Many people in Florida and across the United States are demanding justice after 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was gunned down in his father’s neighborhood in Sanford, Fla.
During halftime of the NBA All-Star game on Feb. 26, Trayvon left his father’s house on foot headed toward a nearby 7-Eleven to get an evening snack. On his way back from the convenience store, George Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch captain, followed Trayvon.
After realizing that Zimmerman was following him, Trayvon began to run toward his father’s house and despite being told not to by local 911 dispatchers, Zimmerman got out of his vehicle and began chasing after the 17-year-old.
According to other 911 callers in the neighborhood that night, Zimmerman and Trayvon ended up in a wrestling match in which one of the two began screaming for help. During this scuffle, Zimmerman fired one shot, killing Trayvon Martin.
Despite this story originally gaining almost no news coverage at all, it has now gained national headlines and caused public outrage over the fact that Zimmerman has still not been arrested or charged with any crime in this case.
Regardless of the fact that Zimmerman had been arrested for his violent nature before in 2005, he was not taken in and did not undergo typical homicide questioning on the night of the murder because he had a license to carry a concealed weapon under Florida’s “stand your ground” law.
Florida became a trendsetter in 2005 when they passed the first ever law that did not encourage individuals to retreat from danger, but instead gave citizens the permission to use deadly force if they “reasonably believed” it was necessary to defend themselves.
This sort of “stand your ground” legislation has given people a license to kill in 17 states now. These laws foster a “shoot first, ask questions later” atmosphere in which people are not adequately held responsible for their actions.
Adam Weinstein, national security reporter for Mother Jones, writes, “The law has been unpopular with law enforcement officers in Florida, since it makes it much more difficult to charge shooters with a crime and has regularly confounded juries in murder cases; many Orlando-area cops reportedly have given up investigating ‘self-defense’ cases as a result, referring them to the overloaded state attorney’s office for action.”
He goes on to cite a 2010 article in the Tampa Bay Times that reports that “justifiable homicides” have tripled in the state of Florida since the law was enacted in 2005. From 2000 to 2005 the average number of “justifiable homicides” was 34 per year; however, from 2007 to 2009 the average number had jumped to 100 per year.
Trayvon Martin’s family’s attorney has called for U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to step in and take this case. Trayvon’s case ultimately beckons us to ask ourselves how many more innocent people must die needlessly before we recognize that these “stand your ground” laws deemphasize the due process and accountability we as Americans are taught to cherish.
Michael Patrick is a senior majoring in political science. His column runs on Tuesdays.
