Welcome to another installment in our irregular series "What the hell's wrong with
____?" Today, we ask the question "What the hell is
going on in Florida?"
Florida, it appears, is not done being the embarassing vestigial stump end of our great Republic. Never you mind the disgusting display of party-line pandering that was the 2000 Election. Just ignore the recent salubriousness that was and continues to be the entire state's intrusion in to one family's conflict over a husband's right to be his wife's advocate. Now, we have something even more ridiculous to shake our heads at.
Florida's state Assembly and Senate have passed a law that would allow its citizens to use lethal force under some of the flimsiest of circumstances. Obstensibly, this law is the extension of the "Castle Doctrine." As in, "your home is your castle." Under the Castle Doctrine, one is allowed to use lethal force to protect their home rather than attempt to get away. The codification of the doctrine was encouraged by Marion Hammer, a past president of the NRA; beforehand it was a facet of English Common Law that was brought over to the Americas in the 18th century. In October, your home is no longer your castle in Florida. Or, at least, not only your home: Now, your body will be your castle. The new law allows you to use lethal force to protect yourself in public, without fear of retribution from the law.
Florida's state Assembly and Senate have passed a law that would allow its citizens to use lethal force under some of the flimsiest of circumstances. Obstensibly, this law is the extension of the "Castle Doctrine." As in, "your home is your castle." Under the Castle Doctrine, one is allowed to use lethal force to protect their home rather than attempt to get away. The codification of the doctrine was encouraged by Marion Hammer, a past president of the NRA; beforehand it was a facet of English Common Law that was brought over to the Americas in the 18th century. In October, your home is no longer your castle in Florida. Or, at least, not only your home: Now, your body will be your castle. The new law allows you to use lethal force to protect yourself in public, without fear of retribution from the law.
That's right, under the new law, you are protected from being liable for any damages you cause. Most states, including Florida until recently, required you to have used every other reasonable means of protection and egress (that means running away) before resorting to deadly force to protect yourself. Thanks to this extension of the castle doctrine, you need only have a reasonable suspicion that you are under imminent threat of severe physical harm.
The Florida Legislature apparently felt a need to allow people to "stand their ground" instead of having a universal respect for life. Though the legislation focuses on the use of firearms, it covers using all forms of deadly force. Florida, being one of the most crime-ridden states in the Union, is hoping that this law will "clean up the streets" or some such bullshit.
The idea that people defending themselves from crime through the use of guns, knives, axes, pointy sticks or heavy rocks will decrease said crime is the greatest load of hooey ever thought up by the NRA or anyone else for that matter. Now, I am happy to allow people to own guns and even carry them if they're goddamn well educated to use the things safely. But to think that someone inclined to commit violent crime is going to back off because the victim might be armed borders on the congenitally stupid. Instead, this law will, I predict, foster a "shoot first, ask questions a few days later" mentality. A violent criminal will shoot, stab, or pummel first in order to get what they want, rather than wait to see if someone is armed or not.
But I am more worried about what Dirty Joe Citizen is going to be doing with that heat he's packing. I see a rash of violent crime that hides behind the new and improved Castle Doctrine. See, it'll go something like this: "What? He was sleeping with my wife, so I confronted him. He's so big and was so angry, I became scared for my life, so I shot him. Seven times. In the crotch. I had a reasonable expectation of being harmed. My body is my castle, officer."
See what I mean? What does "reasonable expectation" mean? Those words are going to create a lot of problems. How so? Well, here's another possibility.
White dude in an unfamiliar black neighborhood. Black man approaches said white dude. Black dude reaches behind his back. White dude panics, pulls his piece, and caps the black man in the shoulder (he was aiming for the chest, but was shaking too hard). Turns out all the black man wanted was to know if the white guy had change for a ten. Now, the black man will never have full use of his arm back. But, since the white guy had a "reasonable expectation" that this large black man was going to hurt him, he is not responsible for his actions. It's the black guy's fault for being a Negro.
This law has incredibly racist undertones. Every honkey-ass white Country Joe Motherfucker who thinks that Hispanics and black folks are the root of all crime is going to have a free pass to start blazing away under what would have been ridiculous circumstances before this law. Joe Blow is a racist cracker? Well, because of his racism, he was "predisposed" to see a black man as "a potential threat." See, you can't hold him accountable for his actions. He had a "reasonable expectation!" Well, fuck him. If he uses lethal force and his "reasonable expectation" was fucking wrong then he should have to face the consequences of that action.
Parents spend zillions of hours drilling playground jargon in to their children. What's the one we're schooled in for years? "Two wrongs don't make a right." Well, if it's good enough for our children, why isn't it good enough for us as adults?
So, if the shit really starts to hit the fan like I've predicted, I encourage all the people of color and women in Florida to get guns. Big guns. Many guns, floating around their heads controlled by murderous rage-filled thoughts. And when the Man comes to beat your ass in to the ground, as He is oh-so-fond of doing in northern Florida, where "beat the niggra" is practically a cultural pasttime and law enforcement is a nepotistic family business, you go ahead and blow him away. After all, after generations of oppression, you had a "reasonable expectation" that you were in danger of imminent physical harm.
-Jim
[Cross-posted at Los Punditos]