Most Americans say they support the seemingly controversial "Stand Your Ground" laws that came to the attention of the general public recently after the George Zimmerman trial.
In a poll carried out by Quinnipiac University that was released Friday, statistics show that 53 percent of American voters are in favor of the "Stand Your Ground" laws, compared to just 40 percent of voters who are against them.
Among the multitude of people polled, it's evident there are strong divisions along lines such as gender and political affiliation when it comes to supporting the laws.
The biggest split was along political party lines. Republicans support the laws 75 percent to 19 percent, as do Independent voters by a 57 percent to 37 percent margin. Democrats said they oppose the laws 62 percent to 33 percent.
Men show significantly more support for "Stand Your Ground" with 62 percent in favor, while just 44 percent of women say they support the laws.
When it comes to race, white voters supported "Stand Your Ground" 57 percent to 37 percent, while black voters opposed the laws 57 percent to 37 percent. Hispanic voters were split pretty evenly, with 44 percent in favor and 43 percent opposed.
Since Florida passed the first "Stand Your Ground" law in 2005, some two dozen additional states have followed suit to enact these laws.
These statutes, which have gained momentum over the past eight years, affirm one's right to stand their ground when defending themselves against a serious, imminent threat with no duty to retreat, so long as they are in a place they have a right to be in.
Controversy over "Stand Your Ground" emerged after the law was cited as a possible defense in the recent George Zimmerman trial. Zimmerman, a volunteer neighborhood watchman who shot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed 17-year-old in 2012 because he said he felt threatened, was acquitted of the murder.
Riots and protests across the country followed the verdict, as questions of racial bias were raised and a movement to review and possibly repeal the laws took hold and began to gain momentum.
In a speech given by Attorney General Eric Holder recently at the NAACP Annual Convention, Holder acknowledged the Zimmerman trial and called for a review of the "Stand Your Ground" concept.
"Separate and apart from the case that has drawn the nation's attention, it's time to question laws that senselessly expand the concept of self-defense and sow dangerous conflict in our neighborhoods," Holder said. "These laws try to fix something that was never broken. There has always been a legal defense for using deadly for if - and the 'if' is important - no safe retreat is available."
Holder went on to call for a more thorough examination of laws that take that notion further by "eliminating the common sense and age-old requirement" that people who feel they are under threat have a duty to retreat if they can do so safely. He said that by allowing, and arguably encouraging, violent situations to escalate in public, such laws undermine public safety.
"The list of resulting tragedies is long and unfortunately has victimized too many who are innocent," Holder said. "It is our collective obligation - we must stand our ground - to ensure that our laws reduce violence and take a hard look at laws that contribute to more violence than they prevent."
However, according to Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, that "Stand Your Ground" splits the country sharply among political, gender and racial lines will likely cause conflict should any serious dialogue about their legality and morality arise.
"With these kinds of numbers, it's unlikely the movement to repeal 'Stand Your Ground' will be successful in most of the country," Brown said.
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