Monday, March 26, 2012

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” Law; a Front for the Right-Wing Corporate Oligarchy.


The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), advertises itself on its website, (ALEC.org.) as an organization that believes in “Limited Government, Free Markets and Federalism.”  However, in truth it is right wing lobbying group controlled by right wing Oligarchs and Corporations such as the Koch brothers, Corrections Corporation of America (“CCA”),[1] National Rife Association, Exxon Mobile, American Bail Coalition (association of bail bondsman) and others.  This organization has been running around the country giving fully written bills to state legislators which for the most part have been enacted verbatim.  These laws paddled by ALEC have all the same goal, support the National Rifle Association to increase the number of people carrying deadly firearms, and to privatize the prison system to fatten the coffers and stockholders of Corrections Corporation of American the biggest private prison system in the United States, and the world and growing.   

One of ALEC’s obscene laws which was enacted by lazy Florida legislators was “Stand Your Ground” law which has allowed, as many believe including this author, the unjustified slaying of the young African-American child, Trayvon Martin.  The law is obscene because in reality it allows someone to stalk you, start a fight, and than shoots you in cold blood, if among other things you attempt to confront the person who is stalking you, and that the person that was stalking you now feels threatened by you.  Even more disturbing is that the person that stalked and killed you can claim that they acted in self-defense and the dead victim’s side of the story dies with the dead victim.  Clearly, this law has no sound basis in law or logic and has no place in American jurisprudence.  The correct version which has been around for hundreds of years under common law that everyone has the duty to retreat before they use deadly force except when trapped, in one’s dwelling, or in the defense of another.

There is no question that ALEC is a front for the wealthy powerful oligarchs in this country with its power and money are interested in 

In response to the New York Times op-ed article written by the Noble Prize winner for economics, and the renown  Princeton University Professor, Paul Krugman, ALEC on their website disputes that its template was the model for Florida’s law.  Florida’s Stand Your Ground” law was the basis for American Legislative Exchange Council’s model legislation.”  Whether that is true or not really misses the issue.  The real issue is whether ALEC through its powerful benefactors are passing laws which support right-wing special interest groups which have no concern for justice and equality?  The answer to that question unfortunately is that ALEC is only interested in promoting the privatizing businesses for its friends such as CCA.
After all keeping people in prison for a long time is good business for ALEC and CCA.

“If you want peace work for Justice.” Pope John Paul, I

Law Office of Vincent J. Sanzone, Jr., Esq.
March 26, 2012
(908) 354-7006


Jersey City Criminal Defense Lawyers, Hudson County Criminal Defense Lawyers, Best Jersey City Criminal Lawyers, Best Hudson county criminal lawyers, Jersey City criminal attorneys, Bayonne criminal lawyers, North Bergen Criminal Lawyers, West New York Criminal Lawyers, Union City Criminal Lawyers, Best Kearny Criminal Lawyers.



[1]  CCA on its website brags that it manages in the United States approximately 75,000 inmates in more than 60 facilities under contract for management in 19 states and the District of Columbia.