INFORMEDdebate
YES
from members:
Liz Simpson
Missoula, MT
There are people
who take this law
to the extreme, [but]
I do want to keep
the right to protect
myself and my family without
fear from the law.
Joseph McNamara
Staten Island, NY
You have to do anything you can to
protect your family.
Are “stand-your-
Cindy Howard
Mission, TX
Stand-your-ground
laws protect citizens
from criminals and
lawbreakers. The
government and law
enforcement cannot be every-
thing to everyone at all times.
ground” laws a
good idea?
NO
THE CONTROVERSY surrounding the gunshot death of a Florida teenager
this year has ignited a nationwide debate about stand-your-ground laws in
various states. These laws say, essentially, that a person may use deadly
force in self-defense where there is a reasonable perceived threat, without
having to try to avoid a conflict first. Proponents say these laws protect
potential victims of violence by letting them defend themselves before
they have run out of options. Critics argue these laws give more leeway
to aggressors and contribute to escalating violence in our country.
What do you think?
from members:
Shashank Rao
San Jose, CA
Such laws may
encourage
people to act
without regard
for human life.
Kit Kurtz
Kahaluu-Keauhou, HI
These laws answer
what is perceived
as evil with more
bad rather than
focusing on positive
solutions.
Find out more about this topic on the Web:
•
www.wikipedia.org (Search “Stand Your Ground law”)
•
www.nber.org (Search “Stand Your Ground and homicides”)
•
www.northescambia.com (Search “Standing up for Stand Your Ground”)
•
www.ebony.com (Search “Standing up against Stand Your Ground”)
Scott Temple
Ypsilanti, MI
People interpret
potential conflict
differently. This
can contribute
to creating a
paranoid society.
20 The Costco Connection OCTOBER 2012
