Many states have enacted “stand your ground” laws that remove the duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense.
A substantial minority of states have laws imposing a duty to retreat, with some important variations. In general, a duty to retreat means that you are not allowed to resort to deadly force in self-defense if it is possible to safely avoid the risk of harm or death (by running away, for example). If that is not an option and you were cornered or pinned down and facing serious harm, then you could be authorized to use deadly force in self-defense.
This was George Zimmerman’s claim in the Trayvon Martin case, he created a fabricated LIE to justify him using deadly force in killing the unarmed teen. This made the “Stand Your Ground” law a central part of the Trayvon Martin controversy. Zimmerman claimed Trayvon Martin pinned him down to the ground, while pounding his head on the pavement, leaving him no other option but to use his weapon in self-defense.
And the recent case of Renisha McBride, 19, (pictured here), the young woman who was shot in the face when she knocked on a door in Dearborn Heights, Mich., at 2:30 a.m. in the morning seeking help after wrecking her car in the early morning hours of Nov. 2.
Civil rights groups have said the killing of McBride, who is black, is an example of racial profiling. They have said the circumstances surrounding her death are similar to the murder of Trayvon Martin.
There are 24 states that have stand your ground laws. 24. That is almost half of all states, and that’s frightening. Additionally, the majority of victims in Florida “Stand Your Ground” cases have been white.
Join me tonight at 8:00 PM on “Conversations Of A Sistah” via “Conversations Live” as we take a look at this law and the alarming cases of “Stand your ground”.
You can add your .2 cents to the Conversation by phoning me on the air at 1- (347) 426-3645…Please press “1” to speak with the host.
