House Dems Push Race and Gun Laws In Wake of Trayvon

House Democrats are moving to pass gun control and race-based legislation in the wake of the Trayvon Martin shooting, The Hill reports today. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus want to end “Stand Your Ground” laws – laws designed to allow people to defend themselves rather than running when threatened with serious bodily harm. They have sponsored a resolution claiming that the Martin killing was a “crime,” suggesting that “racial bias led to the use of deadly force,” and lamenting “the inconceivable fact that his killer remains free.” The evidence in the Martin case remains unclear, at best.

But wait, there’s more:

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas), another CBC member, is crafting a proposal requiring members of neighborhood watch groups to be registered before taking to the streets under a watchman’s badge. 

And [Rep. Frederica] Wilson, who represents the district where Martin lived, is working on legislation to create a national commission “to study race-based injustices, health disparities and economic disparities affecting African American men and boys,” in the words of the congresswoman.

Never let a good crisis go to waste. The words of Rahm Emanuel certainly sum up the goals for these members of Congress.