Ohio State Students Demand Action Leader: “’Stand Your Ground’ Not What Ohio Needs”

Last week, Mitchell Pinsky, group leader of Students Demand Action at The Ohio State University, penned an op-ed in the Cincinnati Enquirer highlighting the dangers of the Stand Your Ground legislation currently being considered in the Ohio State Senate. As a native of Florida, Mitchell speaks to the deadly results of Florida’s Stand Your Ground law and urges Ohio leaders not to go down the same dangerous path.

“Instead of moving forward on policies to make our communities safer and that have the support of the majority of Ohioans and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle – like background checks (Senate Bill 183) and a red-flag bill (Senate Bill 184) – the Ohio Senate is considering extreme and dangerous ‘stand your ground’ legislation…

“…Since Florida adopted the country’s first ‘stand your ground’ law in 2005, the research has been undeniable – the so-called self-defense laws do not deter crime, but instead are associated with an increase in firearm homicides and injuries…

“…There are heartbreaking stories from across the country of ‘stand your ground’ laws leading to escalated violence and ending in a gun death in situations that could have been otherwise defused. More deaths by guns that could have been avoided.

“…the evidence out of Florida couldn’t be starker: ‘stand your ground’ makes our communities less safe and lets dangerous criminals get away with murder.”

Please reach out if you would be interested in an interview with Mitchell or with another gun safety advocate in Ohio from either Students Demand Action or Moms Demand Action.

For more research on Stand Your Ground laws, you can access Everytown’s factsheet here. Additionally, RAND Corporation released a follow-up to their Gun Policy in America research initiative reinforcing many of its findings that Stand Your Ground laws “may be causing more harm than good.”