THE ART OF PROFILING

OR IS IT SCIENCE?

Johann Wagener 11-18-13

In either case I wonder why it’s not an effective method in identifying potentially dangerous individuals.

There is a plethora of information on it and another plethora of actual subjects; in this case G. Zimmerman, to test theories out on.

Yet they remain mysterious illusive individuals who continue to shock and surprise both families and strangers when they blow up.

So, being the idiot that I am, I decided to take a risk and try to profile a “potential” time-bomb on two legs and predict what might be in store for us in the not too distant future.

It wasn’t difficult to find a subject. As soon as I Googled “recent news about people arrested for domestic violence” guess who popped up first? George Zimmerman. To be honest, I wasn’t surprised.

I know “profiling” has negative connotations unless it’s used to identify migrants who cross our borders to pick our fruits and vegetables. But, might it not be prudent to apply it to people who are prone to violence and have demonstrated that they are not attuned to reality.

Take George Z for example;

* He’s known to roam neighborhoods at night looking for people he “perceives” to be suspicious.

* We know he’s somewhat paranoid and reacts impulsively to perceived danger.

* We know he recently threaten his soon to be ex-wife with bodily harm and actually punched his father-in-law in the face.

And, just in the last 24 hours we know that he shoved a shotgun in his soon to be ex-girlfriends face.

(Though I’m left to wonder why she decided to be his girlfriend unless she likes living on the “edge”)

* We know he’s an attention seeker and enjoys being in the limelight.

* We know that’s he’s been generously compensated by gun rights and stand your ground advocates,

and we also know that he is running out money and the limelight is beginning to dim on his 15 minutes of fame.

So, based on that profile what do you think a trained profiler would come up with?

Might they be able to offer an educated guess as to what Zimmeran’s next step might be.?

Although he was recently found not guilty by a jury of his peers who determined that chasing down a kid in a hoodie, carrying a bag of Skittle’s and a Coke who he “perceived” to be a threat warranted being shot and killed.

I still wonder if book deals had any influence on the decision? (I’m leaving that for another time).

What concerns me is that this person is another mass shooting in the making rather than a role model for staunch defenders of the 1st Amendment or the “stand your ground” mobs.

Still, in Florida at least, that doesn’t seem to be of much concern to many.

It’s similar to the way we react to many disturbed individuals who end up mowing down classrooms full of children or shoot up a movie theater. We usually put it together in hindsight. I refer to it as “the head up your a– syndrome.

So, I’d like to at least suggest that we consider this;

How about using a little “foresight” and skip the part in which we have to again hear those educated pundits on cable news say something like; “all the signs were there. We were just not paying attention.”

George Zimmerman was arrested Monday after he cocked and pointed a shotgun at his girlfriend, shattered a glass-top table, then pushed her out of the house and barricaded himself inside after she ordered him to move out, according to the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office