Zimmerman acted recklessly and irresponsibly. Florida permitted him to own and carry a gun. But it did not give him a license to be a vigilante, or law enforcement training and the judgment that goes with it. Had he abided by the HOA's rule not to be armed while on patrol, and stayed in his car as the police dispatcher advised, Martin would be alive, Zimmerman would not have been charged, and America would have been spared more racial strife.

When I earned my CCW (Carry Concealed Weapon) permit, the instructor time and again emphasized responsibilities over rights, and when not to shoot over when to shoot. He said that 85% of shooting situations were morally and legally ambiguous, notwithstanding Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine. All of the responsible gun owners I know condemn Zimmerman.