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Meet
force with force
Lauren
Williams
Jeb
Bush has blundered again. On April 5, Bush,
the governor of Florida, announced he would
sign a bill that allows people to “meet
force with force.” This bill would
allow people to fight other people, when
they are being attacked, without fear of
persecution.
The bill has already passed in the House
and the Senate, reflecting the true priorities
of our legislators. The bill was the top
priority of the National Rifle Association
(NRA), which is one of the most powerful
lobbying groups in the United States. Because
Republicans rely heavily on the support
of the NRA they readily complied, disregarding
the best interest of their constituents,
the people they are hired to serve.
The fact that our government is condoning
violence is disturbing. It’s scary
to think that some of the nation’s
most intelligent people view violence as
a solution.
Allowing citizens to fight back without
fear of persecution will only encourage
more aggressive behavior. There are several
more effective ways for preventing violence.
Creating
harsher laws for those who engage in fighting
and hiring more police officers are two
examples of solutions that would deter people
from resorting to violence rather than encouraging
it.
The idea that we need to be violent in order
to be protected is barbaric and does not
reflect the intellect associated with a
civilized society. In a civil society there
are police to protect us and laws that discourage
people from causing harm.
This law also creates a fine line between
what is self-defense and what is reciprocated
aggression.
This law can be misinterpreted and taken
advantage of in cases where the initiation
is ambiguous. Just because someone harms
you does not justify malicious behavior.
It’s cliche, but true, two wrongs
don’t make a right.
This law violates a more fundamental right
every citizen of our country is entitled
to, the right to peace.
We should not have to constantly monitor
our every move for fear that we might be
seen as an attacker. It should not be necessary
for every citizen to be armed for us to
feel secure. It is the role of our government
to enforce the peace and ensure the safety
of every citizen.
This bill is an abomination. It affirms
the belief that politicians are more about
money and power than the needs of their
people. The needs of powerful interest groups
are being fulfilled at our cost.
If this bill must be passed, at least it’s
going to be in Florida where the weapons
of choice will be canes and dentures.
Lauren Williams is a freshman print journalism
major at CSULB.
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