stand your ground

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One possible solution to improving Florida’s stand-your-ground law would be to clarify what acts can define the aggressor vs. the victim. More support of my argument can be found in the article, “Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground Law’ Needs Work” by Florida’s member of House of Reps. Perry E. Thurston Jr. In Thurston’s article, Thurston expresses how he believes that having self-defense laws are important to society and how he feels that Florida’s stand-your-ground law needs to be improved.
“Florida’s law is not clear to those who must apply it as to what constitutes provocation by an aggressor. If law enforcement does not know when following someone, using harsh language or physical contact arise to the level of provocation, they have no way of knowing who is the aggressor and who is a victim in a situation where both parties eventually resort to force.” (Thurston Jr.)
Thurston’s statement suggests that having self-defense laws work more effectively when law enforcement officers can decipher what caused the situation at hand to escalate to a violent level. More support from an argument similar to Thurston’s can be found in the article, “Sometimes There’s No Choice but to ‘Stand Your Ground’ by Executive Director of Gun Owners of America Larry Pratt. Throughout Pratt’s article, Pratt discusses the stand-your-ground law and how he believes having self-defense laws are critical to our government. “The SYG laws are an important tool in protecting the right of self-defense. Asking a potential victim to flee could expose his or her back to an assailant. And that could be very dangerous. Victims should be able to defend themselves before they have run out of options” (Pratt). Pratt’s example reminds us how important stand-your-ground laws ...

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...lorida’s stand-your-ground law has done more damage in the communities than been a service to the community. Florida’s stand-your-ground law has taken the life of an innocent, unarmed African-American teenage boy who was on his way home when he was gunned down for looking suspicious because he was wearing a hoodie. Now why should a law that presses intolerance continue to be used as a self-defense law?
In conclusion, it is extremely critical that one keeps in mind that the intolerance of African-American males has been an issue in our society for a number of years. This is an issue that will not be fixed or will go away overnight until society truly comes to a point where the color, gender, or class of a person has zero value. Until society fully comes to that understanding self-defense laws like Florida’s stand-your-ground law will not be able to fully flourish.

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