How did "Neighborhood WATCH", turn into "Arm yourself and track strangers down?"

[NNN0LHI]

I thought the entire idea of Neighborhood WATCH was to WATCH and call police if you see someone who looks suspicious?

When did that turn into gun carrying vigilantes?

Don

[NYC_SKP]

1. Simple, if you're in a gated community, anyone who looks suspicious is actually at greater risk...

Isn't THAT interesting.

Poor kid was safer OUTSIDE of that "safe haven".

RIP, Tray...

[DefenseLawyer]

2. It's always had that element

The idea of a neighborhood watch simply adds a bit of organization to what normal people would do anyway- inform the police if you see something suspicious. But in my experience a lot of the folks that really get "into it" to a greater degree than that seem to have more than a little Barny Fife coursing through their veins.

[jorno67]

3. or....

how did "stand your Ground" Become "Chase Him Down"?

[NNN0LHI]

4. or....

how did "stand your Ground" Become "shoot first and ask questions later"?

Don

[gratuitous]

5. Standard mission creep

Law of unintended consequences. Natural progression. Human nature. All of the above.

Not that anyone could have possibly foreseen this happening, since everyone who owns a holy relic in the Land of the High Church of Redemptive Violence is by definition law-abiding and prudent almost to a fault. And because of this indisputable Article of the True Faith, nobody could ever envision that law enforcement agents coming on the scene in the aftermath would ever simply accept the word of the survivor of an encounter and not conduct a full and thorough investigation of all aspects in case this was the one exception.

Before you ask, no, it doesn't make sense. Yes, it was easily foreseeable. No, lawmakers weren't about to apply simple logic because yes, they were more afraid of the real consequences from crossing the gun lobby than they were of the hypothetical consequences when unarmed citizens were killed.

[fascisthunter]

6. haven't you played any vigilante games?

in all seriousness, it's a mentality that is being promoted, and not through games purposefully, but the younger generations are seeing guns as a means to an end... an answer to too many things.

[TheCowsCameHome]

7. Zimmerman wanted to get his name in the news

and boy, did he ever.............but not for the reasons he wanted.

[Blue_Tires]

8. 1. He was never true neighborhood watch, just self-appointed freelance 'security'

2. I'd speculated early on that he had dreams of joining a police force after JuCo, and him catching a "criminal in the act" through neighborhood watch would put his job applications on the fast track

[HooptieWagon]

10. Althoigh the group wasnt registered with national NW,

He was in fact recognized by the HOA as their neighborhood watch captain.

[HooptieWagon]

9. Lack of oversight and vetting by the HOA.

Just a simple background check on their watch captain would have raised red flags. And of course if there had been HOA oversight to make sure the NW was watching and reporting, not stalking and attempting to apprehend.

[11 Bravo]

11. When a majority of the American people voted for a "Scary Neeeegro", a whole bunch of racist ...

bullshit, which had only previously been revealed at closed door meetings of the RNC, gradually became publicly acceptable on FoxNews and talk radio.

One unfortunate black kid in a hoodie is but a symptom of a much larger problem.

[just1voice]

12. It was July 9, 1844, a nice sunny day in happyland

Real answer: every state in the U.S. is full of "gun carrying vigilantes". TV land's racist, Nancy Grace-style, "news" exploitation of 1 shooting hasn't changed a thing.

Violent criminals walk freely among us (entire Bush admin) and innocent people go to jail regularly, convicted by ignorant pieces of shit people so full of hatred and bigotries they can't even think rationally.

You tell us, how did it happen?

[RZM]

13. I don't think it has changed. It think Zimmerman and his actions are pretty much the exception

Which is part of the reason this is such a big story. I'm sure there are some overzealous watchpeople, but they rarely do what he did.

Joe Horn comes to mind, but I don't believe he was a self-appointed watchperson. He just happened to see a crime being committed and grabbed his shotgun.