ORLANDO, Fla. — A new controversial ad meant to drive people to the polls and take a stand against unjust and unarmed killings showcases children in bulletproof vests.
Channel 9's Anthony DiLorenzo caught up with the creators of the Vest or Vote campaign at a civil rights conference on Friday.
In a series of the provocative new ads, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Florida group Dream Defenders is using a YouTube video and satirical billboard in the state Capitol that depicts a young child sporting a bulletproof vest.
In the YouTube video, a mother says, "You know baby, I'm going to need you to wear that vest today," while the child responds, "Alright, mom. I'll do it for you."
The group said the vision was to create a conversation, and they decided to roll it out ahead of the midterm election.
It's all part of a push to repeal the "stand your ground" law and stop police brutality in the wake of the killings of unarmed teens Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Jordan Davis.
"If we don't change 'stand your ground' laws, there will be many more people losing their lives senselessly," said attorney Benjamin Crump.
Crump has been at the forefront of the movement and applauds the controversial campaign.
"We can't have laws that encourage people that violence is the solution," he said.
House minority leader Todd Rutherford is a "stand your ground" supporter who spoke at Friday's conference in Orlando on how to protect civil rights.
"We never intended for (the) Trayvon Martin situation to occur," he said. "If we can make the law better, we certainly will."
WFTV
