Posted on 04/08/2012 7:21:12 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Give Cosby credit for not being playing the race card, but he's still not thinking this through completely. If an investigation proves Zimmerman's side of the story, "the gun" will end up being what might have saved his life.
We have a God-given right to patrol our own neighborhoods, which can be dangerous work. And if in the act of doing so we are attacked, "the gun" can come in awfully handy.
Let's also not forget that Zimmerman claims he wasn't following Trayvon Martin when the teenager attacked him.
Washington Times:
"The gun.”
Those two simple words flowed easily from the mouth of social commentator Bill Cosby during an exclusive interview Friday regarding the Trayvon Martin case, arguably the most high-profile, citizen-on-citizen U.S. slaying facing the Obama administration.
Trayvon was killed Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla., by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, who told police that a “confrontation” with the unarmed 17-year-old led him to shoot in self-defense.
Mr. Cosby, a Navy veteran, said “the gun” empowered Mr. Zimmerman, whose actions have stirred a firestorm of debate, protests and remarks from President Obama....
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
The police saying “you don’t have to be doing that” is not the same thing as “you should not be doing that”. He does not require permission from the police to watch someone. Again you do not give up your 2nd amendment rights when you do neighborhood watch.
Individual citizens, or individual citizens working together in a neighborhood watch, all have the right to carry. Period.
Cosby is another fool who is assuming. And as Felix Unger would say, “When we ASSUME you make an ASS out of U and ME”
Do remember - Mr Cosby’s only son was murdered by thugs with guns when he stopped along the Interstate to fix a flat tire. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/entertainer-bill-cosbys-son-murdered-along-ca-interstate
Such an experience could result in reactions of either extreme violence or aversion to guns.
Neighborhood watches involve night time patrols, and evenings are when criminals come out to play. In addition, neighborhood watch people are looking for trouble, though in the sense of finding and reporting criminals rather than arresting them. If they run into criminals on the job, and the perps are armed or numerous, their lives could be in jeopardy. It would not make sense to have a neighborhood watch without weapons. I've read about neighborhood watches in Third World countries where gun control is pretty strict. They carry fighting sticks or batons in case of attack. The irony is that any neighborhood watch where weapons aren't needed is probably a superfluous neighborhood watch.
People who are against neighborhood watch people carrying guns are a little naive. Criminals who might hesitate to attack cops have no compunction about attacking civilians. Mayberry* was 50 years ago.
* If San Diego PD's stats are to be believed, per capita violent crime was much lower 50 years ago; better emergency medical care has turned many shooting and stabbing incidents that would have become murder cases back in the 1950's into aggravated assault cases today. In 2006, per capita robberies were 6x what they were in 1950. Per capita aggravated assaults (shootings, stabbings) were 15x.
According to George Zimmerman's father, George was not on duty the night of the shooting. He was leaving the complex on his way to the store when he saw Martin. It doesn't matter what the Neighborhood watch rules are, he had the right to carry while on his own business. It is unfortunate that his personal business was interrupted by a neighborhood problem.
Houston has strict no-weapons policy for its neighborhood citizen patrols. (It has actually three programs, but the patrol program is the relevant one.)
This policy had unfortunate consequences for a Citizens on Patrol (then called C.O.P.) in a black neighborhood in north Houston called Lexington Green, 20 years ago. The patroller saw a suspicious car, suspected that the house nearby had been entered, and started writing down the license plate. He never finished -- the armed "burglar" inside came out and blew him away. Another black-on-black crime statistic, for a guy who followed the rules.
Houston then instituted a new rule, which was that a patroller was never to leave his vehicle. Which conflicted with state "good Samaritan" laws and laws against "failure to render assistance". But the policy remains in force today. Even for cyclists who join the program. Some people patrol on foot (the gay community in Houston were doing that, looking for gay-bashing cruisers like the ones who murdered Paul Broussard near a Montrose gay bar in a case notorious from 20 years ago), which creates another cognitive dissonance within the program.
In Dallas, a very bad area that had numerous armed dealers and dopers staggering around started their own group within the Citizens on Patrol umbrella program 15 years ago. They were all older black men in their 40's and 50's who patrolled in groups of five or six on foot, every one of them carrying a shotgun. They weren't playing. They didn't lose anyone that I ever heard of.
The neigborhood watch in my community forbids carrying weapons. They give you a cell phone, a spot light and a list of phone numbers to report suspicious activity. At no time do you approach anyone. That’s left up to the authorities.
Mr. Zimmerman wasn’t on neighborhood watch the night of Trayvon Martin’s shooting, he was on his way to the store. Florida allows open and concealed carry, IIRC.
Damn! If only there was a law against murder, his son would be alive today. In spite of his personal experience, he still thinks you can stop evil by making it against the law.
This, I think perfectly illustrates the difference between left and right. They think they can change human nature, and we know you can’t.
“but Mr. Cosby, where would your son be today if he’d HAD a gun?” He would probably be alive today. His son was shot in the head by some nut job named Mikhail Markhasev, a Ukrainian immigrant. You just never know! Loaded open carry in Colorado is just fine with me and LEOs. Both open carry and unlicensed open car carry in Denver are prohibited.
Yeah, how about the lefties start a big campaign to disarm all celebrity bodyguards.
I’m sure that would go over well.
His son’s death is the reason that cos is insane... and he is insane.
LLS
I blame Skittles and to a lesser extend Arizona Tea.
Most people don't know: it's a Federal government program.
Then I want nothing to do with it. I don't leave my home unless I'm armed.
Neighborhood Watch is apparently just another way the Federal government is attempting to disarm the people, right down to the neighborhood level.
You do know it's a Federal program, right?
Yes, the gun empowered Zimmerman to not be afraid in his own neighborhood. That is what the gun does, helps protect against thugs, both private and public. Neighborhood watch people without guns are just placating the nanny-staters and gun grabbing cops, who can only clean up AFTER a crime is committed.
That is exactly what they want done. Armed men scare the perpetually aggrieved class. It tends to negate their wanton violence.
Everyone is a neighborhood watch captain. It’s your sanctuary, defend it.
Can anyone cite one instance in the last 50 years where a innocent person has been accidentally shot by someone on night watch other than “innocent” Trayvon Martin.The perceived threat is a figment of Cosby’s imagination. His idea makes as much sense as banning walking outside because a space satellite might fall on one’s head.Can you spell overblown hysteria?
That is exactly what they want done. Armed men scare the perpetually aggrieved class. It tends to negate their wanton violence.
Everyone is a neighborhood watch captain. It’s your sanctuary, defend it.
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