What are Stand Your Ground Laws - 1501 Words

The United States Constitution is a social contract between the U.S. government and its citizens, which promises their [the citizens’] rights and liberties will be protected. The Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights states that every citizen has the Right to Bear Arms; moreover, it means that an individual has the right to defend him or herself from physical harm. States are passing Stand Your Ground laws, which are similar to the Castle Doctrine (one has the right to defend oneself in the confines of his or her home), but the Stand Your Ground laws extend the range; instead, people may defend themselves using deadly force in any area they are permitted access (Jealous, 2013; Cox, 2013; Moore, 2012). Stand Your Ground laws contain flaws wherein predators or vigilantes may twist the law to their benefit, yet the Stand Your Ground laws are meant to justify the deeds victims must perform in order to defend themselves. Stand Your Ground laws are beneficial through their fundam ental purpose, but how defendants are abusing the laws and how critics claim that the presence of a gun influences the victim’s decisions during an attack are detrimental to the enhancement of the laws. The essential function of the Stand Your Ground laws is to protect citizens from persecution when on trial claiming they were protecting themselves from an immediate physical threat (McClellan Tekin, 2012; Wallace, 2006). The Stand Your Ground doctrine stems off of a historical law known as the CastleShow MoreRelatedStand Your Ground Laws Need Fixing1287 Words   |  5 PagesStand Your Ground Laws need fixing because they produce more problems than they solve. There are many gun activists who insist on keeping the Stand Your Ground Law as it is, but is it solving problems or causing more of a problem? The Stand Your Ground Law more than likely will never be abolished because of NRA being such a strong force, however its flaws crucially need fixed. Stand Your Ground Laws need fixed because they increase crime rates rather than decrease them. Also, Stand Your Ground LawsRead MoreAnalyzing the Stand Your Ground Law Essay938 Words   |  4 Pagescertain laws are more harmful to the co mmunity rather than beneficial. In the year 2010, Americans were outraged by the case of young Trayvon Martin, whose murder was deemed justifiable by the â€Å"Stand Your Ground† law found in Florida, and many other states. This case, amongst others has caused a stir about the usefulness of the â€Å"Stand Your Ground† law and whether the law should be abolished. When deciding whether a law should be kept in place or abolished, we as American citizens must look at what theRead MoreStand Your Ground Laws Essay1590 Words   |  7 PagesTo begin, what is the â€Å"Stand Your Ground Law†? Well many states such as: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and West Virginia have stand your ground laws which state that individuals do not have to retreat before using force in a self - defense situation or many states have laws that are remarkably similarRead Morestand your ground law Essay1612 Words   |  7 Pages The Stand Your Ground statute states that â€Å"a person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony† (Sherman). Many people will sayRead MoreThe Stand Your Ground Law1686 Words   |  7 PagesThe Stand your Ground Law has recently been debated to be a just or unjust law of retaliation. The stand your ground law permits individuals to use deadly weapons when they feel threatened or can be harmed. That means if one feels that they are in fear of losing their life they have every r ight to defend themselves by any means necessary. This law does not state that if someone is not in the way of facing physical harm or losing their life that they have a right to kill someone else. Though eachRead MoreProtecting Your Rights, Yourself, And Your Community1210 Words   |  5 PagesEric Siu Mrs. Casey English 2H / P7 30 October 2015 Protecting Your Rights, Yourself, and Your Community â€Å"Stand Your Ground† laws allow citizens to fight back a threat or an attack that will harm them. Opponents of the laws believe that they will only bring chaos and increase the crime rate. However, supporters of the law believe the laws protect the citizens and their right to self-defense. Stand your ground laws are beneficial to the community and essential to protecting a citizen’s right to self-defenseRead MoreStand Your Ground Laws Are Relevant For American Society s Perception On Self Defense1124 Words   |  5 Pages ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws have been at the center of escalating deliberation, mainly after the law was applied in a number of exceedingly-broadcasted events (Auerbach, 2015, p.1). Stand Your Ground law is a term for a â€Å"type of self-protection in which an individual is legally allowed to defend his or herself against a threat or perceived threat against their life; law requires that individual be in a place he or she is lawfully allowed to be (Long, N.D.).† The debate concentratedRead MoreStand Your Ground Law1224 Words   |  5 PagesStand Your Ground Law In recent years, the self-defense doctrine in several jurisdictions has been changing. Some jurisdictions have started using â€Å"stand your ground† laws, which change the traditional requirement that the person being attacked must â€Å"retreat to the wall† before using any kind of force. Proponents’ arguments include that the law merely codifies an individual’s deep-rooted right to defend oneself. Opponents’ arguments include that the law creates a â€Å"license to kill† and has negativeRead MoreGeorge Zimmerman Trial And Trayvon Martin Case980 Words   |  4 Pagesshared between the two that led Zimmerman to step out of his car despite the police’s order to remain inside the vehicle. Zimmerman also told police that Trayvon knocked him down when he punched him in the nose and repeatedly slammed his head on the ground and that he had only reached for his gun because he feared for his life. The incident ended when 13 year old Au stin Brown saw Zimmerman lying in the grass moaning and crying for help. Police soon arrived after a 911 call about hearing gunshots inRead MoreThe United States Stand Your Ground Law1193 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States’ Stand Your Ground law, states that any and all individuals have no duty to retreat from any place they have lawful right to be, and may use any level of force, including lethal, if they reasonably believe they face an imminent and immediate threat of serious bodily harm, or death. Forty-six states have adopted a type of â€Å"Castle Doctrine,† meaning that a person has no duty to retreat when their home is under attack. Twenty-two states have removed that duty to retreat from other