After I posted the preceding piece, I went back to bed. Waiting to fall asleep, I realized I had written something that wasn't true. Shame on me.

I wrote that a Florida sheriff, and by extension, law enforcement in general, possesses the state's monopoly on the use of violence in upholding the law, protecting life and property.

That's not true anymore. Granted, previously things like the castle doctrine and the inherent right of self defense gave people a limited license to use violence to protect themselves or their loved ones.

Nowadays, ever since stand your ground, Florida and other states have given every citizen with a gun, bad judgment, and a profound sense of insecurity a license to kill. That's a figurative license, because now you don't even need a license to carry a concealed weapon.

Some people have failed to make a stand your ground defense after taking a life, but it's no consolation. Just the existence of that premise has made the use of violence by untrained, armed citizens more likely. The fact that Michael Dunn rots in a prison cell for taking the life of Jordan Davis over loud music is tragic proof of that.

We don't get many cards or letters here in the woodchuck hole, but I wanted to correct the record before anyone reached for a pen.

Originally posted at Notes From the Underground 07:32 Friday, 19 May 2023