Letter writer Ron Wirsing was absolutely correct in ascertaining that the murder rate is lower in states that adopt the stand-your–ground self defense law ("Zimmerman trial had nothing to do with race," July 17).

And the reason is pretty simple. In those states, when an armed man kills an unarmed man and pleads self-defense and walks, it's not called murder anymore.

It's called open season.

Thomas J. Snyder