The Wild, Wild South

First of all, let me go on record as saying I'm for responsible gun ownership. I have family members who are hunters, and I can also understand the need of having a gun for protection as long as a person knows how to use it properly. However, I think Florida has gone a bit bonkers on his. And I think the National Rifle Association went bonkers long ago.

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Clark Ramm sees shades of the Wild West in Florida's new law giving greater legal protections to people who shoot or use other deadly force when threatened or attacked.

"It seems like everybody ought to be packing a piece," said Ramm, a visitor from Ukiah, California. "I don't know if that's the right thing to do."

Ramm and other tourists found out about the law Monday from a gun control group handing out leaflets at Miami International Airport.

The leaflets begin with the words "An Important Notice to Florida Visitors" in bold red type by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.

"Do not argue unnecessarily with local people," it says. "If someone appears to be angry with you, maintain to the best of your ability a positive attitude, and do not shout or make threatening gestures."

Florida's "stand your ground" law, which took effect Saturday, removes a duty on the part of citizens to retreat in the face of an attack as long as they are in a place they have a legal right to be, including a public street or their place of business.

It also gives immunity from criminal or civil charges to a shooter as long as the person shot is not a police officer.
The rest of the article is here.

The NRA thinks the measure will make Florida a safer place. I lived for about 40 years in Florida, and it's not guns that will make it a safer place, it's people not acting like jerks while they are armed! Unfortunately legislating the jerk factor is hard to do.

I'm not aware of any city, state, or nation with a law like this. Florida used to have a slogan in the 70's: "The Rules Are Different Here." It looks like they still are.

Let me give you a theoretical situation to describe the problem I have with the "Stand Your Ground" law.

Stan has a restaurant in Coconut Grove and late one Saturday night the police are called to the restaurant because he says he was being robbed and shot the intruder. Under the law, Stan isn't in danger of being charged with murder if the alleged robber dies. But what if he wasn't being robbed and mistook the actions of a foreigner who was just trying to break and fifty dollar bill. It's Stan's word against the dead guys. And the dead guy isn't going contribute much to the conversation. What was a request for change turned into a murder of an innocent man. But if Stan says he was threatened, it's OK.

This is just a bad law. Florida's governor: Jeb Bush, presidential brother.