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‘Stand Your Ground is BS.’ Actor Elizabeth Banks calls out Ohio bill on Twitter

In this Feb. 9, 2020 file photo, actress Elizabeth Banks arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)
In this Feb. 9, 2020 file photo, actress Elizabeth Banks arrives at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File) Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Actress Elizabeth Banks took to Twitter on Friday to lash out against the Stand Your Ground bill that passed in the Ohio House this week, Cleveland.com reported.

“Under existing Ohio law, people are justified in using deadly force in self-defense so long as they aren’t the aggressor, believe they are in imminent danger of death or great bodily harm, and are in their home or vehicle,” and the amendment would remove the ‘home or vehicle” portion, meaning the defendant would “need only be in a place where they lawfully have the right to be,” Cleveland.com said.

The Hunger Games actress used her own personal childhood experience when referencing the bill, which she referees to as “BS” in her strongly worded tweet thread.

“If I’d been shot and killed playing hide and seek would that new neighbor have been able to just shrug his shoulders while living across the street from my grieving parents? With laws like this, probably yes,” she wrote.

I don’t want to live in a world where we fear our neighbors so much that we can’t freely lose a ball/dog/frisbee or cut through somebody’s yard to avoid harassment — all things I have done. What yards did you wander into and why?” she closed in the last tweet.

The bill must pass the Senate and be signed by Gov. Mike DeWine before it becomes a law.

This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 5:36 PM with the headline "‘Stand Your Ground is BS.’ Actor Elizabeth Banks calls out Ohio bill on Twitter."

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TJ Macias
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
TJ Macías is a Real-Time national sports reporter for McClatchy based out of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. Formerly, TJ covered the Dallas Mavericks and Texas Rangers beat for numerous media outlets including 24/7 Sports and Mavs Maven (Sports Illustrated). Twitter: @TayloredSiren
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