April 06, 2005
Right to Defend
The Florida Legislature has passsed a bill that allows a person to meet force with force, even when it occurs outside the home. Prior to this legislation, it was incumbant on a person assailed to "make reasonable efforts to retreat" from confrontation.
The GFW's, as usual, are predicting a bloodbath to ensue in the cities of Florida if the bill is signed into law by Gov. Bush. And, as usual, I am positive that the facts will refute their contentions several years from now.
Every time legislation passes that reaffirms the individuals right to protect themselves from attack, the GFW's trot out the same dire predictions of "bloodbaths" and "wild West mentalities" running rampant, yet in every case, the result of such legislation has resulted in the lowering of violent crime rates in every instance. Yes there are a few incidents of criminals getting their just rewards, but the victoms in those incidents have been found to be justified in their responses in every case, and susequently, criminals are more circumspect in their predations, knowing that the risk to themselves in their actions have been greatly increased. As in any business, criminals weigh risk to benefit ratios in their decicions to commit crimes, the weaker their target is, the more likely they are to prey upon them.
To say that an individual has a duty to retreat in the face of violent crime is to give power to the violent criminal, and to suggest that an individual has to retreat in the face of aggression within their own home is to negate the very foundation of the idea that we have the right to be safe (defend) in our person afforded us by our Declaration of Independance....Remember? That right to pursue LIFE, Liberty, and Happiness?
Congratulations to the Florida Legislature to bringing common sense back into the law. I trust that Gov. Bush will sign the legislation, to the betterment of all law abiding Flordians.