Trayvon Martin Case

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by saden1

No it's not fine at all Joe. If you are the stalker or the instigator, the root cause of the confrontation, you lose grounds for a self-defense claim. I would think and hope this is self-evident.

We agree on one thing though, he should certainly be arrested and stand trial.

the instigator? I can follow you all I want on a public street saden. I can run after you if you run away. I can stare at you. I can call you names. I can say your stupid as I run in the same direction as you. What I cannot do, is touch or threaten you.

I think the crux of it is we are disagreeing on what "threaten" means. You think the act of "chasing" is the threat. Okay. I get that. If an unfamiliar kid I think is acting "suspiciously" in my neighborhood sees me watching him and starts to run away, am I "threatening" him if I chase him while I call 911? Can he turn and assault me?