by Jake Dima
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed an “anti-mob” bill that would allow residents to shoot rioters and looters who target businesses following nationwide unrest.
The law would expand the state’s self defense law, which currently forbids “the use of force in defense of property,” by increasing what constitutes a “forcible felony,” according to the Miami Herald. DeSantis seeks to make looting or “interruption or impairment” of a business such a felony, thereby justifying deadly force to prevent it, the local outlet reported.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, has drafted “anti-mob” legislation that would expand Florida’s Stand Your Ground law that critics say would allow armed citizens to shoot suspected looters or anyone engaged in “criminal mischief” that disrupts a businesshttps://t.co/tVEgmnWmIr
— Hamza Shaban (@hshaban) November 10, 2020
The Republican’s bill would also make it a third-degree felony to obstruct traffic, and would allow drivers to have legal immunity if they unintentionally kill or maim anyone engaging in blocking a roadway during a demonstration, according to the Herald. The law, which is only a draft at the time of publishing, is also set to grant state authorities the ability to withhold funds from localities that choose to reduce their police budgets, the local outlet reported.
Critics of the bill claim the potential legislation will embolden vigilantes.
“It allows for vigilantes to justify their actions,” former Miami-Dade County prosecutor Denise Georges told the Herald. “It also allows for death to be the punishment for a property crime — and that is cruel and unusual punishment. We cannot live in a lawless society where taking a life is done so casually and recklessly.”
DeSantis’ push comes after months-long nationwide unrest that followed the death of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for over eight minutes, video showed.
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Jake Dima is a reporter for the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Background Photo “Florida Capitol” by DXR. CC BY-SA 4.0.
This is why, the 2nd Amendment read as a grammatically correct sentence, the People are the militia. “Militia” is in the 2nd Amendment referencing Article I, Section 8.15-16 which RESTRICTS the government’s delegated power to “governing such part of them (the militia) as may be EMPLOYED in its service.” Therefore, the People are free to exercise their self defense and maintain “the SECURITY of a free State” as necessary. If needed, the militia may be locally organized by County Sheriffs who are their Constitutional officer. But otherwise, each person has the God-given, pre-existing RIGHT to exercise their own self defense with the means of their choosing.
Sounds like a sound idea to me. Why should criminals be permitted to burn, destroy and loot while law abiding citizens are required to sit on their hands and watch?
BRAVO! Governor DeSantis is a true leader!
No where does any provision in either Federal or State Constitutions allow one citizen to destroy other citizens property because of their personal grievance, no matter how egregious their grievance might be! And if police can’t or won’t uphold the law and protect innocent citizens and their property, then individual citizens and their friends and neighbors MUST be allowed to band together.
And this IS an agreed upon principle for every American citizen!
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, PROVIDE FOR THE COMMON DEFENCE…”
Thank you Governor DeSantis