Week 2 EOC: Stand Your Ground

Opinions on the Stand Your Ground Law vary from person to person. My view on it is that it is a sensitive topic. In my opinion being able to defend one’s self outside of their home falls into the same category as John Locke’s Natural Right of life, but the Trayvon Martin case that seems to be inappropriate. The Washington Post defines the Stand Your Ground Law as to “preventdeath or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent thecommission of a forcible felony.” In the case of Trayvon Martin I don’t believe that George Zimmerman was standing his ground so I do not believe this should be implied in any way. An example of standing your ground would be if you are walking to your car at night, alone, in a dark parking lot, and someone is running toward you in what appears to be a threatening manner and you tell them to stop but they continue to run toward you and you fight them with whatever means you have. As I said it is a sensitive law. "The biggest differencein any of the laws are where they have the right to defend themselves. Somerequire that you be in your home or your car. Some have expanded that to sayyou can just be on the street corner,” was said by Ryan Sibley to U.S.News. What he is referring to is the Castle Law, in states like California and so on, which says that a person can only defend themselves in their home, car, place of work and so on whereas Stand Your Ground applies everywhere within the perimeters of such places that have adopted said law. Eric Holder said “By allowing andperhaps encouraging violent situations to escalate in public, such lawsundermine public safety,” in regards to the Stand Your Ground Law. My view is different. I believe that it is circumstantial.