The 2018 Parkland, Florida, shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School led to an avalanche of tragedy, including seventeen fatalities, the knee-jerk signing of Senate Bill 7026 by then-Governor Rick Scott, and David Hogg. Unfortunately, we can’t bring back the lives of those we lost that day, and it seems David Hogg will be dining out on their loss for the rest of his life, but we can restore some sense to the arbitrary and reactive nature of the anti-Second Amendment measures imposed upon Floridians since that day. And that’s exactly what Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is setting his sights on next.
Among the SB 7026 provisions that would have made zero difference to someone hell-bent on taking innocent life was a raised the minimum age for firearm purchases from 18 to 21, banning the sale and possession of bump stocks, and increased law enforcement authority to seize weapons and ammunition from those they deemed mentally unfit, also known as a red-flag law, where property is “temporarily” confiscated prior to a person being found guilty of any crime.
Governor DeSantis recognized that Florida law fell behind that of other conservative states when it came to defending the Second Amendment, singling out red-flag laws and the minimum age issue. He now intends to repeal some of the provisions found in the bill that he feels unnecessarily infringe on the Constitutional rights of his constituents, according to his State of the State speech, which took place on Tuesday, March 4.
“The free state of Florida has not exactly led the way on protecting Second Amendment rights… We need to be a strong Second Amendment state,” DeSantis said.
In 2023, DeSantis signed permitless concealed carry into law and characterized red-flag laws aptly as a “due process violation,” suggesting the burden of proof be the state’s obligation.
Governor DeSantis also opined on the idea that the recent age restrictions had “taken away the rights of young adults to purchase a long gun,” pointing out that an 18-year-old soldier can carry a rifle overseas in defense of his country but could not purchase a hunting rifle upon return home to Florida. Ultimately, the Governor is forgetting that service members, law enforcement, and correctional officers may purchase long guns in Florida starting at the age of 18. This fact remains problematic, however, and flies in the face of American principles, creating a separate class of citizens and affording them a different set of rights than the general public.
But wherever there is an actual American who respects the Constitution of the United States and takes their oath to defend it seriously, you’ll always find some pinko pseudo-American lurking in the shadows, hungry for a seat at the authoritarian table. One such mouth breather is House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell, who claims without foundation or any cogent explanation that DeSantis’ goals will make Florida less safe.
“It seems to me that we’re breaking our promise to the parents and the students of Parkland… [The changes] would be awful for our law enforcement. We absolutely want to keep them safe as they do their job. I was very troubled by his comments,” Driskell driveled.
Since you’re pretending to give a toss when it comes to keeping covenants, why don’t we wax nostalgic about those enumerated guarantees in the Bill of Rights and your sworn duty of office to defend them, sweetheart?
But enough about that societal cancer. This is about a governor’s recommitment to protect and defend the rights of Florida citizens, a goal that I hope we find trending soon through the halls of the White House as we approach the due date for the Attorney General’s Second Amendment autopsy that is expected to accompany a plan of action to restore that which has been broken. It is ironic and worrisome, however, that such a monumental responsibility is now in the hands of Pam Bondi, who presided as Florida’s Attorney General from 2011 – 2019 when the provisions that DeSantis now wishes to repeal were enacted. Food for thought.
Read the full article here
