Is There Anything A Person Can Do - From Home - To Protest Florida's Self Defense Law?

[Caroline-Vivienne]

Hello.

I'm just so angry and frustrated about the Zimmerman verdict.
I accept that the jury adhered to the law.
But I think the law is too loose.
And I blame Florida lawmakers.
I want to show my disgust and outrage.
Does anyone know a way to do that?
I'm out of state.
So it would need to be a product boycott or petition or both...
Or any other idea...

I just want Florida to feel a lasting backlash. And ideally, modify their law....

I want THIS ZIMMERMAN to be the last Zimmerman.

Thoughts???? Ideas?????

[premium]

1. The majority of the nation's self defense laws

are pretty close to each other, there are numerous states with SYG laws while most others have the Castle Doctrine laws, it's not just FL, it's most of the nation.

[Caroline-Vivienne]

3. I don't want self-defense done away with..

I believe it is valid....

But there was too much wiggle room...

It was too generous. Surely it could be tightened.

I would love to see a compare and contrast of all of the SD laws of the 50 states.

[premium]

4. I'd like to see them all standardized,

but then you're intruding on state's rights to set their own self defense laws.

[Caroline-Vivienne]

7. Right. I'm hoping some public pressure could SHAME Florida into changing...

At least a portion of their law....

I just feel like Z is responsible for 90+% of the entire scenario...and that meant almost nothing legally..

I feel like a loophole was exposed. Shouldn't it be closed?

[premium]

9. I've never been a fan of SYG,

IMO, it's too vague and open to several interpretations.

[Bragi]

18. An insane gun culture is the problem, not self-defense /nt

[dkf]

2. All states have some sort of self defense law.

How they are applied may differ but for all you know your own state has a similar law.

[Caroline-Vivienne]

6. Yes. I was just saying above....

I would love to see a document that compares and contrasts all 50 state self-defense laws.

I believe the latitude Zimmerman's legal argument had was too much:
no injuries needed.
no danger needed.
no fear of danger needed.
just did HE fear there was danger.
Zimmerman could have even started the fight and still claimed SD.

[dkf]

11. Danger and fear of danger are needed for self defense.

Think of yourself facing a rapist or home invader...at what point can you shoot or use some other method of attack that could lead to death or injury.

When you limit others use of self defense you have to consider all the situations where a person has a legitimate need to keep themselves alive.

Changing laws to suit one case is dangerous.

[Caroline-Vivienne]

14. You bring up a good point...

But the Z case has created a template.

Unofficially target someone.

Meet them on public ground.

Do or say something to set them off. (Show compromising pics of their wife/gf)

Get them to swing at you.

Shoot them.

Claim SD.

[dkf]

15. John Good testified that TM had Z pinned to the ground.

In self defense deadly force is only legal if a person legitimately sees no other way out.

But that is self defense, not stand your ground. SYG was not claimed or used in this trial.

[Caroline-Vivienne]

16. No. John Goode was not certain. And he never saw contact. And other witnesses contradicted...

[davidn3600]

22. Im not sure if the law is even really the problem...

The problem is the lack of evidence beyond reasonable doubt.

The prosecution cannot prove their version of events.

[etherealtruth]

5. The difference is in the application of these laws

[Caroline-Vivienne]

8. I was reading the text....

It seemed like there was nowhere to go but not guilty....

I'm not understanding your statement.

Could you clarify?

[etherealtruth]

17. Gravity Collapse posted an excellent article on this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023257434

[Taitertots]

10. What alternative would you propose?

Based on the current laws, you need a reasonable belief that death or grievous injury is imminent.

It appears that you are suggesting that the law should be changed to prosecute people who use force when they have a reasonable belief that they are about to be murdered or seriously injured.

[Caroline-Vivienne]

13. No....I'm just wondering how other states have their SD laws written.

According to articles I've read, my understanding is that Zimmerman was justified with SD under these circumstances:

no injuries were needed.
no danger was needed.
no fear or threat of danger was needed.
just did Zimmerman think there was a threat of danger.
and Zimmerman could have started the fight and still have claimed SD if Martin overwhelmed him


And so...Zimmerman claims he was afraid....and the prosecutors have to legally disprove it. WTF?

I think that's really extreme.

[SoCalDem]

12. Register people to vote..take them to the polls,, get them ID they may need

There is strength in numbers..

with enough numbers, the idiots may be tossed out of office and be replaced with sensible people who might just change some laws for the better for a change

[DirkGently]

19. There are Stand Your Ground petitions all over.

Florida's self-defense statute, as used in the Martin case, is a standard version, and there's nothing particularly wrong with it.

Stand Your Ground is an NRA / ALEC initiative that does away with the duty to retreat outside the home. It wasn't the issue in this case, but it is a bad law.

[rollin74]

20. SYG actually was an issue in this case. It was part of the jury instructions

the judge said this while instructing the jury prior to deliberations:

"if George Zimmerman was not engaged in an unlawful activity and was attacked in any place where he had a right to be, he had no duty to retreat and had the right to stand his ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he reasonably believed that it was necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony"

[DirkGently]

21. He didn't argue he stood his ground. He argued he was trapped.

So, no, it wasn't an issue in this case.

[rollin74]

23. the SYG law is included in the jury instructions and helps define the concept of self defense

that the jury had to consider

I think it may have played a huge role in determining the outcome of the case