It is not hard to understand why a grieving mother might want to give her son’s death some meaning by tying it to a broader cause, no matter how illogical the connection. But the leaders of the National Bar Association (NBA), the African-American lawyers’ group that sponsored the event in Miami at which Fulton spoke, surely know better. They nevertheless are throwing their support behind a campaign to repeal “stand your ground” laws, citing Martin’s shooting as justification. “Stand your ground laws must fall,” says NBA President John E. Page. “It is time to stand up—stand up against ‘stand your ground’ laws and stand up in the memory of Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis, and so many others whose killings were carried out by gun violence and justified by these senseless laws. We must not allow anyone to succumb to violence at the hands of vigilantes who devalue human life.”

When The Miami Herald’s Marc Caputo pointed out that Zimmerman could have successfully used exactly the same defense before Florida’s “stand your ground law” was enacted in 2005, Page replied, “Why do you need the law then? There is a common-law right to protect yourself.” But since that common-law right was all that Zimmerman needed to be acquitted, why is Page citing his case as an example of the injustices caused by “stand your ground” laws? Page’s response is tantamount to admitting that his publicity campaign is based on a lie.