Sen. Charles Schumer of New York has called for a federal review of the so-called ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws in states across the country. The laws have come into focus since the Feb. 26 shooting death of an unarmed teenager in Florida by a neighborhood watch patrol person.
Wikipedia describes the ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws as an outgrowth of the “Castle doctrine, which states that a person has no duty to retreat when their home is attacked. Some states go a step further, removing the duty of retreat from any location.”
Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming, according to Wikipedia.
Schumer told the New York Daily News that “the Justice Department should look into the ‘Stand Your Ground’ laws that kept Florida police from arresting the man who shot and killed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.”
What do you think? Are you in favor of this type of law? Do you participate in a neighborhood watch? Take the poll and add your thoughts in the comments.
