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Old July 9, 2012, 12:06 PM   #22
zukiphile
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 13, 2005
Posts: 4,439
Beyond the statistical problems, the article rests on other dubious observations.

Quote:
Originally Posted by article
These findings concur with the personal experiences of former Monitor columnist Water Rogers, who spent decades in war zones around the world. He had loaded guns pointed at his head more than once and observed gun violence firsthand. “Stand Your Ground laws are perilous,” he said in an April column. “They get people killed, because they substitute impulse for intelligent thought.”
It seems unlikely that a person under threat would think "This is an enormously dangerous situation I'm in, but I won't try to avoid danger because I am armed".

Further,

Quote:
Originally Posted by article
The long-accepted “duty to retreat” standard allows time and opportunity for violence to be avoided. “Stand your ground” may demand a split-second decision that even trained law-enforcement officers find challenging, and invites tragedy.
It seems too obvious to note that being in doubt of one's right to use force in his own defense can also invite tragedy.

One can imagine a poorly drafted SYG law that could invite violencve between those who merely misunderstand one another, but that doesn't seem a frequent problem. The more routine scenario seems to involve people who correctly understand that they are threatened and respond.

The only issue at that point is whether they should be prosecuted. Statistics can't address that.

Last edited by zukiphile; July 9, 2012 at 12:12 PM.
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