The NRA And Corporate Front Group ALEC Pushed The Law That May Protect Trayvon Martin’s Killer

[Report1212]

The tragic case of Trayvon Martin — a black teen who was gunned down by a man acting as a “neighborhood watch” volunteer who has yet to be prosecuted — is now a national outrage.

Slate’s Emily Bazelon explains that part of the reason why Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman, was not arrested by police is because of the expansive definition of self defense offered by Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law that it passed in 2005. This law authorizes Floridans to use deadly force if they even think they are in danger, which is the justification that Zimmerman offered.

The Center for Media and Democracy’s Brendan Fischer reveals how the National Rifle Association (NRA) — the leading gun rights lobby funded largely by the gun industry — worked with the corporate front group the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to pass the “Stand Your Ground” law in 2005:

Read more: http://www.republicreport.org/2012/the-nra-and-corporate-front-group-alec-pushed-the-law-that-may-protect-trayvon-martins-killer/

[villager]

1. What sort of contortions are the usual NRA apologists here doing over this?

The acrobatics should be fun to watch...

[joeybee12]

3. They're meeting right now to formulate their apology..nt

[aquart]

2. Every candidate needs to asked about allegiance to ALEC. Every time.

The NRA I'll just take for granted.

[KamaAina]

7. Yup. Nearly ten percent of its *leadership* have D's after their names.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Legislative_Exchange_Council

ALEC currently has more than 2,000 legislative members representing all 50 states, as well as more than 85 members of congress and 14 sitting or former governors who are considered "alumni". ALEC also claims approximately 300 corporate, foundation, and other private-sector members. A list of ALEC leaders in the states includes 73 Republican lawmakers and 7 Democrats.

[Frustratedlady]

4. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't the Koch bros.

deeply involved in ALEC?

[KamaAina]

8. You got it.

http://www.alec.org/about-alec/private-enterprise-board/

Mr. Mike Morgan
Koch Companies Public Sector, LLC

[KamaAina]

5. I knew it was gonna be ALEC

as soon as I saw that Flori-duh had only had it for five years, and that it's spread to about half the states since then.

[ohtransplant]

6. Seems like that will leave this in the hands of the Justice Dept.

As I recall that's what happened in the past. A prosecution on civil rights violations may be in Mr. Zimmerman's future.