During an October 30 Senate hearing on “Stand Your Ground” laws, Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said such “laws go too far in encouraging confrontations” and need to be revised.
“Stand Your Ground” laws recognize the natural right of an armed citizen to defend his or her life in the face of danger. This reverses older laws that required a citizen to retreat or attempt to retreat while under attack.
In the 20 states that have instituted these laws, a citizen under attack can stand his ground and use deadly force to repel deadly force.
According to Politico, Durbin said “whatever the motivations were behind the passage of these laws” they need to be revisited because “they are resulting in unnecessary tragedies.”
Gun scholar John Lott and Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) spoke in defense of the laws. Cruz said, “This is not about politicking, this is not about inflaming racial tensions, although some might try to use it [for that]. This is about the right of everyone to protect themselves, protect their family.”
Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter @AWRHawkins
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