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LETTER: State should educate on gun law changes

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Staff

I cried while I watched Rep. Gabrielle Gifford’s interview with Diane Sawyer. It was touching to see the way that she lovingly looked at her husband and the way that he protectively finished her sentences. I empathized with the ways that their lives have been changed by senseless gun violence. 
In January 2012, the nation will mark the first anniversary of the horrifying acts of gun violence in Tucson, Ariz. I will also mark the fifth anniversary of my father’s death. He was a victim of gun violence as he attempted to diffuse a family argument. My uncle claimed that he fired his gun in the name of self-defense. My father was unarmed.
On Dec. 1, 2011, HB650 will go into effect and amend the current gun laws in North Carolina. Of specific interest to me are the changes that will be applied to the Castle Doctrine. Generally, the Castle Doctrine stipulates that a person has the legal right to use deadly force to protect their “castle,” which under new legislation includes one’s home, vehicle or personal space – say at a mall or in an alleyway. According to the upcoming changes, a person no longer has to retreat if they feel they are in danger before using deadly force. Additionally, the burden of proof now falls on the state prosecutor to determine if in fact deadly force was unnecessary. 
The upcoming changes to the Castle Doctrine in North Carolina have raised some concerns about how gun laws will now be interpreted by those less familiar with the law. I agree with a person’s right to protect themselves and their families from danger. Yet, as a student of public health and a citizen who has been deeply affected by gun violence, I think that it is important to couple the changes in the law with an awareness campaign that reminds people that the changes to the Castle Doctrine do not encourage or permit a “make my day” free-for-all mentality that gives people the right to take another person’s life. Educating communities about gun safety remains an important collaborative task for individual gun owners, community advocates and state legislators.
I urge community members and lawmakers to mark Dec. 1 not only as a triumph for pro-gun advocates, but to also use it as a teachable moment for the state to be reminded of the importance of gun safety. I hope that no other little girl will have to spend Christmas without her Dad because of senseless and avoidable gun violence.

Chaunetta Jones
Master’s candidate, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

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