Have you been following the Pistorius Trial?

Interesting? Really? Because the guy puked?

I don't follow commonplace criminal trials, regardless of who the accused is.

Well I hate to say it but this one has a human interest angle, quite apart from the defendent's fame.  It reminds me of the OJ Simpson trial, where you start off believing "no way" and slowly as the evidence emerges it turns to "well maybe" and finally "Jesus Christ he did it" which is an incredible turn of mind frame.

Facts in favor of Oscar:
1. He carried his wounded girlfriend downstairs and called the police
2. He expressed extreme remorse
3. He vomited on hearing testimony of her injuries
4. He claimed to love her very much
5. He was known to be very afraid of intruders, especially when he didn't have his legs on

Facts opposing Oscar's story:
1. Witnesses heard the couple fighting just before the shooting
2. Witnesses claim at least three of the 4 shots were fired AFTER she screamed
3. Witnesses testified Pistorius carried his gun everwhere, and accidentally discharged it in a restaurant
4. The trajectory of the bullet holes in the door indicate he may have had his legs on

Pistorius expresses remorse

I'm thinking he'll get acquittal with probation.

If he believed his girlfriend was in bed when he let off 4 rounds, even if he heard a scream, he might have thought it was his girlfriend screaming from the bedroom. The bedroom was directly behind the bathroom. Whether he wilfully shot her or not, his story is plausible. He may have had a fight with her, but that doesn't mean he murdered her intentionally. I suspect he's innocent. A victim of cruel happenstance. Very sad.

Acquitted of murder today although he could still go to jail on a "culpable homicide" finding, which I gather is South Africa's version of involuntary manslaughter.

I have friends who are South African. It's bad there. Violent. Lots of crime.
At first I thought he was guilty, very guilty. But the more I hear and hear of the place I think he was found guilty of exactly what happened, he accidentally shot her thinking she was an intruder. He had every reason to have the gun, he had every reason to believe someone was in the house. The context lends a lot to it. It's the kind of place where you can have gates and a guard and still get broken into on a regular basis. So none of our arguments about having guns and calling the cops rather than investigating apply. IDK It's a bad deal either way.

Will this sad situation become a "teachable moment" for NRA members who say having a gun in the house makes you safer?

No it will not. Unfortunately.

NoCoPilot wrote:

Will this sad situation become a "teachable moment" for NRA members who say having a gun in the house makes you safer?

No it will not.  Unfortunately.

No, it won't, again, because crime is so terribly rampant down there. It really is a different place. If there is anywhere I think gun toting citizens are a needed thing SA would be one of those places.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_South_Africa
The violence against white farmers is even higher and more organized.