The Single Most Important Lesson Gun Owners Should Learn From The George Zimmerman Case Jul 23rd 2013, 08:00
George Zimmerman leaves the courtroom during his trial in Sanford, Florida. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)
I am a gun owner. I support the 2nd Amendment and the right to self-defense. Although I'm not a police officer or a gun expert, I am one of the 8 million Americans with a concealed weapons permit. And the most important lesson I've learned from the George Zimmerman case is, "Don't go looking for trouble."
During training for my concealed weapons license, the instructors consistently emphasized one point: Our firearms should be regarded as a last resort to save our lives when we have no other alternative.
Part of the ethos of responsible concealed weapons permit holders is to avoid getting into dicey situations whenever possible. We should remain aware of our surroundings at all times. We should avoid getting into unnecessary conflicts. If conflicts arise, we should attempt to defuse rather than escalate them. If some jerk gets angry because he thinks we stole his spot in the grocery store parking lot, we should back down or remove ourselves from the situation — precisely because we recognize the deadly consequences if things escalate out of control.
In particular, we must not seek out confrontations counting on our handgun to bail us out of trouble. Anyone exercising his right to carry a firearm for self-defense has corresponding responsibility to exert greater — not lesser — control over his emotions.
Eric Raymond emphasized this in his classic essay, "Ethics From the Barrel Of A Gun":
When sudden death hangs inches from your right hand, you become much more careful, more mindful, and much more peaceful in your heart — because you know that if you are thoughtless or sloppy in your actions or succumb to bad temper, people will die.
My instructors also emphasized that armed civilians should not attempt to function as the police. Our firearms are meant to protect us against imminent threat to life and limb. If we're not in immediate peril, we shouldn't pursue real (or potential) criminals.
According to the transcript of the call between Zimmerman and the Sanford PD before the shooting, Zimmerman was doing precisely that:
Dispatcher: Are you following him?
Zimmerman: Yeah.
Dispatcher: Okay, we don't need you to do that.
Wayne Laugesen, a staunch gun-rights supporter and the editorial page editor for the Colorado Springs Gazette, also questioned Zimmerman's decision:
Zimmerman should have minded his own business on the night of Feb. 26, 2012. A teenager wandering a neighborhood — even one who looks like he might be on drugs — is not a crime. In a free country, a law-abiding young man should be free to walk in the rain, for no apparent reason, without having to explain himself to anyone — including cops or a self-appointed watchman. The gun should have provided Zimmerman with more rationale — not less — to avoid a non-essential conflict.
Some politicians and pundits claim the Zimmerman case demonstrates the problem with Florida's "stand your ground" law. In contrast, supporters of "stand your ground" observe that this issue didn't apply in the Zimmerman case. Instead, Zimmerman drew his weapon only after he was pinned to the ground and physically incapable of leaving.
My concern is separate from the legal issue of "stand your ground" vs. "duty to retreat" in self-defense situations. Instead, my concern is over how Zimmerman ended up in a situation where he had to use his weapon in self-defense, and what other gun owners should learn from that.
No one besides George Zimmerman knows exactly what happened the evening he shot Trayvon Martin. I'm not claiming that Zimmerman was "asking for it," nor am I condoning Martin's physical attack on Zimmerman. But as a matter of general prudence, armed civilians should avoid unnecessary confrontations with others.
Sometimes violent conflict is unavoidable. For example, my friend Ryan Moore was attacked at knife point by two men in a grocery store parking lot. Fortunately, he was able to use his concealed handgun to successfully defend himself. He killed one attacker and the other fled. Numerous witnesses corroborated his account. The police immediately determined it was a case of self-defense, and no charges were filed against him.
The jury has ruled that Zimmerman acted in self-defense according to Florida law. But to the extent the confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin was avoidable, it's tragic. Trayvon Martin's life is over and George Zimmerman's life will never be the same.
For all of us, trouble will come calling often enough. If you're a legally armed civilian, there's no reason to seek it out.
YOUR COMMENT
