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Guns, gates and paranoia

March 24, 2012 by Dave Knadler

Once Jesse Jackson gets involved in an issue, you can be pretty sure that the time for rational discussion of the issue is long past. To Jackson, the shooting of Trayvon Martin means just one thing: “Blacks are under attack.”

I really doubt that. I keep waiting for another shoe to drop in this case, something to make the events of that night less outrageous than they seemed. But so far, it looks to be just what it was at the beginning: A jerk with a handgun who was itching to use it. Yes, racism lives on in America, and the fact that the gunman still hasn’t been arrested seems to prove it. But this crime didn’t happen because of Trayvan Martin’s race.

george zimmerman

Armed and dangerous.

So why did it happen? Three things. First, the one I just mentioned. This George Zimmerman character, who could have been taken for black himself on a dark night, fancied himself a lawman. To that end, he bought his gun and made a career of cruising around looking for bad guys to confront. The problem was, the evildoers of his imagination never came to him. They never seemed to invade his home, or burst into Starbucks while he was having coffee. His $250 gun began to seem useless. Then he sees this guy walking alone in a gated community.

That’s the second thing: A young man out walking alone. At night. In a gated community. If you decide to stroll alone in a gated community, your race isn’t the overriding factor. You could be a lily-white Anglican bishop in full vestments and still seem suspicious. There’s a reason you rarely see sidewalks in gated communities. You’re not supposed to walk around. And you’re definitely not supposed to walk by yourself after the sun has gone down. You’d think people in gated communities would be less paranoid because of the gate. But it doesn’t seem to work that way.

kel tec 9mm

Guns kill people.

Finally, the gun itself. Anybody think George Zimmerman would have gotten out of his car without his Kel Tec 9mm? Of course not. He got out because of the gun, and because of his firm conviction that a bullet is the only thing his imaginary miscreants would understand. He really wanted to use that gun. The NRA made it seem like the thing to do. I doubt he even gave much thought to Florida’s ridiculous “Stand Your Ground” law. Until later, of course.

I definitely think George Zimmerman should be charged with this homicide, particularly since he killed the only other witness. But guys like Jessie Jackson, always anxious to invoke the specter of race war, should just shut up.

More along these lines:

  • Ray Milland, please report to security
  • Great moments in entertainment
  • Kid’s got a future
  • The cancer comes at a good time ...Now it’s up to Larry King
  • Of crosshairs and survey symbols

Filed Under: crime, Other Stuff

Comments

  1. Joan says

    March 24, 2012 at 1:29 pm

    No, Dave. It’s not the goon, the gates, or the gun. It’s the HOODIE! Geraldo has spoken. Apparently, anyone wearing a hoodie – even a short, round, grey-haired little old lady such as myself – is automatically a suspicious, threatening, and dangerous character. Yikes! And to think I just bought one! Has anyone told Little Red Riding Hood?

  2. Sheila says

    March 25, 2012 at 3:48 pm

    See, Dave, there ARE people out here following (and enjoying) your blog…and thank God I’m one of them, or I wouls have missed that perfect paragraph from the short,round grey-haired little old lady! And do save the rest of those books for later — you’ll need them during the Florida summer…

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