Q: What is this all about?

A: It's about a law, written and supported by the National Rifle Association. It's called "Shoot First," "Shoot to Kill," "Deadly Force," "Make My Day," or any number of names assigned by either side of the gun debate. According to the NRA, this law grants you, as an American, a right to self defense. But what it really does is strip anyone who pulls a trigger of any responsibility at all. That's why we call it a "License to Murder."

Q: Wait-- it gives me a right to self defense? That sounds like a good thing!

A: You're right, a right to self defense is important. That's why you already have a right to self defense in America. If you or your family is threatened, you have the full ability to fight back. And if you need to use deadly force to do that, you already have that legal right, with or without this law.

Q: So what does the NRA want with this law, then?

A: The law that the NRA is pushing goes way beyond that. Instead of using deadly force as a last resort, they want to make it the first option, no questions asked. This law would guarantee that. Whether it was a misunderstanding or not, whether the antagonizer was armed or not, whether the shooter accidentally hits an innocent bystander or not, this law would completely clear anyone who pulled a trigger because they "felt threatened" from any civil or criminal responsibility. If a someone accidentally shot a child because they thought an unarmed man was threatening them, this law would allow them to walk away free and clear.

Q: Just because they "felt threatened"? The law can't be that ambiguous! I believe in self-defense, but we can't have people shooting each other over arguments!

A: Here's what the law says in Kentucky, emphasis ours. (this bill is very similar to others the NRA has introduced around the country)

"A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked in any other place where he or she has a right to be has no duty to retreat and 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 to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a felony involving the use of force.

That's all you need to kill someone under this law. "Reasonable belief." Defense lawyers everywhere are drooling at the prospect of using this in the courtroom, because in order for anyone committing a homicide to get off clean and clear, all they have to do is prove they were alone and that they resonably believed the person they were shooting meant them harm. This is the law the NRA is trying to pass. This is why we call it a "License to Murder."

Q: That's crazy! Why would they want to pass something like that?

A: A lot of people don't realize this, but the NRA hasn't been representative of most gun owners in America for a long time. They're not interested in American gun owners, hunters, or even "Second Amendment Rights" (despite all the talking they do to that effect). They're interested in one thing: The gun industry. They're a lobby for those who make and sell guns, and to the gun lobby, a bill like this is a gold mine. It's like a car dealer supporting legislation that makes crashing consequence-free.

But that doesn't stop the NRA from lying about this bill, and trying to convince people that it's "only" a self defense bill. It's not. It's far more dangerous than that.

Q: "Far more dangerous"? It seems like everything I hear from you guys is doom and gloom. Is there any real life evidence to back any of this up, or is it all hypothetical?

We wish it was all hypothetical.

In Florida, where this bill has already passed, James Behanna chased Robert Mears two blocks on foot, and then stabbed him in the back, killing him. Behanna's lawyers considered using "License to Murder" to get the charges against him dropped, because they said Mears had attacked Beheanna first. The judge eventually upheld the charges.

And in Colorado, another state where this law has already passed, Gary Lee Hill got in an argument with a group of people at his house. There was a physical fight, but as the group of people drove away, Hill walked out away from his house with a gun, and shot one of the group, John Lee Knott, in the back.

Get this straight: he shot him in the back, while the group Hill was fighting with was in the process of driving away. And yet, under the "License to Murder" law, Hill was able to walk out of the courtroom scot free. The very Senator who originally proposed the Colorado bill called Hill's case "a miscarriage of justice."

There's more. A tow truck operator in Florida shot an irate customer, and invoked the law. A defense lawyer in Wyoming said he couldn't wait to get his hands on this law. And more cases are showing up every day. This is not a hypothetical threat. It's very real. If the NRA has their way, this law would really grant a License to Murder.

Q: But don't we need legislation that lets us defend ourselves? Even if we already have that right, there's no harm in putting it on the books, is there?

Well, even if the right to self-defense wasn't already on the books (and it is), legalizing murder is a terrible way to go about doing that. Look at it this way: good laws should be solutions to existing problems. Good legislation should clearly and carefully solve a problem that faces the people that law governs.

But with this law, there is no corresponding problem. No one is in jail right now because they weren't able to use deadly force when they needed it. No one is walking around saying, "Boy I wish I'd taken the chance to shoot that guy. Too bad the law didn't let me." It's just a nonexistent problem. And many police officers have already shared their concerns about this law. Even if it did what the NRA says it's supposed to (codify the right to self defense), it's still not solving any existing problem, and, according to prosecutors around the country, it's definitely creating new problems. Even if you don't think the NRA is wrong on this, this law is not the way to go about it.

Q: Ok, I agree. "License to Murder" is wrong for my state, and any others. What do I do now?

A: The NRA is pushing this bill in all fifty states. They've made it a priority to pass, even though it's wrong for the American people, so the first step is to stay informed. Keep visiting us here at LicensetoMurder.com, and stay tuned to your local media for information about what the NRA is trying to do in your state.

If you hear something we don't, feel free to send us a note at alerts@licensetomurder.com. We'll be updating the page regularly with links and Citizen Alerts, so you'll have everything you need to know about this terrible law the NRA is trying to cram onto our books.

And finally, we'd always appreciate a financial donation. LicensetoMurder.com is a project of Freedom States Alliance, a grassroots advocacy group working to Change the Way America Thinks About Guns. You can learn more about us at freedomstatesalliance.com, or support our efforts at freedomstatesalliance.com/donate. With your help, we can educate Americans about the License to Murder law, and keep it out of our communities and our nation.

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