Fear Is the Mind-Killer. It's Also the People-Killer, in Florida.

Trayvon Martin is dead. Apparently he was walking while black, with a hoodie no less. He was shot by a self-appointed neighborhood watchman. We can talk about race, and many people have, and the consequences of racism in our society today, and how it factored into this shooting. But I'm not going to talk about that.

I'd rather talk about the law that is the reason, apparently, the shooter hasn't been arrested yet. Florida has an "shoot first ask questions later" law, basically. Called the "stand your ground" law, it authorizes you to use lethal force if you have a reasonable suspicion they are going to assault you or that you will need to defend yourself. It's pre-emptive strikes.

There are many things that are wrong about this. Though I agree that self-defense should be a viable option, and that determining when a situation becomes self-defense are tricky, this law gives immunity to people because they can claim that they were "standing their ground," even if they're lying through their teeth. The actual law itself says: He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony. But proving that state of mind (or rather, disproving it) is so problematic that "in case after case during the past six years, Floridians who shot and killed unarmed opponents have not been prosecuted." Even though the main sponsor of the bill believes it was not applicable in the Trayvon case, it appears the law is still making it far too easy to get away with killing somebody. Why? Well, it's simple really.

My inner Sith Lord is laughing. All you have to do is be afraid and you're justified in shooting somebody?

I'm still afraid of the dark, for crying out loud. When I turn off the lights and head to bed I, to this very day, have to actually attempt to slow down my racing heartbeat and calm my breathing if I've even thought of something scary, which of course I always do when I turn off the lights. Thanks Marble Hornets.

You'll forgive me if I don't think your irrational fear (and let's face it, fear is rarely rational) is worth somebody's life. This article from the WaPo does a great job of discussing fear and its relevance (or non-relevance) to the Trayvon Martin case. It's worth reading.

I don't trust the rest of humanity to not be fearful. It's hard-wired into our brain from the days in our ancient history when lightning and predators at night were real threats. It exists in all of us. It shouldn't alone be justification for killing. What we need are less animals, and more humans, as per Dune.

I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

When we have more people who abide by that, and less "Fear. Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering," then we should have such fast and loose self-defense laws. But not until. Because there's plenty of suffering in Florida right now among Trayvon's family and friends, and it was because someone couldn't control his fear.