DeWine ignoring NAACP?

SANDUSKY — The president of the Ohio NAACP Conference wants a meeting with Gov. Mike DeWine to talk about the governor's support for a new Ohio law that critics say is racist and will result in more Black people getting killed by whites. "We need clear comprehensive gun laws and not excessive force gun laws," Tom Roberts said after DeWine on Monday signed Senate Bill 175, enacting the Stand Your Ground law in Ohio. DeWine cited a controversial gun rights advocate as his source for a statement he made defending his decision to approve a Stand Your Ground law that critics say will result in more homicides, more interracial homicides and more white people avoiding trial or being acquitted at trial when they kill Blacks. The governor relied on research by John R. Lott Jr., a man who believes teachers should be armed to prevent school massacres. Lott contends letting teachers and school staff carry handguns is "the one option that would really make a difference" in reducing the frequency of school massacres. Lott became a darling of the National Rifle Association more than 20 years ago when he published his book, "More Guns, Less Crime," advocating for concealed carry laws. Later, he wrote about Stand Your Ground. Dan Tierney, DeWine's press secretary, said the governor relied on information Lott provided in an opinion article he wrote published by the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune nearly four years ago. Lott said his research looked at data from all states with Stand Your Ground laws between 1977 and 2012, either through legislation or through court decisions. He said he found drops in murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault rates. "On average, murder rates fell by about 1.5 percent annually during the first 10 years that the law was in effect," he wrote. That margin is minuscule, however, compared to what independent data studies determined about enacting Stand Your Ground laws, commonly called "Shoot to Kill," or "Chase and Kill" laws. Lott's findings aren't accurate, according to research not associated or supported by the NRA. Another book published by Lott, "The War on Guns," is "riddled with errors and falsehoods that undermine most, if not all, of its major claims," according to the Vox, an explanatory journalism digital newspaper. Stop killing us Rights groups cite what they call independent studies, outside the influence of the NRA. One study by the American Medical Association found that homicides rose 24% in Florida after its Stand Your Ground law was enacted, and firearm-related homicides rose 32%. A study by the American Bar Association determined that interracial homicides spiked in states that have Stand Your Ground laws, and another study found that white homicide defendants with Black victims were 12 times more likely to have Stand Your Ground ruled in their favor than Black defendants whose victims were white. Rights groups have called it systemic racist law. Proponents, including local lawmakers state representatives Dick Stein and D.J. Swearingen and state Sen. Theresa Gavarone are refusing to address their concerns or say why, specifically, they support the law despite the deep distrust about it in communities of color. Gavarone, on social media, is misrepresenting the law's impact and complaining about newspaper coverage about the objections that have been raised. It's not known if she's spoken with any NAACP officials or her colleagues in the Senate who opposed the law and raised concerns. She does not respond to inquiries. Gavarone was even more blatant being submissive to the NRA than DeWine, defending her vote in favor of Stand Your Ground. She referred people with questions about the law to a right-wing blogger associated with the NRA based in Northern Virginia. Lawmakers who voted against the Stand Your Ground law suggested the way the House and Senate majority leadership snuck it in as an amendment to unrelated legislation late in the General Assembly's 2019-2020 session was underhanded. Republican lawmakers voted for Ohio's Stand Your Ground law Dec. 18 without answering to critics' concerns. The NAACP Ohio Conference and NAACP branches across the state oppose Stand Your Ground, as do about a dozen other civil rights and responsible gun right groups, citing the independent studies that show more Blacks will be unjustifiably killed because of its passage, and because DeWine signed it into law. Let's talk Roberts, the NAACP Conference president, wrote to DeWine before Christmas asking him to veto the law. Roberts said prior to Monday he believed DeWine would veto it. DeWine did not respond to questions about why he believes Lott's assertions over the findings in the data studies that determined Stand Your Ground laws are dangerous and deadly for Black people. He also did not immediately respond to other questions, including if he wants to arm teachers and school staff the way Lott recommends or if he intends to meet and talk with Roberts and others who oppose Ohio's law.