Local groups want Georgia’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ law abolished
‘I Am Trayvon Martin’ rally planned for Monday
There was a lot of conversation on Fresh Loaf yesterday about how responsible — if at all — Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law was for the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin at the hands of self-proclaimed neighborhood watch commander George Zimmerman. The law, which broadens the circumstances under which citizens can use deadly force against people presumed to be threats to their property or well being, has come under fire as the details of Martin’s death — and the police’s subsequent failure to arrest Zimmerman — have slowly come to light. Georgia passed its own “Stand Your Ground” law in 2006, a year after Florida’s was enacted.
Reader “TeeJay” opined:
This whole debate over Florida’s “stand your ground law” is a red herring. The media’s inane obsession with focusing on this law would be baffling, if it weren’t so easily attributable to their desire to toe the “each side has a story” line and simply parrot whatever nonsense they’re told by the police.
“wesleywhatwhat” wrote:
i gotta disagree with teejay and fellow commenter eric pfeifer here - i think the “stand your ground” is the ONLY reason zimmerman wasn’t arrested. from what little i know about the case, florida presecutors have been hesitant to press charges in these cases for that reason alone.
Red herring or not, a variety of local groups say they want Georgia lawmakers to either amend or abolish the controversial legislation.
Students from Morehouse, Spelman, Clark Atlanta, as well as representatives from the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Concerned Black Clergy of Atlant, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and the NAACP (the list goes on), have planned a march and rally for 5:30 p.m. on Monday, March 26 at the Capitol.
The groups are also taking issue with pro-gun bills that have been introduced this year which include measures that would lower the carry age from 21 to 18 and would allow for concealed weapons to be brought into church. Rally attendees are encouraged to wear hoodies and bring Skittles — two things that have become symbolic of the Martin incident.