An effort led by Jesse Jackson Sr. has filed a lawsuit
against Georgia’s Stand Your Ground statute. The group is seeking to have the
law ruled unconstitutional on the basis that it is racist. According to this
coalition, society perceives black people as more dangerous as more dangerous
than other racial groups. Because of this they are more likely to be harmed
from stand your ground laws. The Trayvon Martin case is the first example used
in this article to defend the group’s argument. This makes for a very poor argument
considering the fact that George Zimmerman waived his right to a Stand Your Ground
hearing. He was acquitted under the premise of self-defense and was in no way
aided by Stand Your Ground Laws. And even if that case was applicable in any
way, the coalition’s argument would still be appallingly shaky. For the most
part people in both the real world, and in court, will judge how threatening
others are based on their actions, not because of the color of their skin. This
isn’t to say that there are zero people in the world who are racist and will
feel increasingly threatened by someone who is black. But it does mean that the
actions of those people would be wrong, and the courts would reflect that. Georgia’s
Stand Your Ground statute has absolutely no mention of race. It’s preposterous to
think that someone could use the defense that they felt threatened because a
person had skin that was colored differently than theirs. If people disagree
with the morality of Stand Your Ground laws and want to oppose them or debate
the issue then that is completely understandable. But in my opinion it’s rather
outlandish to do so under the guise of racism.
It may be helpful to examine specific examples and criteria Jesse Jackson lays out to justify the "racist" accusation. Has there been a significantly greater amount of cases against blacks in GA pertaining to Stand Your Ground? Although it may seem radical and purely foolish at face value, the supporters may have some sort of point to a degree. After all, no matter how many people deny it, racism still flourishes in America today. It has just been given a "de jure" shunning and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily think that the Stand Your Ground Law is specifically racist. I think all together it's a pretty stupid law, but I don't believe the intent behind it was meant to be racist. However, I can understand how someone would see it as racist. It's when people racially profile and then say they felt "threatened". Therefore, it all depends on the person rather than the law overall.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that the Stand Your Ground Law was intended to be racist. But, I can see how someone would view it as that. After The Zimmerman vs. Martin Case, took this Law and exploded it to be racist. This was the first case that actually brought the law up to a very public view, so of coarse people are going to compare the case to the law. After the case all people that support the law are now viewed as racist and looking out for their best interest.
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