Eric Holder opposes 42 percent decline in violent crime

In October of 2005 the people of Florida passed nearly unanimously the "Stand Your Ground" law which simply extended the "Castle Doctrine" from the home to any place a person has a legal right to be. Since then violent crime in Florida has declined by an amazing 42%.

To be fair, the "Stand Your Ground" law (Florida Statute 776) was passed into law just after the 10-20-Life law (Florida Statue 775) which gives mandatory sentences to criminals who use a gun in the commission of a felony. The Stand Your Ground law is not a gun law, but the 10-20-Life law is.

Exploiting the agony of the Martin family for political gain

While addressing the NAACP Holder says "It's time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sew dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods." Holder does not explain why it is time to question a law that many hold at least partially responsible for a 42% decline in robberies, rapes and murders, but instead leaves it to the imagination of the audience so that they can infer that Zimmerman's acquittal for second degree murder is the reason.

Zimmerman's defense team did not invoke the Stand Your Ground law as it did not apply to his case. Zimmerman had no ability to retreat while Martin was sitting on top of him and pummeling him, according to one witness, "MMA style".

Trying to fix something that isn't broken

Prior to the passing of the Stand Your Ground law it was the obligation of the victim to retreat when attacked or when witnessing an attack. Defending oneself or another was, in effect, illegal. The Stand Your Ground law made it legal to defend oneself against bodily harm or death and to defend another person from bodily harm or death. For example, if a bystander witnesses a rape in progress, it is now legal for the bystander to use force to defend the rape victim.

Eric Holder proposes that Florida return to a system that rewards an attacker with a victim's obligation to retreat. His premise that the Stand Your Ground law tries to fix what isn't broken is a slap in the face to any victim of violent crime. It is a nod and a wink to violent criminals who rely on victims to be passive.

A population of victims empowered to fight back

Holder says that allowing violent situations to escalate in public undermines public safety. In reality, violent criminals undermine public safety and a population of resistant victims is the best deterrent for violence.

The concept that a populace willing or even eager to fight back is justified by the drastic decline in violent crime since the passing of the Stand Your Ground law. When the law was passed in 2005 the violent crime rate in Florida was an alarming 702 per 100,000 persons according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement crime trends database.

Seven years after the Stand Your Ground law was passed in Florida the crime rate has dropped to 492.6 per 100,000. That is more than a 42% drop in violent crimes attributed by most to the empowerment of victims to fight back.

Relying on a myopic view

If one considers just the one case of George Zimmerman defending his life against Trayvon Martin and leaves out 90% of the facts in the case then it is easy to conclude that the law is flawed. If one considers only that Zimmerman was afraid instead of on his back, fighting for his life then sure it seems like a flawed system. Many have chosen to view the law illuminated only by this dim, inaccurate single consequence of the law--even though it wasn't invoked as a defense and is unrelated to the Zimmerman case. Many have convinced themselves that a few convenient misconceptions are good enough and that the law must go.

However, if one considers the thousands of women who were not raped in the last seven years because rapists were fearful instead of their victims then the law seems reasonable.

If one considers the victims who were not robbed because muggers were afraid of an immediate and reciprocal violent response then the law seems just.

When one considers the thousands of empty graves that are not filled with murder victims because evil men were afraid of swift retaliation then the Stand Your Ground law seems like one of the best laws in the history of America.

Don't fix what isn't broken

The people of Florida want you to keep your hands off our laws, Mr. Holder. A special message to you using the immortal words of Al Sharpton: "Don't talk to us like we're stupid."