Writing at Forbes online, Paul Hsieh distills the main component of what I was trying to get at the other day when points out the following:
the most important lesson I’ve learned from the George Zimmerman case is, “Don’t go looking for trouble.”
[…]
My instructors also emphasized that armed civilians should not attempt to function as the police. Our firearms are meant to protect us against imminent threat to life and limb. If we’re not in immediate peril, we shouldn’t pursue real (or potential) criminals.
He goes on to note:
My concern is separate from the legal issue of “stand your ground” vs. “duty to retreat” in self-defense situations. Instead, my concern is over how Zimmerman ended up in a situation where he had to use his weapon in self-defense, and what other gun owners should learn from that.
No one besides George Zimmerman knows exactly what happened the evening he shot Trayvon Martin. I’m not claiming that Zimmerman was “asking for it,” nor am I condoning Martin’s physical attack on Zimmerman. But as a matter of general prudence, armed civilians should avoid unnecessary confrontations with others.
Indeed (and emphasis mine).
