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Standing on Shaky Ground

Posted on by Marie Sartain in Blogs | 31 Comments

Disclaimer: The author does not claim to have any firsthand knowledge of the cases described. She is only familiar with the facts publicly available as of writing 4/21/2012. Unless you’ve been living in a sealed nuclear bunker the past few months, you’ve probably heard of the hotly-contested Stand Your Ground laws. On the books of 21 states in some form or another, Stand Your Ground laws allow a person to use lethal force if they feel threatened outside their home, without attempting to retreat. The driving idea behind these laws makes sense, on the surface. If people feel that their lives are at stake, don’t they have the right to protect themselves? Killing in self-defense is legally recognized in the United States. So why is such a law so controversial? Let’s take a look at a few controversial cases to find the inherent flaws of the Stand Your Ground laws. …

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