In our violent world today, the ability to protect ourselves is an important factor in our lives. Police cannot be everywhere at once and that is the reason almost all state legislatures have incorporated some kind of self-defense statute for their state. The ability to use deadly force for self-defense has saved many innocent lives over the past couple of years, but it has also taken several. This is the reason why there has been such a great controversy about the normal untrained public, which is our society, being able to make calls about using deadly force.
Self- defense laws have changed over the years, but none of them have gotten as much attention as the “Stand Your Ground Statute. ” This law is a very controversial issue because it takes away the, “Duty to Retreat” prior to the use of deadly force for self-defense. This has raised concerns for the public who are not in favor of using deadly force in the first place. While many opponents want to abolish the “Stand Your Ground Statute”, I believe that it is an essential law that should be kept in our society in order to protect the innocent people who have no other option than to exterminate the threat he/she, or the Emily have faced. Stand Your Ground” and other laws like it not only give the public more rights to protect themselves, but also provides a strengthening legal safety net for the people who had to the use of deadly force. I know that if someone threatens you or your family with the intent to harm, you have the right to use to deadly force. The way I see it is it’s either the intruder or your family. Right now there are about 30 States that have passed the “Stand Your Ground” law, but each State has its own definition behind their law. Use of force may only be used as a last resort.
I would like to know more about the rules that pertain to each State’s law. How they protect the citizens and how it affects the communities as well. Each State has its own version. The “Stand Your Ground” law however has several drawbacks, such as the perception of a threat, which believe is subjective. My opinion of a threat could be different from someone else’s opinion. No one can replicate an emotion or sense of fear that someone feels in any event. The Second Amendment provides citizens the personal right to own arms for individual use, and a right to bear these same arms for personal protection.
With this right to bear arms comes a duty to use guns in a responsible and legal manner. This means that a citizen who is in a dangerous situation should be allowed to shoot and kill a suspected attacker ‘only’ as a last resort. Removing the duty to retreat when it is safe and possible is the major flaw in many state’s stand your ground law. It encourages reckless behavior that unnecessarily results in harm and death. Many people do not believe that you shouldn’t be permitted to own a gun. They claim that the Second Amendment was established a long time ago after the Revolutionary War, and that times have changed.
Just because you ban guns or any other kind of weapon, does not mean people won’t try to commit crimes against you. Others argue that a citizen “shouldn’t take the laws into their own hands”. However I do believe gun owners should be taught gun control, and not to use the “Stand Your Ground” law unless it’s mandatory. To pursue my knowledge and appreciation of the “Stand Your Ground” laws and the rules that follow it, I will use many resources. With the advance of technology, will be using multiple resources from the Internet. I will ask my peers in for their own views and ideas about this controversial subject.
Whether it’s newspaper articles or books from the Leathery Library, they have the information I need to justify my argument in this case. I know a lot of States have their laws, but I need to find out which States have a strict hold on it. For example, Texas may be more lenient than California does, all due to their political backgrounds. The Internet will be the best resource I have to get the information I need. I can also use polls to see where people stand on the subject. Charts and graphs can be uses as well to see if the laws reduced the homicides and decreased the number of armed robberies.
In conclusion, I believe that the stand your ground law should not be abolished, because of the many reasons that I have presented, although there are some flaws, which of course everything has, the law should not be abolished just for its minor imperfections. This law was made to ensure that citizens had the right to defend themselves when need be. I believe that with this Stand Your Ground law in effect, the majority of the people will be relieved to know that they will be able to defend themselves with the law on their side, should any misfortune come on them to push them to defend themselves with the use of a deadly or equal force.
