’s.
If someone breaks into my house when I’m not home, then I get to make an insurance claim and get a new flat screen. I don’t own very many things that are “irreplaceable”. My valuables/cash/silver are in a hidden safe. All of my important documents are scanned and in the cloud with the originals in a safe deposit box. But more importantly, I’m not what one would call an “easy mark”. I take precautions and have plans in place for most situations. As a former criminal, if “I” were casing “MY” house for a possible break in, I’d take a pass and move on to an easier target.
I cannot imagine ever approaching a young man walking along the sidewalk in front of my house and asking him what he was up to. Even if I saw him climbing out of my neighbor’s window with stolen property, I would not approach him because A)He might be armed and I’m not gonna get shot over my neighbor’s stuff. B) he’s LEAVING so he either isn’t a threat to anyone anymore OR he’s already killed them and it’s too late anyway. C) IT’S NOT MY FUCKING BUSINESS. I would call the police and report what I had seen. That’s it.
What Zimmerman did was stupid, reckless and naive. And look at the result. He deserves the public humiliation and trial he’s getting. IMHO, he deserves exactly what he gave Trevon. The situation is a direct result of his bad judgement. And while it very well MAY be within the bounds of Florida’s stand your ground law, it’s chickenshit and is a direct symptom of our society’s unwillingness to take any fucking responsibility for their OWN actions.
I may as well go a corner in Miami’s Glenwood Heights neighborhood and spew a bunch of racist shit. Then when I’m about to get my ass kicked, pull out my gun and kill them all. What’s the difference between that and what Zimmerman did? I was in fear for my life! I had a right to shoot! Didn’t I? Yeah, sure, I DID create the situation… But they ATTACKED ME! It’s fucking bullshit what he did.[/quote]
When did anyone say he was walking down the side walk. When he was first on the phone he was walking around looking in houses which is far more suspicious looking. He then walked towards Zimmerman with his hand in his waist band which if it was me I would have assumed was a gun. I guess that’s the difference in neighborhoods and people. I live in a very rural community and we take care of one another. Just last year I caught a kid stealing tools out of my neighbors shop and held him till the cops came. In an area where there had been break ins I would want whoever did it caught and if someone saw someone acting suspicious I would want them to call and observe what was going on.
Also I pose you this question, if Martin was really that afraid do you really expect me to believe that he couldn’t outrun Zimmerman for 70 yards to his house? Really?? He wasn’t afraid, he was going to try to be a badass and it got him killed.