"A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a focible felony."
Stand your ground. That's the law in Florida. You have the right to stand your ground, to protect yourself or others or to prevent a felony. You have no duty to retreat. Florida is not the only state in the Union with such a law--but it is where I live, so it's the version of the law that most concerns me.
You can also carry a concealed weapon in Florida. Again, we're not the only place where that is legal--but I don't spend much time on the streets of Cheyenne or Dallas.
There are many issues raised by the Trayvon Martin case. Many fears brought to the surface. There are worries about racial profiling and gun violence and xenophobia and the citizen's role in neighborhood security. But for me the biggest issue is civility. I know, that sounds trite. But at root, each of these issues reflects our lack of civility. Our lack of trust in each other. Our lack of love for our neighbors.
I don't know about you, but I have no interest in living in the wild, wild west. I want to live in a society where all are welcome. Right here. In Florida. A society where men and women seek to understand one another. A society where trust and acceptance, not suspicion and fear, are the norm.
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