These laws exist in many states now because of a big push for them by the NRA a couple years ago. It essentially fixed a problem that didn’t exist. Lethal force in self defense was already an option, IF and only if, there was no safe escape route available for the potential crime victim. (It could be argued that in the Zimmerman case if events actually occurred the way Zimmerman describe and Martin was mounted on top and beating down on him, there would have been no safe escape route and thus the shooting would have been justified.) With SYG, someone has the right to KILL another person simply because they are afraid of them. They don’t have to leave, they can stay there and kill the person. Because they are afraid.

I hope there is enough momentum now to overturn these laws that only encourage more violence and vigilantism.