The Miami Herald editorial board published the following editorial about the end of meaningful gun control in Florida. Elect DeFascist and every American will be armed or fearful of leaving their home. This is a way to erode trust among citizens. Which lunatic bought a gun? Who’s packing heat? You? You? You?
Anyone with good sense in Florida is dreading July 1.
That’s the day when the state starts allowing people over the age of 21 to carry a concealed weapon without a permit and without any gun training — at all.
It’s the terrible law that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the complicit Legislature pushed through this session as they piled aboard the DeSantis-for-president train, intent on giving the governor the rightest of far-right of platforms to run on, in the hope of siphoning support from Donald Trump.
Florida isn’t the only state to do it. In fact, it’s the 26th, joining Kentucky, Alabama, Maine and Texas, among others.
But in a state that spawned the “Florida man” meme, lowering restrictions on guns is crazy. And scary.
You don’t have to look far to see why. Just a few weeks ago, on June 15, a Dunedin man emptied his assault rifle at a pool cleaner he thought was an intruder.
It was around 9 p.m., and the man and his wife were watching a movie when they heard noises coming from their patio and saw a man walking around their pool. They said they yelled at him to go away and told deputies that they didn’t recognize him.
The wife, sensibly, called 911. The husband got his gun. He saw a flashlight and fired into the back yard — from behind his couch, through closed blinds.
lIt was their 33-year-old pool cleaner who had been cleaning their pool for at least six months and was running behind schedule.
He wasn’t hit by a bullet, only glass and shrapnel. And of course, he ran. But the homeowner, with the blinds closed, thought someone was still outside. So, as video footage shared by the local sheriff shows, almost a minute after the cleaner ran from the pool deck, the man emptied the magazine of his rifle into the back yard. He shot a total of 30 rounds in about 90 seconds. Stray bullets were found on the shuffleboard court behind the couple’s home.
Will the homeowner face charges? Under Florida’s existing “stand your ground” law, which allows a homeowner to fire at someone he thinks is a threat, apparently not.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office offered the right assessment of the situation in a June 26 news conference: “It’s probably one of those things that I would call lawful but awful.”
And now we will have “permitless carry” in Florida. With it, no doubt, will come more “lawful but awful” situations. And deadly ones, too.
Can’t wait for July 1.
Well, the Supreme Court has become a slaughterhouse, why not a state?
At the very least, these insane “stand your ground” states should impose severe fines on those who discharge their weapons in “lawful, but awful” circumstances like this. For theis frightened idiot to escape from any punishment for his dangerous and irresponsible behavior is ridiculous!
If I didn’t have grandchildren here, I would get TF out of Florida.
Not long after I moved to Florida, I was in line at the drive through at a fast food restaurant. I noticed that the muffler on the car ahead of me had fallen down and was dragging the ground and thought I would let the driver know. So, I stepped out of my car and walked up to his window. The driver started screaming at me that “People in Florida have guns in their cars, and you just don’t walk up on them like that!”
Well, now, those same idiots will have guns at the supermarket and guns at church and guns at the kids’ soccer match and guns at the playground and guns everywhere else, all the time. And they might well shoot you. Well, officer, I thought he was trying to ram me with that shopping cart. Well, officer, I saw him pick up that can of palm hearts, and I thought he was stealing it, and when I yelled at him to put it back, he took a step toward me, like he was going to attack me, and well, I just had to shoot him because, you know, self defense. And I’m really sorry the bullet went through him and hit that kid, too. Truly, I am.
When they show up at Legislator’s offices with guns things will change. I would say more but I like not having to take my shoes off at airports.
Kidnap ’em and leave the state ASAP! 🤫
Alas, not possible.
How’s that song go? Everything is possible, in its own way…
Bob, where are you from, and how did you end up in Florida?
Flerp, I grew up in the Midwest and lived for MANY YEARS in New England.
I have relatives in Florida but wouldn’t dream of setting foot in that state.
Florida and Texas are where common sense and intelligence go to die.
Very well put, Ms. Mulligan
Flor-uh-duh Man with a concealed gun everywhere he goes.
What could possibly go wrong?
Approximately 8% of Florida citizens are using illicit drugs at any given point in time, which comes out to be approximately 1.5 million Floridians. –Elizabeth Stockton, Chief Administrative Officer, Riverside Recovery
Now imagine half of that 1.5 million stoned Floridians with legal concealed guns at any given time.
What could possibly go wrong?
A 2019 study found that 18% of adults in Florida engaged in heavy or binge drinking that year. There were 12,336,038 adults in Florida in 2020. 18% of that number is 2,220,487. Now, imagine half of that number: 1,110,244 Floridians packing concealed weapons while binge drinking.
What could possibly go wrong?
On Sunday we generally make a “gallows humor” joke about who got shot in Saturday night binges this week, when we turn on the news. It’s going to be the Wild West of the swamp. The 4th of July is going to be a humdinger.
retired teacher On the Fourth of July . . . many will be celebrating the loss of freedom . . . their own included. CBK
yup
DeSantis just came out with a statement about what he would do if elected. He would eliminate the Departments of Energy, Commerce and Education. He would also eliminate the IRS and replace it with a flat tax that benefits the ultra-rich.
Eliminating Energy and Commerce is simply bizarre. Not possible. Education is a mixed bag. And ofc he wants a flat tax for his wealthy donors and cronies.
When did DeSantis come out? Will he impose a gag rule on himself?
Oh, sorry, just read past the first line.
I personally know of at least two people in Florida who routinely drink to excess, and one has a gun.
I do a lot of praying that things will not end badly, but I am pessimistic, given DeSatan’s hold over the state.
Do they still require licenses to drive? Training?
Florida is the only state I’ve ever lived in (and I’ve lived in a bunch of them) that has no mandatory annual auto emissions test. It’s as though the attitude were, ____ the environment. Ofc, those states that do have such a test should take action for means testing of the emissions tax (cost of the test and of needed repairs).
If only Florida could tax stupidity.
But, ofc, nature has a way of doing that.
Unfortunately too many innocent people suffer in the process.
There’s also no annual vehicle inspection in Florida. People that don’t maintain their cars are free to crash into someone else.
That’s Florida freedom!
Fascist MAGA rampant insanity — when firefights break out all over the state, will Deranged DeSantis, the fascist on a roll, declare martial law and take over the state as its governor dictator for life?
Defense for MAGA killers: “I had to shoot all of my libtard neighbors that didn’t think like me, before they shot me. I feared for my life.”
Fascist MAGA rampant insanity = republican party
Soon to be in charge, one way or any other.
New hashtag #lawful utawful
yup
Been in South Florida for 44 years & have seen lots of changes, some for the better & some for the worse. Tomorrow, July 1st will initiate many more changes for the worse—especially the permitless concealed gun carry law.
One positive—I’ll bet it will cut down on bar fights!
cx: I bet it will cut short bar fights.
I bet lots more people will be cut down in bar fights?