Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Get ready for new face of gun owners(FL)
tampabay.com ^ | 29 April, 2012 | John Romano

Posted on 04/29/2012 6:33:07 AM PDT by marktwain

They stood side by side, staring intently at the iced tea jugs resting on the ground in front of them. The teacher. The widow. The student, the homemaker and the businesswoman.

It is a Saturday afternoon, and they are among more than two dozen people who have paid $50 to be here. To watch videos, listen to instructors and feel safer than before.

For just a few moments, it is virtually silent. And then comes an explosion of thunder as they begin raising pistols and blasting away at the doomed jugs before them.

• • •

Chances are, someone in your neighborhood carries a gun. Chances are also good that you will come across a stranger carrying a concealed weapon at some point today.

More than 900,000 Floridians are licensed to carry a concealed weapon, including more than 100,000 residents in Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco counties alone.

In the bay area, that works out to about one out of every 25 people.

If those statistics come as a surprise, then you'll want to pay attention. Because the numbers are growing. Daily. Rapidly.

From July 2004 to July 2005, the number of new concealed weapon permit applications in Pinellas County was 1,554. By 2009-10, it had increased 383 percent.

They may not have those exact numbers at their fingertips at the Wyoming Antelope Club in Clearwater, but they are well aware of the trends. Seats for their $50 concealed weapons permit class (CWP) are often filled more than a month in advance.

And you may be interested to see who is sitting in those seats.

Men, yes. But almost half of the class in April was female. Hunters and gun enthusiasts, yes. But there were a fair number of people who had never before fired a gun.

(Excerpt) Read more at tampabay.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: banglist; ccw; class; fl; youwillnotdisarmus
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-32 next last
The left/progressives have lost this issue. It is a critical issue for them, because without it, they have lost the debate that government can be all knowing, all providing, and all protective.

We are winning.

1 posted on 04/29/2012 6:33:09 AM PDT by marktwain
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: marktwain
Have you noticed how the left now says that the debate isn't about gun ownership but keeping guns out of the hands of violent criminals?

It was only 20 years ago that the position on the left was about keeping guns out of the hands of the law abiding. They have been so trounced on this issue that they have to pretend their past gun-grabber history didn't happen.

And even their feeble efforts to politicize events such as the Trayvon shooting have blown up in their faces as it becomes clearer that the shooting was a case of legitimate self-defense and Zimmerman was not a homicidal maniac.

2 posted on 04/29/2012 6:37:14 AM PDT by dirtboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain
“We are winning.”
Don't be fooled by the lull in the action. They never rest in their relentless pursuit of their agenda, and this is an important roadblock to their plans.
“They” learned their lessons well when being openly anti-gun cost them in election cycles, so it's only the firmly entrenched in liberal bastions that dare be forthright about their intentions.
They have the MSM, they lie, scheme and cheat, and they will never stop until they are extinct.
3 posted on 04/29/2012 6:52:55 AM PDT by bitterohiogunclinger (Proudly casting a heavy carbon footprint as I clean my guns ---)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

Great video of grandmother explaining how she shot would-be robber. She always carries a gun. Without her gun she would have died.

http://www.11alive.com/rss/article/239544/40/Grandmother-shoots-would-be-robbers-


4 posted on 04/29/2012 6:55:48 AM PDT by Atlantan
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

I live in hillsbourgh county and had no idea 100,000 of us have CC permits.....

Makes me very glad...

Between my neighbor and I we probaly have enough weapons to arm half the block if need be....


5 posted on 04/29/2012 6:59:28 AM PDT by Popman (America is squandering its wealth on riotous living, war, and welfare.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

There is so much “gun culture” that needs to be relearned by the public that there is really an opportunity for someone to make a lot of money teaching “all the things”.

It could be as simple as a video camera, a lesson plan, several assistants, several different types of guns and other weapons, and different (video and gun) shooting locations. Burn several DVDs which could be sold individually or as a box set.

Probably the hardest and most expensive part would be advertising it to those who would want to buy it.


6 posted on 04/29/2012 8:46:34 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy ("God's light and God's life ooze over me like warm butter." -- Gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain; harpseal; TexasCowboy; nunya bidness; AAABEST; Travis McGee; Squantos; wku man; SLB; ...
The whole way this article is written reflects the sense of both fear and amazement that leftmedia types experience when actually looking at the gun issue from ground level.

SNN6 news here in Sarasota, FL is currently running coverage of a local gun show, and it's very apparent there as well. Overall, a good thing, although it must discomfort the poor dears. You can almost hear the mental gears grinding.

Click the Gadsden flag for pro-gun resources!

7 posted on 04/29/2012 10:10:07 AM PDT by Joe Brower (Sheep have three speeds: "graze", "stampede" and "cower".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain
" . . shall NOT be infringed "
8 posted on 04/29/2012 10:13:57 AM PDT by tomkat (para bellum)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

“We are winning.”

I don’t think I would “crow” to loud about that.


9 posted on 04/29/2012 10:16:25 AM PDT by depenzz (There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by sword. The other is by debt. John Adam)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Atlantan

Wow! What a brave and cute grandma you have there. God Bless her and keep her safe.

I hope she never has to encounter that kind of trauma again. I hope none of us do. If she had not been armed and brave, she would have been another victim of the criminal class.


10 posted on 04/29/2012 10:39:24 AM PDT by SaraJohnson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

The left’s greatest weapon against gun ownership was the perception that gun ownership was somehow rare, unusual, and perverse.

Shall-issue laws are a direct attack on that.


11 posted on 04/29/2012 10:47:46 AM PDT by jdege
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

Some of the items in the “Comments” section are interesting. Lefties saying they are getting guns and CCW in case the “teabaggers” get in their faces. The lefties are becoming increasingly unhinged.


12 posted on 04/29/2012 10:57:26 AM PDT by PapaBear3625 (In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act. - George Orwell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Atlantan

That’s a great story. I posted the Macon Telegraph’s article about it.

‘I carry a gun all the time’ says woman who thwarted Macon holdup attempt
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2875890/posts


13 posted on 04/29/2012 11:02:54 AM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: marktwain

To All

Here is a link to an award winning producer who is going to make a movie about the idiotic gun laws in California.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=561952

Give him some help if you can.


14 posted on 04/29/2012 11:12:00 AM PDT by US_MilitaryRules (Unnngh! To many PDS people!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marktwain
I went to the source article to read it and how weird is it that the little ad for the school of business at University of Tampa has an Islamic minaret and mosque contained as the pic?
15 posted on 04/29/2012 11:53:08 AM PDT by ExSoldier (Stand up and be counted... OR LINE UP AND BE NUMBERED...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Popman
I live in hillsbourgh county and had no idea 100,000 of us have CC permits.....

Fellow Hillsboroughian here... believe it!

16 posted on 04/29/2012 12:11:58 PM PDT by Dan Nunn (Support the NRA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Joe Brower
The whole way this article is written reflects the sense of both fear and amazement that leftmedia types experience when actually looking at the gun issue from ground level.

It's about as fair as you can expect from the Tampa Bay Slimes. I'm surprised they took time off of posting anti-Zimmerman articles, Stand Your Ground fringe cases (including a database), calls to repeal the law, and editorials criticizing Scott for "stacking the deck" in the SYG Review Panel.

What a worthless rag.

17 posted on 04/29/2012 12:14:55 PM PDT by Dan Nunn (Support the NRA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: ExSoldier
how weird is it that the little ad for the school of business at University of Tampa has an Islamic minaret and mosque contained as the pic?

To be fair, the iconic UT building and minaret was built as the Tampa Bay Hotel by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant in 1891.

18 posted on 04/29/2012 12:17:53 PM PDT by Dan Nunn (Support the NRA!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: bitterohiogunclinger

Amen, brother. The left are like cockroaches. Turn the light on and they scurry away, but they are still inside the walls, waiting for their next opportunity.


19 posted on 04/29/2012 12:40:19 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (I served and protected my country for 31 years. Progressives spent that time trying to destroy it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: tomkat

Yes, I don’t think that many people understand that one.

Every gun law in this country is unconstitutional. “...shall not be enfringed.” Clear as day.


20 posted on 04/29/2012 1:04:33 PM PDT by TheOldLady (FReepmail me to get ON or OFF the ZOT LIGHTNING ping list)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-32 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson