Democratic National Committee chairperson and Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz has called publicly for the repeal of the so-called "Stand Your Ground" law, according to a post at Talking Points Memo's Livewire blog.
The controversial law broadened the definition of what is considered acceptable force for private citizens to use when defending themselves and their property. It has been cited in defense of George Zimmerman, the Sanford, Florida man who shot and killed teenager Trayvon Martin in February.
Wasserman-Schultz posted on Twitter earlier today that the Martin case "is further evidence that Florida’s ‘Stand Your Ground Law,’ which passed in 2005, needs to be repealed. The failure of the Sanford police to further investigate this crime as a result of their interpretation of this law is an injustice to Trayvon’s family and to all Floridians."
The law is part of an initiative by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which has worked closely with the NRA to launch similar initiatives in state and local governments across the country. Opponents of the law argued in 2005 that "Stand Your Ground" would promote a culture of violence and result in "racially motivated killings."
(image via Flickr Commons)
