Stand Your Ground Law Arguments

Every year approximately 3.7 million homes are broken into, and of that 3.7 million about 28% of those homes were broken into while a person was home. 8% of the people who were at home were attacked and received some type of bodily harm (Auerbach). This percentage has been lowered since Stand Your Ground Laws were passed, but there was an increase homicides since these laws have been passed. Even though there has been an increase in homicides; Stand Your Ground Laws have allowed many innocent citizens to stand up for themselves without prosecution and this is why Stand Your Ground Laws should be legalized in all 50 states. Stand Your Ground Laws have been around for over hundreds of years; even before America declared its independence from Great Britain. This early English law stated that if a person felt threatened by an aggressor, then it was their “duty” to retreat. However, an exception to the law was incorporated in 1628 by Sir Edmund Coke. This new Exception stated that if a person was threatened it was their duty to retreat unless they had already retreated to their home. This idea was based on the belief that a man’s home was his castle and if a man had already retreated to his castle, then there was no …show more content…
Many gun owners have enjoyed the protection that the law gives them to protect themselves. In 2005 when Florida was considering expanding the Castle Doctrine, the NFR had pushed for the expansion by saying that the Castle Doctrine, as it was, was not enough for citizens to protect themselves (Harris). When the law went to the state’s congress it was passed with mostly Republicans voting for the law. The expansion to the law has also paid off. With an 8% rise in homicides came a huge drop in the crime rate. Many people who really did defend themselves with self-defense had evidence to show it. Evidence that they used included video surveillance, witnesses, and