With the shootings of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis instantly grabbing nationwide attention, “stand your ground” laws have proven to be a controversial focal point for issues ranging from gun control to race relations in America. 
However, one element of “stand your ground” that’s often overlooked is its potential to help women in domestic violence situations. 
Although the story of Marissa Alexander, the Florida woman who fired a single warning shot into the ceiling when her abusive husband threatened to murder her, is fairly well-known, many don’t associate “stand your ground” laws with victims of domestic violence. 
Unfortunately, this might not be coincidental. Earlier this month, it was reported that South Carolina prosecutors were arguing that their state’s “stand your ground” laws weren’t meant to apply to domestic violence victims. 
This was in response to the tragic case of Whitlee Jones and the fatal stabbing of her boyfriend, Eric Lee. Jones left the couple’s residence after Lee instigated a tumultuous argument about a cell phone. After returning the same night to retrieve her belongings, Lee confronted and violently shook Jones, prompting her to stab him with a knife she had hidden in her bra. 
Although no domestic violence reports had been filed for the duration of their six-year relationship, a neighbor who witnessed the initial argument called 911, reporting that Lee was pulling Jones’ hair. During the altercation, Jones also called the police. The dispatcher heard Jones crying, “Get off of me, Eric,” before the line went dead. 
A South Carolina judge declared that Jones had a right to kill Lee under the state’s Protection of Persons and Property Act, otherwise known as the “stand your ground” law.  But it wasn’t over yet. 
Assistant Solicitor Culver Kidd, the lead prosecutor of the Jones case, told Charleston, South Carolina’s The Post and Courier, “We believe that applying the statute so that its reach into our homes and personal relationships is inconsistent with [its] wording and intent.”
Besides being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October is also  Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It’s becoming more and more clear to me that, despite cases like these, domestic violence is something most would prefer to ignore. Case in point — had you heard of Domestic Violence Awareness Month before now? Or were all of the “Save the Ta-Tas” shirts clouding your view?
Despite the fact South Carolina is a strong “stand your ground”  state, they have a rocky record of excluding female domestic violence victims from the party. Andrew Knapp of The Post and Courier reported that “Jones was the first of three North Charleston women to be charged with murder during the past two years after stabbing a boyfriend or a roommate she said attacked her.”
Louisiana is also an ultra-conservative state with similar “stand your ground” statutes, but there are some major differences between our law and the Florida act that inspired it. While the similarities include the jury not being able to consider “the possibility of retreat” in “stand your ground” cases, the Louisiana law specifically says that the aggressor of the crime cannot claim  self-defense. 
If Alexander or Jones were Louisiana residents, would they be suffering the same fates? What is the purpose of these “stand your ground” laws if not to protect women like Alexander or Jones?
What’s so scary about “stand your ground” is its potential to lock up innocent and traumatized victims, but let people with bad intentions, such as George Zimmerman, go free. 
Lawmakers need to rethink “stand your ground” statutes all together. If, like the South Carolina prosecutors are arguing, “stand your ground” doesn’t apply to domestic violence victims, then who does it apply to? Grumpy men who shoot teenagers for playing their music too loud? People who assume that wearing a hoodie means you’re a dangerous criminal? I hope not. 
SidneyRose Reynen is a 19-year-old film and media arts sophomore from New Orleans. You can reach her on Twitter @sidneyrose_TDR.