首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Aficionados of Hollywood Westerns know all about the legal code that says "shoot first, ask questions later". But now, Republica
Aficionados of Hollywood Westerns know all about the legal code that says "shoot first, ask questions later". But now, Republica
admin
2015-01-30
56
问题
Aficionados of Hollywood Westerns know all about the legal code that says "shoot first, ask questions later". But now, Republican legislators in Texas—spiritual home of the six-shooter and a John Wayne-style frontier spirit—want to enshrine the principle into law.
Sponsors of a new bill in the state legislature call it the Castle Doctrine-the idea that anyone invading your home or threatening your safety deserves everything they have coming to them. Critics are already calling it the "shoot the neighbour" law and questioning whether Texas, of all places, really needs to give its citizens further encouragement to take matters of crime and punishment into their own hands.
"I believe Texans who are attacked in their homes, their businesses, their vehicles or anywhere else have a right to defend themselves from attack without fear of being prosecuted and face possible civil suits alleging wrongful injury or death," Texas Senator Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio—home to The Alamo—said recently in support of the bill.
In theory, Texas law obliges citizens under attack to consider a retreat before opening fire. In practice, prosecutors and legal experts find it hard to recall a case where a citizen shooting in self-defence got into trouble for doing so.
"I’ve lived in Texas 30-plus years and I’d be astounded to hear of a Texas jury that convicted someone who blasted a guy who was in his house," said Professor Jerry Dowling of Sam Houston State University.
This is a state where businesses and home owners have signs that read "We don’t call 911" next to a large picture of a rifle. A few years ago, when ranch owners along the Rio Grande became upset at the number of Mexican immigrants on their land, they started shooting at them, and won the overwhelming support of their neighbours, even as they created a major international incident.
Still, the bill shows every sign of being passed into law. In the State Senate, 27 of the 31 members have signed on as co-sponsors. In the House, two-thirds of the 150 members have indicated their support for it.
The inspiration for the legislation comes less from fears for public safety than it does from pressure from the National Rifle Association, the powerful US gun lobby. Over the past two years, the NRA has inspired similar shoot—first laws in 15 other states, including Florida where legislators are now having serious second thoughts after the killing of a nine-year-old girl who was an innocent bystander caught in a shoot-out in a gang-ridden neighbourhood of Miami. The Florida law theoretically offers immunity to both sides in the shoot-out on the grounds that they were firing in self-defence.
Texas liberals—a small but noisy breed—have wasted no time making merciless fun of their state representatives, not least because one of the buildings where the Castle Doctrine would apply is the state Capitol. That, wrote an alternative publication in Austin called In The Pink, "could prove challenging for lobbyists".
Advocates of gun-control, meanwhile, are worried the new law will do nothing to protect genuine victims of crime. "The current laws won’t throw someone into jail for legitimate self-defence," said Zach Ragbourn, chair of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "It could lead to gun fights and the death of innocent people".
Directions: Answer the following questions with the information given in the passage in a maximum of 10 words for each question.
Why Florida has second thoughts?
选项
答案
Because the death of an innocent girl.
解析
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/c7VK777K
本试题收录于:
C类竞赛(非英语专业本科)题库大学生英语竞赛(NECCS)分类
0
C类竞赛(非英语专业本科)
大学生英语竞赛(NECCS)
相关试题推荐
(1)OneofthefiercestdebatesinthenationthesedayscentersonimmigrationtoAmerica,andwhetherittakesjobsawayfrom
A、Thelinguisticpartofcomplaining.B、Theculturalbehaviorofbeingstraightforward.C、Takingtheproductsbacktothestores
ReadingforpleasureistheeasiestwaytobecomeabetterreaderinEnglish.Itisalsothemostimportantway.Somestuden
Tom:So,______?Boris;Oh,nothingmuch.Theusualthings,youknow.Tom;Mm...stillworkingatthesameplace,Isuppose?B
WaterforLifeWaterisessentialforlife.Yetmanymillionsofpeoplearoundtheworldfaceawater【16】______(short).Ma
Whichlettercomesnextinthisseriesofletters?BACBDCEDF?
Fillinthecrosswordssothatallthegivenwordsareincluded.Youhavebeengivenoneletterasaclueinthecrossword.tim
Ifthemayor______moreconcernedwitheducation,he______alawreducingclasssizesinourschools.
SummaryListentothepassage.Forquestions26—30,completethenotesusingnomorethanthreewordsforeachblank.Ageneric
SophieisfromLondon,whileMohammedisfromSierraLeone.Theyaretwoteenagerswithverydifferentlives,buttheirlivesar
随机试题
碳酸锂主要用于治疗
A、磺胺甲噁唑B、氨茶碱C、洛匹那韦D、羟甲香豆素E、氯屈膦酸钠服后使尿量增多而易致脱水,出现口干、多尿或心悸的是
鼻饲法插入胃管的长度为
本案中,三名被告人应由哪个法院管辖?()本案中,如果法院认为马某可能被处无期徒刑,而宋某、周某至多可能被判有期徒刑刑罚,则:()
以下几个说法中,关于中级抹灰的施工方法和施工工艺是()。
A、 B、 C、 D、 C已知图形的规律是,前面2个图形中与方框中间2条垂直相交的线段有交点的小图形的个数之和,等于第3个图中与2条线段有交点的小图形的个数。分别是:1+2=3;1+1=2;0+2=2。故正
有一张面额为二百元的股票,预期午股息率为8%,银行利率为4%,则该股票的价格为( )
从内存中清除内存变量的命令是( )。
Whatisthepurposeofthisannouncement?
Whatisthemainideaofthenews?
最新回复
(
0
)