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Gun Laws: “Stand Your Grounds”

“Stand Your Ground (SYG)” Law is established on a responsibility to retreat and act on

self-defense. In general, the law grants an individual the right to use lethal force in self-defense

or rather to defend others, even in situations where safe retreat is possible. As a result of

homicides and gun crimes, the law protects individuals who claim self-defense in very dangerous

situations as well as reducing the confusion between the intentional and mandatory self-defense.

In this paper, I seek to make a works cited synthesizing numerous sources discussing and

exploring gun laws.

Source: Book

Author(s): Caroline Light

Title/Subtitle: Stand Your Ground: A History of America’s Love Affair with Lethal Self-defense

Date: 2017

In this book, the author Light examines the historical background of the SYG law, which

she refers to as the love affair of America with lethal self-defense. According to Light, the SYG

law is based on century of traditional laws, where individuals are allowed to use deadly and

lethal force regardless of alternatives such as safe retreat. The author explains the circumstances

that inspired the law, which include self-defense, justification and justification of the innocent.

Light believes that one should defend themselves as long as they stand their ground. The text is

relevant to this research by providing an adequate history of the SYG and other gun laws in US.
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Source: Online Journal

Author(s): Yue Yu

Title/Subtitle: Deterrence effect of stand your ground law on crime in eastern US state

Date: March, 2014

The article written by Yue Yu is based on the restriction effects of the gun laws, in

particular “stand your ground” law on crime rates in states within the Eastern US. The author

states the law and its components acknowledging that it is the most crucial law in US based on

self-defense. Yu also mentions that the law encourages self-protection. In this article, Yu

explores the ambiguous consequences of the SYG law on crime rates as well as safety and

security of the American society. The articles relevant to this research is to explore the impacts

of the law on the security of a society, since it is likely to increase crime rates.

Source: Magazine

Author(s): Noah Shepardson

Title/Subtitle: Ex-Cop, Who Killed Her Neighbor after Accidentally Entering His Apartment,

Convicted Of Murder

Date: 10.1.2019

Noah Shepardson writes an article published in reason magazine about an Ex-cop who

kills her neighbor in his house. The Ex-cop is convicted of murder after the jury declines claims

that her life was threatened and acted on self-defense. Even though the accused should be

protected by the SYG law, it is clear that there are some flaws in the judiciary system of US,

preventing the courting from applying the law appropriately. The defendant was the house of the

accused accidentally, which gave the accused no reason to apply lethal force. However, the

accused claimed self-defense as she was scared and threatened by a stranger in the house. The
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source is relevant to the research since it portrays the flaws and shortcomings of the SYG law in

US.

Source: Newspaper

Author(s): Elizabeth Flock

Title/Subtitle: Brittany Smith Loses Her Stand Your Ground Hearing

Date: February 4, 2020

In this Newspaper of “The New Yorker” a journalist Elizabeth Flock discusses how an

innocent woman, Brittany Smith from Alabama, who shot dead a stranger who was claimed to

threaten her in her home, raped her, brutally attacked her brother. In the court, she had injury

marks sustained to prove a struggle and attack. The SYG law ought to have protected Smith

since she acted on self-defense and applied lethal force. Regardless, the court ruled against her

and she ended up losing the case. The source portrays another incident of the flaws and

shortcomings of the judiciary system in applying the SYG law accordingly.

Source: Website

Author(s): Editorial Board, Bloomberg

Title/Subtitle: Stand-Your-Ground Laws Are Lethal

Date: May, 21 2020

The text explores an incident in Georgia involving the slain of a young innocent man

while jogging. The young man was shot dead while jogging and the defendant used the SYG law

to claim a self-defense since they were threatened by a running man thinking he was a burglar.

Bloomberg claims that the SYG laws are lethal and a wrongly used to defend and exonerate.

When the SYG laws are misused, innocent lose their lives and the accused go unpunished under

the SYG law.

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Works Cited
Editorial Board. "Stand-Your-Ground Laws Are Lethal". Bloomberg.Com, 2020,

https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-05-21/ahmaud-arbery-and-the-lethal-

outcomes-of-stand-your-ground-laws.

Flock, Elizabeth. "Brittany Smith Loses Her Stand Your Ground Hearing". THE NEW YORKER,

2020, https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/brittany-smith-loses-her-stand-your-

ground-hearing. Accessed 4 July 2020.

Light, Caroline E. Stand Your Ground: A History of America's Love Affair with Lethal Self-

defense. Beacon Press, 2017.

Shephardson, Noah. "Ex-Cop, Who Killed Her Neighbor After Accidentally Entering His

Apartment, Convicted Of Murder". Reason.Com, 2020, Accessed 4 July 2020.

Yu, Yue. "Deterrence effect of stand your ground law on crime in eastern US states." Atlantic

Economic Journal 42.1 (2014): 119-121.