Florida's gun ownership rate is about the same as France's. If the writer doesn't know that Mecca is a proper noun, or understand the origin of the phrase, I'm guessing he didn't bother researching his poorly thought out rant.
Which is too bad, because I like Hiaasen's novels.
Don’t hold your breath waiting for the state Legislature to fix Florida’s cockeyed stand-your-ground law. The National Rifle Association owns too many of the Republican lawmakers who could end the madness.
All of the Democrats voted for it too. If the law were repealed and revert back to the common law, Florida (like most states) would still be stand your ground. The only thing that would go away would be the immunity hearing.
Nothing will get done as long as black kids are the ones getting shot by white guys claiming they acted in self-defense. What might eventually pressure politicians to change the law is when white guys start getting shot.
Which has nothing to do with stand your ground.
The jaw-dropping verdict in the Michael Dunn case in Jacksonville brought not a peep of outrage from GOP leaders in the House or Senate. The outcome shamefully underscored the lunacy of stand-your-ground, and once again put Florida in the national spotlight as a gun-nut mecca.
What verdict? There wasn't one. It will be retried.
The sticking point was Florida’s spongy self-defense law that essentially allows the use of lethal force if a person feels threatened.
That is true of Duty To Retreat also.
Coming less than a year after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the shooting of Trayvon Martin, another unarmed black youth, the Dunn case should have shamed legislators into action.
Trayvon wasn't "unarmed", he was committing felony assault while bashing someones head in the sidewalk. Zimmerman endured the beating while screaming for help. Zimmerman fired only after John Good closed his front door instead of helping.
I like Hiaasen's novels, but he is uninformed and a victim of group think.
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