Why 'Stand Your Ground' laws aren't going anywhere

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Only 35 percent of African-Americans in Florida support the concept behind “Stand Your Ground” laws, but 66 percent of whites in the state do, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released on Thursday, illustrating the challenge civil rights groups will have in getting these provisions repealed.

The survey asked voters if they supported or opposed a Florida law that “says a person is legally entitled to fight back with deadly force if they feel threatened, even if they could retreat instead.” These kinds of laws came under fire, particularly from African-American leaders, last year after the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman. Twenty-one other states have provisions similar to Florida’s law, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

According to the poll, 35 percent of African-Americans in Florida support the law, while 56 percent oppose it. Among Hispanics, 56 percent favor the law, while 38 percent oppose it. Among whites, only 29 percent oppose Florida’s self-defense provision.

These findings mirror national polls, which have found that the majority of Americans overall support the doctrine behind “Stand Your Ground” laws, even while the majority of African-Americans oppose them.

And the broad public support for these laws has blunted any momentum for having them repealed. After Zimmerman was acquitted in July of any charges, Attorney General Eric Holder forcefully denounced “Stand Your Ground” laws and President Obama suggested they should be reexamined as well, joining a cause prominent leaders like Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson were already advancing.

But the movement to blunt these laws has had little success. Not only have none of the existing “Stand Your Ground” laws not been repealed, but lawmakers in Ohio are advancing a bill now that would make the state’s self-defense laws more similar to those in Florida.