The incident involving the shooting of Florida teen Trayvon Martin, and its subsequent coverage by national media outlets, has brought renewed attention to the nation’s “Stand Your Ground” laws.
It is an extreme stretch of the imagination for anyone to point to “Stand Your Ground” as the reason why Trayvon Martin’s shooter is not behind bars today. When correctly applied, “Stand Your Ground” protects law-abiding citizens.
Several commentators have speculated that Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law is shielding the individual who shot Trayvon Martin from criminal prosecution and civil liabilities. These commentators (and I suspect the shooter of Trayvon Martin as well) are incorrectly misapplying Stand Your Ground.
As the author of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law told CBS News, the statute was never intended to protect a person who actively pursued and gunned down another when no reasonable threat existed.
“Stand Your Ground” was instituted in Georgia and thirty other states so that law-abiding citizens could have additional legal protections in defending themselves, their home, and their property.
In Georgia, where “Stand Your Ground” is on the books, an individual is immune from criminal prosecution and civil liabilities if that individual injures or kills while in defense of self or others; or while in defense of property other than a habitation.
A perfect example of “Stand Your Ground” being correctly applied can be found in Augusta, Georgia.
Five years ago this May, 84-year-old Frank Sams shot a thief who routinely stole items from his property.
23-year-old Lakashia Walker was shot while breaking into a home on Grand Boulevard this morning at around 3 o’clock.
Investigators say this is the third time this has happened in just two weeks.
Georgia’s law allows you to defend yourself as soon as you feel threatened. And that seems to be what the 84-year-old homeowner did when he says the intruder broke into his garage.
The burglar hopped Frank Sams’ fence and busted through his garage door.
Frank Sams said he was thankful for Georgia’s “Stand Your Ground” law, and rightfully so. An 84-year-old World War II veteran shouldn’t have to be worried about going to jail or being sued simply because he defended his property.
It is an extreme stretch of the imagination for anyone to point to “Stand Your Ground” as the reason why Trayvon Martin’s shooter is not behind bars today. When correctly applied, “Stand Your Ground” protects law-abiding citizens. It does not, however, shield overzealous neighborhood watchmen from prosecution.
The event is to help give PR pros an idea of how they can best interact and work with bloggers in the state. Other bloggers on the panel, which will be moderated by Kristi York Wooten, will include:
Malika Harricharan, creator of Atlanta Restaurant Blog and author of the book Food Lovers’ Atlanta
Louis Mayeux, editor of the hyperlocal AOL news site Buckhead Patch
Local businesswoman Rhonda Wallace announced today that she will be seeking the Floyd County Board of Commission Post 1. The position is being vacated by Chad Whitefield who is running for higher office.
Wallace, who is Vice President of Private Client Services at Citizens First Bank in Rome, has been extensively involved in the community for many years in the private sector and now wishes to give back as a public servant.
“Today I am proud to announce that after much prayer, consultation with my family, and encouragement from my friends, I will be running for the Floyd County Commission as a conservative Republican. In these hard economic times where our citizens are out of work, employees are being furloughed, and families are having to cut back on necessities, we need solid, experienced leadership to take on the challenges that are before us. As a businesswoman, involved citizen, and native of Floyd County, I feel I have the experience needed to offer bold, conservative solutions to help solve our county’s problems,” stated Wallace.
“Since 1986, I have worked with finances in good and bad economic times. In addition, I have been involved in many organizations here in Floyd County that has allowed me to build relationships with people at all levels throughout the county. From growing up in the Shannon area, being involved in my kids’ PTA in the Rome City Schools, to being elected president of the Exchange Club, my roots run deep in Floyd County. I am tested and ready to go to work for the people,” continued Wallace.
When asked about her plans when on the commission, Wallace stated, “As a businesswoman, I will offer positive, constructive solutions to the problems that face our county. As a wife, mother, and grandmother, I will work hard to make sure our conservative community values are protected and that Floyd County continues to be a great place to raise a family. And, as an involved citizen leader, I will be a voice of reason for the hardworking citizens of our county.”
Rhonda Wallace is married to former Rome Mayor Ronnie Wallace. She has three adult children and three grandchildren.
A 1978 graduate of Model High School, she is also a graduate of Capstone Institute of Mortgage Finance, The Leadership Rome Program, and Synovus Private Client Services Accredited Advisors.
In 2000, Wallace was named Ambassador of the Year for the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and received a Distinguished Service Award from Georgia Highlands College. In 2002, she received the Millard A. Beckum Outstanding Club President Award for Georgia from the National Exchange Club. In 2003, she was the recipient of the Wesley Johnson Leadership Award from the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and the Bravo Award for Outstanding Leadership & Commitment to Service. In 2004, she received the Women of Excellence Award from the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce. In 2005, she was a Heart of the Community Recipient. In 2009, she was the recipient of the Synovus “William B Turner” Humanitarian Award. And, in 2010, she was voted Best Financial Advisor by the subscribers of the Rome News-Tribune.
Involved in the community, Wallace currently serves as the Chair of the Rome-Floyd Planning Commission, Treasurer and Board Member of the Open Door Home, Secretary and Board Member of the YMCA, member of the Annual Gifts Committee and past Treasurer of the Floyd Healthcare Foundation, and member of the Executive Committee of the Rome Middle School PTO.
In addition to being the first female elected as president of the Rome Exchange Club, she has served in various leadership roles with the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce, Maplewood East Homeowners Association, Coosa Valley Fair, American Heart Association, Community Assistance Partners, American Red Cross, Rome Area History Museum, Georgia Highlands Foundations, Rome Board of Realtors, and the United Way.
Active in the Floyd County Republican Party for many years, Wallace will qualify for the commission seat as a Republican.
The effort to merge the governments of Albany and Dougherty County might soon get back on track.
The Albany Herald reports that Dougherty County Commission Chairman Jeff Sinyard will talk to city and state officials to see if the consolidation issue can be placed on the November ballot. The issue was briefly considered during last year’s legislative session, but was delayed until the 2010 Census figures came out.
Click here for more details, courtesy of the Albany Herald
GNB is online at georgianewsbeat.blogspot.com, on Twitter at twitter.com/georgianewsbeat, on Facebook, and can be contacted via e-mail at georgianewsbeat@gmail.com.
Decatur, lend me some sugar, I am your neighbor! PWTR The above scrawl on the brown-papered windows of the old Cakes and Ale location along West Ponce de Leon Ave in downtown Decatur and an Outkast-inspired tweet were the only initial clues we had thus far regarding the new establishment taking over the built-out restaurant [...] Decatur Metro
This post was written and submitted by Dr. Jeff Edgens. Dr. Edgens is a former college dean and an At-Large Representative for the Libertarian Party of Georgia.
Colorado’s highest court has ruled that licensed students may legally carry firearms on a college campus. I say, what is good enough for Coloradans is good enough for Georgians.
It appears, Atlanta lawmakers have a similar idea in mind, but SB 102 doesn’t go far enough. Where Colorado provides legal carry on campus, SB 102 only allows a teacher or a student to have a firearm in the car as long as its locked away. Lawmakers in Georgia need to understand my life is just as important to me on campus as it is off campus and equally important to that of someone living in Colorado.
Indeed, a concealed carry permit holder can legally carry into stores, and anywhere else provided by law. A permit holder can protect themselves and their family inside and outside of the home. A permit holder can stand their ground when someone is trying to kill them or someone else.
Personal protection, therefore, is an individual responsibility. Long established court rulings show that law enforcement has no duty to protect a person. Individuals are the their own best line of defense.
Students in Georgia know better than university bureaucrats — and have taken to social media pages to raise awareness for self-protection on campus. Students understand that a no gun zone equals a victim disarmament zone. Such an area is a threat to their own personal safety.
In fact, students at the Appalachian School of Law stopped an active shooter, but not until he had killed the dean. Students at that one school in Virginia stopped a situation from becoming worse, but employees and students at another college were not as fortunate.
We all remember that horrible day at Virginia Tech. Authorities knew of a threat to campus and that this shooter had killed others, but the employees and students were at the mercy of university leaders to report the threat. They did not until it was too late.
Everyone followed the public safety script — but the shooter. He refused to cooperate with the gun free zone or with the laws making murder illegal. He acted alone and in his own irrational way. Universities,indeed, are victim disarmament zones.
Surely, though, parents, students and university employees would be protected by the university and by outside law enforcement authorities. College officials would not allow employees and students to be unduly harmed. But, let’s be clear, no one can protect you as well as you can protect yourself.
Virginia Tech can ban guns on campus, but cannot guarantee the safety of their employees and students. Today, Virginia Tech is being sued in a wrongful death case by the parents of some of the students killed on that tragic day. Virginia Tech is fighting the court case and denying any responsibility.
Sure, colleges can put in more metal detectors, add roving armed guards throughout campus, and paint the illusion the academic community is safe, but they cannot guarantee safety. It should be known that all the active shooter drills on a college campus will not prevent a determined shooter from causing mayhem and death before SWAT teams arrive. Explain to the victims and their families why not being armed is a good thing.
As a college teacher the best strategy I have to defend myself and my students is to throw a trash can at a shooter, cower under our desks and hope we’re not the ones selected for extermination. Pathetic.
I worry more about what happens when an active shooter walks onto my campus, than I do anything else. The powers that be figure disarming me suffices, but that only leaves me vulnerable to those who can’t read no guns allowed signs. Worse, they don’t have a legal duty to protect me.
In the end, academic administrators are more concerned with control than they are with my life. I don’t recall placing those folks in charge of my life.
It’s well past time for school employees to protect themselves on campus since colleges won’t. Georgia lawmakers can allow me to defend myself or read about my demise under a desk at school. I know my choice.
President Obama will spend his Friday afternoon in Atlanta. Upon arrival, his itinerary suggests that his motorcade will proceed through some of the poorest neighborhoods in Atlanta. His destinations, however, will be anything but poverty stricken. The President is here to pick up his pre-St. Patrick’s Day pot of gold from two fundraisers hosted by entertainment entrepreneur Tyler Perry.
Perry is a homegrown actor/writer/producer and inspirational success story. Forbes Magazine claims he was 2011’s highest paid entertainer with income estimated at 0 Million for the year. That’s safely within the 1% territory.
Common people with a minimum 0 contribution will get to attend the first fundraiser at Tyler Perry’s studios in Southwest Atlanta. Those with a spare ,000 or so will be allowed in to a later event to be held at Perry’s personal Buckhead home. It’s a cozy 30,000 square foot cottage nestled on 17 acres along the Chattahoochee river.
Perry’s success did not come easy, nor overnight. The 42 year old mogul spent most of his twenties broke and struggling to launch a play which he had written and continued to perfect over several years. His persistence is evidenced in his success.
And it’s fairly safe to say that Perry’s success was self-made. Perry recounts being abused as a child, and completed a GED program instead of high school. He changed his name from Emmitt to Tyler at age 16 so as to not have the same name as his father.
Everything about Perry’s accomplishments is a pure American success story. Hard work, determination, overcoming early adversity, risk taking, and then, financial success.
Tyler’s films include strong family and Christian themes, with plot lines that often depict internal family struggles but also paths to redemption. These themes and religious tones are suggested by some as a reason Perry’s films tend to have limited box office reach.
Perry as a backdrop to frame Obama’s campaign seems much more appropriate to the President’s original campaign. That was the one where a young inspiring Senator pledged to bring a new tone to Washington. He was going to reinvent political discourse and bring parties and the people together. There was hope. There was going to be change.
Then, “I won”.
That same candidate, now a President, will be escorted through some of Atlanta’s most impoverished inner city neighborhoods to raise money from those sympathetic to him. His motorcade is likely to drive down I-75 and skirt the Pittsburgh Community. Just south of downtown, the neighborhood saw its brief hope to climb out of poverty through gentrification and crash with the housing bust. Now, the community sees more than 50% of its homes vacant, with property values roughly ten cents on the dollar from where they traded just a few years ago.
It’s unlikely that the President will see any of Pittsburgh. For security reasons, he’ll likely move down the freeway at speeds that would generate a super-speeder ticket were he not escorted by the Georgia State Patrol and the Secret Service. Instead, he will see the well heeled. The 1%.
And they will donate money knowing that it will likely be used to attack other one-percenters. The money will not be used to unite, but to further divide. It will be used not to promote success stories like Perry’s, but to paint those who have been successful as those who aren’t doing enough. As those who don’t deserve the rewards of their efforts. As those who already pay 38% of all taxes collected who need to pay more because that is the “fair” solution to giving those who pay nothing even more from a bloated and growing government.
President Obama is not here to campaign. He is here to pick up checks. Despite some polls indicating a close race in Georgia for the November election, the election will not be won or lost in Georgia. As is now custom, battleground states such as Ohio, Florida, and Virginia will be the recipients of the donations made by Tyler Perry’s guests. Georgia’s strategic value is merely that of conduit for the wealthy who are sympathetic to the President to transfer their funds to a machine that will attack the wealthy who are not.
You may learn more about the Leprechaun at WhereTheGoldAt.com . I still have a T-Shirt I purchased from that site 5 years ago. To preserve its heritage, it is only worn on special occasions.
Officials at Tift Regional Medical Center in Tifton have announced plans to acquire the Memorial Hospital in nearby Adel, as well as the nursing home located right next door.
The move comes after the hospital announced the layoffs of 40 employees last week. The merger could be completed by the Fourth of July holiday.
GNB is online at georgianewsbeat.blogspot.com, on Twitter at twitter.com/georgianewsbeat, on Facebook, and can be contacted via e-mail at georgianewsbeat@gmail.com.
According to police and Floyd County Jail records, the following people were arrested recently by local authorities:
Christopher Nickalus Bourne, 27, of no fixed address, was charged with fugitive from justice, 2 counts of forgery in the 1st degree, and 2 counts of negotiating checks knowing check info is fictitious.
Casey Ferrell Kerr, 40, of 388 Buttermilk Rd. in Cave Spring, was charged with probation violation.
Russell Wade Mitchell, 37, of 3791 Quail Run Rd. in Cedar Bluff, AL, was charged with speeding 67 in a 45, driving while license suspended or revoked, and possession of marijuana.
Derrick Larenzo Richardson, 32, of 3 Malone Dr. in Rome, was charged with 2 counts of 3rd degree cruelty to children, simple battery, and 2 counts of child support.
