I see that the Senate has referred SF0446, the "Stand Your Ground" bill, to the Judiciary committee, chaired by none other than our old friend Mee Moa. Chances of this ever seeing the light of day this session: Snowball in hell, in August. Nevertheless, the House version is still alive (HF0498), so, I e-mailed my Metrocrat Rep, for all the good it will do:
To:
rep.frank.hornstein@house.mn
Dear Frank:
My name is M___ and I am an activist here
in Uptown, concerning public safety issues. I live on
Girard Avenue South, a few yards from where Michael
Zebhur was murdered a year ago. At the time, I was
concerned about escalating levels of street crime here
in Uptown and was trying to organize a community watch
patrol. Needless to say, the shock of the murder
galvanized many into action, and with that energy,
much community attention was drawn to my concerns in
general, and many came to specifically participate in
our patrols. Due to these effects, and many others,
street crime is now dramatically reduced in our area.
Still, there is much left to be done. My concern now
is for the capability of innocent victims of crime to
have a chance to protect themselves, in a lawful
manner. A bill before the Legislature, HF0498, offers
that chance. Many other states have similar laws, and
there they have worked well. This is a well-crafted
bill, with the experience of other jurisdictions taken
into consideration. I believe that it can empower the
people of Minnesota secure their own safety. I'm
asking you to support this bill.
Yours Sincerely,
M___
