Free Republic

Sheriff Frank Mckeithen of Bay County, Florida, has come out in favor of open carry and the Second Amendment, and against the way in which the Florida Sheriffs’ Association conducted a vote to lobby against the open carry bill.  The vote has been represented in the media as a “secret vote”.   The accepted definition of a secret ballot is one in which the identities of the voters are kept secret from the people who count the votes.  That way, reprisals against people who vote for or against a particular measure or person are prevented, and people have less to worry...

A story is developing in Florida.  It appears to be another case where the video shows a completely different story from what the police originally reported. Christian Gunter is the motorcyclist.Note that he is wearing a full face helmet and what appears to be a complete motorcycle outfit, including jacket and pants.This picture is a screenshot from surveillance video, just after the shooting.The red car in the upper right is the car that the person who was shot, Roger Atlas, arrived in.Roger is wearing a green upper garment in the video below.Here is the early report from Sarasota County...

Florida CS/SB 300 has passed the Senate Criminal Justice committee, 3 to 2.  Florida is one of only five states where the open carry of modern handguns is routinely banned in public places.  Texas passed a licensed open carry bill on 13 June of 2015.  It will go into effect in January.  The gun law reform bill that passed the Florida Senate committee still has quite a ways to go.  It would reform several aspects of the current law that have been shown to have deleterious effects over the last few years.  Here is a summation of the bill. ...

A Florida woman was fatally struck by a big rig truck Friday and for hours afterward her dog remained at the scene, lying down in the road where the accident happened. Deputies found the victim dead in the street around 6:15 a.m. near a Jacksonville gas station, ActionNewsJax reported. The family identified her as Kelly Black, 42, and told the Fox affiliate she was walking her dog Paco at the time. Paco, who was uninjured, stayed with Black after she was hit. He remained there, lying in the road with a red bandana around his neck, long after her body...

Since announcing his presidential candidacy in June, Jeb Bush has made clear his distaste for officials who trade on their connections. He has assailed the revolving-door culture of Washington, calling for “a little bit of a recession” there to thin the ranks of the permanent political class. He has proposed a strict six-year ban on lobbying for departing members of the House and the Senate.Snip...Yet a review of Mr. Bush’s finances shows that he has built his personal wealth with the help of companies that had business interests with Florida while he was governor, and that singled out his political...

Police are searching for the suspect in the downtown Fort Myers shooting that left one person dead and four others injured. The shooting happened in the 2200 block of First Street around 11:45 p.m. -- while the annual Zombicon event was going on in downtown Fort Myers. Thousands were filling the streets for the city's annual Zombicon Fest when witnesses say they heard eight to ten pops. Many immediately recognized it as gunfire and went running in every direction. Crows of people were running in fear, not knowing what happened.

The 603 alliance had their caucus today at the Hopkinton State Fair grounds in Contoocook NH. The idea was to get conservatives in NH to unite behind a single candidate via a caucus. Ted Cruz has won, Ben Carson came in 2nd Carly Fiorina 3rd. Donald Trump failed to make the first cut not managing 25 votes, Jeb bush didn’t manage a single vote. Under the rules if the winner of the 603 alliance caucus drops out of the presidential race the people pledge to support the 2nd place finisher and so forth. Expect updates Update 1 I arrived at...

A  Brinks driver was attempting to fill an ATM in Orange County, Florida.  A robber approached him from behind, and grabbed at the money bag.  The driver drew his pistol and fired three or four shots at the robber, who fled.  Money flew all over the parking lot. Witnesses helped recover the cash and returned it to the Brinks Driver.  From the video at  wesh.com: WE'RE TOLD BY SHERIFFS THAT A BRINKS DRIVER WAS TRYING TO FILLING UP THE ATM WHEN A MAN JUST CAME UP BEHIND HIM, TRIED TO GET THE MONEY IN THAT BRINKS DRIVER STARTED SHOOTING...

Florida HB169, a bill that would limit prosecutors ability to use the legal process to punish people who have legitimately acted in self defense, has been introduced in the Florida Senate.HB169 was introduced on the 15th of September by Senator Baxley, co-introduced by Combee, Drake, Gaetz and Stone.  From the flsenate.gov: Use or Threatened Use of Defensive Force; Provides legislative findings & intent; provides for retroactive application; specifies that once prima facie claim of self-defense immunity has been raised, burden of proof shall be on party seeking to overcome immunity from criminal prosecution; entitles criminal defendants who successfully claim such...

PPP's newest North Carolina poll finds that Donald Trump is holding his ground- at least compared to where he was in the state six weeks ago. Trump leads with 26% to 21% for Ben Carson, 12% for Carly Fiorina, 10% for Marco Rubio, 9% for Ted Cruz, 6% for Mike Huckabee, 5% for Jeb Bush, 4% for John Kasich, and 2% for Chris Christie. Rounding out the field are Rick Santorum and Bobby Jindal at 1%, and Jim Gilmore, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, and Rand Paul all at less than 1%. Trump's 26% is almost identical to his 24% standing...

The Pentagon has responded to a globally-released ‘Kill List’, asking law enforcement to give extra protection for military personnel whose personal information was released,News Channel 10 reports. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports the Pentagon spent the weekend notifying the soldiers who appeared on the list, and urged city police departments and military police to increase patrol in the neighborhoods where the targeted live. The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) published the list days ago, a report that contained names, photos, and home addresses of U.S. Armed Forces personnel, causing alarm in cities potentially at high-risk....

As Florida enviros push for their solar amendment, solar’s undesirability goes unmentioned.The important thing to know about solar and wind power, and other so-called “renewable” sources of energy, is that they aren’t necessary. Au the contraire, their dominance of the energy mix would be a disaster for the republic. Solar and wind create trifling amounts of power at a multiple of the cost of power made available by fossil fuels.Increased reliance on pricy power from wind and solar would drive up the overall cost of energy, which in turn would drive up the cost of everything. EVERYTHING! Not just individual...

People with carry permits are among the most law abiding and responsible groups in the United States.   Not only are they more responsible and law abiding than the general population, but they are several times more law abiding than police officers.  A recent case in Florida shows the restraint of a legal gun owner after being robbed at gunpoint.   From myfoxorlando.com: Vittoria explained, "I had my gun. I rolled the window down, pointed it and said, 'Put my briefcase down!' I could have shot him right then, but then what? Then I'm in big trouble. My thought process was...

An illegal immigrant in Lee County, Florida, allegedly slaughtered three people and an unborn child in a shocking act of violence that left behind a crime scene that was “almost unimaginable,” police said. The suspect, Brian Omar Hyde, has been charged in the killings of Dorla Pitts, 37, her 17-year-old daughter Starlette Pitts and 19-year-old Michael Kelly, Jr., WBBH-TV reported. Police only said the victims were hit several times with some type of sharp object. Hyde reportedly crossed the southern border into the U.S. earlier this year. Police said he had blood on his clothes at the time of his...

JUPITER, Fla. (WSVN) -- Police are investigating after, they said, a 15-year-old boy who was pulled into the Jupiter Inlet drowned Friday evening. According to Jupiter Police, the victim was swimming in the lagoon area of DuBois Park, located at 19075 DuBois Road, when he was swept by the outgoing tide. While in the water, several bystanders, along with a retired Jupiter Police officer, attempted to rescue him, to no avail. Jupiter Police and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue received reports of the drowning and responded to the scene at around 5:45 p.m. About an hour later, divers were able...

JUPITER — From Juno Beach to Tequesta, boys like Austin Stephanos and Perry Cohen congregate wherever they can get a pole in the water. They pepper the turquoise waves aboard boats. They talk incessantly about what’s biting: snook, kingfish, wahoo. These are pier rats, not mall rats — known for lounging and canoodling on a sand bar accessible only by water and within the gaze of the iconic sunburnt Jupiter Lighthouse. They are obsessed about the newest fishing lures rather than video games, music or sports. “They are more fish than boy,” said Marvin Steiding, a charter boat captain at...

What you say on 911 is recorded.  It can and will be used against you in a court of law.  My friend and publisher of numerous books on gun laws, Alan Korwin, says that in the vast majority of cases where people involved in self defense scenarios end up in serious legal difficulties, it is what they said on 911 that got them into trouble.  He expounds on this in his book "After You Shoot".   In a recent case in Florida, both male participants made errors.  One is dead and one has been charged.         I...

Coast Guard search-and-rescue crews are searching for two missing 14-year-old boys in the vicinity of Jupiter. Austin Stephanos (left) and Perry Cohen (right), both 14, were reported missing after not returning from a fishing trip on Friday off the coast of Jupiter, Florida. They were last seen at approximately 1:30 p.m after purchasing $110 worth of fuel. Officials received a report that the boys had disappeared at about 5 p.m. after they didn’t return to shore at the expected time. The Coast Guard had covered about 5,300-square nautical miles by Saturday morning. The Palm Bay Sheriff’s Office is also providing...

ADulay, a regular contributor to opencarry.org, wrote about the open carry event that was held in Tampa over the weekend.   From opencarry.org: For those of you who could not make this meeting, here's a very quick synopsis of what you missed. Just over 50 guys, all open carrying, showed up with fishing gear, donuts, coffee and a great attitude. No police anywhere near the place. Lots of civilian people fishing and no problems with that at all. Several questions from curious people and most, if not all were amazed at the laws in Florida. I can only assume that...

There’s no clear favorite in the Republican primary to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in 2016, though U.S. Rep. David Jolly, R-Fla. is ahead of the other candidates, a new poll shows. St. Pete Polls took a survey of likely Florida Republican primary voters for St. Petersblog which was released on Thursday. Jolly takes 22 percent while U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., garners 12 percent. Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera, who launched his Senate bid on Wednesday, pulls 11 percent and U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., gets 9 percent. But 23 percent of Republicans support other candidates (including businessman Todd...