By ,
Published January 13, 2015
Wow — twenty pages of e-mails from you about Florida's new Stand Your Ground bill (search)! This clearly got your blood pressure up, and I can understand why. Your comments are running about 98 percent in favor of it to be signed into law, and only 2 percent against. Here are a couple of especially thoughtful ones:
The law has been framed [by critics] as a 'shoot to kill' law. It is not. There is no new license to use deadly force. As the holder of a Florida permit to carry a concealed weapon, my duty to retreat when possible will remain the same. The law is very clear about when deadly force can be used... I would have to be directly threatened. I cannot shoot to prevent and auto theft for instance. The law basically removes the civil and criminal liability for the awful use of a firearm in self-defense. Unfortunately, there had been lawsuits by convicted felons against law-abiding citizens for the use of a firearm in self-defense. And the criminals were winning.... Boiled down to a [soundbite] — I am still required under law to take every possible action to prevent and avoid the use of deadly force. Should I be forced to that option… I have the right to protect myself from death or great bodily harm. It really is that simple....
—Keeva Segal, Pembroke Pines, Florida
I would like you to ask the critics of Florida's Castle Doctrine a question: We here in the capital city (Tallahassee) have had 5 people shot by criminal in the past 2 weeks!! This level of gunplay and violence is extremely rare here in Tallahassee, but steadily getting worse... Since these critics are hysterically opposed to law-abiding citizens being given the right to defend themselves against criminals, will they support and will the Florida legislature fund, more police officers to protect the citizens of Florida?
—Rogue
As an ex-police officer I think it's great this bill will be voted on and hope it passes. How many lives could have been saved on the Long Island Railroad shooting spree if someone had fired back when the shooter had to take a few minutes to reload...?
—Frank MacKenzie-Lamb, Cherry Valley, Massachusetts
Now here's what's ahead for Monday's DaySide. We'll have all the latest breaking news, including any developments in the search for missing district attorney Ray Gricar (search).
On the lighter side, we'll have that international sex symbol Ben Stein (search) back on the show! Many of you know him from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" or his many books on how to invest your money. Maybe you know him as a former speechwriter for Richard Nixon. Or the star of "Win Ben Stein's Money!" That's how I think of him— as a brilliant, wisecracking brainiac who's a combination of all these incarnations. So it blew my mind when a copy of Ben's new book landed on my desk with the title, "The Gift of Peace: Guideposts on the Road to Serenity." Huh??? At first I thought, "Oh, it must be a different Ben Stein." I looked inside the book jacket. Nope, it's the same old Ben. Then I thought, "Oh, it must be tongue-in-cheek." Wrong. He's serious! Ben talks about his surrender to God and finding true inner peace. I'm intrigued, aren't you? He'll be in the studio with me on Monday — if you want to ask him a question, please e-mail it to me at dayside@foxnews.com.
See you then.
Linda
Watch "DaySide with Linda Vester" weekdays at 1 p.m. ET
Send your comments to dayside@foxnews.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/story/some-strong-opinions-on-a-controversial-law