Posted on 10/29/2013 12:31:02 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
Sybrina Fulton, the mother of Trayvon Martin, testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday that “stand your ground” laws must be reviewed and amended.
“It’s unfortunate what has happened with Trayvon, and that’s why I feel like it’s so important for me to be here so that you all can at least put a face with what has happened with this tragedy,” Fulton said at a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing.
“I just wanted to come here to talk to you for a moment to let you know how important it is that we amend this ‘stand your ground’ because it did not, certainly did not work in my case,” she said. “The person that shot and killed my son is walking the streets today and this law does not work. We need to seriously take a look at this law.”
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In 2012, Trayvon Martin, 17, was unarmed when he was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, who was acquitted of the murder this summer. Although Zimmerman’s defense did not invoke the stand your ground law, the case sparked a national debate about race and “stand your ground” laws, which exist in at least 22 states.
The hearing held by a subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday examined the impact of “stand your ground” laws. The hearing was initially supposed to be held last month but was delayed due to the shootings at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C.
Sen. Dick Durbin, chairman of the Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights subcommittee, said the self-defense laws have caused “unnecessary tragedies” and need to be reviewed.
“It is clearly time for ‘stand your ground’ laws to be carefully reviewed and reconsidered,” Durbin said. “Whatever the motivation behind them, it’s clear these laws often go too far in encouraging confrontations that escalate into deadly violence. They’re resulting in unnecessary tragedies and they are diminishing accountability under our justice system.”
Several Republicans at the hearing said the laws should not be dealt with on the federal level and must be left to the states.
“If it is not within Congress’s jurisdiction to legislate substantive state criminal law, it raises whether there may perhaps be a broader political agenda behind the hearing instead,” Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said. “This is not about politicking. This is not about inflaming racial tensions, although some might try to use it to do that. This is about the right of everyone to protect themselves, to protect their family.”
“With only a few exceptions most states are doing quite well with legislating in the area of criminal law without our interference,” said Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas. “Let’s leave state criminal law to the consideration of the state legislatures that we in Congress would probably be well served to take advice from the states that are still solvent.”
I “call for” this moron, trayvon’s mom, to be deported immediately.
Can’t she just go away?
Okay, I’ll try again:
One of the things that makes this a great country is that this woman is entitled to, and has the right to, express her vile, ignorant, ill-informed, anti-freedom, crime-supporting, racist, BS-filled, opinion.
And I am entitled to, and have a right to, express my opinion that she is a vile, ignorant, ill-informed, anti-freedom, crime-supporting, racist, BS-filled, moron.
That reminds me. Did you hear the latest about that blonde from Alabama who disappeared on Aruba?...............just kidding.
“Trayvon Martin’s Mom Calls for Better Parenting”
The title for an article that would be seen in my Country with this Mom portraying herself as a counter example to a good parent.
Hey Lady, why don’t you walk down a similar street in the middle of the night. No guns now.
Just so you know, the picture on the right is NOT Trayvon Martin. There are plenty of actual pics of him doing similar things, but that is not one of them.
I recently read the Florida statutes on shooting. Stand your ground appears to be the only legal way to shoot somebody in Florida if you aren’t in Law Enforcement or a prison guard. Stand your ground says that if you can’t retreat you can use lethal force. (If you could easily escape and you shoot, my reading is that you’re on shaky ground.) But if you’re in your house or, like George Zimmerman, you are getting pounded while on your back, you’re on safe ground. Without stand your ground you can not legally defend yourself with lethal force in Florida. (My read, anyway.)
Stand Your Ground Laws had nothing to do with her sons death!
Her son assaulted an armed man and when that man was being beaten and feared for his life he shot the kid.
Simple everyday self defense.
You beat me to it.
I thought her 15 seconds of fame was already OVER.
Like the sheriff of another county said recently about another BAD child. If you don't discipline your kids, WE WILL.
This is part of the new black folklore that poor little Trayvon was profiled and then ruthlessly hunted down by an evil cracker.
She want to have the "Stand Your Ground" law replaced with the "Stand Down and Take Your Whoop-Ass" law.
I agree with her call for an amendment to the laws. For example one ccould be allowed to shoot the perp whether he is wearing a “Hoodie” or not. In addition one could shoot perps whether or not they are carrying “Skittle’s” and or ice tea. The aforementioned would be amendments one could live with!
“I just wanted to come here to talk to you for a moment to let you know how important it is that we amend this ‘stand your ground’ because it did not, certainly did not work in my case,” she said. “The person that shot and killed my son is walking the streets today and this law does not work. We need to seriously take a look at this law.”
Respectfully....yes it did.
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