| Story Views | |
| Now: | |
| Last Hour: | |
| Last 24 Hours: | |
| Total: | |
Zimmerman Trial: “When Amateurs Play Sheriff” Editorial
American Vigilante Justice: When Amateurs Play Sheriff (Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Germany)
“Many Americans feel safe only when they are permitted to carry a loaded weapon. … The Zimmerman case shows where this can lead: Amateurs with wild suspicions can patrol neighborhoods, overestimate every threat, and ultimately propagate the very insecurity they set out to contain.”
By Nicolas Richter
Translated By Jonathan Lobsien
July 16, 2013
Germany – Sueddeutsche Zeitung – Original Article (German)
|
The jury acquitted George Zimmerman, but that doesn’t mean he is without fault. He pursued a stranger at night, simply because he was a Black kid wearing a hooded sweatshirt.
Instead of listening to police and keeping his distance, Zimmerman took matters into his own hands. When it came to blows, the control freak lost control of his opponent – and perhaps also of himself – and he shot Trayvon Martin dead.
America has argued vociferously over how much of a factor skin color played in this case, but there is another theme that has most often went unnoticed: the dangers and excesses of vigilante justice. Many Americans feel safe only when they are permitted to carry a loaded weapon.
Posted By Worldmeets.US
The Zimmerman case shows where this can lead: Amateurs with wild suspicions can patrol neighborhoods, overestimate every threat, and ultimately propagate the very insecurity they set out to contain.
Like Worldmeets.US on Facebook
The acquittal was consistent with the proceedings: In the end, it couldn’t be ruled out that recreational sheriff Zimmerman acted in self-defense. It is an understandable legal outcome, even if painful for supporters of the deceased Trayvon Martin.
To their great credit, they remained overwhelmingly peaceful the night after the verdict, having heeded the central lesson of this case: more vigilante justice will only brings further chaos.
SEE ALSO ON THIS:
Guardian, U.K.: ‘Open Season on Black Boys’ After Zimmerman Verdict
L’Express, France: Guns in America: A ‘Political Fiasco’
El Universal, Mexico: Obama and Guns: ‘Yes, You Must’
FAZ, Germany: Global Arms Pact is Little Threat to Industry of Death
Excelsior, Mexico: U.S. Weapons Culture: A ‘Stupid Fascination’
Folha, Brazil: Why Does Half the World Imitate ‘Peaceful’ Newtown and Aurora?
Rodong Sinmun, North Korea: Gun-Toting America: ‘Hell on Earth’
Guardian, U.K.: Piers Morgan is Right: America’s Gun Laws Need Radical Overhaul
O Globo, Brazil: U.S. School Shootings and the ‘Externalization of Evil’
Elsevier, The Netherlands: In or Out of America, Gun Laws Cannot Control Sick Minds
News, The Netherlands: Arms Industry Profits or Innocent Life: Americans Have to Choose
022 China, China: From Chenping to Newtown: ‘Don’t Let Children Go to School in Fear’
Prensa Libre, Guatemala: Cowboys and U.S. Gun Culture: Reaffirming Heroism and War
Estadao, Brazil: Obama Must Follow Victoria Soto: Only Action, Not Tears, Saves Lives
Svenska Dagbladet, Sweden: In Wake of Newtown, Swedes Must Rethink School Openness
La Repubblica, Italy: The Whole World is Newtown
Rzeczpospolita, Poland: No One Dares Deny Americans their Guns
Liberation, France: To ‘Prove’ Himself, Obama Must Go Beyond Assault Weapons
El Universal, Mexico: Newtown: A Tragedy Foretold
Die Welt, Germany: Turn Kindergarten into Fort Knox? Go Ahead!
Fokgames, The Netherlands: Newtown and Video Games: There in NO Connection!
La Jornada, Mexico: Newtown: Gun ‘Barbarism’ that Cannot be Removed by Legislation
RDS, Canada: After Newtown Killings, Sport Must Takes a Back Seat to Healing
The Tribune, India:U.S. Must Better Protect Sikhs, Other Religious ‘Soft Targets’
IBN Live Video:Indian Sikhs React to Temple Slaughter in Wisconsin
Guardian, U.K.:Sikhs Say Attacks on Community are ‘Collateral Damage’ of 9/11
The Hindu, India:India seeks more security for religious places in U.S.
Elsevier, The Netherlands:How in the West and East, Mass Murderers are Bred
Liberation, France:America and Firearms: ‘How Many People Have to Die?’
Die Tageszeitung, Germany:The NRA: America’s ‘Deadliest’ Lobby
Izvestia, Russia:Batman Shootings Elicit No Fear from Russia Film Execs
Khaleej Times, UAE:Colorado: ‘Big Brother’ U.S. Had Best Tend to its Own House
Saarbruecker Zeitung, Germany:Bloody Acts Like these ‘Cannot Be Prevented’
La Jornada, Mexico:‘Violence and Barbarism’ in Retrograde United States
Berliner Morgenpost, Germany: Anders Breivik: Europe’s Own Osama bin Laden
Le Quotidien d’Oran, Algeria: The Troubling Profile of a ‘Bushian Terrorist’
DNA, France:Terrorism in Toulouse and the ‘Currency of Hate’
Sydsvenskan, Sweden: After September 11, We ‘Lost What We Wanted to Defend’
Polityka, Poland: America in Anger’s Clutches
Beijing Youth Daily, China: Making Sense of America’s Right to Bear Arms
Frankfurter Rundschau, Germany: Virginia Tech One Year On: The ‘Silent Scandal’
New Straits Times, Malaysia: Don’t Just Blame Virginia Tech …
Kitabat, Iraq: ‘Thank Allah the Virginia Killer Wasn’t Muslim’
La Jornada, Mexico: Virginaa Tech: An American Tragedy
NRC Handlesblad, Netherlands: Americans Distrust State Monopoly on Violence
JoongAng Daily, South Korea: The Legacy of Cho Seung-hui: A Lesson to Koreans
The Korea Herald, South Korea: Koreans Feel Collective Guilt Over the Massacre
La Jornada, Mexico: Rejecting U.S. Drug War is Essential for Mexico’s Survival
Xinjingbao, China: Information Society Triggered Massacre
China Daily, China: A Nation Cannot Be Tarred by a Single Killer
La Jornada, Mexico: The ‘Paths of Death’ Lead to Washington
La Jornada, Mexico: A Culture of Violence …
O Povo, Brazil: Virginia Tech: Sign of Our Wounded Civilization
Khaleej Times, UAE: Shooting Shows Something Ails America ‘At its Core’
Al Watan Voice, Palestinian Territories: Fort Hood: ‘Muslims Can’t Be Trusted’
Dar Al Khaleej, UAE: America’s ‘Black Knights’ and the Fort Hood Tragedy
Le Temps, Switzerland: ‘Double Lesson’ at Fort Hood
Khaleej Times, U.A.E. Fort Hood Shooting: ‘Don’t Pin It on Faith’
Hurriet, Turkey: Shooting at Fort Hood and the Role of Muslim Clerics
The Telegraph, U.K.: British Muslims Debate the Fort Hood Killer
http://worldmeets.us/ http://worldmeets.us/sueddeutsche000043.shtml#ixzz2ZYMlbkCi
