Register wrong about 'Stand Your Ground'

The editorial "Repeal Stand Your Ground," (Sept. 13), should have stopped right after the opening sentence, "We support Democratic lawmakers....." The law is not a "chase and kill" law (as this editorial stated). You cannot under the law "chase" down and kill someone who is meaning to do you, or your family or another who is in danger from a person set on doing harm. It does, however, strike down the duty to retreat from danger. The old adage was if someone is looking to do you harm "be sure to drag them into your house" after protecting yourself or another. Now, you can protect yourself without the system being for the criminal and against the harmed party. From the jump, the concealed carry law required a party to have what (it describes) as "clean hands." That is you cannot start an altercation and then use a firearm to end it. It does not make a person invincible to the law. Be certain: If you are involved in a shooting to protect yourself another, or your property, your case will be presented to a grand jury to determine if you were justified in your actions. If you are not justified an indictment will be returned and you will spend thousands of dollars possibly lose your home your job and your freedom to defend your actions. I am positive, if a law prohibited or limited access to what could be printed in the Register, the editorial board would come completely unglued, as they should, because it is a right guaranteed under the Constitution of the United States in the First Amendment. The second protects the first and all the other rights under our governing document. The only protection against a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. James R. Seiling Jr. Sandusky Editor's note: Opponents of SYG laws cite numerous statistical studies of the adverse impact of similar laws enacted in other states previously, especially on minority communities. These studies show removing the duty to retreat as a requirement for a self-defense claim is successful for whites who don't retreat and instead pursue a perceived wrongdoer than for Black people who make similar choices. Studies also show SYG laws lead to the deaths of more Black people at the hands of whites who either are acquitted at trial or never face charges. Proponents of SYG don't refute the studies and don't present alternative research suggesting any different outcome. Also, just as there are restrictions on the First Amendment, such as prohibitions on incitement, inducing panic or language of defamation, there also are restrictions on the Second Amendment and how guns can be used as lethal weapons. * Read more about Stand Your Ground at the links below. To subscribe click here