This image is significant because it makes viewers aware of which states has the Stand Your Ground law.This information is useful when visiting another state.
“On March 25th, Many Christians wore hooded sweatshirts to church in solidarity with Trayvon Martin, the 17 year old who was shot dead on February 26th in Sanford Florida. The shooter George Zimmerman found Martin’s hoodie and black skin suspicious. Ignoring advice from a 911 dispatcher, he followed Martin. This led to a physical confrontation which ended in Martin’s death. Zimmerman claimed self-defense in alliance with the Stand Your Ground Law and the police let him go.” (Kanuk,2012).
There is a controversy over whether or not the Stand Your Ground Law is being abused by citizens in the state of Florida.
In 2005, the Stand Your Ground Law was adopted by Florida, known as Florida statute 776.013. The Florida Statute states that “A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat. And has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or prevent commission of a forcible felony.” (Kanuk,2012).
This means that if a person is not doing anything wrong and happens to be threatened, he or she has the right to defend themselves with violence. This law also explains that if a person feels like someone is going to cause harm or kill them or someone else, then they have the right to kill that person in an act of self-defense which the Stand Your Ground law supports.
Some researchers believe that the Stand Your Ground Law is being abused. “The Tampa Bay Times and the Washington Post have recently reported that the number of deaths associated with “self-Defense/or justifiable homicides.” Cases in Florida has significantly increased following the introduction of the “Stand Your Ground Law in 2005” (Kanuk2012). This means that in the state of Florida, the numbers of justified killings or murders considered as self-defense have increased after the Stand Your Ground Las was established. The author is insinuating that people are purposely and or carelessly killing other people due to the fact that the individual knows that they are protected by the Stand Your Ground Law.
An analysis was conducted over whether or not the Stand Your Ground Law is being abused. “This analysis is performed with a methodological approach known as the before-and-after study, which is favored over other approaches because the observational data are analyzed for the same location, but at different points in time. The before and after study also allows for a better control of external factors that may affect the frequency of events” (Kanuk,2012). The previous paragraph basically explains how the researcher is going to analyze the Stand Your Ground Law. He analyzes it by gathering data on the number of homicides before 2005 and then after 2005. Then he compares the results.
After conducting the Before and After analysis, the researcher found that there was an increase in justifiable murders after the Stand Your Ground Law was established. “The data shows that on average, Florida experienced about 34 justifiable homicides per year for a total of 206 deaths in six years. In the after period, the annual death rate was about 85, which means that for the first four years, 333 justifiable killings were recorded. There is a clear pattern that emerges from the raw data. There is an obvious increase in the number of deaths after 2005” (Kanuk,2005).
Basically, this paragraph states before the Stand Your Ground Law was enacted in 2005, there was an average of 34 justifiable homicides per year. After the law was established, there were 85 per year which is more than double.
The increase in justifiable homicides increased 2.5 times and the introduction of the law has caused close to 200 more homicides following it’s enactment in 2005.
Some people think that the Stand Your Ground Law is ridiculous and should have never been a law to begin with. “When you get to kill the other guy, claim self-defense, and walk solely because you claimed self-defense, we have a problem” (Klingaman, 2012). This is simply stating that when you have the right to kill someone because you thought he or she was a threat and then you tell police officers you did kill the other person in self-defense and you are not arrested, that’s a huge problem.
There are many people trying to repeal the Stand Your Ground law. People think the Stand Your Ground law should be repealed because “Many of the victims have been unarmed (12 of 13 studied in a recent Orlando Sentinel investigation.) (Klingaman, 2012). This quote says that most of the people who have been shot or killed never had guns to begin with. Another reason that people want to repeal the Stand Your Ground law is because “Police chiefs do not understand the laws , and thus abrogate their duty to investigate fully in the first crucial hours following an incident, allowing vital forensic evidence to be destroyed.” (Klingaman, 2012). This means that because of the Stand Your Ground law, police are not investing crime scenes right after crimes happen. The evidence to help solve the crime gets lost.
Also, “They encourage vigilantism by codifying a set of assumptions that magnifies the real degree of threat posed by “suspicious” persons possessed of unknown intent. This effect is exacerbated by racial profiling, as well as outright racism, and further fueled by the now well-known “hoodie effect.”” (Klingaman, 2012). In other words, this law makes it seem OK for people to take the law into their own hands. People are often suspicious of certain groups in society. So racial profiling causes people to behave like paranoid vigilantes and result in gun violence.
Furthermore, “people under investigation for having committed a crime involving the use of a firearm already possess a presumption of innocence.” (Klingaman, 2012). This states that the law is redundant because in the United States, citizens are innocent until proven guilty. Lastly, “They represent a license to kill. And, as I have said before, it’s not gun nuts who bother me, it’s nuts with guns. “(Klingaman, 2012). This quote explains that the Stand Your Ground law makes it seem OK to shoot and kill. It also explains that some people who own guns are not completely sane.
It is important that i address what the NRA and how it is associated with the Stand Your Ground Laws. “The National Rifle association is a powerful lobby that advocates the right to own and bear arms and rejects gun regulation by the government”(Dictionary.com,2012). The NRA connects to the stand Your ground Law because without the legalization of guns a person would not have the rights to have a gun. ‘The NRA is slowly and surely methodically working at the at the state level to expand the number and kind category of places where people can carry concealed,loaded weapons and use them with deadly force,”(“NRA tries to ease gun restrictions.” UPI News Track 12Apr.2012.Student Edition. Web.8May 2012) . This means that the NRA is working to get the Stand Your Ground Law expanded through out all states so that all persons are able to carried loaded guns.Lobbyist like Marion Hammer believes that the Stand Your Ground Law should not be repealed. Marrion repeatedly tells a story about the night she pulled a gun on a car load of men who were threatening her. In a recorded interview she said the quickly took off and the gun saved her life. “Marrion once said We do not shoot to kill, we shoot to live”(hammer,2012).This quote explains that people do not just murder people because its something they want to do .They do so to protect themselves when being threatened. Marrion also believes that owning a gun is a civil right.
I am only one ,but i can contribute somthing , I cannot do everything but i can do something. And i will not let what i cannot do interfere with what i can do”(Everet,2012). In conclusion, The stand your ground law effects me and other and other minorities in a numerous of ways. One way is that even though every minority have not been shot dead or murdered been murdered because of the stand your .However we fail to realize that minorities are also effected ,regardless of gender .Minorities are also effected by the stand your ground law because we all have had a relative or close friend taken away from us because of the law and justice was not served due to someone claiming self defense.Another problem is that this law is not seen as an injustice to some. and those that believe this law is horrible they do nothing to change it.The saddest part of this issue is that African Americans dignity and pride was once stolen and stripped from us and for along time we could not do anything about it. However now that we are physically capable of making sure that African Americans are never taken advantage of or teated unfairly we do nothing but sit on our behind and complain. “I am only one ,but i am one. I cannot do everything but i can do something. And i will not let what i cannot do interfere with what i can do”(Everet,2012).
There is a controversy over whether or not the Stand Your Ground Law is being abused by citizens in the state of Florida.
In 2005, the Stand Your Ground Law was adopted by Florida, known as Florida statute 776.013. The Florida Statute states that “A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat. And has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or prevent commission of a forcible felony.” (Kanuk,2012).
This means that if a person is not doing anything wrong and happens to be threatened, he or she has the right to defend themselves with violence. This law also explains that if a person feels like someone is going to cause harm or kill them or someone else, then they have the right to kill that person in an act of self-defense which the Stand Your Ground law supports.
Some researchers believe that the Stand Your Ground Law is being abused. “The Tampa Bay Times and the Washington Post have recently reported that the number of deaths associated with “self-Defense/or justifiable homicides.” Cases in Florida has significantly increased following the introduction of the “Stand Your Ground Law in 2005” (Kanuk2012). This means that in the state of Florida, the numbers of justified killings or murders considered as self-defense have increased after the Stand Your Ground Las was established. The author is insinuating that people are purposely and or carelessly killing other people due to the fact that the individual knows that they are protected by the Stand Your Ground Law.
An analysis was conducted over whether or not the Stand Your Ground Law is being abused. “This analysis is performed with a methodological approach known as the before-and-after study, which is favored over other approaches because the observational data are analyzed for the same location, but at different points in time. The before and after study also allows for a better control of external factors that may affect the frequency of events” (Kanuk,2012). The previous paragraph basically explains how the researcher is going to analyze the Stand Your Ground Law. He analyzes it by gathering data on the number of homicides before 2005 and then after 2005. Then he compares the results.
After conducting the Before and After analysis, the researcher found that there was an increase in justifiable murders after the Stand Your Ground Law was established. “The data shows that on average, Florida experienced about 34 justifiable homicides per year for a total of 206 deaths in six years. In the after period, the annual death rate was about 85, which means that for the first four years, 333 justifiable killings were recorded. There is a clear pattern that emerges from the raw data. There is an obvious increase in the number of deaths after 2005” (Kanuk,2005).
Basically, this paragraph states before the Stand Your Ground Law was enacted in 2005, there was an average of 34 justifiable homicides per year. After the law was established, there were 85 per year which is more than double.
The increase in justifiable homicides increased 2.5 times and the introduction of the law has caused close to 200 more homicides following it’s enactment in 2005.
Some people think that the Stand Your Ground Law is ridiculous and should have never been a law to begin with. “When you get to kill the other guy, claim self-defense, and walk solely because you claimed self-defense, we have a problem” (Klingaman, 2012). This is simply stating that when you have the right to kill someone because you thought he or she was a threat and then you tell police officers you did kill the other person in self-defense and you are not arrested, that’s a huge problem.
There are many people trying to repeal the Stand Your Ground law. People think the Stand Your Ground law should be repealed because “Many of the victims have been unarmed (12 of 13 studied in a recent Orlando Sentinel investigation.) (Klingaman, 2012). This quote says that most of the people who have been shot or killed never had guns to begin with. Another reason that people want to repeal the Stand Your Ground law is because “Police chiefs do not understand the laws , and thus abrogate their duty to investigate fully in the first crucial hours following an incident, allowing vital forensic evidence to be destroyed.” (Klingaman, 2012). This means that because of the Stand Your Ground law, police are not investing crime scenes right after crimes happen. The evidence to help solve the crime gets lost.
Also, “They encourage vigilantism by codifying a set of assumptions that magnifies the real degree of threat posed by “suspicious” persons possessed of unknown intent. This effect is exacerbated by racial profiling, as well as outright racism, and further fueled by the now well-known “hoodie effect.”” (Klingaman, 2012). In other words, this law makes it seem OK for people to take the law into their own hands. People are often suspicious of certain groups in society. So racial profiling causes people to behave like paranoid vigilantes and result in gun violence.
Furthermore, “people under investigation for having committed a crime involving the use of a firearm already possess a presumption of innocence.” (Klingaman, 2012). This states that the law is redundant because in the United States, citizens are innocent until proven guilty. Lastly, “They represent a license to kill. And, as I have said before, it’s not gun nuts who bother me, it’s nuts with guns. “(Klingaman, 2012). This quote explains that the Stand Your Ground law makes it seem OK to shoot and kill. It also explains that some people who own guns are not completely sane.
It is important that i address what the NRA and how it is associated with the Stand Your Ground Laws. “The National Rifle association is a powerful lobby that advocates the right to own and bear arms and rejects gun regulation by the government”(Dictionary.com,2012). The NRA connects to the stand Your ground Law because without the legalization of guns a person would not have the rights to have a gun. ‘The NRA is slowly and surely methodically working at the at the state level to expand the number and kind category of places where people can carry concealed,loaded weapons and use them with deadly force,”(“NRA tries to ease gun restrictions.” UPI News Track 12Apr.2012.Student Edition. Web.8May 2012) . This means that the NRA is working to get the Stand Your Ground Law expanded through out all states so that all persons are able to carried loaded guns.Lobbyist like Marion Hammer believes that the Stand Your Ground Law should not be repealed. Marrion repeatedly tells a story about the night she pulled a gun on a car load of men who were threatening her. In a recorded interview she said the quickly took off and the gun saved her life. “Marrion once said We do not shoot to kill, we shoot to live”(hammer,2012).This quote explains that people do not just murder people because its something they want to do .They do so to protect themselves when being threatened. Marrion also believes that owning a gun is a civil right.
I am only one ,but i can contribute somthing , I cannot do everything but i can do something. And i will not let what i cannot do interfere with what i can do”(Everet,2012). In conclusion, The stand your ground law effects me and other and other minorities in a numerous of ways. One way is that even though every minority have not been shot dead or murdered been murdered because of the stand your .However we fail to realize that minorities are also effected ,regardless of gender .Minorities are also effected by the stand your ground law because we all have had a relative or close friend taken away from us because of the law and justice was not served due to someone claiming self defense.Another problem is that this law is not seen as an injustice to some. and those that believe this law is horrible they do nothing to change it.The saddest part of this issue is that African Americans dignity and pride was once stolen and stripped from us and for along time we could not do anything about it. However now that we are physically capable of making sure that African Americans are never taken advantage of or teated unfairly we do nothing but sit on our behind and complain. “I am only one ,but i am one. I cannot do everything but i can do something. And i will not let what i cannot do interfere with what i can do”(Everet,2012).