Janet Napolitano Signed 'Stand Your Ground' Law for Arizona in 2006

Amid Democrat attempts to use the Trayvon Martin shooting as a means to push for the repeal of Stand Your Ground laws, it’s been interesting to note how many Democrats have a past that includes support for them.  

For example, on April 2^nd, I had a post on Big Government that highlighted how former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a Democrat, used her Current TV show to lambaste Stand Your Ground laws, and to blame Republicans for the existence of such laws in the first place. However, as I showed, the dirty little secret is that Granholm signed Michigan’s Stand Your Ground bill into law in 2006.

Now it’s been discovered that an even more prominent Democrat, Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano, signed Arizona’s Stand Your Ground bill into law while governor of that state in 2006. And it’s important to note that Napolitano didn’t sign the bill half-halfheartedly, rather, she even countered anti-gunners’ opposition in the signing.  According to the Arizona Daily Star:

[Gubernatorial spokeswoman Jeanine L’Ecuyer] said Napolitano, a former state and federal prosecutor, concluded the measure would not cause the harm that foes contend it would. “She believes in the fundamental right of self-defense,” L’Ecuyer said. “And the law still requires the defendant to be in imminent peril of death or serious physical injury.”

The NRA heaped praise upon Napolitano for signing the bill as well. And they issued a special press release to explain that the bill Napolitano had signed was actually a combination of Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground legislation (making it especially deplorable to gun grabbers):

[The] bill has two components: One is Castle Doctrine, which presumes you are justified in the use of force if you believe you are in danger of serious bodily harm or death within your home or occupied vehicle.  The second and most significant component is the return of the burden of proof in self-defense cases to the state, so law-abiding citizens who are forced to actually use their firearms or other means of protection for self-defense will not be wrongfully imprisoned or financially devastated by costs associated with their legal defense.  They will once again be presumed innocent – consistent with the American system of justice.

The bottom line: It would behoove current Democrats to do a quick records search before continuing their denigration of Stand Your Ground laws as a solely Republican initiative. For it is pretty evident that some prominent Democrat governors are among those who’ve recognized the value of honoring Americans’ right to keep and bear arms as well.