Thursday, July 26th, 2018
Stephan: Every day in the United States 96 people die because of gunfire. No other developed nation in the world has a social crisis anything like this. Seven of the dead are children and teens, 50 are women killed by "intimate partners." To the Republicans, the answer is an armed population, and this has led to "stand your ground." Thus, in Florida, and several other states you can now be legally murdered on the basis of "stand your ground," by some bozo with a concealed carry permit.
In my view this is a psychiatric epidemic in the U.S., specifically the mental disturbance of people so frightened that they only feel secure when they are carrying a gun. Going to the supermarket, gotta be armed. Picking up the dry cleaning, can't do it unless I'm packin'. Going to church, no way unless I've got a gun. This is how we behave in the U.S., and it is literally killing us. Lots of us.
Image from “Stand Your Ground” murder in Clearwater, Florida
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA — Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced Friday that his agency will not arrest a man deputies say shot and killed another man during an argument over a handicap parking space.
The incident falls under Florida’s self-defense law known as “stand your ground,” the sheriff said during a news conference. The law gives immunity to those in fear of their lives who use force to defend themselves.
The shooting “is within the bookends of ‘stand your ground’ and within the bookends of force being justified,” the sheriff said, later adding, “I’m not saying I agree with it, but I don’t make that call.”
The agency will forward the case to the State Attorney’s Office for a final decision, Gualtieri said.
RELATED COVERAGE: Attorney, family of Markeis McGlockton to hold news conference about stand your ground shooting
The confrontation between Michael Drejka, 47, and Markeis McGlockton, 28, took place in a convenience store parking lot Thursday afternoon. According to deputies, Drejka confronted McGlockton’s girlfriend, Britany Jacobs, about parking […]
Yes and even at our local airport many guns are found in carry-on because they forgot. Really the casualness of having a gun. I am sure they know where their f’ing phone is!
If everything has energy, and we get what we focus on then packing a gun seems like a bad idea.
A black man was recently killed in downtown Portland because he decided to get a concealed carry permit and pack. Then when there is an altercation near the college and he is trying to be a good samaritan and break it up, his gun falls onto the ground, then the campus police shoot him dead. One bad decision regarding guns and a good samaritan is dead.