Florida’s New "Stand Your Ground" Law Angers Gun Control Groups

Florida has a new law that gives legal protection to anyone who shoots another person, if the shooter feels that his life is in danger or a felony is about to be committed. Before the law was passed, Floridians could carry concealed guns in public places, but they had to attempt to flee from at attacker first, and could only use a gun as a last resort when safe avoidance of injury was otherwise not possible. The new "Stand Your Ground" law states that if a person feels their safety is threatened, they can stand their ground and shoot if necessary to eliminate the threat as long as they’re somewhere they have a legal right to be, such as a public street or a parking lot, and as long as the person shot is not a police officer. Gun control advocates pounced on the new law immediately, issuing statements to the media and passing out fliers to tourists to irresponsibly frighten them into thinking that they might be shot if they argued about anything with anyone while they were in Florida.

The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, perhaps the nation’s strongest anti-gun lobby, is handing out leaflets at Miami International airport to make sure tourists to Florida are aware of the new law. The leaflets say "do not argue unnecessarily with local people," and "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." Yes, that’s really what they say. Perhaps the Brady Campaign folks haven’t even read the wording of the law, which does not give anyone the right to shoot someone who is shouting or gesturing at them. Gov. Jeb Bush has denounced the Brady Campaign as "pure, unadulterated politics," and the tourism industry in Florida says that Florida is a very safe place for tourists and the Brady Campaign is "one group’s political agenda." Supporters of the law and many residents say that it will make Florida safer.

Sarah Brady, Chair of the Brady Campaign, says that they have shipped information about the law to more than 120 leading U.S. and international journalists, as well as to trade publication editors in the travel industry and editors at consumer travel magazines. The inflammatory ads, which are being placed in key gateway cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Boston, and selected overseas markets, read: "Thinking about a Florida vacation? Please ensure your family is safe. A new law in the Sunshine State authorizes nervous or frightened residents to use deadly force. In Florida, avoid disputes. Use special caution in arguing with motorists on Florida roads." The flyers being handed out suggest ludicrous rules visitors should follow: Avoid unnecessary arguments with local people; stay in their cars and keep hands in plain sight if involved in a traffic accident or near-miss; and maintain a positive attitude and avoid shouting or threatening gestures if someone appears to be hostile toward them.

Gun control advocates say that because of Florida’s new law, an argument on the highway, a disagreement in a restaurant, or a dispute over belongings on a beach could lead to unnecessary use of force. But what they purposely avoid saying in their literature is the important fact that the law does NOT give people the right to use deadly force to defend possessions or to win an argument. The law clearly states that a person can shoot without fear of prosecution only if "he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or to another person or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony." The law extends the existing "Castle Doctrine" law, which says that a person’s home is their castle—people can use deadly force if they feel threatened by an intruder in their home. This new law simply expands that law to include people being able to defend themselves in public places where they have a lawful right to be.

The new law is intended solely to protect life and prevent being the target of deadly force. And the people who have been issued concealed carry licenses aren’t just nameless, faceless people who pick up a gun at a pawnshop. Concealed carry permits are not easy to acquire, and law-abiding citizens have a much more difficult time getting a handgun than drug addict or gang member. In order to carry a concealed handgun in public, a person must complete classes in proper handgun usage and firearms laws, undergo a thorough background check, be fingerprinted, and have their license renewed regularly.

Supporters of the law say that it will make Florida safer for both residents and tourists, but if the Brady Campaign has their way, Florida won’t have many tourists much longer. A political agenda is one thing, but spreading incomplete information and inflammatory opinions to the public in order to frighten people into a panic is irresponsible.