Misguided Ruling from the Minnesota Supreme Court Flies in the Face of Personal Preservation
by Senator Nathan Wesenberg
On July 31st, the Minnesota Supreme Court released a controversial decision that stated people do not have a right to “brandish a deadly weapon” as a form of self-defense when they feel threatened. It is absolutely wrong that a majority of the Court decided that a person’s primary duty and first response to a threat should be to “retreat.” This is a completely unprecedented legal decision that undermines an individual’s right to safety.
This court ruling comes in response to an altercation that took place in 2021, during which one man threatened another using a knife, and the second man responded by pulling a machete out of his waistband. In the ruling, Justice Margaret Chutich noted that using a deadly weapon, even if in self-defense, has the ability to escalate the situation and is an “unsound” decision.
The dissent in the case was written by Justice Paul Thissen, who stated, “Until now, the collective wisdom of judges nationwide over hundreds of years has never imposed a duty to retreat before making threats to deter an aggressor.” Shockingly I couldn’t agree with him more. We are putting people in a bad situation where lives may be in danger, and they are forced to decide and understand what is or is not “justifiable” self-defense.
This is yet another example of those in power doing everything possible to protect criminals instead of upholding the rights of law-abiding citizens. This is totally backwards – we should be punishing the criminals that are threatening others, not criminalizing someone for exercising self-defense. It’s concerning that a ruling like this could just empower criminals to use deadly force as a threat to get what they want. This decision fails to consider exactly what people are capable of when they know someone else is unable to defend themselves. We need to stop empowering criminals, it’s just going to make Minnesota even more dangerous and undesirable.
I firmly believe that every Minnesotan should be able to defend themselves when necessary. No one should be forced to retreat as the only option. If someone feels like their life is being threatened, it is absolutely their right to defend themselves from harm. I can’t believe this is even up for debate.
As the next legislative session approaches, I am committed to examining options that ensure people aren’t left defenseless when confronted by a dangerous criminal. We must put forward a strong bill that upholds “Stand Your Ground” law – every single American has a right to live, and if anyone threatens your life, you have every right to defend yourself from harm and death. This Court decision fails Minnesotans, and we need to make things right.