Proposal to Allow Elected Officials in Florida to carry firearms

[scooterbug44]

BR, I love ya, but even a trained law enforcement official would not be an accurate shot in that situation. Stress and disorientation are high.

If you truly do need a gun to protect your home, get a shotgun - much better odds of hitting your target and more intimidating as well.

But using locks and having Pepper is better than motion detectors and guns.

Might I also strongly suggest not discussing the details of your home security on the internet? And certainly not in the same place where you announce your travel plans, shopping expeditions, and post pictures of your house. :roll:

 

[GoodWitch58]

the more I think about Rep. Patronis' proposed bill, the more appalled I become. Think for a minute about any public meeting you have attended--especially any having to do with school issues--there could be students, parents with small children, any number of disabled or elderly people in attendance--do we really want one of the elected officials to have a gun at these meetings?

Think of the meetings where tempers have flared because of disagreement--do we need to have an elected official able to decide the issue with a gun?

In the incident in Bay County just prior to the shooting, the room had been filled with students who were being recognized for their work--what example are we setting if we allow any elected official to carry a gun?

I have no problem with an armed deputy in the room; no problem with detectors at the door; no problem with telling everyone who attends they must be searched, leave their backpacks, etc., outside...I just don't see any evidence that all of our elected officials are capable of using good judgment in the heat of an argument or in the situation where there is a shooter...more guns in the hands of more people will just lay the groundwork for more innocent people to die IMO.
Myth of the Hero Gunslinger - NYTimes.com

Other studies have found that states with the highest rates of gun ownership have much greater gun death rates than those where only a small percentage of the population is armed. So, Hawaii, where only 9.7 percent of residents own guns, has the lowest gun death rate in the country, while Louisiana, where 45 percent of the public is armed, has the highest.

Arizona, where people can carry guns into bars and almost anyone can get a concealed weapons permit, is one of the top 10 states for gun ownership and death rates by firearms. And in the wake of the shootings, some lawmakers want to flood public areas with even more lethal weapons.

The Texas Republican Rep. Louie Gohmert has proposed a bill to allow fellow members to carry firearms into the Capitol Building.

Gohmert has enough trouble carrying a coherent thought onto the House floor. God forbid he would try to bring a Glock to work. By his reasoning, the Middle East would be better off if every nation in the region had nuclear weapons.

?That?s insane,? Jenkins told me. ?On Mondays I give a lecture to 120 people. I can?t imagine students coming into class with firearms. If something happened, it would be mayhem.?

He?s right. Jenkins is a lifelong gun owner and he carries a concealed weapon, by permit. He also carries a modicum of common sense. The two don?t have to be mutually exclusive.