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Pros And Cons Of Stand Your Ground Laws

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Rates of homicides increased by 53% in the states with Stand Your Ground laws, while states without the laws decreased 5% (Mayors Against). Can Stand Your Ground laws ever have a positive effect on this country? Stand Your Ground laws allow a person to take any measures in order to defend themselves. To be more specific, fire a gun, even if the person has a chance to retrieve or the situation can be avoided. This can result in many issues for everyone. Stand Your Ground Laws are unethical and all Americans should be against them in order to eliminate them. Stand Your ground laws can cause deadly shootouts everywhere, even where children play. Shootouts can happen in playgrounds, bars, parks, highways, alley, homes, and parking lots (Mayors …show more content…

Ken Padowitz said, “I think it’s malpractice for a criminal defense lawyer not to use the stand your ground law in every single case where there’s a charge of a violent crime, such as aggravated assault or an aggravated battery”(Whitaker). Giving murders immunity is giving them a free way for murder. For example, no parent wants their kid around sex offenders, would they want their kids around murderers? No, even though there are people looking to do harm around the world, why would more of them be put into freedom. Individuals that are pro Stand Your Ground Laws might say that no murderer is offered immunity because the individual who killed did it in an act of self defense. Is it an act of self defense even of the person “attacking” was not attacking, but rather just seemed threatening? No, and that is why the common law worked just fine because it separated true acts of self defense from just claims.
There are many loose ends in Stand Your Ground Laws that should not be there. Nine states with the law allow a shooter to shoot in order to defend their property even if their life is not in danger or if the perpetrator is retreating. Four states allow deadly force if there is a need to protect personal property, such as money and electronics. This can lead to justified homicides, even if there is little value in the property (“Mayors Against”). Property is being used as an excuse to shoot someone or to cry out self defense. Homicides are occurring without purpose because of these

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