Loud music was not a weapon self defense can be a crime

By Torilynn Qualls |Staff Writer|

I believe the Florida “Stand Your Ground” law should be repealed.

The law was tested on Feb. 17, 2014 when Michael Dunn was found not guilty for the first-degree murder of Jordan Davis even though he was convicted of four accounts of attempted murder.

Florida’s law states that a person may use deadly force in self-defense without the duty to retreat when faced with a reasonable, perceived threat.

Davis, 17, was shot and killed by Dunn, 47, in November 2012 during a parking lot disagreement over loud music coming from the SUV Davis and three other teenagers were parked.

Dunn declared that he acted in self -defense as indicated by Florida’s law.Dunn stated that Davis had threatened him and pulled a gun on him first. However, there is no evidence indicating that Davis was carrying a weapon.

I do not accept that Dunn’s reasoning for murdering Davis in cold blood was justified, and I believe this controversial law should be repealed.

The law, or a form of it, is enforced in over 20 states.Those in favor of the law believe it protects the innocent by allowing them to act in self-defense.

Rich Morthland, member of the Illinois House of Representatives argues on a forum at USNews.com, “States are turning toward self defense measures to uphold the principle that our laws must protect the innocent over the criminal, the peace-loving over the violent, and the law-keeper over the law-breaker.”

The the law is also said to protect the second amendment, which protects our right to own and bear arms.

Defense Attorney Mark O’Mara writes, “As a responsible gun owner under this law, I have a moral duty to retreat — as long as doing so does not put me or anyone else in increased or prolonged danger.”

In my opinion, I believe that this law is very dangerous to innocent people who become a target because of racial stereotypes.Technically, the law permits the act of murder and the reasoning is based on the shooter’s judgement.

This law seems to have many loopholes which enable the murder of another human being to be justified.The law doesn’t question the mental stability of the shooter.

Does that come into play when deciding a verdict for cases similar to the “loud music shooting of Jordan Davis?”

Nor does it indicate if the shooter will be able to plea insanity under the law.

Jim Wallis of the Huffington Post states that the law enables racial discrimination because racial fear and hatred is now legally justified.

In an e-mail to the Diane Rehm show, a listener explained that, “The law allows subjective feelings rather than objective facts to determine if shooting another person is a crime.”

According to Wallis under the law it is 11 times more likely that white-on-black self -defense killings will be found justified than black-on-white cases.

Florida’s controversial law inhibits public safety and is a law fueled by racial discrimination that shouldn’t be enforced in any state.