Politics

Ben Carson: Trayvon Martin case makes us reconsider what weapons neighborhood watchmen should carry

Jamie Weinstein Senior Writer
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Ben Carson says the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman tragedy should make Americans reconsider the role of neighborhood watchmen — including what kinds of weaponry they should carry.

“Though the days of legalized segregation are over, racist bigotry and prejudice still exist today, both in overt and covert ways,” Carson, a former neurosurgeon and potential 2016 presidential contender, writes in his soon-t0-be-released book, “One Nation: What We Can All Do To Save America’s Future. “I can remember times when I would be walking in a white neighborhood and in short order a police car would show up, undoubtedly summoned by a concerned onlooker. Unfortunately, this and worse still happens today, as evidenced by the Trayvon Martin case. ”

“A neighborhood watchman, George Zimmerman, suspicious of the young black man who was walking through the neighborhood late at night, shot and killed Martin after an altercation,” Carson continues. “The real tragedy is that a young life was lost and another ruined because both individuals made assumptions about the other that were probably untrue. I hope this tragedy is not useless and we can learn something about  how neighborhood watchpersons should be trained by police and what types of weapons, if any, they should use.”

“I love the idea of tasers for neighborhood guardians, because they usually are not lethal,” he concludes.

Carson’s book is slated to be released May 20.

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