[News Terms] Ongoing Controversy in US Society over 'Stand Your Ground'

'Stand Your Ground' literally translates to 'Keep standing where you are.' In other words, it means do not run away but stand and fight. It refers to a law that recognizes the right to use firearms in self-defense when one's life is threatened.

Since everyone has their own castle or sanctuary, the concept of the 'Castle Doctrine,' which allows the right to self-defense against someone invading one's home, has been extended to public places. This law permits the use of lethal weapons such as guns in public spaces if one feels a threat to their life, without fleeing. It was first introduced in 2005 in Florida, USA. During its introduction, human rights groups strongly opposed the law, arguing that the scope of firearm use was excessively arbitrary and broad, but their protests were ineffective. Subsequently, over 30 states including Alabama, Alaska, and Arizona adopted similar laws.

Residents of Nashville, Tennessee, are protesting to demand gun control.
[Photo by Nashville AFP/ Yonhap News]

Contrary to the original intent of preventing violent crime, the law has led to increased racial discrimination against Black and other people of color, sparking ongoing debates about amending or repealing it. The New York Times (NYT) recently reported, "Opponents say the Stand Your Ground law increases violence and weakens law enforcement," adding, "There is reasonable evidence that this law increases the overall rate of gun homicides."

According to CNN and others on the 6th (local time), Ejike Owens (35), a Black woman with four children, was shot and killed by a white female neighbor (58) in a residential area of Marion County, Florida. However, the shooter has not yet been arrested or charged. Local security authorities explained that under the Stand Your Ground law, the shooter cannot be arrested until it is proven that the shooting was not an act of self-defense.

In the United States, where shootings are frequent, incidents related to this law continue to occur. Last month, a 14-year-old girl playing hide-and-seek was shot after hiding on a neighbor’s private property and being mistaken for an intruder. In April, a woman in her 20s who was visiting a friend’s house in New York State was shot and killed after mistakenly entering another house’s garage driveway. In the same month, a 16-year-old Black boy in Missouri was shot after ringing the wrong doorbell.