Trayvon Martin’s parents plead with Gov. Scott’s task force to change ‘Stand Your Ground’

The Palm Beach Post's Post On Politics ^ | June 12, 2012 | Dara Kam

[2ndDivisionVet]

LONGWOOD _ Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin, the parents of the unarmed black teenager shot to death by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in February, made an impassioned plea to change the state’s Stand Your Ground law that they say encourages vigilantism.

Zimmerman claimed he shot their son Trayvon Martin in self-defense, permissible under the state’s Stand Your Ground law that allows people to use deadly force when they feel threatened.

“I believe my son was standing his ground…He was afraid,” Fulton told reporters outside the mega-church where the public is now addressing the task force for the first time since Scott created it after a national outcry over a delay in the arrest of Zimmerman. Authorities arrested Zimmerman two months after the Feb. 26 shooting in Sanford. “They do need to review these laws. “He was afraid…This is personal. They do need to review these laws.”

The couple also delivered 375,000 online petitions collected by Second Chance on Shoot First, a national campaign co-founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“This is definitely personal to us. Our son has been sacrificed,” Tracy Martin said. “It’s a bad law. These laws are set up basically for the shooter to take an innocent life.”

Tracy Martin also disputed Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense, saying he ignored 911 operators instructions to remain in his vehicle and not to pursue Martin.

“He was defending himself against what?” Martin said.

The law gives the message that “it’s OK to be a vigilante in our society today,” Martin said. “The public is not going to stand around for it and we certainly aren’t going to stand around for it.”

[2ndDivisionVet]

This was the intent from day one.

[Standing Wolf]

The racial grievance professionals want to deprive the law-abiding of our right to defend our lives and force us to live in fear of their loyal supporters. I say it’s time and decades past time for the criminals to live in fear of law-abiding American citizens.

[Tzimisce]

Never thought I’d see the day when thugs, bullies and gang bangers would be afraid to go outside at night.

You stupid racist bigots should be ashamed.

Now go pay your taxes or it’s racist.

/sarc(?????)

[Venturer]

This paper is not biased at all/ such a treat to read a one sided story./s/

[popdonnelly]

These people weren’t there and don’t know what they’re talking about. They can speculate on what happened all day long, it’s not facts and it’s not the truth. It’s speculation.

[hal ogen]

I’d petition the Governor to change “Stand your ground” to “shoot on site” or maybe “shoot on suspicion”.

[jessduntno]

“Trayvon Martin’s parents plead with Gov. Scott’s task force to change ‘Stand Your Ground’”

Change it to the “Ben Dover” Statute?

[BitWielder1]

If the Martin family got attacked, would they not want the right to defend themselves?

[El Cid]

“He was defending himself against what?” Martin said.

err... death?
Mr. Zimmerman was getting his face pummeled and his head bashed into the cement sidewalk. He was within his rights to defend himself. That fact that he has been charged with a crime, and is currently in jail, for having exercised his right -- is a travesty.

[hosepipe]

What do the Martin parents want?...
The Ghetto Thugg Protection Act?...

I see.. thats what this is all about..

[Eva]

The stand your ground bill had nothing to do with the shooting of Trayvon Martin, since George Zimmerman was not standing and could not have left the scene.

[UCANSEE2]

The stand your ground bill had nothing to do with the shooting of Trayvon Martin, since George Zimmerman was not standing and could not have left the scene.

Here we go again. Facts. As if they prove anything. (/s)

[BitWielder1]

That's irrelevant to the libs, as are most facts.

[Isabel C.]

I’d petition the Governor to change “Stand your ground” to “shoot on site" or maybe “shoot on suspicion”.

Did you mean to say "shoot on sight"?

[Joe Boucher]

Tell these race baiters to pound sand

[TurboZamboni]

KOPEL: Debunking the ‘stand your ground’ myth

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2867469/posts

The assertion that Florida law allows shooting whenever someone believes it to be necessary is a flat-out lie. The actual law of Florida is that “a person is justified in the use of deadly force” if “(1) He or she reasonably believes that such force is necessary to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony” (Florida Statutes, Section 776.012).

The second part of the law provides special provisions for self-defense against violent home invaders or carjackers. Neither of those is relevant to the Zimmerman case.

[Frank_2001]

“Mr. Zimmerman was getting his face pummeled and his head bashed into the cement sidewalk.”

By this poor little unarmed teenager!/sarcasm

[archy]

I’d petition the Governor to change “Stand your ground” to “shoot on site” or maybe “shoot on suspicion”.

Oh, c'mon! Can't we bayonet a few of them, just to send a message to the others....

[Lurker]

Personally, for all it’s faults, I really wish we had man portable flame weapons in the inventory.

Nothing says “leave me alone” like a 30 foot long tongue of flaming napalm.

[archy]

Personally, for all it’s faults, I really wish we had man portable flame weapons in the inventory.

Nothing says “leave me alone” like a 30 foot long tongue of flaming napalm.

All them fellers who say that the scariest thing in the world is the sound of a shotgun action being shucked back ker-CHUNK! have never heard the little pop of the igniter cartridge of an M2A1-7 flamethrower at night.