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Don't diminish right of self-defense
Tampa Bay Times ^ | April 27, 2012 | Will Weatherford

Posted on 04/27/2012 12:06:39 PM PDT by neverdem

Florida has been the epicenter of national attention in recent weeks as the heartbreaking events surrounding Trayvon Martin continue to unfold. His premature death has shocked and wounded us all, beginning with his grieving parents. As our thoughts and prayers go out to them and all of those involved, we long for the facts to be sorted out and justice to prevail.

I want to commend Gov. Rick Scott for his swift and decisive action to appoint a special prosecutor. His methodical approach yielded a lawful and just path for resolution in this case. It was the right course to give the system a chance to work.

The governor also established a work group to review the "stand your ground" law. I was not in the Legislature when the bill was debated and ultimately passed, but I believe the law may have been misapplied in this case as evidenced by the actions of the special prosecutor earlier this month. I appreciate the governor's decision to involve policymakers in the process of review, because ultimately we are the branch of government that will deliberate on the matter.

The court has a responsibility to ensure the facts are presented and the case is resolved, offering the family and George Zimmerman the opportunity to receive the justice they deserve. But given the circumstances of the shooting and the way the law interplayed with the case, it is equally as important for lawmakers to pause and consider whether changes can or should be made.

As the newly appointed task force begins to review the law, I believe its work must occur within the framework of protecting Floridians' right to lawfully defend themselves. Florida's comprehensive and robust gun rights laws are not rooted in partisanship or secured by lobbyists; they are founded on the right to bear arms clearly enumerated in our U.S. Constitution and our Florida Constitution. When some pundits and activists mock our laws, they conveniently omit the undeniable reduction in violent crime rates in our state.

With the exception of a slight increase in 2006, violent crime has dropped or remained stable every year in Florida since 2000. In fact, when you add it all up, we experienced a 25 percent drop in the overall violent crime rate in Florida in the past 11 years. These are not just statistics; they represent individual lives protected from harm — one less parent who must bury a child, one less father taken from a family.

Florida and our nation grieve over the tragic loss of Trayvon Martin. Yet it is important that we do not misplace this grief at the expense of other Florida families. Watering down the right of the innocent to protect themselves from wrongdoers will only create more sorrow and pain. It is also in direct violation of our basic rights as Americans.

In the Florida House of Representatives, we will review the current law, but we must not diminish the fundamental rights afforded to every American in our Constitution. We must not give criminals the upper hand over law-abiding citizens in Florida.

Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, is the incoming speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Editorial; Politics/Elections; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: banglist
He's still incoming? Bravo Florida! Your legislature is apparently not in session yet. Real legislatures can be almost as bad as real incoming artillery when they help the bad guys.
1 posted on 04/27/2012 12:06:42 PM PDT by neverdem
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To: neverdem

Hire this guy;
In the Florida House of Representatives, we will review the current law, but we must not diminish the fundamental rights afforded to every American in our Constitution. We must not give criminals the upper hand over law-abiding citizens in Florida.


2 posted on 04/27/2012 12:15:13 PM PDT by CGASMIA68
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To: neverdem
Two news items this week are related to the Statist attack on the individual's right to self defense.
  1. The EPA official who sought to overwhelm the individuals with excessive fines.
  2. The prosecutor asks for, and the judge is considering, raising the bail on George Zimmerman. Because he now has more money thanks to people from around the world donating money to his defense. But raising the bail will tie up the money for use toward that defense. Either that or he stays in jail despite him being innocent (until proven guilty).
Both are outright violations of the 8th Amendment. Our founders specifically designed it to protect our rights to defend ourselves from abusive government. What we see in both these cases is govt diminishing our right to defend ourselves in court or to fight the bureaucracies.

More here: More Assaults On the 8th Amendment -- Your Rights Discarded

3 posted on 04/27/2012 12:20:46 PM PDT by Avoiding_Sulla (How humanitarian are "leaders" who back Malthusian, Utilitarian & Green nutcases?)
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To: wardaddy; Joe Brower; Cannoneer No. 4; Criminal Number 18F; Dan from Michigan; Eaker; Jeff Head; ...
George Zimmerman: Prelude to a shooting Reuters committed journalism!

2 House Democrats Defeated After Opposing Health Law (Jason Altmire and Tim Holden)

Granting Absurdity - The GSA scandal obscures a broader problem: the shell game of federal largesse.

ATF: 68,000 Guns Recovered in Mexico Trace to US

Some noteworthy articles about politics, foreign or military affairs, IMHO, FReepmail me if you want on or off my list.

4 posted on 04/27/2012 12:33:45 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: neverdem

“I want to commend Gov. Rick Scott for his swift and decisive action to appoint a special prosecutor. His methodical approach yielded a lawful and just path for resolution in this case. It was the right course to...”

That’s nauseating!! The special prosecutor is obviously on a mission to “lynch” Zimmerman. From the lack of evidence, as per liberal attorney Allan Dershowitz, she is way of base.


5 posted on 04/27/2012 12:56:42 PM PDT by kenmcg (How)
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To: kenmcg

He commended the governor, not the prosecutor. I think Gov. Scott did the right thing in getting a special prosecutor to look at the case. I think the special prosecutor is a she-devil and did the absolute wrong thing by charging Zimmerman.


6 posted on 04/27/2012 1:47:30 PM PDT by Dan Nunn (Support the NRA!)
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To: neverdem

Unjust prosecutions are a good thing, don’t you know?


7 posted on 04/27/2012 1:55:19 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Government is the religion of the sociopath.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Stopped reading at “heartbreaking”.

My heart is not broken by the loss of “No_Limit_Nigga”.


8 posted on 04/27/2012 2:11:12 PM PDT by bicyclerepair ( REPLACE D-W-S ! http://www.karenforcongress.com)
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To: neverdem

I enjoy the articles you compile - links we might have missed. Nice job, neverdem. Thanks.


9 posted on 04/27/2012 3:42:34 PM PDT by GOPJ (Hoodies - because you can't kill a security camera for snitchin' - - freeper tacticalogic)
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To: kenmcg
“I want to commend Gov. Rick Scott for his swift and decisive action to appoint a special prosecutor. His methodical approach yielded a lawful and just path for resolution in this case. It was the right course to...”
That’s nauseating!! The special prosecutor is obviously on a mission to “lynch” Zimmerman. From the lack of evidence, as per liberal attorney Allan Dershowitz, she is way of base.
It certainly looks that way - but we know that wire service journalism generally and NBC in particular have promoted a mob mentality against Zimmerman. The situation is delicate, and I think the situation cries out for a multi-billion dollar lawsuit against the membership of the AP and the AP itself for making it delicate. But that aside, it is definitely politic, if weaselish, to talk in that nauseating way. The situation cries out for statesmanship, and the folks who thought that having a black Democrat for a president was a way of insuring against this sort of thing are about to see their theory tested.

10 posted on 04/27/2012 5:21:28 PM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which “liberalism" coheres is that NOTHING actually matters except PR.)
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To: neverdem
No my heart is not broken but my last nerve is about to go from hearing Trayvon night and day. Too bad the MSM didnt know upfront that Mr Zimmerman is dark skinned, Trayvon would not even have been a blip on the newsworthy radar
Just wondering, how many little welfare babies born this year will end up being named Trayvon
11 posted on 04/27/2012 5:56:03 PM PDT by D1X1E
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To: neverdem
(Art.)His methodical approach yielded a lawful and just path for resolution in this case. It was the right course to give the system a chance to work.

Yeah, to convict George Zimmerman of something, to get the black mob out of the courthouse square.

Zimmerman's going to be convicted by a mob, just like the old-time lynchings. "Social justice"!

The court has a responsibility to ensure the facts are presented and the case is resolved, offering the family and George Zimmerman the opportunity to receive the justice they deserve.

Translation: "That's a mob out there! We've got to deliver Social Justice! Zimmerman GUILTY AS CHARGED!! Get a rope!"

12 posted on 04/27/2012 6:16:47 PM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion
....the folks who thought that having a black Democrat for a president was a way of insuring against this sort of thing are about to see their theory tested.

Test complete. Fail.

13 posted on 04/27/2012 6:19:29 PM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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To: lentulusgracchus
....the folks who thought that having a black Democrat for a president was a way of insuring against this sort of thing are about to see their theory tested.
Test complete. Fail.
Come to think of it, George Zimmerman (D) himself is probably one of "those folks."

14 posted on 04/27/2012 7:15:19 PM PDT by conservatism_IS_compassion (The idea around which “liberalism" coheres is that NOTHING actually matters except PR.)
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To: GOPJ

You’re welcome.


15 posted on 04/27/2012 8:21:27 PM PDT by neverdem (Xin loi minh oi)
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To: neverdem

Thanks for the ping!


16 posted on 04/27/2012 8:51:14 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: conservatism_IS_compassion
Hadn't thought of that. Tough education for him.

"Experience keeps a dear school, but a fool will learn in no other." -- Franklin

17 posted on 04/27/2012 10:36:41 PM PDT by lentulusgracchus
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