Testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights

John R. Lott, Jr. President of the Crime Prevention Research Center, testifies before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Human Rights during a hearing on “Stand Your Ground” laws. Lott describes how “Stand Your Ground” laws, which drops the requirement that people must retreat when facing an aggressor, have received bipartisan and biracial support for years before the shooting death of Trayvon Martin received national attention and increased racial tensions. Lott says such a link is misguided, since “Stand Your Ground” laws do not technically apply to the Trayvon Martin case since the defendent, George Zimmerman, never raised that law a defense. Lott also points how it is blacks, not whites, who benefit from the law more.