Studies Show More People Shot to Death with ALEC/NRA “Stand Your Ground” Laws
by Harriet Rowan — July 10, 2012 – 7:33am
Topics: Democracy, Politics, Public Relations
Projects: ALEC Exposed
Two recent studies have found that so-called “Stand Your Ground” laws lead to more deaths. These findings contradict some claims made by right-wing politicians that have pushed these bills into law, such as the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and the National Rifle Association (NRA). These laws have come under increased scrutiny since Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law was initially cited to protect Trayvon Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman.
The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a private non-profit and the largest economics research organization in the United States, recently released a working paper that examines the claims of those who say “Stand Your Ground” laws make our streets safer, and concludes that states that pass Stand Your Ground laws see a combined increase of between 4 and 8 additional deaths each month. Researchers from Texas A&M University also released a study last month finding states that passed the laws saw an increase in homicides between 7 and 9 percent annually, which amounts to between 500 and 700 homicides cumulatively, with no drop in violent crime rates.
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