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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsHow did "Neighborhood WATCH", turn into "Arm yourself and track strangers down?"
I thought the entire idea of Neighborhood WATCH was to WATCH and call police if you see someone who looks suspicious?
When did that turn into gun carrying vigilantes?
Don
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)Isn't THAT interesting.
Poor kid was safer OUTSIDE of that "safe haven".
RIP, Tray...
DefenseLawyer
(11,101 posts)The idea of a neighborhood watch simply adds a bit of organization to what normal people would do anyway- inform the police if you see something suspicious. But in my experience a lot of the folks that really get "into it" to a greater degree than that seem to have more than a little Barny Fife coursing through their veins.
jorno67
(1,986 posts)how did "stand your Ground" Become "Chase Him Down"?
how did "stand your Ground" Become "shoot first and ask questions later"?
Don
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)Law of unintended consequences. Natural progression. Human nature. All of the above.
Not that anyone could have possibly foreseen this happening, since everyone who owns a holy relic in the Land of the High Church of Redemptive Violence is by definition law-abiding and prudent almost to a fault. And because of this indisputable Article of the True Faith, nobody could ever envision that law enforcement agents coming on the scene in the aftermath would ever simply accept the word of the survivor of an encounter and not conduct a full and thorough investigation of all aspects in case this was the one exception.
Before you ask, no, it doesn't make sense. Yes, it was easily foreseeable. No, lawmakers weren't about to apply simple logic because yes, they were more afraid of the real consequences from crossing the gun lobby than they were of the hypothetical consequences when unarmed citizens were killed.
fascisthunter
(29,381 posts)in all seriousness, it's a mentality that is being promoted, and not through games purposefully, but the younger generations are seeing guns as a means to an end... an answer to too many things.
TheCowsCameHome
(40,168 posts)and boy, did he ever.............but not for the reasons he wanted.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)2. I'd speculated early on that he had dreams of joining a police force after JuCo, and him catching a "criminal in the act" through neighborhood watch would put his job applications on the fast track
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)He was in fact recognized by the HOA as their neighborhood watch captain.
HooptieWagon
(17,064 posts)Just a simple background check on their watch captain would have raised red flags. And of course if there had been HOA oversight to make sure the NW was watching and reporting, not stalking and attempting to apprehend.
11 Bravo
(23,926 posts)bullshit, which had only previously been revealed at closed door meetings of the RNC, gradually became publicly acceptable on FoxNews and talk radio.
One unfortunate black kid in a hoodie is but a symptom of a much larger problem.
just1voice
(1,362 posts)Real answer: every state in the U.S. is full of "gun carrying vigilantes". TV land's racist, Nancy Grace-style, "news" exploitation of 1 shooting hasn't changed a thing.
Violent criminals walk freely among us (entire Bush admin) and innocent people go to jail regularly, convicted by ignorant pieces of shit people so full of hatred and bigotries they can't even think rationally.
You tell us, how did it happen?
RZM
(8,556 posts)Which is part of the reason this is such a big story. I'm sure there are some overzealous watchpeople, but they rarely do what he did.
Joe Horn comes to mind, but I don't believe he was a self-appointed watchperson. He just happened to see a crime being committed and grabbed his shotgun.