Florida Democrat Pushes for Repeal of ‘Stand Your Ground’

Florida State Sen. Shevrin Jones (D) is pushing legislation to repeal the state’s “Stand Your Ground” law.

“Stand Your Ground” laws allow innocent citizens under attack to use force, including lethal force, to save their lives. By design, a “Stand Your Ground” law creates a framework whereby a citizen cannot be held liable for using such force in an instance where fear of losing his own life is demonstrable.

The Palm Beach Post notes that Jones’ legislation is Senate Bill 1052, and he makes clear he is pushing a repeal because he believes the law puts minorities in jeopardy.

Jones said, “We know for a fact that Stand Your Ground promotes vigilantism, it allows people to shoot first and ask questions later. More important, it puts black people and other people of color at a greater risk of gun violence.”

Ironically, on September 9, 2016, Breitbart News reported data from John Lott’s book, The War on Guns: Arming Yourself Against Gun Control Lies, which showed Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law benefited black people more than white people.

Lott observed, “From 2005 through October 1, 2014, blacks made up 16.7 percent of Florida’s population and 34 percent of the defendants who invoked Stand Your Ground. Black defendants who invoke this statute are actually acquitted four percentage points more frequently that whites who use this very same defense.”

And Lott noted that black people benefit even more from “Stand Your Ground” in urban neighborhoods. He explained, “Blacks living in high-crime urban areas are the most likely victims of violent crime and the most likely beneficiaries of Stand Your Ground laws.”

After citing the benefits blacks derive from a “Stand Your Ground” law, Lott noted, “Blacks are disproportionately affected by rules that make self-defense more difficult.”

The Post pointed out this is Sen. Jones’ second time to push for a repeal of “Stand Your Ground” in Florida. He filed the same legislation in 2019 and no committee took it up.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.