Florida, What are We Going to Do with You?

Anna Gregoline | April 7, 2005
(link)

John E Gunter | April 7, 2005
Yeah, that's a bit much. I know there are some states where they allow the open display of firearms, but I'm not sure they allow that kind of activity.

John

Anna Gregoline | April 7, 2005
(link)

Better and more clear link above.

Jackie Mason | April 7, 2005
[hidden by request]

Amy Austin | April 7, 2005
Hmmm... interesting, in light of the current goo.

LOL, Jackie -- yeah, and what about the gerbil in his brother's butt? (okay, maybe that was a little *too* low-brow...)

Actually, I'm not sure what I think about this. In a world of "rational" people, such a bill might not seem like such a crazy thing... but then again, in a world of "rational" people, such a bill should hardly be needed.

Scott Horowitz | April 7, 2005
It's scary that people like Jeb and Georgie have power in this country.

Anna Gregoline | April 7, 2005
I'm too tired of it to be scared anymore.

Mike Eberhart | April 7, 2005
I think that law is Great! It evens the playing field with the thugs and criminals out there. Plus, it had the support of both the Republicans & Democrats, so it wasn't just a one sided issue. I, for one, would totally support a bill like that for Illinois. They first need to pass a CCW law here though. Illinois is 1 of 4 states that still do not allow concealed weapons. That's unbelievable to me that 4 states out of the entire US do not allow this. It's been proven that CCW laws do not increase gun violence and it actually prevents more gun violence. That's just my opinion, which you all probably knew that I would support. So there you have it.

Anna Gregoline | April 7, 2005
WHEREAS, no person or victim of crime should be

21 required to surrender his or her life, health, or property to

22 a criminal, nor should a person or victim be required to

23 retreat in the face of intrusion or attack,

(link)

The link is the actual bill.

I'm bothered by the idea that it is now deemed acceptable to KILL someone for stealing your property. I am uneasy with the thought of a criminal being killed because he's trying to take your stereo. I sure don't like having things stolen, but I don't think the price should be death.

John E Gunter | April 7, 2005
I don't mind the idea of killing someone who is trying to steal from you, I'm worried about mistakes being made or the possiblity of more people going to far due to situtations like road rage or such.

I have no problem with people being allowed to defend themselves, I just worry that you'll end up having more violence due to the extremes people seem to be taking things lately. I'm not talking all people here, but I've actually seen incidents of road rage where if this bill were in place, the person who ended up running from the incident would have probably shot the guy instead of running away.

That's what I mean about it worries me. If someone were to break into my house and try to steal something, I have no problem with shooting them, they don't belong in my house, and they don't need to be stealing from me. But we've had this discussion before.

Course, if I were on the street and someone went to attack me, I'd be more likely to retreat if I could. Being in a car, changes that strategy somewhat. If I can drive away, I'd be more apt to try that, but I know that some people won't.

John

Anna Gregoline | April 7, 2005
Would this hold up in court under "I thought he was trying to steal from me?"

I mean, I can easily see this happening when there was no ill intent, especially if there's a racial or other prejudice going on. "The black man approached my car and bent down, I thought he had a gun so I shot him," when he was just trying to ask for directions.

Scott Horowitz | April 7, 2005
You shouldn't be allowed to carry concealed weapons anywhere, unless you're in law enforcement.

Michael Paul Cote | April 7, 2005
How about all those people that don't like Middle Easterners. "I heard this (place your favorite nationality here) plotting a terrorist attack. This threatened me and my family so I shot him, several times just to make sure." What kind of message is this sending to kids. I'm trying to convince my 11 year old son that if someone punches him on the playground, he should go to the teacher. Now, this bill says that if someone threatens to punch him he has the right to proactively punch first. What's up with that?

Anna Gregoline | April 7, 2005
The world is just getting kinder and gentler, huh?

The point about Middle Easterners is a good one.

Scott Horowitz | April 7, 2005
He not only has the right to punch him, but he can shoot him too.

John E Gunter | April 7, 2005
I have to disagree with the carry permit discussion. My brother has a carry permit because he's an ecological consultant. His job constantly takes him away from civilization, making him possibly face dangerous animals. I don't believe he's ever had to pull down on anything, but I'll be he'll be happy if he ever has to.

Now, if you just want a carry permit to have one, then yeah, I'd say that's pointless. Also, if you are a business owner who normally carries large amounts of money, be it cash or checks to the bank, then I feel that would be justification to carry a firearm also.

I know what you're talking about Mike with the punching. My grandson was expelled from school for fighting. Grandson, took a kid's school books trying to be funny. Kept them away from the kid for 15 - 20 minutes. Finally gave them back to the kid.

Kid shoved my grandson, grandson shoved back. Kid kept trying to make my grandson punch him, but my grandson decided to walk away. Kid spit in my grandson's face, grandson punched him. Grandson expelled and sent to school for violent and out of control students.

I've spoken with him numerous times, but he can't seem to realize that even though the guy spit at him, he got in trouble for punching the guy. Even after explaining that if something like that happened when he was an adult, he'd be going to jail. Could even end up getting sued.

I fear for our future.

John

Scott Hardie | April 8, 2005
This bill makes gun owners feel safer, but they're not a group that needs to feel safer. Those of us without guns consider them to be the dangerous group. :-(

I tend to startle people when I come home, because I'm a huge guy, I wear all black every day, and it's often long after dark when I arrive. Sometimes I come around corners too fast and people flinch. It's bad enough I could get shot (which can happen already), but now my neighbors have the legal right to shoot me because I "threaten" them? That's unsettling.

Anyway, even though I'm vastly more likely to be shot by a criminal than a neighbor, I'm still significantly more likely to shoot myself with a gun. I don't need statistics to tell me that, but I have them anyway: (link) I will be one Floridian who feels safer by not packing heat.

When I saw the title of this discussion, I was all worried this was going to be more picking on Florida voters, a national pastime now four years irrelevant and counting. I do appreciate Tom Tomorrow's apologies in the margin in this week's This Modern World. (link)

John E Gunter | April 8, 2005
Well, I'm one gun owner who doesn't feel safer with this law. I guess I just don't trust human nature as much as I used to. The crazier things I see every year make me worry more.

John

Denise Sawicki | April 8, 2005
People always get startled when they see me, too. Women seem to initially think I'm a man coming into the women's bathroom or something because I'm so tall. Luckily I live in North Dakota.

Jackie Mason | April 8, 2005
[hidden by request]

Scott Horowitz | April 8, 2005
All this talk makes me think of South Park... "They're coming right at us."