Each week, we explore both sides of a current issue through opposing Viewpoints. The alternate editorial for this week’s Face Off can be found here: “Stand-your-ground laws need reforming, no NRA interference“

Across the country, many states have “stand-your-ground” laws which “give individuals the right to use deadly force to defend themselves without any requirement to evade or retreat from a dangerous situation.” These laws should be repealed across the country, but especially in Florida where numerous incidents have occurred, such as the Trayvon Martin case.

This law is basically an extension of self-defense, with one significant difference — evidence.

When you claim self-defense, you have to prove that you had no other options in the situation besides harming or killing the other person to protect your life. Now, if you were to use a stand-your-ground law as your defense, if the person you feel like is a threat to your life says or does anything to make you feel threatened, you can kill them on the spot without having to attempt to retreat away.

In theory, this is a good law for those situations where if you don’t react with a sudden moment, you may die. However, the stand-your-ground law has been used in such a manner that is not only irresponsible, but it gives the impression that it has a strong bias behind it.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, out of the 200 stand-your-ground cases that have been filed in Florida since 2005, nearly 70 percent of the defendants have walked free as a result.

The chances of getting away with killing an African American compared to a white person is very high. Seventy-three percent of those who killed a black person walked free, compared to 59 percent who killed a white person.

The number of cases citing stand-your-ground are steadily rising. People are killing or harming others for illogical reasons, yet because of laws like these they walk free.

The 200 cases that were reviewed in order to get the above information state that you have a high probability of getting away with killing another human if you’re not doing anything illegal at the time. You can have the most ridiculous excuse for killing someone, but if you can state facts that could prove or give doubt about the situation, you are likely walking away a free person.

When killing a minority, your chances of being free by the end are significantly higher.

Over 60 percent of the confrontations were started by the defendant and 70 percent of them walked free as a result.

Seems to me that these laws aren’t as just as they should be. It’s time to repeal these laws across the U.S.

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