Stand-Your-Ground Laws Are Lethal

Information is still emerging about the case of Ahmaud Arbery — the unarmed 25-year-old slain in a quiet Georgia street — but what is known is disturbing. Two men eventually arrested in the killing told police that Arbery was running down the road, and that they thought he was a burglar and shot him in self-defense. Before state officials intervened, following months of delay, a prosecutor cited Georgia’s stand-your-ground law as an exonerating factor.

Since 2005, more than 20 states have passed some form of a stand-your-ground law. These let people use deadly force to defend themselves even if they can safely retreat. It’s worth remembering that people already have the right to defend themselves with deadly force if there is no safe alternative. Stand-your-ground laws change this traditional last resort — potentially lethal violence — into a permissible first resort.