Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Make my day, punk

If we could figure out some way to get this bill duplicated here in California, I can almost guarantee that South Central, East LA, and most of Long Beach would be safe to walk in after the sun goes down.

People who feel threatened anywhere they have a legal right to be - even on the street or at a baseball game - could “meet force with force” to defend themselves without fear of prosecution or liability under a bill passed overwhelmingly Tuesday by the Florida House.

The measure essentially extends a right Floridians already have in their home or car. Under present law, however, people attacked anywhere else are supposed to do what they can to avoid escalating the situation and can use deadly force only after they’ve tried to retreat.

“I’m sorry, people, but if I’m attacked I shouldn’t have a duty to retreat,” said the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Dennis Baxley. “That’s a good way to get shot in the back.”

The measure passed 94-20. It had already passed the Senate and now heads to Gov. Jeb Bush, who has not said whether he will sign it. It was the top priority of the National Rifle Association in Florida this year.

Baxley said that if people have the clear right to defend themselves without having to worry about legal consequences, criminals will think twice.

I really can’t think of much of anything that has come out of Florida in the past decade or so that I’ve agreed with. The past three weeks that were spent talking about Terri Schiavo made me question whether or not I wanted to be a Republican any longer, or simply register as an indie and vote for who I wanted. The constant voter upheaval didn’t make me want to book a plane ticket there, and the fact that it is so close to Cuba gives me the willies as it is. But on this issue, Representative Baxley has become one of my new personal heroes. Although it seems like he’s stating the obvious, how many times have we heard stories about someone who shot a burglar who was breaking into their house, only to be the one who ended up in jail, combined with a civil lawsuit that cleared them out? Or, how often is the average person walking on the street scared to fight back against the guy who is trying to steal their wallet while shoving a knife in their direction, because they’re afraid they’ll end up as the defendant in a criminal matter?

Baxley is right --- the laws work in the favor of the criminals, and groups like the ACLU are making it so they have the advantage, all of the while pushing the US to become a passive nation. Let’s hope Jeb signs this so we can get the trend going across the nation.