0:00:02 > 0:00:05The American presidential election is just weeks away,
0:00:05 > 0:00:10but tonight we take on a subject both candidates are keen to avoid.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15That translates pretty much everywhere in the world.
0:00:15 > 0:00:16Everyone knows that language.
0:00:16 > 0:00:21We examine the gun laws that allowed this grandfather
0:00:21 > 0:00:23to act as judge and executioner.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32How the same law protected the man
0:00:32 > 0:00:35who shot dead this unarmed teenager.
0:00:35 > 0:00:39And I grabbed it and I just grabbed my firearm and I shot him.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41They told him, "You killed him,
0:00:41 > 0:00:44"you stand your ground, go home. Take a shower."
0:00:44 > 0:00:47No justice! No peace!
0:00:47 > 0:00:50Why the shooting of that teenager became a political issue
0:00:50 > 0:00:53dividing America.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58We're going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01And how those laws are sponsored by corporate money,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04influencing American democracy.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08In some regards, democracy is increasingly, in this country,
0:01:08 > 0:01:10for sale.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26It's election time in America.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30RECORDED VOICES: I'm Barack Obama, and I approve this message.
0:01:30 > 0:01:32People still believe in hard work,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34in personal responsibility.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37Mitt Romney has said, "To strengthen this nation,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40"we have to begin by strengthening the family."
0:01:40 > 0:01:44'I'm here to investigate the country's fascination with guns
0:01:44 > 0:01:47'and the most controversial gun crime in recent history.'
0:01:49 > 0:01:53'There's almost 90 guns per 100 people in America now.
0:01:53 > 0:01:54'Here in Florida alone,
0:01:54 > 0:01:59'almost a million people now have a concealed weapon's permit.
0:02:00 > 0:02:05'In most states, those over 18 can walk into a gun shop
0:02:05 > 0:02:07'and buy a firearm.'
0:02:07 > 0:02:10You've got some impressive weapons here.
0:02:10 > 0:02:13Most of the guns we're showing are not for hunting
0:02:13 > 0:02:17- but they're for self-defence.- OK.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20This shop sells a huge arsenal of weapons,
0:02:20 > 0:02:24including handguns, rifles and shotguns.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27That must be one of the best guns for home protection.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31Several leading gun magazines have written articles about it.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33And what is that gun?
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- It's a 12-gauge shotgun, pump.- OK.
0:02:36 > 0:02:39What you do is you load it,
0:02:39 > 0:02:41but you don't put one in the chamber.
0:02:41 > 0:02:44What happens is if somebody's breaking into your house...
0:02:44 > 0:02:45GUN CLICKS
0:02:45 > 0:02:48That translates pretty much everywhere in the world.
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Everybody knows that language.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54All these weapons can be bought by American citizens
0:02:54 > 0:02:56without the need for a licence
0:02:56 > 0:02:58after a simple background check.
0:03:00 > 0:03:04Such easy access to firearms is killing innocent people.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08In the past seven years, there have been 26 mass shootings in America.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12In July, a gunman killed 12
0:03:12 > 0:03:14and injured 58 people in Colorado,
0:03:14 > 0:03:18during a midnight screening of the new Batman film.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21In August, another gunman shot and killed six people
0:03:21 > 0:03:23at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.
0:03:25 > 0:03:28Nearly 100,000 Americans are injured or killed by guns
0:03:28 > 0:03:30every year.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34All these shootings hit the headlines,
0:03:34 > 0:03:37but there was one this year that caused the biggest outcry.
0:03:37 > 0:03:41NEWSREADER: Today's unprecedented tragedy was shocking...
0:03:42 > 0:03:45Last night thousands gathered...
0:03:45 > 0:03:47Protest over the shooting dead of Trayvon Martin
0:03:47 > 0:03:50moved to Miami, Florida, on Sunday...
0:03:50 > 0:03:52There are even social media sites demanding justice...
0:03:53 > 0:03:57The story of Trayvon Martin
0:03:57 > 0:03:59starts on a rainy night in Florida.
0:03:59 > 0:04:03The 17-year-old schoolboy was staying with his dad
0:04:03 > 0:04:06in a gated community in Sanford.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12During that time, CCTV captures Trayvon in a dark grey hoodie,
0:04:12 > 0:04:15visiting a 7/11 store
0:04:15 > 0:04:17to buy a can of iced tea and a packet of sweets.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21On his way home,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24he's spotted by 28-year-old George Zimmerman,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26the Neighbourhood Watchman.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Zimmerman was carrying a concealed handgun,
0:04:30 > 0:04:34something that is perfectly legal in 49 states across America.
0:04:35 > 0:04:37Zimmerman called the police.
0:04:47 > 0:04:49He looks black.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The dispatcher says the police are on their way,
0:04:54 > 0:04:57but Zimmerman still gets out of his car.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06Zimmerman's version of the events
0:05:06 > 0:05:09is that he was knocked down as he challenged Martin
0:05:09 > 0:05:12and was then attacked on the ground.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15A neighbour hears screams and calls the police.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37Just one.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Trayvon Martin, who had no criminal convictions,
0:05:41 > 0:05:43died from a single shotgun to the chest,
0:05:43 > 0:05:45fired at close range.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48It's an unreal feeling.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54You just got news that your child's life has been taken
0:05:54 > 0:05:59and at that moment everything stops.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01I tried to get myself together
0:06:01 > 0:06:03so I can call his mom
0:06:03 > 0:06:05and inform her
0:06:05 > 0:06:07that your child is dead.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10I was at work, in my car.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14I didn't believe him.
0:06:14 > 0:06:16I asked him if he'd seen the body,
0:06:16 > 0:06:17and he said no.
0:06:17 > 0:06:19He seen a picture.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22I still didn't believe him.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28Paramedics treated the gunman, Zimmerman, at the scene
0:06:28 > 0:06:30for a bleeding nose
0:06:30 > 0:06:33and lacerations to the back of his head.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37He was handcuffed and taken away.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41Robert Zimmerman was brought to this police station,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43questioned, but released without charge.
0:06:44 > 0:06:47The local police chief was asked to explain.
0:06:47 > 0:06:50In this case,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Mr Zimmerman has made a statement of self-defence.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58Until we can establish probable cause to dispute that,
0:06:58 > 0:07:01we don't have the grounds to arrest him.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05The decision to release him raised questions
0:07:05 > 0:07:08about a controversial self-defence law
0:07:08 > 0:07:10that allows a person to use deadly force
0:07:10 > 0:07:12to prevent death or great bodily harm.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16It's commonly known as the Stand Your Ground law.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24This gated community is where George Zimmerman
0:07:24 > 0:07:27shot dead Trayvon Martin.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29The law that allowed him to walk free
0:07:29 > 0:07:33expanded a centuries-old British legal principle
0:07:33 > 0:07:37that also grants immunity from arrest and prosecution.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42The shooting dead of Trayvon Martin at this very spot
0:07:42 > 0:07:45inside this gated community
0:07:45 > 0:07:48polarised America on issues like racism,
0:07:48 > 0:07:51justice and gun control.
0:07:56 > 0:08:00Sanford's Afro-American community believed justice had not been done
0:08:00 > 0:08:03and that Zimmerman had profiled Martin
0:08:03 > 0:08:06as a criminal because he was black and wearing a hoodie.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10I think it was racially motivated.
0:08:10 > 0:08:12You have a child here who did not have a gun,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14who did not have drugs.
0:08:14 > 0:08:16All he was doing was trying to get home,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19from going to the 7/11, buying some Skittles and ice tea
0:08:19 > 0:08:21for him and his little brother.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24He should not have been killed.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27Justice for Trayvon! Justice for Trayvon!
0:08:27 > 0:08:31The Stand Your Ground defence outraged people across America,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34who demanded the prosecution of George Zimmerman,
0:08:34 > 0:08:37so that the circumstances of Martin's death
0:08:37 > 0:08:39could be tested in court.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Trayvon could've been anyone of us.
0:08:44 > 0:08:50Trayvon represents a reckless disregard for our lives
0:08:50 > 0:08:53that we've seen too long.
0:08:53 > 0:08:55Arrest Zimmerman now!
0:08:56 > 0:08:58The reason there was outrage
0:08:58 > 0:09:01is because the police let him walk out of there free.
0:09:01 > 0:09:04Had they arrested Zimmerman that night,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06there wouldn't have been a movement.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08There wouldn't have been a cause of protest.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Zimmerman violated the law, in my opinion.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14They told him, "You killed him, stand your ground,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16"go home, take a shower."
0:09:17 > 0:09:20Zimmerman, seen here on the left with his brother,
0:09:20 > 0:09:24was vilified as the white man who shot an innocent black boy.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27In fact, he has a Peruvian mother and a white father.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32George isn't a racist, I'm not a racist.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36We grew up in a bi-cultural family. That means two colours.
0:09:36 > 0:09:38Gladys Zimmerman, his mother,
0:09:38 > 0:09:42agreed to talk to me provided we did not reveal her identity,
0:09:42 > 0:09:45as she fears reprisals.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47The only thing that makes him a racist
0:09:47 > 0:09:49is the agenda,
0:09:49 > 0:09:52the political agenda
0:09:52 > 0:09:55and the money agenda.
0:09:56 > 0:10:00It makes me feel that there is no way to defend somebody
0:10:00 > 0:10:03when you said "racist."
0:10:05 > 0:10:09For a while, the case overshadowed the presidential campaign.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11It was also being played out
0:10:11 > 0:10:14here in Florida, the key swing state
0:10:14 > 0:10:18that neither of the presidential candidates can afford to lose.
0:10:18 > 0:10:23So no surprise that both candidates intervened.
0:10:23 > 0:10:26If I had a son, he'd look like Trayvon.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30And I think they're right
0:10:30 > 0:10:36to expect that all of us, as Americans,
0:10:36 > 0:10:40are going to take this with the seriousness it deserves
0:10:40 > 0:10:43and that we're going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Mindful of Florida's black vote,
0:10:47 > 0:10:51Republican presidential candidate, also set out his stall.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57We hope that justice is done in this case, as in all cases.
0:10:57 > 0:10:59But very, very tragic,
0:10:59 > 0:11:03and our hearts go out to his family, his loved ones,
0:11:03 > 0:11:05his friends. This shouldn't have happened.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12The pressure from politicians and protesters
0:11:12 > 0:11:14led to the sacking of the chief of police,
0:11:14 > 0:11:18and the state prosecutor quitting the case.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22Mr Zimmerman, you are appearing here for the first time
0:11:22 > 0:11:25for a charge of murder in the second degree...
0:11:25 > 0:11:2744 days after the shooting,
0:11:27 > 0:11:29a newly appointed prosecution team discounted
0:11:29 > 0:11:32the Stand Your Ground defence
0:11:32 > 0:11:34and had Zimmerman arrested and charged.
0:11:35 > 0:11:39I don't think without the public support
0:11:39 > 0:11:42we would've gotten an arrest.
0:11:42 > 0:11:47I felt as though it should've been an arrest made that night.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52George Zimmerman,
0:11:52 > 0:11:54seen here describing the moment he shot Trayvon,
0:11:54 > 0:11:57maintains he acted in self-defence and stood his ground.
0:11:57 > 0:12:02His family have no regrets that he carried a concealed weapon.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08I'm glad George had a weapon on him that night.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10That means that George is still with us.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13I believe he would've been far more seriously injured,
0:12:13 > 0:12:17disfigured or damaged in other ways
0:12:17 > 0:12:19did he not have that weapon.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24# I'll stand my ground
0:12:24 > 0:12:27# And I won't back down... #
0:12:27 > 0:12:28'The Stand Your Ground law
0:12:28 > 0:12:31'has spread across nearly half the states in America.'
0:12:31 > 0:12:34Texas adopted it in 2007.
0:12:36 > 0:12:40Since then, so-called justifiable killings have increased
0:12:40 > 0:12:43from 32 in 2006
0:12:43 > 0:12:45to 48 in 2010.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55At this firing range, gun owners are trained
0:12:55 > 0:12:57to handle and fire a gun
0:12:57 > 0:12:59to protect themselves.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03If you have somebody that is threatening your life,
0:13:03 > 0:13:05you're in fear for your life,
0:13:05 > 0:13:08your safety, your family, OK?
0:13:08 > 0:13:13At that point then you have the right to use deadly force, OK?
0:13:17 > 0:13:20In one of the most notorious cases in Texas,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22a grandfather did just that,
0:13:22 > 0:13:25but he used a more deadly weapon in defence of property.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35'The Pasadena police took me back to the scene of a double killing,
0:13:35 > 0:13:37'where the Stand Your Ground law
0:13:37 > 0:13:39'protected another shooter.'
0:13:41 > 0:13:46- This is the road where it all happened?- Right.
0:13:46 > 0:13:49- Just beyond the white SUV. - OK, so that...
0:13:49 > 0:13:50That was Joe Horn's house,
0:13:50 > 0:13:52and where the white SUV is, is the location
0:13:52 > 0:13:54that was being burglarised,
0:13:54 > 0:13:56as it was being witnessed by Mr Horn.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59He indicated that his belief that the suspects
0:13:59 > 0:14:02had actually emerged from between the two houses.
0:14:03 > 0:14:05It was these two men
0:14:05 > 0:14:10Joe Horn spotted coming out of his next-door neighbour's home.
0:14:10 > 0:14:13My God, they're breaking into the house.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15You can't imagine...
0:14:15 > 0:14:18The fear that comes over you,
0:14:18 > 0:14:22seeing something like that, in real life, right in front of your eyes.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24He called the police
0:14:24 > 0:14:27before reaching for his shot gun.
0:14:41 > 0:14:46The 911 operator tried to prevent a confrontation.
0:15:04 > 0:15:09The Stand Your Ground law had been introduced just a few weeks earlier.
0:15:09 > 0:15:14Horn openly argued it gave him the right to use deadly force.
0:15:28 > 0:15:32The individual who ran off in this direction was shot
0:15:32 > 0:15:34directly in the back.
0:15:34 > 0:15:38The individual who ran off on an angle this way,
0:15:38 > 0:15:42he was actually shot in the left arm and in the back.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Both men were unarmed and died at the scene.
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Nobody fights! Nobody fights!
0:15:54 > 0:15:57In an echo of the '60s civil rights movement,
0:15:57 > 0:16:01African Americans took to the streets in protest.
0:16:01 > 0:16:05If it isn't about race, why are you in a white neighbourhood?!
0:16:05 > 0:16:08Tell us why you're here today, please!
0:16:08 > 0:16:13A grand jury ruled the shootings were justifiable homicides.
0:16:13 > 0:16:17Horn was treated like a hero at a rally held by the Conservative
0:16:17 > 0:16:19Tea Party movement.
0:16:19 > 0:16:22I saw what I thought was the right thing to do and I did it.
0:16:22 > 0:16:25It's unfortunate that it turned out the way that it did,
0:16:25 > 0:16:28but that's just the way that it is. CHEERING
0:16:32 > 0:16:36Joe Horn agreed to meet me in Pasadena to talk about
0:16:36 > 0:16:38what happened that day.
0:16:38 > 0:16:42Some have accused you of being the judge, the jury and executioner.
0:16:42 > 0:16:45How do you respond to that?
0:16:45 > 0:16:47If you're going to call me a judge, jury and executioner,
0:16:47 > 0:16:49the only thing I'm trying to do is save my life.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52I'm just a regular father, grandfather kind of guy.
0:16:52 > 0:16:58You know, I didn't ask for this. You think I wanted this? No.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01You think that I would rush out in there like a vigilante
0:17:01 > 0:17:05and try and do something? No. No.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08I'm just a man that got caught in something
0:17:08 > 0:17:12and just didn't want to die, that's all.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17The shift in people's mindset
0:17:17 > 0:17:21since the Stand Your Ground law was introduced, is having
0:17:21 > 0:17:23a measurable effect in terms of death rates.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29In terms of homicide, what we show is that there is about an 8%
0:17:29 > 0:17:34increase in the homicide rate caused by these laws and if we were to break
0:17:34 > 0:17:38that down, that breaks down to about 600 additional homicides per year
0:17:38 > 0:17:42across the 21 states that adopted these laws over the time period.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48I wanted to find out how such an extreme law came about.
0:17:48 > 0:17:52The story starts back in storm lashed Florida with the man
0:17:52 > 0:17:56who first proposed the Stand Your Ground bill which
0:17:56 > 0:17:59passed into law unopposed in 2005.
0:18:01 > 0:18:05We had just gone through five hurricanes in Florida
0:18:05 > 0:18:08and it had created a lot of disruption,
0:18:08 > 0:18:10a lot of broken up housing
0:18:10 > 0:18:13and communities that were in disarray.
0:18:13 > 0:18:18A lot of looting that was occurring. Many people felt vulnerable.
0:18:25 > 0:18:28The bill was co-written by the National Rifle Association.
0:18:28 > 0:18:31It's the most powerful pro-gun lobby in America with
0:18:31 > 0:18:36nearly 4,000,000 members and a budget of up to 300 million.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39Some of that money is spent on ads like this.
0:18:45 > 0:18:49In Florida, I want law-abiding citizens to know that
0:18:49 > 0:18:53if they're doing the right thing, if they're doing nothing wrong,
0:18:53 > 0:18:57and they come under attack, that we are going to stand with them.
0:18:57 > 0:19:04I truly believe that the statute has helped make us as a safer state.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10The Sunshine State became the gunshine state
0:19:10 > 0:19:12and it was just the beginning.
0:19:15 > 0:19:19The Stand Your Ground legislation first introduced in Florida
0:19:19 > 0:19:22has been adopted by more than 20 states across America.
0:19:22 > 0:19:26The driving force has been private business, lobbyists and state
0:19:26 > 0:19:32legislators who behind closed doors create what they call model bills.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37A key organisation pushing these model bills through state
0:19:37 > 0:19:41lawmakers, where they're supported by both Republicans and Democrats,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43is based here on the 11th floor
0:19:43 > 0:19:47of this non-descript building in Washington.
0:19:47 > 0:19:51It's the American Legislative Exchange Council.
0:19:51 > 0:19:52Otherwise known as ALEC,
0:19:52 > 0:19:58an umbrella group promoting a conservative pro-business agenda.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02ALEC is really a corporate bill mill, largely funded by corporations.
0:20:02 > 0:20:0498% of its funding comes from corporations
0:20:04 > 0:20:06and sources other than legislators.
0:20:06 > 0:20:09Through ALEC, corporations are given equal say
0:20:09 > 0:20:12and equal vote on model changes to our laws.
0:20:14 > 0:20:17# I'm just a bill Yes I'm only a bill
0:20:17 > 0:20:21# And I'm sitting here on Capitol Hill
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- # Well it's a long, long... # - CRASHING
0:20:26 > 0:20:30This cartoon was created by critics of ALEC to expose the unhealthy
0:20:30 > 0:20:36relationship between legislators, the NRA and corporations.
0:20:36 > 0:20:38See, it works like this nowadays.
0:20:38 > 0:20:42Once the politicians have been wined and dined, little campaign
0:20:42 > 0:20:47contribution here, a good time there, the politicians, ahem, legislators,
0:20:47 > 0:20:50head back to their capitals or Congress
0:20:50 > 0:20:52and fast track as many of these bills as they can.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57ALEC has an overall budget of 7 million
0:20:57 > 0:21:01and over 2,000 members or sponsors, including some of the UK's
0:21:01 > 0:21:08biggest corporations, BP, AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11All three companies told Panorama they have had
0:21:11 > 0:21:16no involvement in supporting the Stand Your Ground law.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19British corporations and other corporations are underwriting
0:21:19 > 0:21:23ALEC's overall agenda and so while they may not be designating
0:21:23 > 0:21:26money for this particular bill in Florida, or other bills,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29what they're doing is making this agenda possible.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Their money helps support ALEC's overall operations,
0:21:32 > 0:21:35its propaganda machine, and its efforts to get these bills
0:21:35 > 0:21:37pushed in state houses across the country.
0:21:37 > 0:21:41By now, you know that I get to help vigilante types kill unarmed people.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45And the best part is, it's perfectly legal!
0:21:45 > 0:21:48ALEC's push of these unforgiving laws has been
0:21:48 > 0:21:51described as a licence to kill.
0:21:51 > 0:21:55Thanks to my friends at the NRA and ALEC who write the laws and then
0:21:55 > 0:21:57feed them to politicians all over the country, if you feel threatened
0:21:57 > 0:22:01by a punk packing dangerous Skittles, shoot, shoot, shoot!
0:22:01 > 0:22:03GUNSHOT
0:22:04 > 0:22:09Critics say the power of money is accelerating the spread of bad law
0:22:09 > 0:22:12and undermining American democracy.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15We've reached a point in this state
0:22:15 > 0:22:18and in this country where legislators and congressmen
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and congresswomen aren't the ones writing their bills any more,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24the corporations or these think-tanks are, and that's a scary thought.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Even scarier still, if they don't even know what's in them.
0:22:27 > 0:22:28In some regards,
0:22:28 > 0:22:32democracy is increasingly in this country for sale.
0:22:33 > 0:22:38During my time in America, yet another shooting hit the headlines.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40This time in New York, where a gunman was shot
0:22:40 > 0:22:44dead by the police after killing a work colleague.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48There's mounting pressure for the presidential candidates
0:22:48 > 0:22:51to tackle extreme gun violence.
0:22:51 > 0:22:55TV: Hurricane Centre - Isaac continues to move sort of parallel to
0:22:55 > 0:22:57the North Coast of Cuba.
0:22:59 > 0:23:04I travelled to the Republican Convention in storm-hit Tampa
0:23:04 > 0:23:06to see if it was on the agenda.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09You'd think that the Trayvon Martin case
0:23:09 > 0:23:12and the Colorado massacre as well as other recent shootings
0:23:12 > 0:23:17in America would firmly place gun control on the political agenda.
0:23:17 > 0:23:20But it's just one issue they're not discussing here.
0:23:20 > 0:23:25Some political commentators covering the presidential race know
0:23:25 > 0:23:28only too well why the candidates duck the issue.
0:23:29 > 0:23:33They're afraid, they're afraid to lose voters.
0:23:33 > 0:23:37It's the rare politician in America, even liberal politicians,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42who will vocally support increased gun control.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Usually the only ones who would do that are African-American
0:23:45 > 0:23:50politicians in urban districts where violence is so high
0:23:50 > 0:23:56that people know the price they pay for the easy access to guns.
0:23:59 > 0:24:03The number one cause of death of black teenagers in America
0:24:03 > 0:24:06is gun homicide.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09Yet Barack Obama, the great wordsmith,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12has been surprisingly quiet on this issue.
0:24:12 > 0:24:15Alongside the gun lobby,
0:24:15 > 0:24:18the Republican presidential candidate has spoken
0:24:18 > 0:24:23not for more gun control, but in support of the NRA and gun owners.
0:24:23 > 0:24:27We need a president who will stand up for the rights of hunters
0:24:27 > 0:24:29and sportsmen and those who seek to protect their homes
0:24:29 > 0:24:33and their families. President Obama has not. I will.
0:24:33 > 0:24:37Under threat of a boycott of their products by opponents
0:24:37 > 0:24:39of the Stand Your Ground law,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44more than 40 global corporations including Walmart, Coca-Cola
0:24:44 > 0:24:46and Amazon have bowed out
0:24:46 > 0:24:49of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55After the Trayvon Martin shooting, the mainstream media started
0:24:55 > 0:24:59paying closer attention to what ALEC was, so since that bright
0:24:59 > 0:25:04light of the media started shining on ALEC, public-facing companies
0:25:04 > 0:25:08have indicated that they do not want to be associated with ALEC.
0:25:10 > 0:25:14The NRA and ALEC declined our request for an interview,
0:25:14 > 0:25:17but ALEC told us it had no current policies relating
0:25:17 > 0:25:21to Stand Your Ground. It's disbanded the task force that spread
0:25:21 > 0:25:25the legislation across America.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Here at the Tallahassee State Capitol in Florida,
0:25:29 > 0:25:33back where it all started, the local governor
0:25:33 > 0:25:36and the United States Commission on Civil Rights are to review
0:25:36 > 0:25:40the impact of the Stand Your Ground law.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42My client wants to make a statement.
0:25:42 > 0:25:46George Zimmerman's lawyer says the now-toxic law will not be
0:25:46 > 0:25:47a part of his defence.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50What I'm going to have is a self defence immunity hearing,
0:25:50 > 0:25:54because we are not going to say that George Zimmerman took
0:25:54 > 0:25:56the benefit of the Stand Your Ground statute
0:25:56 > 0:26:01and stood his ground against Trayvon Martin without retreating.
0:26:03 > 0:26:06What we're going to say, and I think what the evidence will support,
0:26:06 > 0:26:10is that George Zimmerman didn't have an opportunity to retreat
0:26:10 > 0:26:12because he was on the ground.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17GOSPEL SINGING
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Eight months since Trayvon Martin died,
0:26:19 > 0:26:23at the local church in Tallahassee,
0:26:23 > 0:26:28his family have come to focus the fight to overturn Stand Your Ground.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31As the presidential elections approach,
0:26:31 > 0:26:34there's a growing anger at a democratic
0:26:34 > 0:26:39and lawmaking process over which this community feel powerless.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47We cannot have law that speaks to the gunsmoke mentality.
0:26:47 > 0:26:49ALL: Amen!
0:26:49 > 0:26:53Your son's death cannot be in vain.
0:26:53 > 0:26:55ALL: Amen!
0:26:55 > 0:27:00We'll do our best to look at the Stand Your Ground law.
0:27:00 > 0:27:03Because we don't need another Trayvon Martin.
0:27:03 > 0:27:04ALL: Amen!
0:27:04 > 0:27:06APPLAUSE
0:27:08 > 0:27:13The thing we're seeking most is justice for all. Equal justice.
0:27:13 > 0:27:19We cannot look at this and say that it's OK to kill
0:27:19 > 0:27:24brown, black, children, and everything is going to be OK.
0:27:24 > 0:27:29It's not OK. We just are hoping for justice.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34The Stand Your Ground laws, Trayvon Martin case
0:27:34 > 0:27:37and other recent shootings here in America will not
0:27:37 > 0:27:40be on the mind of the president voted into the White House.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43Guns are a part of American culture.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46And American people believe in standing their ground.
0:27:46 > 0:27:49But the question surrounding the use of deadly force may be
0:27:49 > 0:27:54a problem the new president can no longer ignore.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00George Zimmerman is free on bail and will come to trial early next year.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Whatever the outcome, it will not reduce gun ownership.
0:28:08 > 0:28:12There are about 300 million legally owned firearms in the states.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18- GUNSHOT - That's nearly enough to arm every man, woman and child in America.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Next week in Gambling Nation,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25we ask, is the proliferation of gambling
0:28:25 > 0:28:29bringing misery to increasing numbers of problem gamblers
0:28:29 > 0:28:32and are these machines a cause of crime and disorder?