Interesting discussion with the fellow morons over at Ace of Spades HQ today regarding Zimmerman, neighborhood watch, and concealed carry. I’ve become more critical of Zimmerman: He is/was the Captain of his Neighborhood Watch. That suggests a certain level of experience, expertise, leadership and training regarding best practices in neighborhood watch. Yet it took only a few minutes perusing education, law enforcement, municipalities and neighborhood watch websites to notice common rules or best practices:
You are not being asked to take personal risks, only to serve as extra “eyes and ears” and to report information on crimes and suspicious activities promptly
And:
You should never attempt to apprehend a suspect. This is the law enforcement officer’s job.
And noticeably absent from ANY of them is a recommendation to carry a weapon. This is NOT to suggest that neighborhood watch can not carry for defense. It is to state that no support can be found for the practice, it is contrary to the exercise, and much evidence can be found that it is highly discouraged or disallowed altogether:
“You do not carry a weapon during neighborhood watch,” he said flatly.
And:
And:
“None of our members should carry a gun. If they do, they don’t do it as part of the (neighborhood watch) program,”
So it’s not controversial to suggest that Neighborhood Watch leave the weapons at home.
Zimmerman did more than watch – he pursued. He specifically did not break off when the dispatcher instructed him. Against convention he found himself in contact with Martin. And he was carrying a firearm that he subsequently used to defend himself by killing Martin.
My point with the morons was that by not following the most basic of rules, Zimmerman escalated a simple suspicious person call into an unnecessary confrontation and tragic death.