Now that all is said and done, I am reflecting on the lessons of the Zimmerman trial. What can we as citizens take from this tragedy:
1 Stay away from neighborhood watch. All it got GZ was bankruptcy, a life of looking over his shoulder, near death, and an 18 month long fight for his freedom. Against what benefit? The HOA had to shell out more than $1 million to the Martins in a lawsuit. I submit that every home in that place being burglarized once a month for a year would have cost the homeowners of the community less money. In short, a community watch exposes your neighborhood to significant liability with no real benefit. After all, the only thing that a watch can do is phone police if you see a suspicious person, and you can do that without the liability of having a watch.
2 Mind your own business. If you see a suspicious person, and he is not threatening you, a member of your household, or your property, leave it alone- especially if the person is of a different race than you are. If you call, the police will only use your call against you as proof that you are a racist, a cop wannabe, or something, in the event that you ever have to defend yourself.
3 Stay away from people that are not of your race. Avoid them at all costs, even going so far as to cross the street when they approach. The reason for this is to avoid, to the greatest extent possible, any risk of having to protect yourself from a person of a different race and being called a racist for not allowing them to kill you.
4 Video cameras. Install them outside of your home and in your car. Minimize the chance that an attack will result in your statement being the only evidence.
5 If you DO have to shoot someone, tell the cops that you felt threatened, shot the person threatening you in self defense, and that you want to wait for your attorney before making any other statements. Use your phone to call a trusted friend or relative that has instructions on what to do in the event of this call. Make sure they have the number for an attorney. Then SHUT UP. Anything you can say now, you can say in an hour with your attorney present. If it will prove your innocence now, it will prove it in an hour.