Pennsylvania Self Defense Law Sitting on Governor's Desk

Right next to a cheese steak with extra onions, an ashtray full of cigarette butts, and a glass of scotch sits a bill that has passed though the PA legislature and must be signed by the governor to be made law.  The bill would expand a citizens right to use deadly force in Pennsylvania.  Essentially, right now, current PA law requires that a citizen facing danger first retreat from any danger, if possible, before using deadly force.  The main exception would be in one's own home.  The new law, however, would eliminate the duty to retreat.

Those who appose the new law, which include most police leaders and prosecutors, worry that it would increase violence and promote violence among criminals, or at least make criminal acts of violence more defensible in court.   Outspoken and media-friendly Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman told The Philadelphia Inquirer that she worried about the "level of violence it would authorize on our streets." 

So where do I weigh in on the issue?  Its a tough one.  I do not think that we should pass any law that makes it easier for criminals to be criminals or that makes it easier for criminals to "get away" with crimes, especially crimes of violence.  However, I firmly believe that law abiding citizens should not be limited as to where they can defend themselves or their family.  I think that if the bill is signed into law by Good 'Ol Fast Eddie, and if its enforced properly, it will be a good thing for the good citizens of Pennsylvania. 

I wonder what others, including other members of the law enforcement community think?  I'm all ears...