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Campus Review
October 10, 2013
Page 2
Adams Asks Three Critical Questions in
New York Times Talk on “Stand Your Ground” Laws
by John Shiffert, University Relations
Educational Opportunities
Provided by Debate on Guns on Campus
Local attorney and Clayton State
University adjunct faculty member
Herbert Adams recently had the opportu-
nity to ask three critical questions of a
group of Clayton State students.
Although Adams serves as an instructor of
Criminal Justice for Clayton State, and he
was certainly instructing students in a
classroom, the occasion was an example
of the University providing its students
with opportunities for learning outside the
classroom. Adams was facilitating a
“New York Times Talk” on one of the
most controversial social issues of the
present day – so-called “Stand Your
Ground” laws -- as part of the
University’s Constitution Week events.
As part of his presentation, entitled, “Self-
defense in Georgia: Lessons from the
Zimmerman Trial,” Adams asked his
audience to consider three critical ques-
tions about “Stand Your Ground” laws. In
order, they were;
a. Do Stand Your Ground laws encourage
or discourage violence?
b. Do they make our communities, espe-
cially communities of color, safer?
c. Should Georgia’s Stand Your Ground
law be changed? If so, how?
During the course of the discussion on the
Zimmerman Trial and Georgia’s version
of the Florida Stand Your Ground law that
that trial revolved around, Adams pointed
out his goal was to, “define self-defense in
Georgia with facts and knowledge.” In
regards to the facts, Adams provided his
audience with copies of Georgia’s self-
defense (O.C.G.A. 16-3-21), use of force
in defense of habitation (O.C.G.A. 16-3-
23) and Stand Your Ground (O.C.G.A. 16-
3-23.1) laws.
“We were talking about stand your ground
laws generally, and in particular Georgia’s
stand your ground law,” says Adams.
“The George Zimmerman trial served as
background for the discussion.”
Adams also provided some history about
the genesis of stand your ground laws as a
variation of self-defense, pointing out that
such laws hark back to the ancient English
legal doctrine known as the “Castle
Doctrine,” which does indeed recognize
that a (English)man’s home is his castle
(O.C.G.A. 16-3-23 is an example of such
a law) or, as Adams explained, “you have
protection in the home you don’t have
anywhere else.”
If indeed, to paraphrase a famous thought,
“it takes a village to educate a child,” then
the “village” was present at Clayton State
University Sept. 18 at the Fourth Annual
Constitution Week Debate.
Moderated by Clayton State Associate
Professor of Political Science Dr. Joseph
Corrado, “Constitutional Debate on Guns
on College Campuses: Defensive or
Offensive?” presented educational oppor-
tunities outside of the classroom for a
diverse group of Clayton State students,
and an audience that included 120 stu-
dents from Rex Mill Middle School. Also
making up the “village,” in addition to
moderator Corrado, were Clayton State
Professor of Education Dr. Mary
Hollowell, several of her undergraduate
education majors, and Clayton State
Teacher Education graduate Cindi
LeMon, who also happens to be a seventh
grade social studies teacher at Rex Mill
Middle, and who arranged, along with
Hollowell, to have her students not only
listen to, but take part in the debate.
"Debating an issue that relates to the
Constitution that clearly affects college
students is a great way to enable students
to see the clear relevance of the U.S.
Constitution in their lives,” notes
Corrado, a nationally-recognized expert
on gun control issues. “The Rex Mill
Middle School students were able to wit-
ness a dynamic debate and ask relevant
questions. Hopefully this will inspire
them to follow political issues in the
future.”
Although gun control is both a subject of
much debate nationally, and, following
the shootings at the Washington Navy
Yard, a very current topic as well,
Corrado’s point that the debate had a
broader educational significance than the
specific topic is well-taken.
“This is a good example for our students,”
explains LeMon. “There were some good
points made in the debate, but it’s also
(L to R) Herbert Adams and Dr. Joe Corrado
Students participate in the debate on guns on
campus.
“New York Times” Talk, cont’d. p. 16
Gun Debate, cont’d. p. 14