Now that you're shriven, tell me that you agree with all my posts. I have been a little outnumbered here. Verily, Shrove Thursday. What I can say is that I feel the emotion of all the posts in a different light than I did last year. The feelings of loss, the loss of a young life, the felt non-necessity of lethal force, the rejection of riot ... I hope I understand how the feelings arise. I think OLers, on balance, hope for a kind of tempered justice, not vengeance, not punishment, some kind of truth to emerge via the jury. For the parents of the dead kid, some closure. I think and feel your heart is in its heart-place, Carol. As are the hearts and minds of the rest of the commenters here. But here, there is a 'hung jury.' I wonder if in the near future, more neighbourhood watchers will consider carrying a firearm. I wonder if such watchers might prepare for the inevitable conflict or 'hooded nogoodnik' sighting or even punchup. Will the watcher rehearse such lines as "If you do not get off me, I will shoot you," or if they might consider leaving the sidearm at home. Thin gruel, I know, Carol. But very nourishing.