After George
Zimmerman was found not guilty in the case of the shooting of Traypeople
started crying for civil action for wrongful death against the Florida
resident. Protests sprouted across the
country after the verdict was read, and a wave of opinions for or against
Zimmerman’s actions swarmed the internet.
The NAACP is urging the Justice Department to bring civil rights charges
against Zimmerman, who shot Martin in an altercation during a neighborhood watch
shift. While race issues certainly
fueled the debate, the real legacy of the Zimmerman case may lie in the future
of “Stand Your Ground Laws”, a rule that protected George Zimmerman from being
held after his first arrest in early 2012.
von Martin,
it was not long before  | |
| Racial tension has swarmed the George Zimmerman case. | |
| Photo by Zennie Abraham via Flickr CC |
The self-defense law
in Florida, known as “Stand Your Ground”, states that lethal force is allowed
in situations where a reasonable threat is perceived. The law in Florida was enacted in 2005 to
eliminate the duty to retreat has created a 300% increase in self-defense
claims in the state. It is unclear
whether or not it has had an effect on the crime rate, although studied in
Georgia and Texas have suggested the stand-your-ground laws have increased gun
death or injury since the laws were put in place. U.S. Attorney Eric Holder has called for an investigation into the laws.
Holder said that
these types of laws, sometimes called “Shoot First” laws by critics, create
dangerous conflict within neighborhoods and senselessly expand the concept of
self-defense. Florida Governor Rick
Scott, however, says that the Zimmerman case was an isolated tragedy and should
be used for political capital. The
National Rifle Association also believes that self-defense is a right. It will be interesting to see where the
future of these laws lie, or if anything comes of the debate at all.
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| Sierra Schwartz via Flickr CC |
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