stand your ground

by Jeremy Leaming

The public interest groups fighting to temper the influence of the well-funded rightist outfit that helped write Florida’s so-called Stand Your Ground law, and lobby other states to enact similar measures, are not easing their efforts to encourage corporate America to rethink its support of the group.

After ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, announced that it was shuttering its dubiously dubbed “Public Safety and Elections” task force, which pushed the Stand Your Ground laws and other measures to suppress voting, groups, such as ColorOfChange denounced the move as a desperate effort to stop corporate sponsors from fleeing.

“ALEC’s latest statement is nothing more than a PR stunt aimed at diverting attention from its agenda, which has done serious damage to our communities,” said ColorOfChange Executive Director Rashad Robinson.

In announcing its move, ALEC said in a press release that it was redoubling its “efforts on the economic front, a priority that has been the hallmark of our organization for decades,” which is apparently all about helping corporations reap greater profits.

The tragic death of the Florida youngster Trayvon Martin (pictured) at the hands of a so-called neighborhood watchman, sparked national outrage and drew attention to the Stand Your Ground Laws, which a New York Times columnist wrote is “tempting to dismiss” as “the work of ignorant yahoos.” (For instance one could image a yahoo, such as the lame, one-hit-wonder, washed-out “rocker,” Ted Nugent, as itching for this type of law, which essentially gives legal protection to those who kill others outside their homes, if they claim they did so in self-defense.)

But, the Stand Your Ground law was strongly backed by the NRA, which the yahoo Nugent is a member, and essentially the product of ALEC, which has enjoyed years of corporate backing.

After Martin’s death, ColorOfChange and other public interest groups launched a campaign to educate corporations about ALEC’s real agenda.

The campaign has had success, prompting 11 corporations to cut its ties to ALEC, and irking the right-wing editorial board of The Wall Street Journal, which whined about “the bullying of big business.”

by Jeremy Leaming

As scrutiny of so-called “stand your ground” laws builds in the aftermath of the killing of Florida youngster Trayvon Martin, President Obama weighed in today calling Martin’s death a tragedy.

After his announcement of the nomination of Dr. Jim Kim to lead the World Bank, Obama was asked about the young African American’s death at the hands of a so-called neighborhood watchman in Sanford, Fla.

Obama said, “I can only imagine what these parents are going through. And when I think about this boy, I think about my own kids. And I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this, and that everybody pulls together – federal, state and local – to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened.”

The president added, “But my main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin. If I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon. And I think they are right to expect that all of us as Americans are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves, and that we’re going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.”

Obama noted, that he could not elaborate at much greater length; the Department of Justice had opened an investigation into the matter earlier this week. Pressure has been building for the federal government to take action because Florida officials have not arrested the shooter, George Zimmerman, because of the state’s expansive law that provides greater protection to those who claim self-defense in using deadly force. The Florida Conference of NAACP Branches had urged the federal government to get involved, saying it had no confidence in Florida officials to handle the matter.