The focus of my previous post on this topic was the law, and in particular the definition of what it means to 'stand one's ground'. But it is important to remember that the impact of laws such as these also depends on the social context in which they are enforced (or not). It is fascinating then to read this story which traces a correlation between US states with 'stand your ground' laws, weak gun control laws and an apparent rise in the numbers of justifiable homicides.
Little surprise there, you might think. One final thought, though. The article wants to see the problem of increasing homicides in terms of the nexus between weak gun control and permissive laws, but it may be that it is the background culture which produces both. Either way, the problem is that of how to stop the escalation.
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