POLL: WHITES MORE SUPPORTIVE OF ‘STAND YOUR GROUND’ LAW THAN AFRICAN-AMERICANS

A new poll from Quinnipiac University shows that Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which has faced intense scrutiny after the shooting death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, is far more popular among white voters than minorities. Sixty one percent of white respondents say they favor the law while 31 percent oppose, a mirror image of the state’s black population which opposes “Stand Your Ground” 56 percent to 30 percent. Hispanic voters support the law as well, but by far narrower margins, 53 percent to 36 percent. Florida’s 2005 “Stand Your Ground” Law gives residents the authority to defend themselves–with lethal force if necessary–under certain circumstances. It has since been adapted by two dozen other states. The Trayvon Martin case cast doubt on the law however, due to concerns that Martin’s killer George Zimmerman could invoke it to escape accountability for his actions.