Isn't it amazing what some people can do when they aren't impeded by an 11 lb brain? Most, unfortunalely, think common sense is a penny. ;)
BTW ... Thanks for that info.
Posted on 10/04/2005 6:32:28 AM PDT by Jet Jaguar
MIAMI (AP) - Clark Ramm sees shades of the Wild West in Florida's new law giving greater legal protections to people who shoot or use other deadly force when threatened or attacked.
"It seems like everybody ought to be packing a piece," said Ramm, a visitor from Ukiah, Calif., who found out about the law Monday from a gun control group handing out leaflets at Miami International Airport. "I don't know if that's the right thing to do."
The leaflets begin with the words "An Important Notice to Florida Visitors" in bold red type by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
"Do not argue unnecessarily with local people," it says. "If someone appears to be angry with you, maintain to the best of your ability a positive attitude, and do not shout or make threatening gestures."
Florida's "stand your ground" law, which took effect Saturday, removes a duty on the part of citizens to retreat in the face of an attack as long as they are in a place they have a legal right to be, including a public street or their place of business.
It also gives immunity from criminal or civil charges to a shooter as long as the person shot is not a police officer.
Proponents of the measure, pushed by the National Rifle Association, say it will make Florida a safer place, not more dangerous. Gov. Jeb Bush has repeatedly pointed to a 34-year low in state crime statistics to demonstrate that Florida is not a haven for violence.
"It's pure, unadulterated politics," Bush said last week of the Brady Campaign's tactics. "Shame on them."
The Florida tourism industry, however, is taking the campaign seriously, with Visit Florida - the state's official tourism marketing arm - issuing a statement calling Florida "a very safe and secure destination that excels in caring for its visitors."
"We believe that Americans and international visitors are smart enough to understand that the Brady Campaign is one group's political agenda and not a real safety issue," the statement said.
Florida hosts more than 1 million visitors on any given day, with nearly 80 million tourists visiting the state in 2004, according to Visit Florida.
The Brady Campaign leaflets, which the group intends to hand out for about a month at the Miami and Orlando airports, call the measure the "Shoot First" law and urge people to "take sensible precautions" while visiting the state.
"There is no other state in the nation - and no other civilized nation on Earth - that has a law like this," said Brady Campaign spokesman Peter Hamm. "It could cause the most aggressive people in society to overreact."
The group also has taken out ads in major Detroit, Chicago, Boston and London newspapers about the new Florida law.
Several people who got the leaflets at the Miami airport on Monday appeared taken aback by the new law.
"It's a little scary," said Melissa Vosberg, on her way home to the Chicago area after a cruise in the Bahamas. "It's 'shoot first, ask about it later.'"
---
On the Net:
Brady Campaign: http://www.shootfirstlaw.org
National Rifle Association: http://www.nra.org
AP-ES-10-04-05 0452EDT
The new statute doesn't say that you can shoot someone just because they get in an argument with you.
The advertisement should more logically have said something like: "Don't break into someone's house when you're in Florida, because you might get shot," or "Don't try to hijack someone's car while in Florida, or you might get shot."
Here's another little irony of Gun Control Laws, courtesy of the biazzaro world of SCOTUS....
Felons are legally NOT REQUIRED to abide by Gun Laws requiring registration or licensing. In SCOTUS' esteemed wisdom that would violate their 5th Amendment right of self incrimination.
I'm not kidding. This moronic decision came down a few years ago.
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Isn't it amazing what some people can do when they aren't impeded by an 11 lb brain? Most, unfortunalely, think common sense is a penny. ;)
BTW ... Thanks for that info.
Can you provide a cite for that?
The tourism industry should be pleased as punch.....Florida will only become SAFER.
what most people do not realize is that the rest of the world ASSUMES this law was already the state of affairs.
When traveling abroad, I have actually had the euro-ignorant ask how many gunfights I have been in. This is the brady campaign trying to keep their fundraising up because OTHER STATES ARE GOING TO ADOPT THE SAME LAW.
Brady campaign keeps loosing. They will start to feel the loss in the $$$. This is only a cheep fundraiser stunt. Brady has never ever cared about people.
"Gunfights? None.
They knew I had one. They left."
Yep. The Illinois State Police website.
All cities, towns, villages, etc. are required by IL law to provide the ISP with their Firearms Laws and they are then posted for public viewing.
I found it when I was trying to find out info for the delay in getting my IL FOID card renewed. When I saw Chicago's posted I started reading, and reading and reading.
One of Chicago's laws made me chuckle - in disgust. Cap Pistols are required to be registered with the Chicago Police Department and the registration renewed annually - at the whim of the Superintendent of the CPD.
Accordingly, my old Nichols Stallion .45, which I still have, and my Mattel Fanner 50 are dangerous weapons as far as Daley is concerned.
NOTE: The laws are all in adobe .pdf, so be careful if your pc locks up. It might be better to save to your HD and read later.
Public street? I thought it was about home and business.
Doesn't this fall under RICO statutes? Crazed gun-grabbers are actively conspiring to hurt Florida's tourist industry.
Well, DUH.
Some people have lived in free (as in beer) peace so long they've forgotten why certain social norms are in place, and act all surprised when they find abandoning those norms isn't such a good idea after all. Newsflash: there's a reason why you treat everyone politely, and a reason why you don't treat anyone like dirt - and it's not because of warm fuzzies.
The NRA is missing a big opportunity if they do not immediately start an airport counter-campaign of telling tourists that they can now defend themselves in FL.
Sir, Madam, would you like a leaflet on gun control?"
You're assuming these idiots are not criminals.
It's really Florida recognizing that if you have justification in pulling the trigger, escape is not an option.
IIRC, that was reversed.
Which is the problem with idiodic laws: it's hard enough figuring out what the law is without having to find the whole web of contradictory relevant court decisions.
"Wild West": This is a re-hash of the same old tired argument that comes up whenever a state passes a concealed carry or shall issue law. They'll never give up.
Jeeeeeeeeeeeez!
Wasn't HCI the first group to scream Bloody Murder about "Gunfights at the OK Corral" for fender benders when Florida went for Concealed Carry?
These idiots just dont get it!
The Tourism Board should explore those states with Reciprocity regarding Concealed Carry and focus discount package rates and tours their way.
Jack.
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