As a former Law Enforcement Officer and a gun owner I pay a fair amount of interest to the whole gun debate issue.
Certainly we must do what is necessary to reduce violent crime, but it seems like targeting or ham stringing law abiding citizens is ineffectual at best and an incentive to violent crime at the worst.
Last year Florida passed a “Stand Your Ground” law. In essence, reversing the previous law, which had been based in a private citizen’s supposed “Duty to Retreat” and do whatever they could to prevent a violent confrontation.
Asserting that a citizen has a duty to retreat is taking things to a ridiculous extreme. Being involved in a confrontation with a violent criminal does not lend itself thoughtful consideration of all available options. In some cases, retreating can actually put a victim in an even worse situation, where they may retreat farther from any aid or end up where no escape is possible. Further, retreat does not ensure an attack will stop or be somehow lessened.
Most convenience stores have adopted a policy where their clerks are to cooperate with thieves and to turn over cash from the register. A good number of these clerks are still violently assaulted and/or cold bloodedly murdered, and robbers are emboldened to rob convenience stores by what they perceive as an easy target.
Do you enjoy being forced into a policy that makes you an easy target and emboldens violent criminals? I sure as hell don’t.
As a Police Office I had a duty NOT to retreat. I knew that when I decided to do the job. It was my choice. I think private citizens should also be afforded that right. You should have a right to defend yourself to the best of your ability or to choose to retreat.
You are not the criminal! You are encouraged to do all sorts of things to proactively prevent crime. We alter our lives and spend millions of dollars to prevent crime, but in some people’s minds the minute you either decide or are forced to stand your ground…you’re wrong. Somehow you didn’t do enough to prevent some criminal from violently assaulting you.
I call it bullshit. You have no control over violent offenders. Obviously the law doesn’t either. So instead of drafting laws that concern criminals, they draft them against you. Why? Because you’ll obey the laws. It is crazy. By all means, hand over your wallet, it’s not worth anyone dying for. But if faced with a violent attack you should have the choice to run or defend yourself with whatever force is necessary.
I applaud Florida and the large number of other states that are reconsidering the asinine restrictions we have placed on our law abiding citizens by alleging they somehow have a “duty” to retreat.
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