Anti-gun protestors gathered at the Ohio Statehouse earlier this week and staged a “die in” to protest a proposed “Stand Your Ground” law in the Buckeye State, Andrew Johnson at National Review Online reported today.
“‘Stand Your Ground’ laws have gained national attention over the past year since the shooting death of Florida teenager Trayvon Martin,” Johnson wrote. “Critics of the law claim that it endangers minorities and hoped that the ‘die-in’ protest would make the public aware of the deaths that could be caused due to the law.”
It’s a common misconception, perpetuated by citizen disarmament advocates and “Authorized Journalists,” that George Zimmerman was acquitted based on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law. While some “progressive” media sites continue to beat that drum based on one clause in Circuit Judge Debra S. Nelson’s jury instructions, Sean Davis of Media Trackers noted “even the prosecution said during the trial that ‘Stand Your Ground’ had nothing to do with the case. During his closing argument, prosecutor John Guy explicitly told the jury, ‘This case is not about standing your ground.’”
As for such laws specifically endangering minorities, an analysis presented by The Daily Caller concluded “approximately one third of Florida ‘Stand Your Ground’ claims in fatal cases have been made by black defendants, and they have used the defense successfully 55 percent of the time, at the same rate as the population at large and at a higher rate than white defendants … Additionally, the majority of victims in Florida ‘Stand Your Ground’ cases have been white.”
What opponents of “Stand Your Ground” laws instead demand, as noted by St. Louis Gun Rights Examiner Kurt Hofmann, are “Run and Hide” laws. What better strategy could there be to overcome a predator's natural chase-and-kill instincts than to behave exactly like prey?
Still the protestors did more than just conduct a “die-in.” Per the Associated Press, the Ohio Black Legislative Caucus delivered a petition to Gov. John Kasich that they say has 10,000 signatures opposed to enacting “Stand Your Ground” reforms.
“Is the complete and unredacted petition with all 10,000 names a public record that we as citizens have a right to see? Will you make it available for public scrutiny?” Gun Rights Examiner asked the governor’s office, posting the request on The War on Guns blog. If a response is not forthcoming, a Freedom of Information Act request will be filed next week.
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