His lawyers waived a separate hearing on a Stand Your Ground defense, and ABC News headlined the stunning of "court observers."
Maybe some "observers" are more easily stunned than others. I doubt many students of self-defense law were even trickle-charged.
George Zimmerman shot and killed Trayvon Martin. Beyond that, the debate is open. If it was legally justifiable -- as it may have been -- it was on grounds other than Florida's Stand Your Ground law. Zimmerman left that legal cloak behind when he stopped his car, got out, and initiated the confrontation. A suspicious looking kid quietly walking through your night-time neighborhood is grounds for calling the cops, watching from a discreet distance, and taking steps to protect yourself in case he confronts you.
Zimmerman's self-defense argument will succeed or fail based on a judicial determination of what happened after he faced Martin and then, as he alleges, walked away. The details are in dispute and foggy. That's why we have courts.
---
Stand your ground law laws should be universal -- a simple affirmation of your right to use all necessary force to stay alive when a criminal threatens you. If we insist that they give full police power to every guy with a suspicion, we'll lose them, state-by-state.
Mar 6, 2013
Yesterday's loaf
I found a nice recipe for 100 per cent whole-wheat bread. It was even better when I decided to substitute butter for the vegetable shortening and hard molasses for the sugar.
But I hate incomplete recipes. This one lacked a reminder: "Prior to leaving the kitchen, position the cooling loaf well back on your counter, beyond paw reach of an ungrateful sneaking thieving inconsiderate greedy thoughtless furshlugginer sonuvabitch of a Labrador retriever."
But I hate incomplete recipes. This one lacked a reminder: "Prior to leaving the kitchen, position the cooling loaf well back on your counter, beyond paw reach of an ungrateful sneaking thieving inconsiderate greedy thoughtless furshlugginer sonuvabitch of a Labrador retriever."
Mar 5, 2013
The gun news from Lunchtime O'Booze
Just in case you haven't had your fill of media ignorance on firearms technology, I offer this one. It's part of a live blog from The Guardian (of England) of Senator Feinstein's hearing on her bill to ban assaultish-looking weapons.
A Dr. Begg is testifying about his dismay as he tried to treat Newtown victims. Then:
Begg presents a horrible video in which a ballistics expert demonstrates what a bullet from an AR-15 can do. The expert in the video shoots a block of gelatin-like material – flesh-like material – with a .22 rifle. Then he shoots one with an AR-15. The .22 bullet passes cleanly through. The AR-15 bullet goes in and then explodes.
It's certainly possible to compact more ignorance into a short paragraph, but most writers would be hard-pressed.
It would probably do no good to set this reporter down and explain, slowly, in short words, that a video illustrating a point of physics with ballistics gel is neutral rather than "horrible." Now, if it used a Fleet Street reporter to demonstrate the same point, that would be "horrible." Wouldn't it? Well, uhhhh...
Never mind his conflation of bullet diameter with terminal ballistics. We could just send him a telegram stating "An AR-15 is almost always a .22 rifle." Maybe that would send him to a library where he would occupy himself in close study of Guns for Dummies -- and looking in vain for evidence that criminals typically use bullet which "explode."
But to end on a positive note, he appears to have done a thorough and professional job of informing his reading public about who cried and at what level of intensity.
---
Title credit to Edwin Newman in Strictly Speaking
A Dr. Begg is testifying about his dismay as he tried to treat Newtown victims. Then:
Begg presents a horrible video in which a ballistics expert demonstrates what a bullet from an AR-15 can do. The expert in the video shoots a block of gelatin-like material – flesh-like material – with a .22 rifle. Then he shoots one with an AR-15. The .22 bullet passes cleanly through. The AR-15 bullet goes in and then explodes.
It's certainly possible to compact more ignorance into a short paragraph, but most writers would be hard-pressed.
It would probably do no good to set this reporter down and explain, slowly, in short words, that a video illustrating a point of physics with ballistics gel is neutral rather than "horrible." Now, if it used a Fleet Street reporter to demonstrate the same point, that would be "horrible." Wouldn't it? Well, uhhhh...
Never mind his conflation of bullet diameter with terminal ballistics. We could just send him a telegram stating "An AR-15 is almost always a .22 rifle." Maybe that would send him to a library where he would occupy himself in close study of Guns for Dummies -- and looking in vain for evidence that criminals typically use bullet which "explode."
But to end on a positive note, he appears to have done a thorough and professional job of informing his reading public about who cried and at what level of intensity.
---
Title credit to Edwin Newman in Strictly Speaking
Mar 4, 2013
Out-of-Ammo Only Ones
I'm trying to work up some schadenfreude about this, because, like all proper Americans, I'm slightly suspicious of cops. It may be a genetic imprint from our immigrant ancestors who turned their back on the Old World police states.
It's hard, however, to get too giggly about a cop without a cartridge. Somebody has to watch out for bad guys, so a well-watched, well-trained, and well-controlled police force is a useful thing. And if we're going to give them guns and live ammo, we damned well better make sure they know what they're doing when they whip out their Glocks.
The ammunition shortage is forcing cop training officers to count rounds. So it is time to assign blame -- military needs, of course, but perhaps mostly you and me.
As possible federal gun control legislation aims to keep assault rifles out of the hands of enthusiasts, the rifles and their ammunition have skyrocketed in value. Gun owners trying to scoop up all the ammunition they can before a ban takes effect have driven up costs while diminishing supply.
Sorry about that, Chief. But not very. I know your PR guy keeps saying that you're my first line of defense against evil, but I tend to think that's bull; I am. So while the supply remains tight I suggest an equitable solution: One for you, ten for me, one for you, 20 for me...
It's hard, however, to get too giggly about a cop without a cartridge. Somebody has to watch out for bad guys, so a well-watched, well-trained, and well-controlled police force is a useful thing. And if we're going to give them guns and live ammo, we damned well better make sure they know what they're doing when they whip out their Glocks.
The ammunition shortage is forcing cop training officers to count rounds. So it is time to assign blame -- military needs, of course, but perhaps mostly you and me.
As possible federal gun control legislation aims to keep assault rifles out of the hands of enthusiasts, the rifles and their ammunition have skyrocketed in value. Gun owners trying to scoop up all the ammunition they can before a ban takes effect have driven up costs while diminishing supply.
Sorry about that, Chief. But not very. I know your PR guy keeps saying that you're my first line of defense against evil, but I tend to think that's bull; I am. So while the supply remains tight I suggest an equitable solution: One for you, ten for me, one for you, 20 for me...
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