Very likely, Governor Scott will solve the contradiction by lowering the age when a person may buy a beer to 18.
Florida’s governor, Rick Scott, weaseled out of answering any questions on why it’s okay to sell weapons to teenagers with no waiting period. He should be able to answer that easily, as he’s the one who signed the bills into law.
Scott’s reluctance to commit to any solutions can be explained by his endorsements. He’s championed by the National Rifle Association (NRA), with an “A+ rating.” In 2014, the NRA’s Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) praised Scott, stating “Rick has signed more pro-gun bills into law in one term than any other governor in Florida history.”
Scott said “there’s a time” to talk about gun control – but it seems like that time is never now. While Governor Scott is dodging questions, our kids are dodging bullets.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I think it’s time to amend the constitution. Introduce abilities to impeach people in high and highest office for just plain gross incompetence. Yes, it invites partisan politics, but look where we are. We can’t have glitch-elections that place utter charlatans in power without ways to get these true clowns 🤡 out.
LikeLike
The Constitution.
LikeLike
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/02/18/opinion/george-washington-donald-trump.html?referer=https://www.google.com/
LikeLike
Florida does stupid better than most states. It also has a horrible bunch on entrenched legislators that represent special interests. Scott is more of the same. I find it hard to believe the people gave this snake two terms. That is the main reason for the following:
As Blitzer pointed out, it’s “hard for a lot of us to believe” that Florida laws don’t even allow handgun sales to anyone under 21 but it is perfectly legal for an 18-year-old to purchase an AR-15 with no waiting period. ”
An 18-year old cannot buy a beer in the state, but they can buy an AR-15. Florida does stupid repeatedly. It is time for those that want responsible government to show up at the polls and vote to clean the state of greedy self-serving elected officials.
LikeLike
A political-economic system which relies on, and REQUIRES that its candidates for office get campaign funds from lobbies and budinesses interested only in more profits, not in the Common Good, is doomed, as ours is.
This is one reason why, despite the blathering nonsense of people such as Milton Friedman, capitalism is inimical to true democracy.
As former president Jimmy Carter told us a few years ago (and which many of us had already realized), the U.S. is an oligarchy, not a democracy. And in an oligarchy, the Parasite Ruling Class and its willing tools, such as Rick Scott and the NRA (and all profits-over-people corporations), rule, not “we, the people”, as the U.S. myth proclaims.
LikeLike
I believe that Jimmy Carter was the last, true and good President. He didn’t do a lot, but he was a good human being. He was honest and he did was was right for the American people. Maybe I’m wrong and it was just a facade, but those were certainly kinder times for Americans. I think Obama was a good person and he meant to do well, but he let the “Parasite Ruling Class” run his presidency for him and the same reason I had to hold my nose to vote for HRC. We’ve been snookered by a bunch of snake oil salesmen and we are doomed unless we make some changes quickly.
LikeLike
So VOTE HIM OUT!
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America,
LikeLike
I’m in Florida right now and was disturbed to see the huge billboards right near Disney advertising fully automatic gun ranges and showcasing the weapons. There is a sick culture of gun obsessed people, we need to find a way to limit the access.
LikeLike
America is a very sick country.
LikeLike
Some people love guns more than human life.
The police don’t want civilians and hoods and gang members and teens to be armed with AR 15s.
LikeLike
https://www.splcenter.org/20180205/alt-right-killing-people
LikeLike
What depressed me is how none of the reporters I saw interacting with Scott brought up that he had signed the law, or that he had an A+ rating from the NRA. I think the only tactic we have left is public shaming. The only hope I have is that the children who are sick of “active shooter” practice on their campus (I got sick of it when I was a teacher) will soon be old enough enough to vote these nitwits out.
LikeLike
To be fair — our alcohol laws ARE kind of ridiculous when you think about it. An 18 year old boy is old enough to get drafted and thrown into the jungle with a gun in his hands to kill or be killed, but he isn’t old enough to have a beer? An 18 year old girl is old enough to decide she wants to marry and make what is supposed to be a lifelong, legally binding commitment, but she isn’t old enough to have a glass of wine at her wedding? My parents were married at 19 and actually had to contend with this (they solved the problem by simply breaking the law). I understand WHY we set the age back to 21 after lowering it during the war, because we wanted to keep alcohol out of the hands of high school kids (who would get it from their 18 year old classmates if they were able to easily obtain it), but honestly – the kids who want alcohol are getting it anyway, and the “21 and over” law is silly when compared with more than just gun purchasing laws.
LikeLike
This is a terrific counter argument against arming teachers so, when you hear folks saying more guns in schools is the answer think about these points below by teacher Craig DeMelo.
https://www.newbedfordguide.com/opinion-arming…/2018/02/15
“This is a profoundly dangerous idea for a number of reasons. To start, the introduction of a loaded gun into any altercation axiomatically makes it a life and death situation. I’ve been teaching for thirteen years and have been called upon to break up fights and skirmishes many times. If a teacher has a gun on them, intervening in a fight is no longer an option. They could become incapacitated or overwhelmed. The gun could be removed from the holster or fired inadvertently. There are teachers in their 50s and 60s and there are high school students in their physical primes.”
“It wouldn’t be difficult for someone with bad intentions to take the weapon by force. Some nefarious individual who otherwise wouldn’t have had access to a gun could now see opportunity resting on their librarian’s hip. There is also the risk that a teacher could accidentally shoot an innocent student or staff member in an attempt to bring down an attacker.”
“The possibilities for a mishap would rise exponentially with the increase of firearms. This “solution” also relies on the assumption that with training any person would be able to perform in a high-pressure situation. This is simply not the case. There are reports of highly trained police and military personnel who haven’t faired well in firefights or situations. And those are people who chose those careers and have trained for years.”
“I’m to believe that a career teacher, after a few hours at the range, is going to be able to subdue a live shooter? (We’re teachers; if we wanted to be police officers, we would’ve gone to the academy.) There’s a reason we put such stock in the word “hero.” Heroism and bravery and decisiveness are rare. Not everyone can thrive in nightmarish circumstances where lives hang in the balance. To put it another way: giving someone a rope doesn’t make them a cowboy.”
“I don’t know what the answer is to gun violence in schools. Perhaps it’s going to take a variety of measures—greater gun control, expanded background checks, mental health awareness, greater security like metal detectors, surveillance, alarms, and guards. But the answer is absolutely not flooding schools with dozens of loaded guns and hoping lifelong educators can transform into Dirty Harry at the first sign of trouble. In the battle of risk and reward, the risk is too high and the reward too unlikely. Arming teachers would be a decision destined to backfire.”
LikeLike
Alabama just introduced a bill to arm teachers. This is a ridiculous idea for all the reasons you state in your post. More guns will increase chances for young people to gain access to guns. Let’s be frank, there may be some teachers that will misuse a gun in the school as well. Teachers are supposed to be representing civility, not a police state.
LikeLike
Florida’s other gun problem is Senator Marco Rubio, who is a favorite of the NRA.
LikeLiked by 1 person
an overwhelming tag team of NRA legislative support in Florida
LikeLike
And can you imagine the PD they would want the teachers to have and then not be willing to pay them for it? And then the “rephormers” would partner with the Silicon Valley types and PD for arms training would be racking up points on a stupid video game. It just gets more stupid by the minute. I don’t know how these people get elected cycle after cycle….the system MUST be rigged from inside the US (no need to worry about Russia).
LikeLike
Maybe the Danielson rubric will add a section for teachers’ shooting scores and how fast they’re capable of strapping on a bullet-proof vest. But seriously. How could a teacher with a gun have helped this situation? There were hundreds of students in the hall. In that chaos, how would a teacher with a gun been able to stop this situation? And…let’s say teachers did have guns in schools. What if he or she killed innocent bystanders? Who would be responsible for that? I guess we could just chalk it up to “collateral damage.”
LikeLike
Utah and Idaho already allow teachers to conceal carry at school. The only two times that weapons have been fired by teachers injured both teachers. In Utah, a teacher adjusted her holster while using the restroom. She accidentally shot the floor and was injured by flying shrapnel. She was fired. In Idaho, a college professor accidentally shot himself in the foot when his gun went off during class.
But NO ONE has stopped a school shooting by having a teacher armed.
LikeLike
I realize this post is off topic but I just saw that Ralph Reed is a featured speaker at the NYTimes Higher Ed Leaders event. https://www.nythigheredleaders.com/
Ralph Reed, the crackpot who ran Pat Robertson’s 700 Club scam & who, with Jack Abramson, extorted campaign cash from Indian tribes, is now a NYTimes Higher Ed expert. Or, in corporate speak- a disrupter.
We all know RalphReed has no shame but the NYTIMES is giving this huckster a fake identity. Shame on them.
LikeLike
Outrageous!
LikeLike
Sorry, Jack Abramoff, not Abramson.
LikeLike
“A well-educated citizenry, being necessary to the preservation of a free state, the right of children to return home from school shall not be infringed.”
LikeLike
That human pustule, Rick Scott, demanded that FBI Director Christopher Wray resign after the bureau admitted that it failed to act after receiving a tip last month about the suspected Florida shooter being armed and wanting to kill people. Talk about hypocrisy and projection, Scott should take his own advice and resign immediately. I demand that Scott resign for promoting, aiding and abetting the NRA agenda of super lax gun laws, guns everywhere, trying to impose conceal and carry on all the states by stealthy back door means and shilling for the gun manufacturers. Scott has blood on his hands for all the crap gun laws he signed on to; he’s an obedient lackey and lick spittle for the NRA.
LikeLike
Not to mention the fact that police had been at the residence numerous times because he would get violent with his mother. I believe they have even reported that social services was contacted (another underfunded social good being diminished by the likes of Rick Scott and Jeb Bush). But go ahead and blame it all on the FBI and call for Wray’s resignation. I see lots of pointing fingers, name calling and thoughts and prayers….but sadly, no action. Deflect blame is all they want to do.
LikeLike
Lets not ever forget Rick Scott is a liar and a thief. Background: In the early 1990’s the Frist family (yes, THAT same Sen. Bill Frist of Nashville, TN) appointed Scott CEO of the newly merged Columbia & HCA hospital chains. HCA/Columbia was one of the earliest hospital mergers that sent health care stocks sky rocketing & made the Frist family & Scott multi-millionaires. Privatized health care is a honey pot for the lucky 1%ers.
As CEO of this health-care monopoly, Scott took full advantage of his role to personally profiteer from government funding by ordering his employees to overcharge Medicare patients. I had a friend who worked in accounting at HCA and after the merger she left in fear of being held responsible for fraud. The staff received regular memos telling them to over-charge Medicare patients.
The FBI raided Scott’s offices in1997, fined Columbia-HCA $1.7 billion, the largest fine in Justice Dept history.
The Miami Herald did excellent reporting on Scott & has some of the sordid details here:
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/in-depth/article3162886.html
“At Columbia/HCA, Scott claimed he had no idea the company was, in the words of the federal government, committing “systemic” fraud in the chain of 340 hospitals and 550 home-health agencies.
After FBI agents raided his company’s offices on July 16, 1997, Scott appeared on CNN’s Moneyline and downplayed the investigation as ‘a matter of fact in healthcare today.’
It wasn’t. In all, the company committed 10 different types of fraud — including phony Medicare billing — that ultimately led to a record $1.7 billion in fines. Scott wanted to fight the charges and was finally pressured to resign, albeit with a generous compensation package. He was never criminally charged, and said he was never interviewed by authorities.”
According to Scott, stealing is a matter of fact in the healthcare industry. His pattern of shifting blame to his employees followed him to the FL Gov mansion.
Former allies & employees were quoted in the Miami Herald saying as much:
“As at Columbia/HCA, Scott delegates responsibility to those under him and takes little responsibility for problems on his watch. When asked about any recent controversy at agencies under him — from prison inmate deaths to a dysfunctional unemployment-compensation system — he doesn’t answer the question and refers it to his appointees.”
He was never charged by the authorities for the fraud he oversaw at HCA/Columbia. The public will never know how many people died as a result of being denied Medicare coverage or how much money Medicare lost as a result of his lies.
Scott won the governor’s mansion twice in FL. He signed every toxic gun bill ALEC & the Republican lege put on his desk. We also can’t forget the murder of Trayvon Martin was the result of an extreme NRA/ALEC “Stand Your Ground” Law. The blood of children & teachers are on his head.
Let’s hope reporters hold Scott to account for his shameless behaviors- it’s long overdue for this pathetic excuse for a human being.
LikeLike
The conservative U.S. Supreme Court justices have issued an open INVITATION to state and municipal governments to pass laws to control gun sales and ownership: That INVITATION is on pages 54 and 55 of the Court’s 2008 Heller decision in which the conservative Justices flatly state that “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited…” [it is] “…not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”
The Justices’ INVITATION went on: “Nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on longstanding prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or on laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.”
The conservative majority also declared that “We also recognize another important limitation on the right to keep and carry arms. Miller [an earlier case decided by the Supreme Court] said, as we have explained, that the sorts of weapons protected were those ‘in common use at the time’ [when the 2nd Amendment was written]. We think that limitation is fairly supported by the historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of ‘dangerous and unusual weapons’. ” Weapons “in common use at the time” of our Founding Fathers were single-shot rifles, single-shot pistols, and single-shot shotguns; no multiple-shot revolvers, rifles, or semi-automatic weapons.
With this INVITATION in hand from the Supreme Court’s conservative Justices, all that’s need now is for moral and courageous state and municipal lawmakers to enact the laws, and for a few moral and courageous billionaires to back them up and provide the money that these state and local governments will need to battle the expensive court fights that will be launched by the well-financed gun lobby because making gun control laws too expensive for governments to defend is a key strategy of the gun lobby.
So — which states and which municipalities and which billionaires are going to accept the conservative Supreme Court Justices’ INVITATION to enact gun control laws?
LikeLike
It’s been quite some time since I’ve commented on this blog.
I walked into the bagel place recently in a local shopping center and saw a 17 year old high schooler order two hard boiled eggs . . . . There was all the sunlight and lilt one could notice in her voice because that’s what 17 year old girls do and say. That’s what they sound like. They’re 17. Remember when you were 17? Seventeen-year-olds are full of life, full of youth. And then I cringed and lost my appetite for my decaf coffee (did not end up ordering it) because I thought that this miraculous young woman (miraculous because she was so alive and vibrant) would be going home to her parents tonight after an intense day of study at school . . . . . . . and that about 17 kids down in Florida would not . . . . . I thought about what I would feel like if I had had a daughter who was either in that deli ordering hard boiled eggs or one who I’d be burying. It was very black and white and horrifyingly and sadly simple.
I’m still beside myself.
We are at one of the lowest points in our cultural and societal history. Children bing murdered in cold blood at their schools, and Congress with most of the GOP and too may Democrats sitting around doing between not much and nothing. This could not be more anti-American.
It’s far beyond pathetic and unacceptable, but the fight is not over, and we will continue to fight this battle until we win, and prevail we will.
We are motivated . . . . That’s why we will at some point, some day, win this battle.
Keep focused and relentless. This battle is but part of a much bigger picture of the ruling elites’ attempt to divide people and redistribute power and wealth while keeping most people down, distracted, fooled, conflicted, and divided. The charade is wearing thin . . . The dam has too many chinks in it and will burst at some point. It is already leaking in many areas, thank goodness, but I for one take nothing for granted. We will make it burst and crumble to deluge our sins, failures, and corruptions and clean up the bacteria and virus laced narcissism that prevails on Capitol Hill and elsewhere.
With all this sadness and fury, there is a will to fight, advocate, win, and transform.
LikeLike
Not to get off topic, but I think our (US) military violence overseas invites and incites violence at home.
LikeLike
It’s all one globe.
LikeLike
Diane, you are probably right that Gov. Rick Scott and other NRA lovers will probably just advocate for a lower drinking age rather than do anything about teenagers being able to buy a gun but not alcohol. I am sure you remember that is why eighteen is now the voting age; during the Vietnam war American draftees complained they were old enough to have to fight, but not vote. It was easier to lower the voting age than to end the war. Congressional cowards, again.
LikeLike
Just heard that Florida Gov Scott is a keynote speaker at NRA convention in Dallas in May.
Marco Rubio is also loved by NRA.
LikeLike
Most of the draconian gun laws in Florida were written by Marion Hammer former president of NRA, she remains a member of the board and longtime Florida lobbyist in Tallahassee. We need more town meetings to discuss bills being presented under innocuous sounding titles too misled us, such as the drafting of the Castle Doctrine, when Stand Your Ground is really the intended bill.
It appears that federal and state legislator and Governor Rick Scott would rather appease the National Rifle Association than protect our children from school massacres. The Valentine’s Day shooting in Broward County has left blood on their hands. Marco Rubio called Broward School Superintendent “Today is that day you pray never comes”. I find little compassion in his comment, knowing he has received $3,303,355. from the NRA to promote gun manufactures.
I wonder how this is going to play out for Rick Scott’s run for US Senate next year with an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association!
LikeLike