Stand Your Ground. And kill innocent people.

I am Trayvon Martin.

Obviously I am not. But unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the 17 year old boy was shot and killed in Florida a few weeks ago. Trayvon was walking home from the store with a bag of Skittles and an ice tea thinking he was going to spend the night watching the NBA All-Star game. George Zimmerman, a 28 year old, self proclaimed neighborhood crime captain, and vigilante, had other ideas.

Because Martin was wearing a hoodie, presumably to keep himself dry on this rainy night, Zimmerman decided he was suspicious looking and called the police. Zimmerman continued to pursue the minor after the police dispatcher told him not to. Minutes later, Trayvon Martin was dead and George Zimmerman has yet to be arrested.

Does that make any sense to you? Me either. Maybe because I live in a state where we don't have any ridiculous legislation that says a person may use deadly force against someone else if they feel they are being threatened. That is what "Stand Your Ground" allows people to do and this law is not only in Florida but in also in a number of other states - mostly in the south and midwest.

Of course it was no surprise to find out that the National Rifle Association (NRA) is a huge supporter of the law and was instrumental in it's passage. They believe it would be better to allow citizens to protect themselves against violent crime rather than letting the police do their jobs.

So what violent crime was the young boy committing? Other than being black in a racist state? None. There is no evidence that points to any wrong doing by Trayvon Martin. There is however quite a bit of probably cause needed to arrest George Zimmerman but the man is still walking around with his freedom and that gun that killed a child.

Martin's parents are devestated. The country is outraged and the Justice Department is now conducting it's own investigation. The "Stand Your Ground" law has been used 13 times in Florida. Six died, four were wounded but only ONE of those people was actually armed. Just one.

Now that we know for a fact that this law is outrageous, it is finally be reconsidered. But what we should really be reconsidering is gun control as a whole and the role we allow the NRA to have in politics. I'll concede that the second amendment gives us the right to bare arms but it does not give anyone the right to kill people in cold blood. And not every member of society is mentally equipped to own and carry a weapon. It's a problem that anyone can walk into a WalMart and purchase a gun without a full background check.

When you give people guns and make them readily available, you don't prevent violent crimes you create them.

Sign the petition for Justice here.