"I Shot the Girl Guide...She Had It Coming"

Hi Cyberspace.

I'm going to get right into it today. As most of you probably know, George Zimmerman (the guy who shot Trayvon Martin in Florida) was released last night. Subsequently, on cnn.com, there was a poll - "Would you favor (this is a quote, so as much as I hate it, I have to leave out the u) a 'Stand Your Ground' law in your state?" The results were split; 48% said no, 44% said yes and 8% were undecided.

Are you joking me?!

There are already self-defense laws in place...and while it may give lawyers an opportunity to create that coveted reasonable doubt, self defense, in my opinion, is a valid idea. Everybody should have the right to protect themselves...but it's still a dangerous tightrope to traverse, and there have probably been countless gross injustices that have come about because of the existence of the 'self defense' defense.

But a 'stand your ground' law? No. Essentially, to me, this gives anyone free reign to do absolutely anything to anyone at any given time. All the offender would have to say is - "I thought I was going to be attacked." That's it. It's bad enough that the police can get away with statements like that - "I thought he was reaching for a gun, so I shot him," or "I thought she was going to attack my partner, so I tased her."

Now the theory itself sounds ridiculous enough to me to be immediately dismissed. But if it doesn't to you, than please consider this. The onus of proof always lies on the prosecution. A defendant, by law, is not required to prove that they are innocent - the prosecution must prove that the defendant is guilty. If somebody's thought becomes a valid defense, how would it ever be possible to convict anybody?

Here's a bit of a reach, but if the precedent is set, and someone is able to get away with murder because they thought they may be in danger, why couldn't a drug dealer say they were just 'standing their financial ground?' If being in danger of physical harm is enough to justify taking a life, is being in danger of not being able to afford food not a valid defense? After all, it will kill you. You need money to survive. There's no if, ands or buts about it. Where would it stop? 'I shot the Girl Guide in the face because I thought she poisoned the cookies?' I know it sounds foolish - but it may stand up in a court of law if this 'Stand Your Ground' law ever comes to fruition.

Just a thought I had today. Thanks for reading!

Peace and Love
The Critical Stranger

As always thoughts, comments and suggestions are encouraged and appreciated!