By Natalie Tolomeo, Reporter
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 30, 2013
SANFORD --
More than a year and a half (click here) after Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, the city of Sanford is making major changes to its neighborhood watch program, including banning volunteers from carrying guns while on patrol, and forbidding them from pursuing anyone in their neighborhoods.
Sanford's new police chief, Cecil Smith, said the neighborhood watch program as it was operated while Zimmerman was part of it was dysfunctional and had no accountability.
"In this program, it is clearly stated that you will not pursue an individual," Smith explained. "In this new program, it clearly indicates that you will not carry a firearm when performing your duties as a neighborhood watch captain or participant."
Smith said when he took over as Sanford's chief of police in April, the neighborhood watch program Zimmerman was part of was still operating the same way it was when he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin more than a year earlier....
The laws that jurors used to exonerate Mr. Zimmerman from the death of an innocent black teenage is always discussed by Talk Radio. The Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine Laws are celebrated by these folks and that is how it has become a political issue.
Ms. Fulton is absolutely correct, gun owners that are politically motivated as Mr. Zimmerman was (self advocacy in the media) are fully aware of their own power by riding the 'legal bubble' of gun rights. They think nothing of pulling the trigger regardless of whether it is prudent or not. They are empowered beyond an average citizen to act in violent methods in their lives.
Currently, the talk shows tout the fact the Black Community is benefiting the most by Stand Your Ground. I mean, really? The talk radio crowd are really despicable people. It isn't a matter of disliking them, it is a matter of their immorality and self righteousness.
The gun laws in the USA are bought and paid for by the NRA and have become dangerous laws empowering people to kill each other where it was never permitted before. They are political icons now. The laws are. They need to be rolled back. The experiment has proven to be very deadly.
The talk shows will state these outrageous observations about how the Black Community is benefiting the most by these laws and turn right around in the next breath stating Chicago's gun violence is out of control. Huh?
So, let me get this right, the gun violence in Chicago is unbelievably horrible, but, due to Stand Your Ground they are getting away with it, right? Got it. That is legalizing criminality. What has happened to this country is Wall Street money and it is disgraceful. Human life means nothing anymore.
Sybrina Fulton testifies before a Senate judiciary subcommittee hearing
on stand-your-ground laws. Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP
Richard Luscombe in Miami
theguardian.com,
Sybrina Fulton (click here) said George Zimmerman, the black teenager’s killer who was acquitted of murder in July, took advantage of a law that “creates many opportunities for people to commit terrible acts of violence and evade justice”.
She said Zimmerman’s knowledge of the controversial legislation, which was enacted in Florida in 2005 and removed a person’s obligation to retreat from a confrontation in which they felt threatened, “may have emboldened him to stalk my son and use lethal force even in a situation where it seemed unnecessary and certainly avoidable”. Zimmerman did not use the stand-your-ground law in his defence, but it was cited by police who initially declined to charge him with Martin's killing....
Last Updated: Wednesday, October 30, 2013
SANFORD --
More than a year and a half (click here) after Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, the city of Sanford is making major changes to its neighborhood watch program, including banning volunteers from carrying guns while on patrol, and forbidding them from pursuing anyone in their neighborhoods.
Sanford's new police chief, Cecil Smith, said the neighborhood watch program as it was operated while Zimmerman was part of it was dysfunctional and had no accountability.
"In this program, it is clearly stated that you will not pursue an individual," Smith explained. "In this new program, it clearly indicates that you will not carry a firearm when performing your duties as a neighborhood watch captain or participant."
Smith said when he took over as Sanford's chief of police in April, the neighborhood watch program Zimmerman was part of was still operating the same way it was when he shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin more than a year earlier....
The laws that jurors used to exonerate Mr. Zimmerman from the death of an innocent black teenage is always discussed by Talk Radio. The Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine Laws are celebrated by these folks and that is how it has become a political issue.
Ms. Fulton is absolutely correct, gun owners that are politically motivated as Mr. Zimmerman was (self advocacy in the media) are fully aware of their own power by riding the 'legal bubble' of gun rights. They think nothing of pulling the trigger regardless of whether it is prudent or not. They are empowered beyond an average citizen to act in violent methods in their lives.
Currently, the talk shows tout the fact the Black Community is benefiting the most by Stand Your Ground. I mean, really? The talk radio crowd are really despicable people. It isn't a matter of disliking them, it is a matter of their immorality and self righteousness.
The gun laws in the USA are bought and paid for by the NRA and have become dangerous laws empowering people to kill each other where it was never permitted before. They are political icons now. The laws are. They need to be rolled back. The experiment has proven to be very deadly.
The talk shows will state these outrageous observations about how the Black Community is benefiting the most by these laws and turn right around in the next breath stating Chicago's gun violence is out of control. Huh?
So, let me get this right, the gun violence in Chicago is unbelievably horrible, but, due to Stand Your Ground they are getting away with it, right? Got it. That is legalizing criminality. What has happened to this country is Wall Street money and it is disgraceful. Human life means nothing anymore.
Sybrina Fulton testifies before a Senate judiciary subcommittee hearing
on stand-your-ground laws. Photograph: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Richard Luscombe in Miami
theguardian.com,
Sybrina Fulton (click here) said George Zimmerman, the black teenager’s killer who was acquitted of murder in July, took advantage of a law that “creates many opportunities for people to commit terrible acts of violence and evade justice”.
She said Zimmerman’s knowledge of the controversial legislation, which was enacted in Florida in 2005 and removed a person’s obligation to retreat from a confrontation in which they felt threatened, “may have emboldened him to stalk my son and use lethal force even in a situation where it seemed unnecessary and certainly avoidable”. Zimmerman did not use the stand-your-ground law in his defence, but it was cited by police who initially declined to charge him with Martin's killing....
