Additional information
by Civil Righ Subcommittee on Constitution (Author)
The debate over "stand your ground" laws raises fundamental questions about self-defense in the United States of America. In recent years, we have seen a dramatic increase in laws expanding the situations in which a person can legally use deadly force in response to a perceived threat. Florida passed the first of this new wave of "stand your ground" laws in 2005. Prior to 2005, Florida law held that a person outside his home could not use deadly force and then claim self-defense if the person could have safely avoided the confrontation. This "duty of safe retreat" sought to prevent public disputes from escalating into violence. But the gun lobby pushed to change Florida's law so people could shoot someone who threatened them without first trying to avoid a confrontation. These "stand your ground" laws have led to increases in homicides and firearm injuries with no deterrent effect on crimes like robbery or assault. In some cases, these laws have emboldened those who carry guns to initiate confrontations which have ended up killing unarmed children.
