‘License to kill’: How ‘Stand Your Ground’ gun laws are fuelling random shootings and racism across the US

[Social Media]

In America, seemingly any interaction, no matter how innocuous, can end in gun violence.

Consider this month alone. In Kansas City, Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old with dreams of pursuing a career in engineering, was shot at point blank range for ringing the wrong doorbell. A group of young cheerleaders in Texas were shot when one accidentally entered the wrong car in a grocery store parking lot. Kaylin Gillis, 20, was fatally gunned down in rural New York after mistakenly pulling into the wrong driveway. And Kinsley White, a six-year-old from Gastonia, North Carolina, was shot alongside her parents when her basketball rolled into a neighbour’s garden.

Experts say random acts of violence are made worse by so-called “Stand Your Ground” laws, provisions that the US Commission on Civil Rights once dubbed a “license to kill.”

[BritManToo]

17 minutes ago, Social Media said:

Consider this month alone. In Kansas City, Ralph Yarl, a Black 16-year-old with dreams of pursuing a career in engineering, was shot at point blank range for ringing the wrong doorbell.

To be fair, If a large thuggish looking guy was trying my front door in an attempt to enter my home, I might shoot first and ask questions later as well. Especially if it were after dark and in a gang problem area of town.

 

Obviously that wouldn't be the case in a car park (cheerleaders), or a child knocking a ball into my garden.

Edited April 21, 2023 by BritManToo

[2baht]

Ah cain't live without ma gurn! Ah cain't git er dun! Hot damn!

[KhunLA]

You've always been allowed to shoot an intruder, IF, you thought you or yours lives was threatened.  Just now it's a headliner for MSM.

 

Funny how not many 'true' self defense shootings make MSM.

 

 

[billd766]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

To be fair, If a large thuggish looking guy was trying my front door in an attempt to enter my home, I might shoot first and ask questions later as well. Especially if it were after dark and in a gang problem area of town.

 

Obviously that wouldn't be the case in a car park (cheerleaders), or a child knocking a ball into my garden.

Why would you open the door in the first place?

 

A bright light and a video camera with audio is all you would need.

 

If you don't know the person, then don't open the door.

[Bkk Brian]

19 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

You've always been allowed to shoot an intruder, IF, you thought you or yours lives was threatened.  Just now it's a headliner for MSM.

 

Funny how not many 'true' self defense shootings make MSM.

 

 

Not quite as simple as that, the only states that have "Stand your ground Law" are:

 

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia Wyoming.

 

States such as New York state, where Ms Gillis was shot as the car she was in pulled into the wrong driveway, does not have a stand your ground law, and imposes a broad duty to retreat.

 

Statistics show that states with stand your ground laws have seen a rise in homicides by 10% or higher.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65282084

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law

 

[placeholder]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

To be fair, If a large thuggish looking guy was trying my front door in an attempt to enter my home, I might shoot first and ask questions later as well. Especially if it were after dark and in a gang problem area of town.

 

Obviously that wouldn't be the case in a car park (cheerleaders), or a child knocking a ball into my garden.

"thuggish looking"? Really?

[Tug]

Personally I support stand your ground with this caveat  you better be bloddey well be prepared for some very very close scrutiny of your actions and if found lacking then suffer the consequences 

[KhunLA]

4 hours ago, Bkk Brian said:

Not quite as simple as that, the only states that have "Stand your ground Law" are:

 

Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and West Virginia Wyoming.

 

States such as New York state, where Ms Gillis was shot as the car she was in pulled into the wrong driveway, does not have a stand your ground law, and imposes a broad duty to retreat.

 

Statistics show that states with stand your ground laws have seen a rise in homicides by 10% or higher.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-65282084

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand-your-ground_law

 

You've always had a right to defend yourself and we'll just have to Agree to Disagree.

 

DYG laws, just political BS

 

Most of those states are Republican, Dems noted.

Alabama,Alaska,Arizona,Arkansas,Florida,

 

Georgia,    R / D

 

Idaho,Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,Kentucky, Louisiana,

 

Michigan,    D

 

Mississippi,  Missouri,Montana,

 

Nevada,    D

New Hampshire,   D 

 

North Carolina,North Dakota,Ohio, Oklahoma,

 

Pennsylvania,    D   

 

South Carolina,South Dakota,   Tennessee,Texas,

Utah    West Virginia    Wyoming. 

 

Rep/Dem info from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_strength_in_U.S._states

Edited April 21, 2023 by KhunLA

[Jingthing]

I don't remember a time where there was such a cluster of people being shot / murdered over random accidents such as getting into the wrong car. The USA is sounding sicker and sicker. Apart from a messed up society, I consider this a national security risk as enemies of west such as China and Russia use such news for propaganda.

[ozimoron]

25 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

You've always had a right to defend yourself and we'll just have to Agree to Disagree.

Most people are of the opinion that it's the duty of our elected representatives to keep dangerous weapons out of society, thereby alleviating the need to spend our lives reenacting an ok corral gunfight to save ourselves from lunatics.

[bendejo]

This thing started after Obama got elected, "he's coming for your guns!"  So they spent upwards of a week's pay for each gun in their personal arsenal and the only thing they do with them is shoot targets. 

I think gun owners are getting antsy to put them to some kind of use.

 

 

 

[Bkk Brian]

7 hours ago, KhunLA said:

You've always had a right to defend yourself and we'll just have to Agree to Disagree.

 

DYG laws, just political BS

 

Most of those states are Republican, Dems noted.

Alabama,Alaska,Arizona,Arkansas,Florida,

 

Georgia,    R / D

 

Idaho,Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,Kentucky, Louisiana,

 

Michigan,    D

 

Mississippi,  Missouri,Montana,

 

Nevada,    D

New Hampshire,   D 

 

North Carolina,North Dakota,Ohio, Oklahoma,

 

Pennsylvania,    D   

 

South Carolina,South Dakota,   Tennessee,Texas,

Utah    West Virginia    Wyoming. 

 

Rep/Dem info from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_party_strength_in_U.S._states

Agree, in the US all states have a right for citizens to defend themselves, so what exactly in my post do you disagree with? They are all facts.

[BritManToo]

12 hours ago, billd766 said:

Why would you open the door in the first place?

 

A bright light and a video camera with audio is all you would need.

 

If you don't know the person, then don't open the door.

Black guy was trying to open the door. 

White guy was inside with gun. 

 

Presumably everyone has the right to stop someone breaking and entering their home. 

[Bkk Brian]

7 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Black guy was trying to open the door. 

White guy was inside with gun. 

 

Presumably everyone has the right to stop someone breaking and entering their home. 

Just to clarify, Ralph (the black teen) went to the guys home by mistake and Lester who shot him was, suffering from paranoia brought on by believing in conspiracy theories after watching too much conservative news outlets. This according to his own grandson.

[thaibeachlovers]

14 hours ago, BritManToo said:

To be fair, If a large thuggish looking guy was trying my front door in an attempt to enter my home, I might shoot first and ask questions later as well. Especially if it were after dark and in a gang problem area of town.

 

Obviously that wouldn't be the case in a car park (cheerleaders), or a child knocking a ball into my garden.

I might agree with you if the young man had actually gained entrance.

I think even in America they have to actually enter the premises for it to be a lawful kill.

There is a reason for locking one's door even when inside.

[thaibeachlovers]

26 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

Black guy was trying to open the door. 

White guy was inside with gun. 

 

Presumably everyone has the right to stop someone breaking and entering their home. 

Unless he was actually "breaking" the door, I doubt that is a valid reason to kill him.

[2baht]

Just now, thaibeachlovers said:

There is a reason for locking one's door even when inside.

Yes, Americans, they're surrounded by Americans!

[Skipalongcassidy]

12 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Just to clarify, Ralph (the black teen) went to the guys home by mistake and Lester who shot him was, suffering from paranoia brought on by believing in conspiracy theories after watching too much conservative news outlets. This according to his own grandson.

He may have gone to the guys home by mistake... was it really...  AND WAS TRYING TO BREAK IN... why do you leave that part out of your narrative?

[thaibeachlovers]

1 minute ago, 2baht said:

Yes, Americans, they're surrounded by Americans!

I'm not and I always lock my door when inside. Have done so since the 1980s when there was an upsurge of criminals entering to steal while owners leaving door unlocked while in the house.

[2baht]

2 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

He may have gone to the guys home by mistake... was it really...  AND WAS TRYING TO BREAK IN... why do you leave that part out of your narrative?

Damn it, Bobby Joe, Wherrrre's ma gurn?

[Bkk Brian]

9 minutes ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

He may have gone to the guys home by mistake... was it really...  AND WAS TRYING TO BREAK IN... why do you leave that part out of your narrative?

I could have added a lot more but I was not giving an essay on the details as its in other topics. I was filling in some blanks that the other poster was obviously unaware of. I'll ignore your speculation.

Edited April 22, 2023 by Bkk Brian

[billd766]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Black guy was trying to open the door. 

White guy was inside with gun. 

 

Presumably everyone has the right to stop someone breaking and entering their home. 

White guy has gun but no operating brain cell.

 

Cannot open mouth to ask what the guy is doing, nor can he issue a warning saying that he is armed.

 

Simply opens the door and opens fire without warning killing the black guy, and you think that is the correct thing to do?

 

quote "Presumably everyone has the right to stop someone breaking and entering their home."

 

That is not the right to kill indiscriminately.

 

Tell the intruder that you are armed, fire a warning shot through the door if needs be.

 

Just don't claim it as a right, because it isn't.

[billd766]

5 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

He may have gone to the guys home by mistake... was it really...  AND WAS TRYING TO BREAK IN... why do you leave that part out of your narrative?

And he may not have tried to break in.

 

Without knowing the facts, why do YOU assume that he was trying to break in?

[RichardColeman]

So, very old octogenarian man sits watching the news stations all day, where young blacks are running around looting, being violent, killing, robbing and raping, car jacking, using knives and guns and not being prosecuted. At what point is the media to blame more than the old geezer ? 

[Dionigi]

5 hours ago, Skipalongcassidy said:

He may have gone to the guys home by mistake... was it really...  AND WAS TRYING TO BREAK IN... why do you leave that part out of your narrative?

According to CNN the guy rang the doorbell, the owner got out of bed and opened the main door and shot him through the screen door, no mention of breaking in.

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

Simply opens the door and opens fire without warning killing the black guy, and you think that is the correct thing to do?

You only repeat the teenage black persons statement.

Do you have some problem which makes you exclude the elderly white persons statement?

Edited April 22, 2023 by BritManToo

[Guitar God]

19 hours ago, placeholder said:

"thuggish looking"? Really?

He meant “black”. 

[billd766]

25 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

You only repeat the teenage black persons statement.

Do you have some problem which makes you exclude the elderly white persons statement?

So do you think that white people tell the truth all the time and black people lie all the time?

[newnative]

     Thank goodness my partner and I are in Thailand.  I remember some time ago when we lived at one of the View Talays and we absentmindedly got off on the wrong floor and just as absentmindedly opened what we thought was our condo door--which was unlocked.  Luckily, the resident laughed it off and we were not both shot dead.  We also escaped certain death by not being in America when my partner accidently opened the wrong car door to an identical car that was parked next to us.  Phew!