AG Holder takes stand against 'stand your ground'

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder Jr., recently took a strong stance against what he called “senseless” state stand-your-ground laws.

“It’s time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sow dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods,” Holder said during a speech to the NAACP. “These laws try to fix something that was never broken.”

“There has always been a legal defense for using deadly force if – and the ‘if’ is important – no safe retreat is available,” Holder said. “The list of resulting tragedies is long and – unfortunately – has victimized too many who are innocent.”

He called on the NAACP to join in a “collective obligation – we must stand our ground – to ensure that our laws reduce violence and take a hard look at laws that contribute to more violence than they prevent.”

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