By Lee Williams
Florida’s Senate President Wilton Simpson has only to snap his fingers and a constitutional-carry bill will appear on Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk – a bill DeSantis has already promised he would sign. It’s that simple.
Instead, Simpson, an alleged Republican from Trilby, is content to once again let constitutional carry die off quietly during the current legislative session, even though it would restore the God-given constitutional rights of millions of Floridians to what the Framers had in mind when they wrote the Second Amendment.
Simpson apparently isn’t interested in restoring the Framers’ intent. He is already looking past the end of the session and has amassed a whopping $12 million in donations to run for Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner.
Florida Carry, its board of directors and its thousands of members strongly oppose allowing constitutional carry to die a slow death, again, and we’re also fiercely opposed to rewarding the man who killed it by putting him in charge of Florida’s vaunted Concealed Weapon and Firearm Licensing program. In our opinion, Simpson has cashed enough government paychecks and caused enough harm. We’ve seen the damage the current Ag Commissioner, Nikki Fried, inflicted on our gun rights, so we don’t want to put another anti-gunner in charge.
In the words of the great 20th Century philosopher, Dee Snyder: “We’re not going to take it, anymore.”
Florida Carry will use every legal means afforded to us through the First Amendment to keep another anti-gunner from further infringing upon our Second Amendment rights.
The right to keep and bear arms is a civil right, and folks don’t like to see their civil rights violated. It tends to energize the people who Simpson and other RINOs falsely believe are their base.
Of course, there is another option: Simpson can quit playing games and whistle-up a constitutional carry bill. Twenty-one other states have passed it. Simpson is the only lawmaker in Tally blocking Florida from becoming number 22. Of this we are certain, despite his lame attempts at obfuscating the blame.
Move the bill, Senator. Do it now.
Lee Williams is a board member of Florida Carry.
I’m not opposed to minimal training requirements and low cost shall issue. It forces people to get training, which keeps trainers in business. It also allows police to arrest bad guys with guns. I learned a lot of stuff at my carry class about holsters, the law, and even plain old shooting. (Retired 11B)
Let’s not be retarded. The gov could even subsidize training! Carry every day!
Training is a good idea, but I don’t want it to be necessary. If someone is getting threatened they need a viable means to protect themselves RIGHT NOW, not after they complete training and go through a purchase waiting period. Where could we draw the line? I don’t know. I personally don’t have a problem with required training but that is an infringement. And it opens up a database for government to see who has firearms. I would support mandatory firearm safety training as public school curriculum. Since the left tells me it’s such a danger, let’s make sure the kids shoot legally, safely, and accurately.
Uhm, could making him Ag Commissioner be something we might want?
Hear me out on this –
If he’s made Ag Commish, he’s no longer Florida’s Senate President, right? Who would take the Senate President position?
Someone more agreeable to Constitutional and open carry? 🙂
Thinker, what you suggest is still a licensing scheme and even though the cost may be minimal it is still forcing and mandating a citizen to pay and take training to exercise a constitutional right. Louisiana’s SB 118 last year that was vetoed by the governor which the senate, thanks to 4 senators who did not have the conviction to stand firm behind their prior yeah votes, did not override. SB 118 had a stipulation that required the state police to create a free online one(1) hour safety class that was voluntary. An online class that is free and voluntary allows a citizen to take the training at their chosen time at no cost is a much better idea. Is training and fees mandatory to exercise our first amendment right here on TTAG?
“Is training and fees mandatory to exercise our first amendment right here on TTAG?“
Well yes, most people require 2–4 years to learn written communications as they are used here on TTAG.
And it takes several more years to learn the complicated rules of grammar and syntax in order to effectively communicate with adults.
Regarding fees, everyone who posts on this forum is required to pay fees for their Internet access, not to mention the purchase of the required device.
Way to exercise your white privilege, miner. Training and fees will adversely effect which community over others?
Poll taxes by any other name…..
“…everyone who posts on this forum is required to pay fees for their Internet access, not to mention the purchase…”
Greetings, from my local library.
“it is still forcing and mandating a citizen to pay and take training to exercise a constitutional right.”
The hard reality is, people are maimed or killed because they thought a gun was empty if the magazine is dropped.
Let’s use this against the Leftist Scum, starting with mandating school kids know the ‘4 Rules’ in elementary schools and basic gun handling in high school.
We can trap the Leftist Scum with this strategy. We can ask them why they refuse to vote for a law that actually will save lives. We can paint a vivid picture (story-telling, remember?) of dead kids killed because the didn’t know basic safety, like looking both ways before they cross a street. Paint them as being the heartless ones that want kids to die.
Let’s start using their emotional tactics against them, to get what we want, normalization of guns in society.
(Insert Evil Laugh, *here*)… 🙂
“…though the cost may be minimal it is still forcing and mandating a citizen to pay and take training to exercise a constitutional right.”
Zero need to pay for it if basic gun safety was taught in schools like driver’s ed is taught…
This mandatory training is “feel good” “reasonable regulation” bullshit to the bullshittest degree. What is the problem exactly that you would hope to solve with mandatory training? Is it your perception that most gang bangers are out there shooting up each other because they just haven’t had the proper training?
I really wish people would stop repeating this training requirement talking point. Take two seconds to stop and think about it, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
“What is the problem exactly that you would hope to solve with mandatory training?”
This – How many times has the phrase “I didn’t know it was loaded, I dropped the magazine!” been spoken after a tragedy?
Like it or not, there are some responsibilities that come with rights. Let’s use that against the Leftist Scum. How can they argue that they must want dead kids because Johnny “Thought the gun was unloaded”?
I say, use their psychological playbook against them… 🙂
“This – How many times has the phrase “I didn’t know it was loaded, I dropped the magazine!” been spoken after a tragedy?”
How much mandatory training is necessary in order to instill conduct? One single hour session discussing firearms safety? Ten hours? How much mandatory training is necessary to instill lifelong memory and error-free practice of gun safety? Are safety failures restricted to persons having little or no training? Who establishes and certifies the training courses; government, or individual training staff/contractors?
After formal “training”, is there vanishing little loss of training experience over a lifetime? Do “trained” people ever have “accidents”, or NDs? Do “trained” people currently ever find themselves declaring, “I didn’t know it was loaded?”
“Training” is an indistinct idea, needing considerable thought and planning. .I know the four rules of firearm safety: “Treat all firearms as if they are loaded”; the other rules fall from there, and I don’t always remember verbatim. I read the delivered owners manual. Am I “trained”? Suitably “trained”? Adequately “trained”. “Effectively” trained?
“This – How many times has the phrase “I didn’t know it was loaded, I dropped the magazine!” been spoken after a tragedy?”
I don’t know. Do you have statistics to share? Is it generally spoken by concealed carriers, or by children or family members who find a gun that isn’t theirs? The topic of discussion is requirement for carry, not for ownership. And every firearm I’ve ever purchased came with an instruction manual.
The “gun community” is inundated with safety language. It’s so pervasive that some companies are writing warnings right on the frames of the firearm itself. Folks are on such a high horse with their four rules that they get their panties in a wad when they see someone on YouTube handle a weapon without clearing it on camera first.
I sincerely doubt the problem is a lack of communicating safety precautions. Sometimes you just can’t fix stupid. And handing the keys to the government is NEVER the answer.
In fact, I read the original post again and it’s even worse than I remembered it. “It forces people to get training, which keeps trainers in business.” This is horrible, shameless crony capitalism. Please, if this is the way you think, please do some honest introspection of your fundamental values and world view. This way of reasoning about problems makes the world worse, not better.
I agree, training should absolutely be a requirement…. IN SCHOOL. It is insane that we are supposedly preparing kids for adulthood while skipping important education. They really need to bring back home economics, just updating it and calling it Adulthood. Teach personal responsibility, firearms safety, voting, taxes, all basic govt that adults must deal with on a normal basis.
Requiring people to pay for training to exercise their rights is just Jim Crow 2.0
“It is insane that we are supposedly preparing kids for adulthood while skipping important education.”
That’s the logic behind sex ed. in schools.
The kids are gonna be screwing no matter what the adults tell them, so it only makes sense they get that knowledge in schools so they can avoid teen pregnancy and STDs.
Use their strategies against the enemy, Leftist Scum… 😉
Washington state has no training requirements. All the carry permit consists of is an enhanced background check. From hearing how useless training is in other states, I’m glad we’re not forced to waste our time and money.
Personally, I favor Constitutional Carry, with a Washington style permitting system in place for purposes of reciprocity. The permit should also allow you to skip NICS. If neither of those apply, the permit system has no reason to exist.
“I’m not opposed to minimal training requirements and low cost shall issue.”
How many times after a firearm accident did some version of this sentence take place?
“I didn’t know it was loaded!” or, “I thought it was unloaded, I removed the magazine!”
I have no problem with requiring a basic gun handling safety class, but we wouldn’t need it if the school system would provide it to all students who wanted it, like how the Leftist Scum forced sex ed on high schoolers.
Let’s get actual gun safety, the kind that can save kids lives if they happen to come across a gun while at a school mate’s home, the famous ‘4 Rules’ variety…
As with Texas, I see Florida getting blue a little too fast for my liking.
& the G O P still has no balls, but plenty of RINO’s.
Patrick Swayze in his movie said there’s a time to be nice. And then there’s a time not to be nice. But you always try to be nice first. If being nice fails then it’s time to go scorched-earth.
If being nice to a Rino Republican is not working. Then it’s time to go scorched-earth. And make this person so uncomfortable that they leave the political stage. And you get someone else.
Anyone who stands in the way of advancing civil rights. Gun civil rights. Is a racist. And they should be treated as such. I don’t care what their background is. Gun control is racist. And people need to look into the history of Florida and it’s racist gun control. And start quoting it back to any republican who refuses to support civil rights.
Mandatory firearms safety and regulations training is a very, very good thing for gun owners…..but mandate by whom? Who sets the rules? Who can modify the rules? Who tracks and monitors the rules? Who can waive the rules? Who certifies the trainers?
If the answer to any of the above questions is “government”, then mandatory training is more tyranny to be avoided.
Some people can’t run a blender without cutting their legs off. So be it.
“Mandatory firearms safety and regulations training is a very, very good thing for gun owners…..but mandate by whom?”
After the recent uproar in school districts over Leftist Scum teaching kids they are personally responsible for slavery (CRT), I’d say it would be an easy sell to create citizen panels tasked with overseeing what is being taught in school classrooms. Including the ‘Eddie Eagle’ ‘4 Rules’ of gun safety for the little kids…
“After the recent uproar in school districts over Leftist Scum teaching kids they are personally responsible for slavery (CRT), I’d say it would be an easy sell to create citizen panels tasked with overseeing what is being taught in school classrooms.”
The “Leftist Scum” have not lost control over school curriculum, nor have alarmed citizens formed panels to force change in curriculum. Are the “citizen panels” you envision to be part of the local school boards? County boards? State boards? Independent from each other and all other formal education organizations? If independent, can school boards prohibit students who study gun safety not approved by government from attending schools?
“For every complex problem, there is always a well-known solution that is neat, plausible, and wrong.
H.L. Mencken”
Jesus, Florida. Is that the best you can do?
Even Maine has constitutional carry, for God’s sake.
Plenty of people in America grow up with firearms in their lives, or know people who did. If they take upon themselves the right to carry, finding help is not hard but should not be mandated. You can learn plenty just walking into a gun store and talking to staff, and the abundance of online content. The gun owner can then take that knowledge to a quarry and practice for themselves without fees, go to a range, or get a dry fire system to train.
When talking self defense, you are talking about split second decisions while hopped on adrenaline. That could be picking up a chair, balling your fists, or a pocket knife, but we don’t require training or licensing for self defense in any other form.
Putting the gate system in front just limits opportunities.
Plan B…But the firearm wasn’t concealed at all chips officer Poncherello…The perp saw it before he was shot dead and if he wasn’t so dead he’d tell you exactly that.
Snake
While it shouldn’t be necessary that training is needed, it is a good idea to know how to use your firearms. I am so sick of ignorant people that make it bad for the rest of us.
How many people just try everything out without looking at the manual? Another pet peeve of mine.
Go ahead and self teach, but please at least a mile from others…..
Republicans need to dump this bastard.
Vote him out of the senate but not into the ag. dept
Send his sorry but home where all he can do is boss his wife around and kick his dog, and I hope the dog bites him.
If he gets the Ag Commish job, is he required to retire from the state Senate?
Who takes his place? Are they more receptive to the idea of con. carry?
Him as Ag Sec. just *might* be what we really want… 🙂
He’s term limited I’m the Senate. Kathleen Passidomo is the new incoming Senate President and she’s just as bad.
Simpson as AG Commissioner is a bad thing.
I still hope the dog bites him.
” I am so sick of ignorant people that make it bad for the rest of us.”
Where in the constitution is training for any enumerated right required?
How many successful DGUs each year are accomplished by gun owners with zero or only a few hours of “training” (as in instruction from friends)?
How many successful DGUs each year are accomplished by people who attended more than four hours of superficial familiarization with firearms?
What is the record of unintended death or injury by trained/not trained persons in DGU instances?
“Ignorant” people making “us” look bad? If you aren’t trained up to the same standard as police (“highly trained”), you are an irresponsible gun owner, always on the verge of mentally snapping and shooting up the mall.
If you are “highly trained”, you are a Rambo wannabe, looking for an excuse to use your “highly trained” skills to murder innocent people.
One dgu was reported on here in ttag where the elderly person that successfully survived a home invasion had never fired a gun prior to the incident.
“One dgu was reported on here in ttag where the elderly person that successfully survived a home invasion had never fired a gun prior to the incident.”
You mean an ignorant person who makes us look bad, right?
I’ll say it yet again…..we should be able to force rinos to change their affiliation, every time they vote against the bill of rights!
“Florida Carry, its board of directors and its thousands of members strongly oppose allowing constitutional carry to die a slow death, again, and we’re also fiercely opposed to rewarding the man who killed it.”
LOL
Lee Williams (& FL Carry), that’s not what you said last year when you attacked GOA because they went after the Committee Chair that killed it.
Instead, you defended Cord Byrd.
And your own Moderator on your Facebook Page, Steve Parris has stated numerous times that FL Carry is against HB 103 (Constitutional Carry) because it is a “bad bill”.
Gotta love the argument that permits somehow allow the police to arrest bad guys with guns. Funny, but how does that make a difference? States without a permit requirement seem to be able to arrest bad guys regardless or permit status.
Next item is the training requirement. After 20+ years in the Army, I believe I know how to use a weapon if needs be. As far as the legal aspects, I’ll take my chances. Meaning, if a situation devolves to the point I feel the need to use a weapon, someone has made themselves a very clear and immediate threat to the lives of both myself and anyone with me. After that, I’ll take my chances with a jury of 12 rather than be carried by 6.
No, permits are nothing but a cash cow and point of control for politicians to wield over the peasants.
Never trust anyone with a combover.
or a chinless wonder
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