George Zimmerman had 5 guns when arrested

[amIblue?]

Originally Posted by Kevin

That's pretty much a condemnation of all neighborhood security personnel, neighborhood watchmen, etc.

You really don't know (nor do I) what happened between those two. Yes, Zimmerman was clearly pursuing him as I would hope any security person in a neighborhood to do. The next thing you had was 911 calls about two people fighting. Zimmerman had every right to follow Martin--and I would agree if you are going to suggest that this leads to a real issue with some of our gun laws in that Martin would have probably been well within his rights to shoot Zimmerman as it may not be unreasonable for him to have feared for his life at some point during the encounter.

You didn't answer my question about things being worth a life.

Zimmerman was the neighborhood watch coordinator, not a paid neighborhood security guard. The function of a neighborhood watch is to watch and call the police.

You're right that I don't know what happened between them once Zimmerman got out of his car after following an unarmed teen, but It doesnt take a rocket scientist to know that if he had stayed in his car and let the police handle the situation, none of it would have happened.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by amIblue?

You didn't answer my question about things being worth a life.

We don't know whether Zimmerman got out of the car and thought to himself "I'm gonna shoot this son-b." Usually, say, 9999/10,000, that decision doesn't lead to someone being dead.

Zimmerman was the neighborhood watch coordinator, not a paid neighborhood security guard. The function of a neighborhood watch is to watch and call the police.

He may have stepped outside the bounds (I'm thinking he probably did) of what the program suggests. Again, that's a call which almost all of the time doesn't result in someone being killed.

You're right that I don't know what happened between them once Zimmerman got out of his car after following an unarmed teen, but It doesnt take a rocket scientist to know that if he had stayed in his car and let the police handle the situation, none of it would have happened.

But you keep casting this as Zimmerman choosing life vs. stuff and that's not what these sorts of encounters are all about. You are free to ask some young kid in your neighborhood what they are doing there. That doesn't mean you're valuing stuff vs. a life because it's not fair to assume that a life is even in jeopardy at that point.

--of course is Zimmerman publishes a "How I Got Away With It" memoir and states he was out to kill that evening, I'll stand corrected. Until then, no one knows.