SB 175 "Stand Your Ground" Veto Request: A letter to Governor DeWine

Dear Governor DeWine,

The Columbus Medical Association (CMA) is made up of physician’s across central Ohio. We are writing you in strong opposition to The Stand Your Ground SB 175. We ask you to veto this legislation.

Most medical organizations are calling firearm deaths a public health emergency at a time when over a hundred Americans are dying every day from firearms. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) there were almost 40,000 Americans and 1,455 Ohioans killed from firearms in 2017. Furthermore, states with high gun ownership (WV, AL, WY, MS, LA) have a higher firearm mortality rate compared to states with low gun ownership (HI, MA, RI, NY, NJ).

Stand Your Ground laws allow people to shoot to kill in public even when they can safely walk away from the danger. These laws threaten public safety by encouraging armed vigilantism, allowing a person to kill another person in a public area even when there are clear and safe ways to retreat from a dangerous situation. Furthermore, these laws escalate violence in avoidable situations and do not deter crime. Since Florida’s Stand Your Ground law took effect in October 2005, rates of homicide and homicide by firearm in the state have significantly increased by 24% and 31% respectively. During this same time period, rates of homicide and homicide by firearm did not increase in states without a Stand Your Ground law (NY, NJ, OH, VA). JAMA 2017, Evaluating the Impact of Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Self-defense Law on Homicide and Suicide by Firearm.

In conclusion, there is a way to keep society reasonably safe and maintain the integrity of the Second Amendment. We did it with cars by making them safer using air bags, anti-lock brakes, seat belts, driver’s license ages, child car seats, and manufacturing safer cars. We did not take cars away, we just made them safer and we can do the same with firearms.

We urge your veto of SB 175. Ohio needs new laws that make Ohio communities and families safer; a law that increases homicides is not one of them.

Regards,

The Columbus Medical Association (CMA)