| Blame ALEC for promoting this legislation across the US. In the years since Florida enacted its "stand your ground" gun law, so-called "justifiable homicides" in the state have tripled, according to data from the FBI and Florida law enforcement officials, the Washington Post reports. In the five years before the law's passage, just 12 killings per year, on average, were declared justifiable by Florida prosecutors -- that number spiked to an average of 36 since the law passed. At least 32 states have copied Florida's statute, thanks to a campaign by the National Rifle Association and the conservative, corporate-backed American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and the "other states have seen similar increases" in justifiable homicides. The law has been thrust into the national spotlight due to concerns that the law may wrongly shield Trayvon Martin's shooter. |
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At thinkprogress.org
At thinkprogress.org
