Month: March 2012

From Tam, on a preteen birthday party gone sour:

I do know that they take money out of your paycheck for 911 services, and dialing that number will cause a guy dripping with qualified immunity to show up and pepper spray the preteen birthday party, so us bloggers can rake him over the coals for it.

Along the lines of what I blogged about earlier today. We live in a hysterical media-driven society largely devoid of civic virtue. Best to keep that in mind when carrying to defend life.

Bah… who needs one?

Extrano’s Alley takes a look at the new facts that have emerged, and Joe Huffman has just one question about the case. I think at this point we’re running out of new facts and revelations.  Thanks to overreach on the part of insurrectionist militias and celebrity assholes, I think this case is jumping the shark. I think a lot of gun people, who were initially quite hostile toward Zimmerman, and feeling a bit sheepish as the facts are coming out. I wouldn’t feel too bad, personally, because that initial reaction occurred because he broke one of the cardinal rules of lawful concealed carry, which is to practice avoidance and not to go looking for trouble. I think when mistakes like that are made out of the gate, that leads to a shooting, that shooting is naturally going to garner less sympathy from our community, and we’re less willing to give someone the benefit of doubt on other facts. If anything, this shows the importance of engaging in good practices while carrying.

I carry a gun to protect me and those I love. I don’t carry a gun to protect you, my neighborhood, or society as a whole. I realize this makes me a poor sheepdog, and I don’t care. I don’t get paid to be a sheepdog, and for better or worse society looks down on people being sheepdogs who don’t get paid for the duty. I’m willing to be a good witness, I’m willing to call police, and hell, in a rare, outstandingly clear circumstance, I might decide to intervene directly.

As much as I wish we lived in a society where looking out for each other in that manner was socially acceptable, the fact of the matter is that it often isn’t, and I’m not rolling those dice for you. If I end up using deadly force to save someone from an attacker, the potential six figure trial is on me. Not the state, and not the person saved. Hell, how do I know the person I’m saving isn’t one of these self-loathing types that’d rather be a victim than have to live with being connected to a justifiable homicide. You know, someone who can assuage that guilt by blaming the person who killed to save them. If you don’t think those types exist, you’ll believe it when they’re testifying for the prosecution at your trial.

George Zimmerman’s concern for his neighborhood was commendable, but he doesn’t owe anyone what he’s going through now. Ultimately his neighbors didn’t care enough to get involved, and some of them are active in the movement to lynch him before he’s even had a fair trial. Unfortunately, in a society where no one is responsible for themselves, their actions, or really anything, this is what we reap. We don’t live in a society where civic responsibility is commended, nor do we live in a society where the civilly responsible are given the benefit of doubt.

I am not a fan of utter passivity, like the kind that happened when Zimmerman was screaming for help. The fact that no one responded, save one person who called the police immediately and took a look to be a witness, is lamentable. But no one owes their neighbors what Zimmerman is going though. And for what? To rid the neighborhood of suspicious looking people? I’m definitely not saying I’d never intervene to save a neighbor, but I am definitely saying if you’re going to do that, you better make sure the crime matches the stakes, otherwise, I’m not looking to be anyone’s sheepdog save me and mine.

UPDATE: Today’s update from Extrano’s Alley.