No other case in modern American Legal History Polarized the Right to Carry a Firearm (and by Executive branch political manipulation) Race Relations in this Country than the George Zimmerman/Treyvon Martin Case in 2012. It was amazing to see how quickly the majority of the RKBA community all across the United States got behind Zimmerman so publicly. The amount of “fan mail” and financial support that poured in for Zimmerman was astounding. Of course on the opposite end were the folks that thought Zimmerman acted out of racial hostility rather than self-defense and that Zimmerman “profiled” Martin because of his race and the “hoodlum” type clothing he wore. In the end though, a jury of Zimmerman’s peers found him Not Guilty in a Court of Law and Zimmerman walked away a free man.
You would think that a man who had been through all that Zimmerman had just experienced, would be anxious to disappear out of the public’s all-seeing eye for a while, right? Not so. Fast forward to present day and correct me if I am wrong, but it seems ALL I have seen on the News and You-Tube since this trial ended is George Zimmerman acting a giant ass.
Consider George’s record as of current:
- 7/13: Speeding in Texas (Warning Issued)
- 9/13: Speeding in Florida (Ticket Issued)
- 9/13: Zimmerman’s Estranged Wife Shellie, Dials 911 and tell the dispatcher that Zimmerman has punched her father and is also threatening her with a gun (Shellie later drops the charges as does the DA).
- 9/13: Zimmerman is pulled over by Florida Highway Patrol for a vehicle tag cover and windows being too darkly tinted (Warning Issued).
- 11/13: Zimmerman is Arrested for Felony Aggravated Assault, Misdemeanor Domestic Violence Battery and Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief in Seminole County, Florida. His then Girlfriend, Samantha Scheibe, alleged Zimmerman broke a glass table and then Pointed a Shotgun at her “for a minute”. (Note: Several news outlets reported Zimmerman had “barricaded” himself in from the Police and had refused to come out. This was NOT TRUE. When Police arrived, there were several pieces of broken furniture against the door (in no way forming a barricade) and Zimmerman was cooperative with the investigation.) His former Girlfriend also alleges that a week and a half before this incident, Zimmerman had attempted to choke her and had talked about suicide, although no call to police or other authorities were made at the alleged time. Assault Charges are Pending on that matter.
- As conditions of his $9K bond, Zimmerman is not allowed to possess or carry a firearm and all of Zimmerman’s firearms and ammunition were confiscated. He has to also wear a tracking device on his ankle and obey the terms of two protective orders filed by both Scheibe and Zimmerman’s ex-wife, Shellie.
- Zimmerman at the time of the incident, was living with his girlfriend and had no other residences. It is reported he is unemployed, has $150 to his name, no other reported assets to speak of and he is $2.5 Million Dollars in Legal Debt.
OK, before I continue, let me be clear to the point of this article, in case some of you out there are wondering if I have went over to the “yellow side” and became an egg sucking liberal overnight! THIS IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO CAST DISPERSION on GEORGE ZIMMERMAN!
My point is to make you guys realize that if you decide to exercise your Constitutional Right To Carry a Firearm for Self-Defense, your character and actions MATTER! Add to this the fact that if you have to KILL ANOTHER PERSON to Defend your Life, like it or not, YOUR LIFE (BEHAVIOR AND ALL) WILL BE SCRUTINIZED BY THE PUBLIC FROM THAT POINT ON. Not only your Behavior during the incident, but your Behavior Before and After (if in fact you are acquitted and walk free, as Zimmerman did).
So, having said that, if we were to realistically look at George Zimmerman’s life since this trial ended, the only word that comes to my mind (and the mind of the general public, no less) is “TRAINWRECK”. Now ultimately in the big scheme of things overall, how does this reflect on how people see Mr. Zimmerman’s character? Do you think it helps or hurts his overall credibility? The answer is obvious guys: Zimmerman’s credibility as a rational, level-headed human being is just about ZERO with most people.
Now so as not to be unfair, let’s give George the benefit of the doubt and consider that when a man is put in the position he was put in, that is, having to defend himself with lethal force, kill another human being and then be put on trial for his very life, and then as if that was not enough, have to go through a very messy public divorce with a less than amicable spouse, that undoubtedly there will be some emotional baggage and fallout from that and that person should be cut a break. Without question, I agree on that. But if we dig a little deeper, say before the shooting incident, and look at Zimmerman’s Actions in 2005, things start to come into focus. This is not just “emotional fallout” but a distinctive pattern of destructive behavior and bad choices that seems to be on”repeat”.
Ultimately, People are defined by their actions. I remember the advice of my late grandpa: “You will have to live or die by the choices you make in life son.” The Choices YOU MAKE are the only ones that matter. In my Experience, The Armed CO needs to devote his life to 3 things in order to make good choices and keep his character intact:
- AVOIDANCE
- DETERRENCE
- DE-ESCALATION
Listen, the lesson here is that if you choose to carry a weapon either concealed or openly for self-defense, you MUST hold yourself to a HIGHER MORAL STANDARD than the rest of society. Because ultimately, your behavior reflects upon all of the RKBA Community as a whole. Most importantly, if you ever have to use that weapon to defend yourself and have to kill another person, your ENTIRE LIFE will be ripped apart and your PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE ACTIONS and CHARACTER examined under a finite microscope. Would you like what people found if that occurred?
As I have said, I am not here to cast Dispersion on Zimmerman, or say that all of us have to be Saints, I certainly am not! I am only trying to make you guys realize the importance of using Discretion in EVERYTHING YOU DO. It cannot be understated; Good Behavior (that comes from using Discretion) can Ultimately JUSTIFY or INCRIMINATE a person’s Credibility, Character and Good Name, and that after all, isn’t that all a man really has to show he was here?
George, you may have been found Not Guilty in a Court of Law, but in the Court of Public Opinion, the Verdict is Not Looking Good my man…. C’mon bro, get your head on straight!
Stay Good but Stay Dangerous all the same!
Reblogged this on Brittius.com.
You nailed this topic…seriously! Well said and truly an important subject, even if guns were not involved.
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Thanks Mark, yes often CO’s forget that part of being a responsible armed citizen is holding yourself to a higher standard..bad behavior is a magnet for problems. The CO must devote himself to 3 things: Avoidance, Deterrence and De-Escalation whenever possible..that way, you err on the side of caution and if something does go down, your actions can be justified most likely.