ON JUSTICE: IT'S A LITTLE SLOW IN FLORIDA

Yesterday Michael Dunn was convicted of first-degree murder, a crime that results in a life sentence in the Florida Penitentiary System. As a reminder, Mr. Dunn shot and killed 17-year-old Jordan Davis because Dunn did not like the "thug" music coming from Davis' vehicle. Maybe there is justice coming to Florida. I thought I would reissue this blog as a reminder.


There is a famous scene in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" when Harrison Ford's character, Indiana Jones, is confronted by a man with a sword. Rather than engage in a sword fight, Indiana pulls out his pistol and shoots the man dead. Evidently white people who live in Florida think every black man must have a sword in his pocket.  Why else would they all feel justified in shooting black men and boys without guns?

Just yesterday, in Brandon, near Florida's west coast, Lew Tyree lost his life when, according to the Tampa Bay Times, he stabbed a cat, attempted to break a window, and was carrying a butcher knife.  Three Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies shot him, "at least three times," because they could not talk him into dropping the knife.  They fired at him when he made, "threatening comments," according to the paper.  Mr. Tyree was a black man, age 41.

Back in July of last year, in Escambia County, which is located in north Florida and includes the city of Pensacola, 60-year-old Roy Middleton was shot by two sheriff's deputies because a neighbor did not recognize him and called 911. Mr. Middleton was getting cigarettes out of his mother's car parked in his driveway. The deputies fired on the unarmed black man 15 times, severely injuring Mr. Middleton. The Sheriff's office blamed "officer anxiety" for the shooting, according to CNN.

Two 17-year-old boys, Trayvon Martin, shot and killed in February 2012, and Jordan Davis, shot and killed in November 2012, were murdered before they could celebrate their 18th birthdays.  Martin, armed with Skittles, and Davis, armed with loud music, were both African-American. They were not shot by deputies, but by two white men who both claimed were in fear for their life. George Zimmerman, who shot Martin, actually chased the boy before shooting him. Michael Dunn, who killed Davis, kept firing his gun even after Davis and his friends tried to flee.

I have been a white guy in America for more than 66 years.  I have never had to shoot a black man or boy. I have never feared black men or boys.  I grew up in the city of Baltimore, which had a predominantly black population when I lived there.  Never once was I threatened by black folks of any gender.  I lived in center city Philadelphia for ten years.  Same scenario, no threats.  Even living in Florida, where, evidently, black boys and men are seen as evil, I have not been threatened in any way by people of color.

According to LegallyArmed.com, through August 2013, Florida had issued almost 1.2 million concealed carry permits. Further, there are more than 35,000 armed police officers in Florida. So, from this man's perspective, African-American men living in, or vacationing in, Florida need to have a weapon.

Do not arm yourself with a knife, carry a gun. At least you will be able to defend yourself from the armed citizen or the deputy who wants to shoot you for something you did not do. Just make sure you have a carry permit so you can claim you were, "standing your ground."  By the way, in Florida we honor all valid out-of-state concealed carry permits.