Stand Your Ground And Get Shot In the Back

Florida House 0249 is better known as the Stand Your Ground Bill.

Protection of Persons/Use of Force; authorizes person to use force, including deadly force, against intruder or attacker in dwelling, residence, or vehicle under specified circumstances; provides that person is justified in using deadly force under certain circumstances; provides immunity from criminal prosecution or civil action for using deadly force; defines term "criminal prosecution", etc.

Law Professor Anthony Sebbok wrote the the "law allows citizens to kill other citizens in defense of property." That certainly seems to be what happened to Glen Rich.

It was approaching six in the morning by the time Glen Rich found his car at a nearby impound lot after having left the Sugar Shack nightclub in Tampa, Florida. He was determined to take his car home, whether impounded or not. However, in the events that followed, Rich was shot by the towing business' owner. He died at the hospital later that night.

The owner, Donald Montanez, says he shot Rich while in fear for his life, as Rich sped towards him in an attempt to get away. Other witnesses, however, have said that Montanez shot Rich from behind, as he was making his way out of the lot. The local courts are looking into the situation, which has become the first test of Florida's recent "Stand Your Ground" legislation and the first to highlight problems with the law.

I believe that people should have the right to bear arms. That doesn't mean lawmakers should pander to interest groups like the NRA. The Stand Your Ground bill can be abused in so many ways. What if someone kills their spouse and says they felt threatened? How about gang shootings? The law was never needed to begin with. Laws should have common sense and apply fairly in the real world. That never happens when lobbyists write bills.