Io capisco.
I carry concealed all the time. While so armed, I am vigilant and extra aware of my surroundings.. I am very polite and non-confrontational when interacting with other people. This is how I avoid bad situations. If such a situation was brought to me despite all these precautions, I could deal with it.
The smartest thing for Zimmerman to do was to have avoided a possible confrontation with the “suspicious-looking” person by not getting out of the car. When he got out of the car, the risk of a confrontation was, in my opinion, unnecessarily increased. He would have done a greater service to the community and to himself by staying in the car. He did not have to get out of the car where he was armed just the same. If TM had attacked Z in his car, less likely than attacking him outside the car, Z would have had a better tactical position and a stronger legal position.
Just to reiterate what I said earlier:
GZ did nothing illegal.
He did not provoke the fight.
He used justified self-defense.
My only disagreement is that he should have stayed in the car and this whole event would have ended a lot better for him and the community of Sanford.
That is right, the law of unintended consequences is what screwed Z, helped by no good race baiters and the like.
Well, That is a point for his own safety, but not necessarily for others, for I believe Z was trying to improve the odds for apprehension.
I will say that way back, at the outset, after looking at sufficient facts my recorded opinion on FR was that Z was in the right, but that both were fools. We found out tonight that the live fool was also declared not guilty of wrongful death.
That does not say that his methodology was necessarily an approved way for right to triumph.
I would hope that he won't have to fend off civil damages.
Those who do carry concealed (or open) should be well warned of the costs of right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and not flex their power unnecessarily.
Sayonara --