The Georgia chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both a part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s volunteer networks, today applauded Georgia Senate Democrats for announcing bills within the Georgia Justice Act that would repeal Georgia’s Stand Your Ground law and increase accountability and transparency in policing.
“Democratic lawmakers are stepping up to the plate and putting forward long-overdue policies that address the disproportionate impact that gun violence and police violence have on Black people in Georgia,” said Shannon Lawhon, a volunteer with the Georgia chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We look forward to working with lawmakers and community advocates to end gun violence fueled by systemic racism and white supremacy.”
“Police violence and gun violence have taken the lives of thousands of Black people in Georgia,” said Jacqueline Azah, a volunteer with Students Demand Action at Clark Atlanta University. “The Georgia Justice Act is an important first step on the long journey towards fundamentally changing the role police play in society and ending gun violence.”
Included in the Georgia Justice Act, designed to reduce excessive use of force by police and promote racial justice and citizen protection, are bills that repeal Georgia’s Stand Your Ground law, require body cameras for officers, and create a special prosecutor to oversee investigations into police shootings.
Georgia is one of the 26 states with a Stand Your Ground law. Stand Your Ground laws are associated with clear increases in gun homicides and encourage violence. When white shooters kill Black victims, the resulting homicides are deemed justifiable 11 times more frequently than when the shooter is Black and the victim is white.
To date, nearly 2,000 Georgians have signed Everytown’s petition calling on lawmakers to repeal Stand Your Ground legislation. More information about Stand Your Ground laws is available here.
