Using a Gun to Defend Yourself? The Right to Kill Is Growing.
States are pushing to pass laws sanctioning more reasons to use lethal violence in self-defense, a distinctly American tradition.
nytimes.com/…-defend-yourself-the-right-to-kill-i…
By Mike McIntire
Mike McIntire is an investigative reporter for The Times. This article has been adapted from his book, “Ricochet: Guns, Greed, and the American Way of Violence.”
Aug. 3, 2026
Tennessee recently enacted a law making it easier legally to shoot someone who’s stealing the lawnmower, bicycle or power tools you left in your garden shed.
This is a new take on the “stand your ground” doctrine, which lets you defend yourself but not your stuff. Under the expanded provision, you can kill to protect your belongings as long as you believe the interloper is a threat to you or others.
“Stand your ground” laws, or the idea behind them, have existed since the Centennial. The principle is intuitive: A person can’t use force to coerce you. The …More