Morning Opposition

Vote against SB 7026

I am saddened that the Senate, the supposed deliberative and sober body in a bicameral legislature has become the reactive and knee-jerk house of Florida's Congress.

Shoving an ill considered and poorly written bill through the process so quickly means that even if Florida's voters really wanted this kind of gun control, huge mistakes will be contained within.
But Florida's voters don't want this bill.

Many of Florida's citizens have moved to our great state from places which already have versions of these laws.  They are aware that they are ineffective at reducing crime of any sort.  These laws are least effective at preventing murder, in fact they might encourage it by disarming the everyday citizen and making self defense so legally problematic that there's nothing to do in the face of crime but make peace with being a victim.

The content of this bill shows that it has very little to do with solving the problem of mass shootings at schools, with only a single item which would have had any affect at all on the most recent shooting.

The flurry of amendments submitted for floor consideration, bypassing the normal committees, is simply the same gun-control that advocates of victim disarmament have been clamoring for.  It's list of failed policies which do nothing to make the average citizen safer or prevent crime.

Also offensive is these amendments were repeatedly rejected by committee during consideration prior to the hasty submission of this bill to the floor for a vote.

The core of the issue is Broward County Schools and the Broward County Sheriff's Department had all the power needed to prevent this atrocity.  They did not exercise that power.

That is what needs to be addressed, not the rights of millions of innocent and blameless gun owners.
Florida should not join the shameful list of states where the rights of gun owners are sharply curtailed, and criminals run rampant.  Gun control has not made California, New York, New Jersey or Massachusetts any safer.  Gun control has not made Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago or Washington DC any safer.

Less restrictive gun laws, which you are not even considering and have been actively avoiding for nearly a decade, have been proven to prevent such crimes.

These crimes took place in what gun owners refer to as "gun free victim zones" or as they are more commonly known as "gun free zones".

The victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting were not allowed to have firearms in a bar.  The victims of the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting were not allowed to have firearms in the terminal building.  The victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting were not allowed to have firearms on school grounds.

It is a trite statement, but apt: These shootings stop when the shooter is confronted with armed resistance.  These shootings don't start where the shooter expects armed resistance and cannot be certain of whom is armed.

But you're actively avoiding even looking at this as a solution while emotions run hot and a very small, but vocal and well funded, group parades emotionally distraught people in front of you.  The very speed with which they organized such displays, including matching t-shirts and professionally printed signs should be a warning to you that this isn't a groundswell of voter demand, but a fringe attempt to push an unpopular agenda while your guard is down.

Angus McThag and Family