Man shoots, kills elderly man with Alzheimer’s at Walker County, Ga., home

[Major Nikon]

50. Shoot first laws are inherently harmful

The idea that shoot first laws didn't play a role in Zimmerman's acquittal is a right wing talking point that has been debunked over and over and over. Here's just one reason why. These were the jury instructions given by the judge:

If George Zimmerman was not engaged in an unlawful activity and was attacked in any place where he had a right to be, he had no duty to retreat and had the right to stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he reasonably believed that it was necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.

The reality is that the shoot first law protected Zimmerman in countless ways in every step of the process. It prevented the police from arresting him initially. It affected the DA's decision not to pursue a GJ indictment until the public outcry was overwhelming. It made the prosecution's case untenable, and ultimately it prevented Zimmerman from going to prison where he belongs. It's not as if Zimmerman is the only gun happy shitbag out there shooting people for no good reason, either. Shoot first laws are harmful, damn harmful even. The chances that Z will kill again are better than even. He is a living testament to the law of the instrument and nobody could take his guns away after the trial. With any luck his latest fuckup with accomplish that, but I'm not really optimistic.

The idea that police are arresting good guys with guns and DA's are trying to prosecute them is no better. Why on earth would these people do this if the end game is failure? Trying to poke holes in the duty to retreat with no demonstrable evidence of actual adverse impact is banal. Laws aren't perfect, that's why countless other protections are in place. Inventing solutions that had no problem with predictable negative consequences is idiocy.