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Lucy McBath, Guest columnist 12:06 a.m. ET March 30, 2017

A framed copy of the Jet magazine cover story on Jordan Davis, son of Ron Davis and Lucy McBath, is pictured the law office of their attorney, John Phillips, in Jacksonville. Jordan Davis,17, was shot to death by Michael Dunn, of Satellite Beach, on Nov. 23, 2012.(Photo: Tim Shortt, FLORIDA TODAY)Buy Photo

The Florida House will soon vote on a bill that would expand the states already-deadly Stand Your Ground law. These laws embolden individuals to shoot first and ask questions later rather than encourage people to de-escalate their conflicts through peaceful means and walk away when safe to do so.

Research shows that Floridas current iteration was associated with an increase in firearm homicides, and while these types of laws put all of us at risk, they have a disproportionate impact on communities of color.

I understand this painful reality all too well. My son, Jordan Davis, was just 17 years old when he was shot and killed by an older white man during a dispute over loud music at a Jacksonville gas station. Jordan and his friends were all unarmed. My sons killer was not.

Michael Dunn murder conviction upheld in loud-music fatal shooting

Research shows that when white shooters kill black victims, the resulting homicides are deemed justifiable 11 times more frequently than when the shooter is black and the victim is white. Additionally, Florida Stand Your Ground cases with minority victims are half as likely to lead to conviction, compared with cases that involve white victims.

Since Jordans murder, Ive dedicated my life to honoring his memory by telling his story and working to make sure no other parent experiences the pain of having a child stolen from them through gun violence. I, along with Florida members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and other gun violence survivors, will continue to speak out against this bill and all other dangerous bills that put our communities at risk.

Floridas Stand Your Ground already gives untrained civilians more leeway to shoot than the U.S. military gives its soldiers in war zones. Now, SB 128 would expand the law by effectively requiring criminal defendants who raise a Stand Your Ground defense to be convicted twice once by a judge and once by a jury.

This new bill would shift the burden of proof in Stand Your Ground pretrial hearings from defendants to prosecutors, forcing the state to prove a shooter acted unlawfully before it even brings a case to trial. This would make it easier for gun criminals to elude justice. It would also create an insurmountable backlog of cases for prosecutors, and stretch already-thin resources without allocating any more funding to that state agency.

Video: Loud-music shooter Michael Dunn gets life in prison

Simply put, these types of laws do not deter crime. They allow individuals to shoot and kill others in public places even when they can clearly and safely walk away from the conflict.

We should focus on keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people not passing laws that turn everyday confrontations into deadly shootouts.

Floridians deserve better than this. Jordans memory deserves better than this. Trayvons memory deserves better than this. Our lawmakers should remember that the dangerous proposal theyre supporting today can and will have irreversible and even deadly consequences for many Floridians for years to come.

Lucy McBath is the Faith and Outreach Leader for Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

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Victim's mother: Stand Your Ground emboldens shooters - Florida Today

Lucy McBath 11:19 a.m. ET March 28, 2017

Lucy McBath is the Faith and Outreach Leader for Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.(Photo: File)

The Florida House will soon vote on a bill that would expand the states already-deadly Stand Your Ground law. These laws embolden individuals to shoot first and ask questions later rather than encourage people to de-escalate their conflicts through peaceful means and walk away when safe to do so.

Research shows that Floridas current iteration was associated with an increase in firearm homicides, and while these types of laws put all of us at risk, they have a disproportionate impact on communities of color.

I understand this painful reality all too well. My son, Jordan Davis, was just 17 years old when he was shot and killed by an older white man during a dispute over loud music at a Jacksonville gas station. Jordan and his friends were all unarmed. My sons killer was not.

Research shows that when white shooters kill black victims, the resulting homicides are deemed justifiable 11 times more frequently than when the shooter is black and the victim is white. Additionally, Florida Stand Your Ground cases with minority victims are half as likely to lead to conviction, compared with cases that involve white victims.

Since Jordans murder, Ive dedicated my life to honoring his memory by telling his story and working to make sure no other parent experiences the pain of having a child stolen from them through gun violence. I, along with Florida members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and other gun violence survivors, will continue to speak out against this bill and all other dangerous bills that put our communities at risk.

Floridas Stand Your Ground already gives untrained civilians more leeway to shoot than the U.S. military gives its soldiers in war zones. Now, SB 128 would expand the law by effectively requiring criminal defendants who raise a Stand Your Ground defense to be convicted twice once by a judge and once by a jury.

This new bill would shift the burden of proof in Stand Your Ground pretrial hearings from defendants to prosecutors, forcing the state to prove a shooter acted unlawfully before it even brings a case to trial. This would make it easier for gun criminals to elude justice. It would also create an insurmountable backlog of cases for prosecutors, and stretch already-thin resources without allocating any more funding to that state agency.

Simply put, these types of laws do not deter crime. They allow individuals to shoot and kill others in public places even when they can clearly and safely walk away from the conflict.

We should focus on keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people not passing laws that turn everyday confrontations into deadly shootouts.

Floridians deserve better than this. Jordans memory deserves better than this. Trayvons memory deserves better than this. Our lawmakers should remember that the dangerous proposal theyre supporting today can and will have irreversible and even deadly consequences for many Floridians for years to come.

Lucy McBath is the Faith and Outreach Leader for Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Read or Share this story: http://newspr.es/2ouJp8b

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Changing Stand Your Ground law wrong for Florida

Lucy McBath, My View Published 9:25 a.m. ET March 28, 2017 | Updated 11:17 a.m. ET March 28, 2017

Emotions were high after Jordan Davis' killer was convicted of murder. 17-year-old Davis' life ended when Michael Dunn shot him during an argument about rap music being played loudly the day after Thanksgiving in 2012. VPC

1 of 3

It has been a year since 17-year-old Jordan Davis was gunned down over loud music he was playing in Jacksonville, Florida. The accused gunman Michael Dunn is considering using the state's "stand your ground" law in his defense. VPC

2 of 3

The father of Jordan Davis, the teen killed by Michael Dunn after a confrontation about loud music, explains why this retrial for a murder conviction is important to him. VPC

3 of 3

Jordan Davis' mom: We're able to finally give him rest

Gunned down teen remembered by family

Jordan Davis' dad: Forgiving Michael Dunn not up to me

The Florida House will soon vote on a bill that would expand the states already-deadly Stand Your Ground law. These laws embolden individuals to shoot first and ask questions later rather than encourage people to de-escalate their conflicts through peaceful means and walk away when safe to do so.

Research shows that Floridas current iteration was associated with an increase in firearm homicides, and while these types of laws put all of us at risk, they have a disproportionate impact on communities of color.

I understand this painful reality all too well. My son, Jordan Davis, was just 17 years old when he was shot and killed by an older white man during a dispute over loud music at a Jacksonville gas station. Jordan and his friends were all unarmed. My sons killer was not.

Research shows that when white shooters kill black victims, the resulting homicides are deemed justifiable 11 times more frequently than when the shooter is black and the victim is white. Additionally, Florida Stand Your Ground cases with minority victims are half as likely to lead to conviction, compared with cases that involve white victims.

Since Jordans murder, Ive dedicated my life to honoring his memory by telling his story and working to make sure no other parent experiences the pain of having a child stolen from them through gun violence. I, along with Florida members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and other gun violence survivors, will continue to speak out against this bill and all other dangerous bills that put our communities at risk.

Floridas Stand Your Ground already gives untrained civilians more leeway to shoot than the U.S. military gives its soldiers in war zones. Now, SB 128 would expand the law by effectively requiring criminal defendants who raise a Stand Your Ground defense to be convicted twice once by a judge and once by a jury.

This new bill would shift the burden of proof in Stand Your Ground pretrial hearings from defendants to prosecutors, forcing the state to prove a shooter acted unlawfully before it even brings a case to trial. This would make it easier for gun criminals to elude justice. It would also create an insurmountable backlog of cases for prosecutors, and stretch already-thin resources without allocating any more funding to that state agency.

Simply put, these types of laws do not deter crime. They allow individuals to shoot and kill others in public places even when they can clearly and safely walk away from the conflict.

We should focus on keeping guns out of the hands of dangerous people not passing laws that turn everyday confrontations into deadly shootouts.

Floridians deserve better than this. Jordans memory deserves better than this. Trayvons memory deserves better than this. Our lawmakers should remember that the dangerous proposal theyre supporting today can and will have irreversible and even deadly consequences for many Floridians for years to come.

Lucy McBath is the Faith and Outreach Leader for Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.

Read or Share this story: http://on.tdo.com/2nHQKnI

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Victim's mother: Stand Your Ground law emboldens shooters - Tallahassee.com

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An evening walk turns into an eerie confrontation for a reader who likes to walk at night in her neighborhood

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Karen McKearn-Lawrence, Des Moines, Letter to the Editor 5:24 p.m. CT March 28, 2017

A woman testifies against adding a "stand your ground" provision to Iowa's gun laws as others hold signs on the dangers of letting guns into the wrong hands.(Photo: Rekha Basu)

I went for a walk earlier this month, after dark something I have been doing for years. I have always felt safe because I live in a good neighborhood. Heading into mile four, someone in a beat-up car who apparently didn't feel so safestarted stalking me.

First the car drove by slowly, then pulled over twice to watch me, then turned around and started driving toward me, at which point I took a dive into the nearest yard to hide in the shadows, terrified.The car stopped a few yards from me and a woman yelled out, "Who are you?"

I said, "Who are you and what are you doing following me?" She replied that she thought I was invading property. I didn't say what I wanted to say.

Keep in mind that I am 5-foot-2-inches, about 105 poundsand walking on the sidewalk. I am grateful that the "stand your ground" law hadn't yet gone into effect.

Although the driver of that car will undoubtedly feel safer when it does, she won't be and neither will I.

Karen McKearn-Lawrence, Des Moines

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On March 15, the Senate voted to pass SB 128, expanding our states dangerous stand your ground law. Its safe to say that I was deeply disappointed by this unfortunate development.

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Tallahassee Democrat 11:04 a.m. ET March 25, 2017

Letter to the Editor(Photo: Democrat files)Buy Photo

On March 15, the Senate voted to pass SB 128, expanding our states dangerous stand your ground law. Its safe to say that I was deeply disappointed by this unfortunate development.

By approving this reckless legislation, the bills supporters doubled down on the (already debunked) idea that stand your ground makes us safer. This law has led to more use of deadly force, endangering our communities and placing an undue burden of more homicide cases on our law enforcement officers.

Currently, about 70 percent of defendants who claim immunity under this law go free without a trial, despite about one-third of defendants initiating the confrontation, per the Tampa Bay Times. Expanding this law would only exacerbate the issue.

Despite all this evidence, some in the GOP have chosen to support this bill at the urging of the NRA. For fear of losing the gun lobbys financial backing, they have prioritized the NRA over their own communities.

When this bill comes before the House Judiciary Committee, the other committee members and I will face a simple decision: to represent the people or to represent the special interests.

I choose to represent my constituents and I urge other members to do the same.

Rep. Ramon Alexander, Tallahassee, ramonalexander06@yahoo.com

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Letter: 'Stand Your Ground' a bad law - Tallahassee.com