This is a pretty interesting interview that is filled with good advice and wisdom. For those who actively have a CAC this is worth a read.
I *have been telling my students for years that it’s better to not be in the fight in the first place! You will survive 100% of the fights that you are not in. These days, to be judged by anyone, even 12 jurors can be almost as bad as being carried by six pallbearers. To put everything in context, in a moral of the story kind of way, I would say: “You could do everything for the right reason, do nothing illegal, and still be prosecuted or persecuted – by a jury of public opinion – for the decisions that you make.”
I teach a lot more than just gun safety and you are right. The Zimmerman case is one I use in nearly every class when we get to self defense law, the lawful use of deadly force, and what not to do to avoid getting yourself into situations where you will have no choice but to respond with deadly force.
Don’t get me wrong, legally everything Zimmerman did that night was perfectly lawful and “reasonable” by the “reasonable person test” but he made a horrible mistake following Martin in the dark into a place he was unfamiliar with.
That is a good point, going into a dark space is not very good sense of situational awareness when one is vulnerable to someone getting the jump on you! I think he may have thought because he was armed that he had the upper hand but he had a false sense of security in thinking that way. When it was all said and done he was incredibly lucky. Not only to get out of a life threatening situation, but getting out of a court trial with a not guilty plea, especially when the President and his AG were bent on prosecuting him in a nation wide case in the court of public opinion. There is a lot of useful lessons from his case alone!
His prosecution was itself a violation of Florida law. Under the law as long as the investigation supports his version of events and claim of self defense you cannot even be arrested.
This is why no prosecutor in the state was willing to go forward with the case until the Obama administration flat put the screws to them forcing the gov to get the atty general appoint a special prosecutor.
The prosecutor that indicted him should have been disbarred.
Yep! I followed the case quite extensively and it was for this reason why I was rooting for him! What was more despicable was the NBC doctored 9-11 call which spurned a lawsuit against them, which Zimmerman lost that case. IMO NBC and the judges involved was a rigged court!
Yah, that was pure BS. Freedom of the press does not grant a right to incite people to riot, rig juries, tamper with verdicts, or to commit either libel or slander.
Unlike celebrities Zimmerman was just an average nobody so the bar is much lower.
They had clear intent to defame him and stir up trouble.