Family of Florida boy killed by Neighborhood Watch seeks arrest

[Junkenstein]

Talk show circuit anyone?

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

It may have been the right verdict according to the law... but the law is wrong, if that was the right verdict.

I think there should be some obligation, if you're carrying a firearm, not to be creepy.

Or a "no escalation" law that states that if a person in possession of a firearm escalates a confrontation, they cannot claim self-defense if they use it to kill their opponent.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Magically, the technicalities always favour certain groups while punishing others. Wonder why that happens?

Well, protests have worked in the past to pressure legislators to change bad laws.

[Left]

It may have been the right verdict according to the law... but the law is wrong, if that was the right verdict.

I think there should be some obligation, if you're carrying a firearm, not to be creepy.

Or a "no escalation" law that states that if a person in possession of a firearm escalates a confrontation, they cannot claim self-defense if they use it to kill their opponent.

That's not a bad idea.

[Doktor Howl]

How about "Florida doesn't get to have a court system.  They and Texas must hire other states, chosen by lottery, to try all cases."?

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

How about "Florida doesn't get to have a court system.  They and Texas must hire other states, chosen by lottery, to try all cases."?

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS

[Roly Poly Oly-Garch]

It may have been the right verdict according to the law... but the law is wrong, if that was the right verdict.

I think there should be some obligation, if you're carrying a firearm, not to be creepy.

Or a "no escalation" law that states that if a person in possession of a firearm escalates a confrontation, they cannot claim self-defense if they use it to kill their opponent.

And have to be real firm in defining what constitutes escalation...or aggression. Still several people that claimed that following Martin after he had made it very clear that he was not okay with continuing to be followed, was perfectly okay. Well, not okay, per se, but a sort of "not really the best judgement, but his heart was in the right place" sorta deal.

The one thing that this has illuminated for me most of all is how few people realize that "creepy" is often just a somewhat polite way of saying "terrifying."

Also: "Any act taken in response to actions that a reasonable person would perceive as a threat to their safety, shall be called 'self defense'. Further, both parties to a conflict cannot be acting in self-defense simultaneously."

Maybe with some caveat for a cooling off period for adrenaline. Can't ambush your stalker 2 years after they've stopped, but if the adrenal gland they milked is still squirting...game on.

Call it the "Playing with fire" law, or something catchy. People would jump on board. It would be both just and extremely fucking messy (for a while). Best of both worlds.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

It may have been the right verdict according to the law... but the law is wrong, if that was the right verdict.

I think there should be some obligation, if you're carrying a firearm, not to be creepy.

Or a "no escalation" law that states that if a person in possession of a firearm escalates a confrontation, they cannot claim self-defense if they use it to kill their opponent.

And have to be real firm in defining what constitutes escalation...or aggression. Still several people that claimed that following Martin after he had made it very clear that he was not okay with continuing to be followed, was perfectly okay. Well, not okay, per se, but a sort of "not really the best judgement, but his heart was in the right place" sorta deal.

The one thing that this has illuminated for me most of all is how few people realize that "creepy" is often just a somewhat polite way of saying "terrifying."

I keep seeing the po'bucker faction saying "It's not illegal to follow somebody".

Well no, if you're not hunting them down with a firearm. I mean, that should have factored in SOMEWHERE.

Does anybody remember "premeditated murder"?

[Q. G. Pennyworth]

It may have been the right verdict according to the law... but the law is wrong, if that was the right verdict.

I think there should be some obligation, if you're carrying a firearm, not to be creepy.

Or a "no escalation" law that states that if a person in possession of a firearm escalates a confrontation, they cannot claim self-defense if they use it to kill their opponent.

I like this a lot.

How about "Florida doesn't get to have a court system.  They and Texas must hire other states, chosen by lottery, to try all cases."?

Also this.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

"No escalation" is one of those things that's supposed to be common sense, that proves that "common sense" doesn't really exist, right? 

[Roly Poly Oly-Garch]

It may have been the right verdict according to the law... but the law is wrong, if that was the right verdict.

I think there should be some obligation, if you're carrying a firearm, not to be creepy.

Or a "no escalation" law that states that if a person in possession of a firearm escalates a confrontation, they cannot claim self-defense if they use it to kill their opponent.

And have to be real firm in defining what constitutes escalation...or aggression. Still several people that claimed that following Martin after he had made it very clear that he was not okay with continuing to be followed, was perfectly okay. Well, not okay, per se, but a sort of "not really the best judgement, but his heart was in the right place" sorta deal.

The one thing that this has illuminated for me most of all is how few people realize that "creepy" is often just a somewhat polite way of saying "terrifying."

I keep seeing the po'bucker faction saying "It's not illegal to follow somebody".

Well no, if you're not hunting them down with a firearm. I mean, that should have factored in SOMEWHERE.

Even without the firearm, isn't there a point at which a person should be able to withhold their consent to be followed, and have that fucking respected? People keep bringing up the paparazzi and I'm like...

A: Horrible fucking example. Half the shit they get away with, a reasonable culture would call harassment and prosecute accordingly.

and

B: You know who the fuck the paparazzi are. They're not some unknown entity that just happens to be shadowing your movements. We're hardwired to respond to that situation in a very specific way, and unless you've undergone some serious training to decondition that very basic animal response, you're going to go into fight or flight and that may be a fun place to be for plenty of us, but it's not that safe a place to be for anybody.

Furthermore it kind of violates cognitive liberty: "Thou shalt not alter the consciousness of thy fellow men."

[Pope Pixie Pickle]

[Bruno]

Hopefully, most of them will cross the street towards him, then follow him for hours.

[The Johnny]

If people didn't have memories like goldfish.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

Hopefully, most of them will cross the street towards him, then follow him for hours.

He needs to be followed by a large group of people ALL THE TIME to make sure he doesn't kill anybody else.