“In 2010, (Marissa) Alexander, a mother of three, fired what she said was a warning shot after she felt threatened by her husband. According to (Congresswoman Corinne) Brown, Alexander’s husband had said, “If I can’t have you, nobody going to have you.” Alexander’s attorney invoked the “Stand Your Ground Law,” which gives the benefit of the doubt to a shooter who feels threatened. But that argument didn’t fly with the jury, which decided she was not acting in self-defense. Prosecutors argued that Alexander fired in the direction of her husband and two of his children, endangering their lives. The act amounted to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Because Alexander fired the gun while committing a felony, Florida’s harsh gun laws required the 20-year sentence. “If women who are victims of domestic violence try to protect themselves, the Stand Your Ground Law will not apply to them,” wrote Brown, who added, “If you are black, the system will treat you differently.” Well before (Trayvon Martin’s killer George) Zimmerman was acquitted, the contradictory nature of the two cases was already evident to Brown and many others.” — The New York Daily News, "Black Woman’s Failed ‘Stand Your Ground’ Claim Raises Allegation of Racial Double Standard."
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 17:30:51 +0000
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