Florida's Gun Laws Have Changed

The National Rifle Association lobbyist Marion Hammer is quoted as stating "just because someone's in retreat doesn't mean that person won't turn around and attack again."

This new law amended Florida's existing "Castle Doctrine" that allows people to use deadly force to defend themselves and others in their home against the threat of death or great bodily harm. It extends that right to public spaces including the street or a business and REMOVES a duty to retreat before using deadly force.

In other words, if your threatened or you think you being threatened with bodily harm which may or may not result in your death, you have a right to shoot your attacker even if your attacker changes its mind and starts going into another direction!

I guess the three judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal knows what their doing. What happens, your attacker now becomes a "victim"........the judges state that "the statue makes no exception from immunity when the "victim" is in retreat."

Well you folks that want to fight in Florida......even if you're in a fight and than decide the fight isn't worth it and start to retreat from the area, you still can be shoot or killed and it'll be legal.

I'm sure there will be a lot of pros and cons about this "retreat" amended law. I'm not sure where I stand. Don't know if I'm fully for it or not. If someone is trying to break into my home, either by pushing its way thru a door or climbing thru a window, I'll shoot to protect myself and my loved ones. But if the intruder sees me and decides to retreat......to be honest, I don't know what I'd do at that point.

I've always carried a small stun gun, a pepper spray and a personal alarm. I'm all for self-protection but I'm not out to kill anyone. Using a stun gun interrupts the tiny neurological impulses that control and direct voluntary muscle movement so your attacker's neuromuscular system is overwhelmed and controlled by the stun gun and your attacker loses balance.

Even if your attacker is touching you, the current will not pass to your body. This gives us time to find a safe place for the attacker will be "out of it" for 5 to 10 minutes. No permanent damage is caused to the attacker.

I also carry pepper fog spray because if my attacker is starting to come at me I can flip my safety cap and shoot up to 8 feet without me getting into any of the pepper fog. I just a point anywhere in the direction of my attacker and the attacker is ineffective for up to 45 minutes where I can find a safe place. Again, no permanent damage is caused by using pepper sprays.

The reason I use a fog pepper spray is because with other pepper sprays you have to aim at the face to be effective and with a "mist" pepper spray, if the wind is blowing towards me, well......both my attacker and I are suffering.
If I'm in a crowded area such as a mall or store, I'll use my personal alarm. Most personal alarms have a 130 db loud sound which will attract a lot of attention and discourage my attacker from attacking or stealing from me such as my purse.

By: Marjorie LaPiere

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Marjorie L has been researching selfprotection, burglary prevention and selfdefense since 2002. Working with many police departments around the country, she has been finding out what works and what doesn't work when it comes to perventing burglaries, personal attackes, and rapes (including attempted date rapes). For a sample of selfprotection and selfdefense products Marjorie researched as being very effective, go to www.selfprotection-store.com