Stand Your Ground Law
The Second Amendment allows for an individual to use a firearm for self
defense, But - could this law also allow an individual to legally commit murder?
The choice to use a gun for self-defense is a personal decision, However, most
states do not want to take the chance of private citizens committing vigilantism
and taking the lives of other citizens in their community. On the other hand,
the States of Florida, California, Michigan, and Illinois (to name a few) have
passed laws allowing their citizens the right to use firearms for self-defense.
This law is known as the "Stand Your Ground Law."
This law states that ""[a]n individual who has not or is not engaged in the
commission of a crime at the time he or she uses deadly force may use
deadly force against another individual anywhere he or she has the legal
right to be with no duty to retreat if . . . [t]he individual honestly and
reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent
[imminent death, sexual assault, and/or bodily harm.] To better comprehend
this law: Imagine you are walking home from the store and a guy pulls a
knife on you. This law states you have the right to shoot him if you believe
that he will kill you.
A recent and very famous case was the
State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman. Mr. Zimmerman believed he was in
imminent harm of death when he shot an killed an unarmed youth named
Trayvon Marton. The jury decided that George Zimmerman was justified
under the Stand Your Ground Law to fire his gun at the youth thus killing him.
Mr. Zimmerman was set free. This court case has stirred many advocates
citing pro Second Amendment and others demanding more gun control.
defense, But - could this law also allow an individual to legally commit murder?
The choice to use a gun for self-defense is a personal decision, However, most
states do not want to take the chance of private citizens committing vigilantism
and taking the lives of other citizens in their community. On the other hand,
the States of Florida, California, Michigan, and Illinois (to name a few) have
passed laws allowing their citizens the right to use firearms for self-defense.
This law is known as the "Stand Your Ground Law."
This law states that ""[a]n individual who has not or is not engaged in the
commission of a crime at the time he or she uses deadly force may use
deadly force against another individual anywhere he or she has the legal
right to be with no duty to retreat if . . . [t]he individual honestly and
reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent
[imminent death, sexual assault, and/or bodily harm.] To better comprehend
this law: Imagine you are walking home from the store and a guy pulls a
knife on you. This law states you have the right to shoot him if you believe
that he will kill you.
A recent and very famous case was the
State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman. Mr. Zimmerman believed he was in
imminent harm of death when he shot an killed an unarmed youth named
Trayvon Marton. The jury decided that George Zimmerman was justified
under the Stand Your Ground Law to fire his gun at the youth thus killing him.
Mr. Zimmerman was set free. This court case has stirred many advocates
citing pro Second Amendment and others demanding more gun control.