COLUMBUS, Ohio — The "stand your ground" law is now in effect in Ohio.
It’s a self-defense law but some in the black community are worried about it.
The measure expands the so-called “stand your ground” right from an individual’s house and car to any place, “if that person is in a place in which the person lawfully has a right to be.”
Some are concerned this might cause more issues in communities like Linden.
“Hurt people hurt people. It’s like a magnet for trouble,” said Ralph Carter, founder of the organization We Are Linden.
Carter is from Linden and he told 10TV he thinks the law will be misconstrued and cause more unnecessary violence.
“How many more of the youth will fall victim to this law? Those that get their firearms, they feel now, where are you going to be when you’re camping out at someone’s house and they come out the door and now you feel threatened?” asked Carter.
But Trey Reese sees a silver lining. Reese is a licensed gun owner. He also teaches gun safety.
“As a Black community, if we became more educated about gun laws and how to carry them, things like that would allow us to avoid a whole lot of different things,” said Reese.
Next on Carter’s list is to help people understand this law.
He said that’s how you can save so many lives.
“We don’t even want our kids to worry about or think that they have to be the next one on a t-shirt or their mother crying over their casket,” said Carter.
