Trayvon Martin's death: Should Florida repeal its 'dangerous' 'stand your ground' gun law?

At the heart of the tragic shooting case is a 2005 Florida law that lets many nervous gun owners shoot to kill. Is this cowboy law just crazy?

The parents of Trayvon Martin, the Florida teenager shot by a neighborhood watchman in Florida, protest with thousands of people in New York City.
(Image credit: CC BY: david_shankbone)

In 2005, Florida's legislature easily passed a new gun law that greatly expanded the list of situations in which gun owners can use deadly force; then-Gov. Jeb Bush (R) signed it, and more than 20 states have since adopted similar laws. The "Stand Your Ground" law took the "Castle Doctrine" — which holds that your house is your castle, and you can shoot anyone who attacks it — and extended it to virtually any public space. CNN's Jeffrey Toobin calls Florida's law "an invitation to use deadly force under basically any circumstances." After self-styled neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman invoked it to avoid arrest after shooting unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin last month, some Florida lawmakers are calling for repealing the "dangerous" law. Should Florida listen?

Yes, scrap the law: It's insane that Florida laws "just let people blast away with their guns, and ask questions later," but that's how the NRA and the "gun-crazy legislature" want it, says Gary Stein in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. So it's no surprise that Zimmerman is taking advantage — heck, "shooters have been using and abusing the law for a while." But it's unacceptable. Stand Your Ground "does nothing but protect the shooter and the NRA, not the citizenry," and we should repeal it.

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