The Brady Bunch Assists Gun Owners in Florida

This billboard, erected by The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence , appeared in Florida this week, in response to Florida's new No Duty to Retreat or Stand Your Ground laws. Many thanks to Sarah Brady's team of useful idiots for informing Florida's criminal element of the changes in their legal status. Perhaps the criminals will now reconsider their job choice and save law abiding citizens some ammo.

Prompted by the National Rifle Association, Florida lawmakers passed the bill by lopsided margins and with strong bipartisan support. Gov. Jeb Bush, signed it into law in April, 2005, scheduled to go into effect today, Oct. 1, 2005. Gov. Bush defended the measure, saying it "defies common sense" to force people to retreat when they're in a life-threatening situation. Kudos to Florida for enabling their citizens instead of hindering them.

This new legislation in Florida does three things.
1. It establishes, in law, the presumption that a criminal who forcibly enters or intrudes into your home or occupied vehicle is there to cause death or great bodily harm, therefore a person may use any manner of force, including deadly force, against that person.

2. It removes the "duty to retreat" if you are attacked in any place you have a right to be. You no longer have to expose your back to a criminal and try to run when attacked. Instead, you may stand your ground and fight back, meeting force with force, including deadly force, if you reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to yourself or others. [This is an American right repeatedly recognized in Supreme Court gun cases.]

3. It provides that persons using force authorized by law shall not be prosecuted for using such force. It also prohibits criminals and their families from suing victims for injuring or killing the criminals who have attacked them.

In short, it gives rights back to law-abiding people and forces judges and prosecutors who are prone to coddling criminals to instead focus on protecting victims.

Learn more about this helpful criminal education campaign courtesy of the Brady Bunch at shootfirstlaw.org See the actual bill at this link.