One Vigilante? Or Two?

breitbart.com/InstaBlog ^ | 7-15-2013 | Ace of Spades

[servo1969]

There seems to be a general dismissal of the idea among many -- among white liberals and some blacks -- that it doesn't matter if Trayvon threw the first punch, and it doesn't matter if Trayvon was pounding Zimmerman's head into the concrete.

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The idea that it's impossible that Trayvon threw the first punch, or was pounding Zimmerman into the concrete, is so stupid and ignorant I can safely dismiss it as a not a genuine belief at all, but merely something claimed publicly for convenience.

Which leads me to the other possibility -- that those who want Zimmerman thrown in jail, no matter what the evidence may say about the injuries he sustained in the encounter, believe that a violent attack is an appropriate response to a perceived racial slight or perceived case of racial profiling.

And that is, in itself, a form of vigilantism -- apparently there's a belief that if some "White Hispanic" is following around a black kid (just like grocers do in bodegas!), it's acceptable to administer a dose of Street Justice to that individual, to take care of it "off the books."

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This idea cannot stand scrutiny, which is why it's rarely stated explicitly. But it bubbles beneath the surface, and the casual dismissal of any right Zimmerman may have had to defend himself certainly suggests that those who want him jailed believe that, if he was being beaten, he should have just taken his beating and accepted his lumps as a bit of well-deserved "Citizen Punishment" for the moral evil of profiling, that he was morally and legally obligated to accept Trayvon Martin's role as a racial vigilante.

[skeeter]

It was only a matter of time before the State and its vassals attempted to criminalize self defense.

That would make their control over society complete.

[cripplecreek]

It was a white Asian on a grassy knoll.

[MrB]

I believe that was what the left had invested in this trial that made them so over-the-top bound and determined to prosecute him.

They wanted to delegitimize self defense against thuggery -
which would translate to both criminal underclass street thugs and to elitist State tyrant thugs.

[cuban leaf]

Which leads me to the other possibility — that those who want Zimmerman thrown in jail, no matter what the evidence may say about the injuries he sustained in the encounter, believe that a violent attack is an appropriate response to a perceived racial slight or perceived case of racial profiling.

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This.

It has become clear, as I read the rantings of the “rank and file” of the left, that my first suspicions about this were correct: This is a clash of cultures. It is Klingon culture vs civilization. They abide by completely different rules.

In Klingong cutlure, when your enemy wants a fist fight, you throw down your gun and duke it out. In civilization, you do an Indiana Jones: A guy comes at you with a sword? You pull out your gun and shoot him. The former considers it bad form to not trust your physical prowess against a much more physically powerful opponent.

But in a civilized, but sometimes dangerous world, even feminists understand the value of carying the Great Equalizer in their purses. George understood that concept and it probably saved his life.

[YHAOS]

One thing to understand about “Vigilantism.” It invariably arises due to the unwillingness, or the inability, of officials to enforce the law.

[Vigilanteman]

Yep. That is the central focus and has been from the get-go. In a moment of honest candor, a St. Martinite might even confess to said dogma.

[dirtboy]

But it bubbles beneath the surface, and the casual dismissal of any right Zimmerman may have had to defend himself certainly suggests that those who want him jailed believe that, if he was being beaten, he should have just taken his beating and accepted his lumps as a bit of well-deserved "Citizen Punishment" for the moral evil of profiling, that he was morally and legally obligated to accept Trayvon Martin's role as a racial vigilante.

Well, from Zimmerman's version of events, the gun only came into play when Trayvon went for it first. So it seems he was 'taking his lumps' until Trayvon decided to escalate matters further.

[marktwain]

“In Klingong cutlure, when your enemy wants a fist fight, you throw down your gun and duke it out. In civilization, you do an Indiana Jones: A guy comes at you with a sword? You pull out your gun and shoot him. The former considers it bad form to not trust your physical prowess against a much more physically powerful opponent.”

What you are talking about is actually the “code duello” which is pretty civilized behaviour. There are rules to insure fairness, the duel is to satisfy honor, with no requirement of death or wounding, and those who violate the rules are stigmatized and shuned by society.

Virtually none of that exists in the criminal “thug” culture of today.

The criminal culture of today is much more of a “tribal culture”.

http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2013/05/armed-citizens-and-modern-frontier.html

[IYAS9YAS]

All I know, is anyone in the position of Neighborhood watch volunteer/captain should always carry a recording device with them. Preferably one that can send to a remote unit.

[cuban leaf]

What you are talking about is actually the “code duello” which is pretty civilized behaviour. There are rules to insure fairness, the duel is to satisfy honor, with no requirement of death or wounding, and those who violate the rules are stigmatized and shuned by society.

Virtually none of that exists in the criminal “thug” culture of today.

The criminal culture of today is much more of a “tribal culture”.

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Yes. That is touching on the problem of their culture. They equate a big guy deciding to duke it out with an unwilling opponent with the “code duello”.

That’s a big part of the problem. They are really just thugs trying to legitamize their thuggary. And when it comes into contact with a member of the civilized world with CCW, it can get complicated for the thug.

[Springfield Reformer]

I would agree with your central premise that this is a clash of radically different cultures. However, I agree with MT that you do a disservice to Klingons everywhere by equating them to hood culture. Hood culture is degenerate, caused in large part by the dissolution of traditional family structure, an essential framework for producing civilized children. Too many of the children being produced by the current hood culture are truly feral, not concerned, IMHO, with mano a mano fairness, an enlightened idea, but with something unspeakably baser and less civilized.

BTW, this is not a new phenomenon. It occurred in the Soviet Union as well, an entire generation of lost boys (and girls) subjected to the social experiment of trying to negate the nuclear family, resulting in an intolerable escalation of incurable youth thuggery. It is worth noting not even the Soviets could sustain that delusion indefinitely, and it may even be a factor in their present ferocious defense of traditional marriage, etc.