Georgia Green Party
http://www.greens.org/georgia
Thursday, March 9, 2006
Contacts: Jerry A. Hudson, Press Secretary,
jhudson1976@yahoo.com, 912-384-0827
Nan Garrett, Co-Chair, nannetteg@yahoo.com,
404-229-0626
ATLANTA - The Georgia Green Party today accused the Georgia Senate of valuing property rights
over human lives in its recent action to send Senate Bill 396 to the Georgia House. Committed
to the nonviolent resolution of conflict, Party members find it unconscionable that Georgia's
elected officials would authorize the use of deadly force based on the presumption of
intent by the mere fact of illegal entry to property.
"This serves only to incite armed and fearful citizens to place our neighbors in harm's way,"
says Denice Traina, mother of two and Secretary of the Georgia Green Party from Augusta. "Why
would we not emphasize efforts to build a civil society over feeding the violence and vengeance?
This legislation does nothing to make our communities safer. In fact, it will most
likely cause some armed individuals to shoot first and think later."
Introduced by 7th District Senator Greg Goggans (R-Douglas),
S.B. 396, commonly referred to as the "Stand Your Ground Bill," passed the Georgia
Senate by an overwhelming majority on March 2. It declares that a person has the right to stand his
or her ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she reasonably
believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm.
With some of the most lenient self defense laws in the United States, Georgia already allows
citizens to defend themselves and others in their homes without obligation to avoid a potentially
deadly confrontation. S.B. 396 would extend these "rights" into public areas as well and to the
defense of property.
"The bill also stipulates that if a criminal breaks into your home, your occupied vehicle or
your place of business, you may presume he or she is there to do bodily harm, and you may use any
force against that person," Sen. Goggans wrote in his weekly newspaper column. "This legislation
protects the rights of law-abiding citizens by removing the duty to retreat."
Georgia Greens say S.B. 396 allows too much room for interpretation and has the potential to
incite citizens to adopt a "strike first" mentality.
"While this bill has been strongly endorsed by the National Rifle Association, this is not
remotely about Second Amendment rights," said Nan Garrett, co-chair of the Georgia Green Party, gun
owner and concealed weapon license holder. "S.B. 396 would simply allow citizens to make hasty,
emotional reactionary decisions and encourages a dangerous vigilante atmosphere. But this bill
goes further by implicitly encouraging irresponsible use of deadly weapons. Are these
the values we want to instill in our children and create as a standard for the state of
Georgia?"
Since its earliest beginnings, the Green Party has promoted the development of effective
alternatives to society's current patterns of violence, from the global to local levels. While
the party certainly recognizes the need for self-defense and the defense of those victimized,
it is also adamantly opposed to any legislation that would promote the initiation of violence
based on one person's presumption of the intent of another.
"I pray the House will not make fear a justification for murder," said Garrett. "Much
like the abuses we see in the White House, this too undermines the rule of law."
