To: The Pennsylvania State Senate

Repeal Stand Your Ground in PA

Whereas "stand your ground" was intended to provide legal means for Pennsylvanians to defend themselves with the use of deadly force outside of the home when threatened by serious harm, we contend that "stand your ground" invites more people who do not have gun safety training and may harbor vigilante-type notions to look for confrontations that can turn dangerous and deadly. Self-defense laws already exist.

Why is this important?

Stand Your Ground Law in PA is an unnecessary law that can cause more harm than good. Extending the Castle Doctrine to using a gun outside of the home for self defense invites dangerous confrontations and vigilante type behavior, such as the George Zimmerman / Trayvon Martin case demonstrated. The 22 States with Stand Your Ground laws have 8% more homicides than before they enacted the law.