At Stand Your Ground Hearing, Ted Cruz Argues Florida Law Helps African-Americans

[RockaFowler]

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/10/29/2852451/cruz-blacks-benefit-stand-ground/

With Trayvon Martin’s mother sitting just across from him, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) claimed that Stand Your Ground is beneficial for African-Americans. At the Tuesday Senate Judiciary Subcommittee hearing, Cruz claimed, “In Florida, the data show that African-American defendants have availed themselves of the Stand Your Ground law more frequently than Anglo defendants.” Indirectly citing a Daily Caller story that said black defendants were successful in 55 percent of fatal cases compared to 53 percent of whites, Cruz said this “isn’t about inflaming racial tensions though some might try to use it to do that.”

Shortly after Cruz described Stand Your Ground as protecting innocent victims from violent aggressors, Sybrina Fulton and Lucia McBath, the mothers of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, delivered emotional testimony about their murdered children.

GOP witness John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center, also argued Cruz’s point at length. “Poor blacks who live in high-crime urban areas are not only the most likely victims of crime, they are also the ones who benefit the most from Stand Your Ground laws,” he said according to prepared testimony. Later, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said he found Lott’s argument “compelling,” and that he did not see how the law “has a racial injustice about it.”


This is unreal. How did this guy get elected in Texas again??

[JustAnotherGen]

1. Aha

Another white male republican tells us black folk what's good for us.

[gopiscrap]

2. Ted Cruz is a lying sack of shit!!!

[Blue_Tires]

3. LOL

I've seen the stats from that Daily Caller piece quoted by more than a few specific DUers...I'm sure one or two of them will be by to say Cruz is right...

Very enlightening....

[ManiacJoe]

4. The article does admit that the claim is true to an extent.

This is an oversimplified, if not misleading, portrayal of the racial disparity in Stand Your Ground. It looks only at the rate of successful Florida claims based on the shooter’s race, which indeed is slightly higher for black shooters than white shooters.

To an extent....

[arely staircase]

5. yeah the same guy whose recent bullshit is killing the GOP

Thinks he is helping his party.