AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY AS FM GU MH MP PR PW VI AA AE AP AB BC MB NB NF NS NT NU ON PE QC SK YT None A compiled petition will be presented to Governor Bush and your governor when you click the button below. And yes, contact me about getting more involved locally Tell Governor Bush he made a mistake. The people of Florida deserve better than to be gunned down by the short-tempered and trigger-happy. They deserve better than to have the law put into the hands of private citizens. Tell your governor that deadly force is not a game, and isn't something to be taken lightly and that taking a human life should never be our first choice.

New York Times Editorial: Shoot First - No Questions Asked

If ever a law was designed as a get-out-of-jail-free card for the trigger-happy gun owner, it's one that comes to us via the gun lobby and the State of Florida. The law, passed in the last year in 15 states and being considered in eight others, allows the extraordinary use of deadly force when a person simply doesn't want to back away from a confrontation. Click here to read full editorial.

Newspaper Reports Show Highly Questionable Shooting Deaths In Early Months of "Shoot First Law"

Following an analysis by the Orlando Sentinel and the Lexington Herald-Leader, the New York Times has published an in-depth look at the fallout from the first few months of the Shoot First Law in the handful of states that have enacted this deadly provision.

According to the Times report, the Shoot First Law has complicated or nullified investigations into a number of shootings, including that of a man who complained that his neighbor had left out too many trash bags. Jason Rosenbloom survived being shot twice; the shooter was not arrested, and faces no criminal charges under Florida's "Shoot First Law."

In Kentucky, a drug debt turned deadly. But when the judge, jury and prosecutors were confronted by Kentucky's new "Shoot First Law," they had to broker a plea deal with the killer. After pleading to the lesser charge of manslaughter, the killer could be eligible for parole in a matter of months. The judge in the case told the Lexington Herald-Leader, "I'm not quite sure that the drafters had even a marginal knowledge of criminal law or Kentucky law."

The Orlando Sentinel reported that in five counties in Central Florida 13 people killed six men and wounded four others, and that all but one of those shot were unarmed. The dead include a man who shook his fist at another man in a neighborhood dispute, and the wounded include a 15-year old would be car thief shot in the back of the leg while running away.

"The net effect of the new 'Shoot First' law in Florida is, unfortunately, precisely what we feared," said Sarah Brady, honorary chair of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "People are dying who did not deserve to die. Meanwhile the legitimate cases of self-defense would have been viewed as legitimate self-defense without this law.

"Florida's legislature should repeal this law. And other states thinking of passing this law should stop and look at the results in Florida," Brady said.

There's Nothing Innocent About This Law: Show Your Dedication To Stopping It

Million Mom March activists in Michigan held an energetic rally recently to demand that a committee of the legislature there reconsider passing the gun lobby's "Shoot First" bill. They wore their bright orange "Innocent Bystander" t-shirts and created a media stir. The committee postponed action.

Help keep your state out of harm's way with this bright orange t-shirt (suitable for hunting with the Vice President of the United States). The $20 you pay for this t-shirt will fund anit-Shoot First Law campaigns in states all over America.

These blaze-orange shirts say 'Innocent Bystander' on the front, with a message to stop the Shoot First Law across the back.

On October 1, 2005, Florida became a more dangerous place. That's when the Shoot First Law goes into effect, giving the people of Florida the right to use deadly force as a first resort when they feel threatened, even in a public place. But the Shoot First doctrine isn't just staying in Florida — it's about to become a national disgrace.

In a country where thousands die needlessly every year in gun accidents and violent confrontations, this law is an enormous step backwards in civic responsibility and public safety. What's more, it envisions a society in which fear and distrust are the rule, and reason and responsibility are an endangered species.

If you live in Florida, or plan on visiting Florida, get the facts on the Shoot First Law. Know when you're safe, and how to avoid misunderstandings. Learn about when the people of Florida can shoot to kill... and when they think they can.