‘Stand Your Ground’ backed in Florida, poll shows
By TIM MAK
5/24/12
politico.com
Despite increased scrutiny of Florida’s gun laws following the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, a majority of the state’s voters support the state’s Stand Your Ground law.
Indeed, 56 percent of the registered voters in Florida support the law, compared with 35 percent who oppose it, according to a new Quinnipiac poll.
The polling showed a notable racial divide: White voters supported the controversial law 61 percent to 31 percent; while Hispanic voters supported it 53 percent to 36 percent. Black voters are opposed, 56 percent to 30 percent.
George Zimmerman, the man alleged to have shot Trayvon Martin, is of Hispanic descent, while Martin is black.
Zimmerman has claimed that he shot Martin in self-defense during a confrontation in his Sanford, Fla., neighborhood on Feb. 26. Florida’s Stand Your Ground law allows individuals to use deadly force in their own defense.
Meanwhile, support was strongest among Republicans, who supported it 78 percent to 15 percent, while independents supported it 58 percent to 35 percent. A majority of Democrats opposed it: 59 percent to 32 percent.
Men were more likely to support the law than women, supporting it 65 percent to 31 percent. Women supported the law 48 percent to 39 percent.
The Quinnipiac poll was conducted May 15-21 with a sample of 1,722 voters and a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points. |
