Open Carry In Florida Under Legislative Consideration

 I have to admit that I do have some issues with open carry.  I believe that open carry is okay as long as the person carrying has completed a gun safety course similar to what training is required to be issued a concealed carry permit.  After that, if you chose to carry openly then you are at least somewhat prepared and aware of what "could" happen.

 

With the Texas open carry law set to go into effect January 1, 2016, there are now 45 states with open carry laws, and Florida is vying to be number 46.

The open carry push is separate from but simultaneous with a campus carry push moving through the Florida legislature as well.
Ironically, this is exactly how open carry and campus carry both succeeded in Texas; they moved through in separate bills but during the same legislative session. Texas became the 45th state to pass laws allowing the open carry of handguns in May, and Abbot signed open carry into law on June 13, 2015. He signed campus carry into law that same day, and it takes effect in August 2016.
Florida lawmakers are now taking the same approach.
On November 1 United Sportsmen of Florida’s Marion Hammer pointed out that 45 states allow open carry. In so doing, he was responding to naysayers like Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri, who equates myriad restrictions on open carry in various states as a nullifying factor. But Hammer said, “Forty-five (45) states allow open carry of firearms. Varying restrictions on open carry in some states does not alter the fact that 45 states allow open carry.”
Politifact stepped in after Hammer made this  claim and found that there are, in fact, only five states that bar open carry. Those are “California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and South Carolina.” To be clear, Politifact did find great discrepancies in open carry laws from one state to another, but only five states bar the practice.
Florida state senator Don Gaetz (R-Dist. 1) is sponsoring SB 300 to move Florida out of the column of five states that oppose open carry and into the column of 45 that do not. SB 300’s House companion bill–HB 163–cleared the House Justice Appropriations Subcommittee on Wednesday. The Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that if legislation succeeds “The  1.45 million people in Florida with concealed-weapons licenses [will be able to] openly carry” their guns in businesses and properties that choose to allow open carry on their properties.

So what happens when Paris comes to your town?

Like most firearms instructors, I used to downplay the probability that my students would find themselves in the middle of a terrorist attack. After all, we train for the most likely defensive scenarios, not the least likely. However, since the 9/11 attack, I have secretly harbored the fear that terrorists would eventually bring their “ground game” to our shores. They only need a sufficient number of committed jihadists. Given the discovery of “sleeper cells” even in places like Minnesota, recruiting suicide attackers will not be that difficult. More than ten years ago, I wrote a piece in which I hypothesized a series of simultaneous, coordinated attacks on multiple “soft” targets like schools, sports stadiums, and malls. And these attacks would not be limited to major cities like New York or San Francisco, because maximum terror would be achieved by hitting targets in America’s “backyard”—shopping facilities in city, suburban, and even rural areas in multiple states across the nation. It would devastate the American psyche. People would suddenly realize that nowhere is beyond the reach of the terrorists, which is exactly what the terrorists want. And the jihadists wouldn’t need expensive, high tech weapons like “suitcase” nukes to do it, or even full-auto firearms as in Paris. They could create massive casualties (and chaos) equipped with everyday rifles, shotguns, and handguns. Additionally, such an attack could seriously cripple the American economy. Even if only a small percentage of people suddenly feel afraid to go to the local mall, the financial consequences could be catastrophic. Naturally, you and I worry less about economic damage than we do about protecting ourselves and our families. My point is that the economic damage such an attack could cause is what makes it more attractive to terrorists. As a result, while I used to say “if” when discussing the potential for a multi-state terrorist attack on American soil, I now say “when.” And while the odds of any one of us being in the middle of such an attack are slim, it’s always better to be prepared. Like most of our readers, you are probably already armed most of the time. But what else can we really do? Well, for starters, we can avoid engaging in denial. Remind ourselves that, yes, it CAN happen in our cities/towns. Become even more aware of your surroundings than you usually are. Whether driving or walking, is there something that just doesn’t look right? If so, inform the authorities. Don’t tell yourself: “It’s nothing. I’m just being paranoid.” Make the call. When you find yourself in any area with limited escape routes, make sure you know where they are…before you need them. The Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting taught all of us what can happen if we become basically “fish in a barrel.” Finally, remember that the “typical” mentally deranged mass public shooter is a disaffected loner, who will often fold at the first sign of resistance. But in a terrorist attack, you will likely be confronting not one but multiple radical jihadists who are highly trained, disciplined, and heavily armed. The Paris attacks illustrated this clearly. As a result, even if you are a military veteran with serious combat experience, you’ll probably be outnumbered, and you won’t be carrying your military rifle either. Whatever your background, remember these realities and, as much as possible within your own capabilities, train to survive. “Black Friday” is coming…hopefully, without incident. But… ***** Be in control of your environment by actively viewing your surroundings. Improve your situational awareness is just six easy steps with this FREE guide: