Saturday, July 13, 2013

Are Our Laws Giving License to Kill? Are They Escalating Violence?

   While I did not catch all the details, what I did hear of the George Zimmerman case leads me to wonder if it were not a miscarriage of justice.
   A man walks down the street. Someone follows him and either attacks or provokes him. It does seem to that point it is clear which was the aggressor. A fight ensues. At some point, perhaps, the man who was followed, winds up on top. The man who was the pursuer pulls out his gun and kills the other.
   That's fair enough.
   At least, it was fair to the jury. I join the thousands of others who wonder if it was a betrayal of justice. Asked for his reaction, the brother of Trayvon Martin responded, "Et tu, America?" Is it fair for us to allow someone to be attacked, and, if they wind up on top in the ensuing scuffle, be shot -- to death?
   Maybe the Stand Your Ground laws have a fatal flaw in them. If we are to have them, would it not be better that they require the weapon to be used in a way meant not to take another's life? Life is too precious to give someone the license to kill, yet that is what some of these laws do.
   We need laws that help defuse violence, not ones that escalate it.
   The defense could have argued that Trayvon Martin did no more than defend himself. Was he beating Zimmerman's head against the cement. I have doubt. But, if he was, did he have the right to use deadly force if he felt his life or health was in jeopardy?
   We have created a system where, if you want to kill someone, all you have to do is provoke a fight, and,if the other person is getting the upper hand, kill him. We have created a system where both parties can claim self defense, and be justified, in the eyes of the law for killing the other. We have created a system where some murders cannot be punished.

1 comment:

  1. Maybe I heard wrong, but if its true that Trayvon discovered Zimmerman's gun and intended to use it, wouldn't that put things in a different light. (Also heard that a police officer had untruthfully told Zimmerman the whole incident had been caught on tape and Zimmerman's response was one of relief and gratitude. I think possibly Zimmerman could easily been the dead man had he not fought back. I don't know the truth about what happened, but people should have the right to defend themselves.

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