I haven't followed much of the Trayvon Martin story but I do have this question..

[TorchTheWitch]

29. I have no problem with them carrying a personal firearm

as long as it is SOLELY for personal protection in the same way they would feel a need to carry it when they aren't out patroling but on their personal time and as long as the law for the area allows concealed carry and they have the appropriate credentials should they apply. A lot of people wouldn't risk volunteering for their local town watch particularly in bad neighborhoods otherwise... in bad neighborhoods where town watch programs are most effective the volunteers are even willingly painting a target on their back.

From what I'm reading about this case though is that Zimmerman was not a part of the official neighborhood town watch program and was basically a wanna-be cop that bestowed upon himself the title of town watch captain of which he was a one man show. The people that volunteer for the official neighborhood town watch program for their area actually receive instruction and local police work with them. I know in our neighborhood they do background checks on the volunteers to weed out just the sort of problem types Zimmerman was or criminals purposely volunteering solely to attempt to keep the real volunteers away from criminal activity they want to go on.