I support stand your ground laws. If someone attacks me, why should I have to run away instead of defending myself? Of course I'm ignoring whether it is smarter to run away or not, but I definitely wouldn't want to have to prove that I was actively trying to run away and then ended up having to defend myself.

Zimmerman wasn't standing his ground, but actively following and pursuing Martin. Of course he is trying to fall back from his seemingly untruthful statements (I haven't followed it close enough) trying to have some defense.

so I'm curious why you support SYG when you acknowledge the flaws and how it can be exploited.

Ow..you hurt me..I'm in fear of my life now...BANG! you're dead....sorry, just defending myself. Oh wait, you can't hear me, because you're dead.

>> ^curiousity:

I support stand your ground laws. If someone attacks me, why should I have to run away instead of defending myself? Of course I'm ignoring whether it is smarter to run away or not, but I definitely wouldn't want to have to prove that I was actively trying to run away and then ended up having to defend myself.
Zimmerman wasn't standing his ground, but actively following and pursuing Martin. Of course he is trying to fall back from his seemingly untruthful statements (I haven't followed it close enough) trying to have some defense.


It's not you have to run away or just defend yourself. It's giving people license to defend themselves with Deadly force. I would gladly run away from someone rather than face the nightmares the rest of my life from killing another human being.

This must be the first positive Young Turks clip I've seen in a while. Not bashing TYT, they do a good job of highlighting what's wrong with the US in this day and age, but it's nice to see something positive, no matter how minor it is

>> ^Yogi:
It's not you have to run away or just defend yourself. It's giving people license to defend themselves with Deadly force. I would gladly run away from someone rather than face the nightmares the rest of my life from killing another human being.


You should read up on the stand-your-ground laws, it doesn't say if you feel threatened at any time you're free to kill. There are limits to the use of deadly force and when deadly force is justified without retreat. Look at the Florida law for example:

776.012 Use of force in defense of person.—A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:
(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or
(2) Under those circumstances permitted pursuant to s. 776.013.

>> ^jimnms:

>> ^Yogi:
It's not you have to run away or just defend yourself. It's giving people license to defend themselves with Deadly force. I would gladly run away from someone rather than face the nightmares the rest of my life from killing another human being.

You should read up on the stand-your-ground laws, it doesn't say if you feel threatened at any time you're free to kill. There are limits to the use of deadly force and when deadly force is justified without retreat. Look at the Florida law for example:

776.012 Use of force in defense of person.—A person is justified in using force, except deadly force, against another when and to the extent that the person reasonably believes that such conduct is necessary to defend himself or herself or another against the other’s imminent use of unlawful force. However, a person is justified in the use of deadly force and does not have a duty to retreat if:
(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony; or
(2) Under those circumstances permitted pursuant to s. 776.013.

Like I said in a comment elsewhere, because of the stand-your-ground law, he's not sitting in jail awaiting trail, but you bet this will go to court and he should be found guilty of murder because later in the law is this:

The justification described in the preceding sections of this chapter is not available to a person who:
(2) Initially provokes the use of force against himself or herself, unless:
(a) Such force is so great that the person reasonably believes that he or she is in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm and that he or she has exhausted every reasonable means to escape such danger other than the use of force which is likely to cause death or great bodily harm to the assailant; or
(b) In good faith, the person withdraws from physical contact with the assailant and indicates clearly to the assailant that he or she desires to withdraw and terminate the use of force, but the assailant continues or resumes the use of force.