THANK YOU!

The general public (some of whom work for news organizations) have a stunningly poor grasp of exactly what "Stand Your Ground" laws entail and, by repeating the inaccuracies in the news or online, wind up making the problem worse.

If someone's entire knowledge of the legalities of self defense comes from watching the 6 o'clock news and old Law & Order reruns, is it any wonder that they think they're cleared hot to blast away any time they feel "in fear for their life"?

Fortunately there are people out there trying to get the word out in mainstream press outlets:

"These groups and even scholars studying gun violence refer to Stand Your Ground (SYG) laws as “shoot first” laws, short for “shoot first and ask questions later.” As a gun scholar, gun owner and opponent of gun violence, I fear that equating SYG with the legal right to “shoot first” could unintentionally mislead people into thinking that self-defense laws truly give them a blanket license to kill with impunity.

They do not.

Self-defense laws actually place significant limits on the ability of individuals to use lethal force in self-defense lawfully. Whether people fully understand those limitations is an empirical question, but critics should drop the language of “shoot first” in referring to these laws. Instead, in the interest of public safety, why not educate people on the limited range of behaviors they in fact allow?"

Do me a favor and go read the whole thing and share it around.

Professor Yamane in the classroom at Alliance Police Training