New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, in his latest attempt to demagogue the gun-control issue, used the occasion of George Zimmerman’s acquittal to release a statement on Sunday that asserted his desire to eradicating “Stand Your Ground” laws. Critics of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which permits citizens to use deadly force if they feel they are in physical danger, have called the laws “Shoot-First” laws. Bloomberg used that terminology in his statement, in which he said:
Sadly, all the facts in this tragic case will probably never be known. But one fact has long been crystal clear: ‘shoot-first’ laws like those in Florida can inspire dangerous vigilantism and protect those who act recklessly with guns. Such laws – drafted by gun lobby extremists in Washington – encourage deadly confrontations by enabling people to shoot first and argue ‘justifiable homicide’ later. Last year, I joined a broad coalition of civic leaders to shine a light on the impact of ‘shoot-first’ laws and work to eliminate them, in Florida and wherever they have been passed. We will continue that work – and the tragic death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed child attempting to walk home from the store, will continue to drive our efforts.
Significantly, Bloomberg never mentioned that Zimmerman’s defense eschewed using the “Stand Your Ground” law in its case.