It's official. The votes are in. The newspapers have spoken. And while they may a little late, they're not wrong.
Florida's newest law is a bad idea. This is the law that Jeb Bush called "common-sense," and its supporters say will reduce crime, while protecting law-abiding citizens from needless prosecution.
Because obviously, jails are overrun with good people who were just defending their own lives.
The "Stand Your Ground" law -- or "Kill Bill" -- has at its heart the belief that the average gun owner should be allowed to make life-and-death decisions on behalf of other people, based solely on the gun owner's assessment of the threat that other person represents.
Feel threatened? Shoot 'em!
The law whispered its way through Florida's legislature, and Governor Bush signed it with an NRA lobbyist at his elbow. And it seemed as though nobody noticed until it was too late.
Too late to stop the law from being enacted in Florida, maybe. But don't worry; the NRA is planning to bring this law to you, no matter where you live.
Check out what the Washington Post has to say:
We do, however, recognize a bad law when we see one, and any measure that increases the possibility of innocent people being killed or injured is a threat to public safety and does not belong on the books. This law, first of its kind in the nation, encourages people to be quick with guns, knives, or fists. That's scary.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution agrees.
Florida has ignored common sense and public safety by adopting a law that encourages violent confrontations between residents. Worse still, the National Rifle Association is gleefully planning to lobby for similar changes in other states.
Even FindLaw is in on the action.
Florida has taken a wrong turn that no other state should emulate.
In effect, its law allows citizens to kill other citizens in defense of property.
It's not even a question of gun control anymore. It's a question of who is legally allowed to kill you, and why they can do it. So don't look too longingly at your neighbor's new Lexus, and God help you if you bump into a nervous-looking guy on the bus. In Florida, the guy with the fastest draw wins.