Guns are not the answer

Shoot someone and all your problems go away, right? Is that how we handle things in America, by the way of the gun??

Some cases that come to mind are the following:

It has been in the news for a few months but the obvious one to come to mind is the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case. Then there is the controversial case of Cisco, the dog who was shot by an Austin police officer (the police officer was at the wrong address). In Westlake, Ohio, back in 2010, Callaway, a yellow lab was shot and killed by a police officer, who came to the property to investigate a burglar alarm. The last case I will mention is the case of Joe Horn, a Texas man, who shot two burglars that were robbing his neighbor's home. I won't go into the explicit details of each case but Trayvon Martin and the two burglars were unarmed. The dogs were of course unarmed as well, unless you count their teeth or bite as a weapon. Joe Horn was cleared of any wrongdoing and Mark Morales, the police officer who shot Callway was also cleared of any wrongdoing. The Zimmerman and Cisco cases have yet to be resolved.

Shoot to kill?? Is it necessary for us to be judge, jury and executioner with a gun? Didn't the dogs in both cases above have the right to defend themselves? Afterall, the police officers were the "intruders" and on the dog's property. The dog does not know what the officer's intentions are, unlike us they can only vebalize by "barking". They were defending their property. Don't we all have rights as citizens to defend our property? There are other ways to handle agressive animals, shooting to kill in any case, should be an absolute last resort, especially if you are on the dog's property. I know there are instances that it is justifiable to shoot a dog but I don't believe in either one of these instances it was necessary.

 Joe Horn was not defending his property, neither was George Zimmerman(although to be fair, it was his neighborhood). Joe Horn shot the two burglars, yes they were stealing but they were unarmed, yes they were breaking the law but they were not threatening Mr. Horn's property, yet he was cleared of any wrongdoing? Why, is it ok for him to be a vigilante? George Zimmerman, has yet to be tried in a court of law, yet he chose to follow Trayvon Martin (who was only walking in the neighborhood & not committing any crime) and somehow Trayvon ended up dead. In both of these cases, 911 operators told both shooters to back off and not follow the "perpetrators" but because both had guns they felt it was ok to take the law in their own hands? This America is no longer the Wild West or is it?

Are we so comfortable with a gun in our hand and power hungry that the right to have arms has blinded us on what is fair and just? I do not have a right or wrong answer, but I do know this, guns are not always the answer and as citizens we have to be held accountable for our actions, that includes police officers, as well. We are supposed to believe that police officers uphold the law and we are to follow their example, yet it seems to be shoot first, ask questions later, is that they way it is supposed to be? Whatever happened to trying to resolve a situation and not have it escalate? People seem to be much more comfortable with a gun in hand rather than talking and listening. I guess it is much easier to shoot with a gun then actually have a conversation. Remember this, anytime you are brandishing a weapon, your life will never be the same. Go ahead, shoot first, ask questions later but what kind of example are you leading and what kind of life will you have left? Reputation-gone, out the door? Do you think people will believe your version of events and that you were justified? Can you take the heat? Are you willing to put everything at risk for what you think is just and right? Guns are not always the answer. Pull the trigger and your life will never be the same. Guaranteed. There are consequences to everything we do in this life, go ahead pull the trigger and see what happens. Being a power hungry vigilante is not the answer. And just because you are holding the weapon, does not make you just and right.