Thomasson: 'Stand your ground' dangerous

WASHINGTON -- A new Florida law seems to have legalized vigilantism, the use of deadly force by untrained civilians on the flimsiest grounds and a lack of responsibility for the mayhem that ensues. The results are predictable.

A neighborhood watch volunteer shot down an unarmed 17-year-old black teenager whom he found "suspiciously" walking down the street in a gated community. The confrontation is having disastrous ramifications nationwide as outrage builds beyond race, color or creed. The shooter, a wannabe cop, has not been arrested by the Sanford, Fla., authorities who cite a new law on self defense that permits a person "to stand his ground" if he feels his life is in danger wherever he may be, not just at home.

In other words, people no longer have to avoid danger nor show evidence that they are in jeopardy. From now on, at least in Florida and other states adopting similar measures pushed by the national gun lobby, one needn't have to drag a perceived intruder off the front porch and into the front room after blowing him away. This adds a whole new peril to door-to-door selling.

The volunteer is now being investigated by the FBI under the federal hate crime statute after pumping a shot into the chest of Trayvon Martin, who reportedly was on his way back from a convenience store during a break from watching basketball on television. The gun wielder is a criminal justice student who claims that the teenager attacked him. With what? A can of iced tea and a bag of Skittles, which was all police found on him?

The shooter, George Zimmerman, called 911 and chose to ignore warnings by the dispatcher not to follow the youth or take further action and definitely to stay in the car and wait for police who were on their way. It was the 45th time the shooter had called 911 during his volunteering career, a number that suggests a zealousness that must put anyone who happened to be on the street in danger when he is "on duty." The extremely worrisome nature of this incident is what it says about unrestricted carrying of firearms by those who are untrained in law enforcement but nevertheless assume responsibilities better left to police. It is a disaster in the making.

Perhaps he would have stayed in the car had he not been armed. Those of us who have served on neighborhood watch patrols understand that the job is to spot possible trouble and call police, nothing more.

Unfortunately, Florida and other states following the legislative prescription of the National Rifle Association are finding that the expanded law of self-defense is producing a nightmare of justification for crime. Authorities have found themselves handcuffed by criminals of all stripes who use the law to eliminate one another in "it was either him or me" defenses. Could not the good lawmakers of Florida have foreseen this? From all current accounts, Trayvon Martin was a nice young man who was a well-liked high school athlete. He certainly didn't deserve to die on an errand to a convenience store. It may be difficult for the federal investigators or a state grand jury to indict Zimmerman as mounting protests demand. But it is unsettling to know that even in one state, a self-styled lawman can shoot down an utterly unarmed person and claim self-defense.

Whatever transpires in this matter, one thing is definite: This is a bad law. Under the axiom that something good usually comes out of something bad, this tragedy may awaken us to the need to overturn such flawed policy. That possibility isn't much solace for the family of Trayvon Martin, but it is something.

On the other hand, given the callous disregard for justice and public safety being shown by legislatures cowed by the NRA and other factions driving the firearms insanity, the chances are good this ultimately will be just another so-what incident in a society dedicated to pulling the trigger.

Evidence seems to show the youth was obviously frightened at being chased by a civilian car. He was on the phone with his girlfriend, walking fast and describing his predicament when she heard sounds of an altercation.

Writer Dan K. Thomasson is former editor of the Scripps Howard News Service. Send him email at thomassondan@aol.com.