Remember back in the 1980s when gun control groups screeched that Florida would turn into the “Gunshine” state when the Sunshine State passed concealed carry? Many no doubt won’t as they are too young. But we saw the same thing happen just last year as Florida adopted permitless carry. Instead of homicides going through the roof as the gun control lobby predicted, Ron DeSantis’ home turf has actually seen fewer homicides. A lot fewer.
In fact, with 29 states how practicing some version of Constitutional Carry (as in “I don’t need no stinkin’ permit!”) for law-abiding residents, the murder rate has fallen 19% in 2024. So much for blood in the streets.
Moreover, 24 states allow concealed carry within their state capitol complexes without issue, and 14 states allow for visitors in the galleries overlooking the legislative chambers to carry loaded long guns.
But the Mom types will never admit reality. Instead they appeal to fear and emotions.
For instance, Giffords’ Florida Senior Advisor Debbie Mucarsel-Powell offered this upon enactment of Constitutional Carry in Florida:
“This is a dark day for Florida. Our children and communities are going to be less safe because Governor DeSantis is in the pocket of the gun lobby. We know that permitless carry laws lead to an increase in gun violence. We will hold Governor DeSantis accountable for his egregious actions.”
Giffords’ Florida State Director Samantha Barrios wrote this:
“Floridians across the state are going to be less safe because of this bill. Law enforcement now won’t be able to identify a criminal from someone who has gone through a background check and training to carry a gun in public. Fistfights will now turn into gunfights. GIFFORDS Florida won’t be giving up and we will continue to fight for ‘un futuro sin violencia.’”
Amazingly, both womens’ words aged as poorly as year-old milk yet they remain proudly proclaimed on the Giffords website.
They weren’t alone. Over at Brady, their president Kris Brown wrote this:
“The Florida Senate’s decision to pass this reckless bill is a complete abdication of their duty to keep Floridians safe. This dangerous legislation will only make Florida, a state with a tragic history of mass shootings, even more unsafe. Permitless carry has been proven to increase gun violence, yet they chose to ignore the facts and put the lives of Floridians at risk.
“This is not what Floridians want or need. The majority of Floridians, including gun owners, support common-sense gun safety measures like background checks and permits to carry concealed firearms.”
Well, Kris, elections have consequences.
More of the usual suspects screeched that the sky was falling as Florida’s legislature advanced their permitless carry bill. From Everytown:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statements after the Florida Senate voted to pass permitless carry, sending the bill to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ desk for his signature. The vote comes just days after the mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville Tennessee, where three children and three adults were shot and killed. Recent polling shows that 77 percent of Floridians oppose permitless carry, which allows people to carry concealed, loaded handguns in public without a permit, criminal history check, or safety training.
So, because government couldn’t keep school kids safe from a mentally defective transgendered lunatic, we should somehow give up our right to self-defense outside the home? And trust the government to keep us safe?
“If Governor DeSantis and Republican legislators truly cared about public safety and protecting law enforcement, they’d be championing laws to keep guns out of dangerous hands — but instead, they’re choosing to flood Florida’s streets with concealed guns,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. “These lawmakers just made it clear they serve the gun lobby, not the clear majority of Florida voters — including Republicans — who favor high standards for carrying a hidden gun.”
“Even for Florida lawmakers, this is a new low — rushing to score gun lobby points on the heels of another mass shooting, before parents have even had a chance to bury their murdered children,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action. “Florida voters and public safety officials have made it clear that this dangerous policy has no place in their state, but state lawmakers have decided they know better. If Governor DeSantis cares about his constituents, he’ll veto this decision. If he doesn’t, gun safety advocates and survivors will be here every step of the way to hold him accountable for the violence he’s enabling.”
“We are still processing and grieving the mass shooting in Nashville, alongside a deadly start to the year here at home, and Senate Republicans have chosen to destroy one of Florida’s last remaining common-sense gun safety laws,” said Gay Valimont, a volunteer with the Florida chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We’ve seen what happens when the guard rails of public safety are undone. Putting more guns in more places with no questions asked will only lead to more senseless and preventable tragedies here in Florida. Governor DeSantis should veto this bill for the safety of our children and communities.”
“We’re living in a world where shots can ring out anywhere at any time, and instead of taking action to protect us, our lawmakers are choosing to put our lives and our futures at risk,” said Alexis Dorman, a volunteer with the Florida chapter of Students Demand Action.“We’ve learned to expect nothing less from our gun-lobby-backed politicians, but we’re not done showing up to demand more. Enough is enough — we will see you at the ballot box.”
Why you would think the end was nigh.
But wait… it didn’t quite work out as they predicted in their hyperbole-laced predictions.
The murder rate is down 19% in 2024 thus far, per data collected directly from 236 cities across the US.
(Some major cities — like San Francisco, Baltimore, and Philidelphia — have seen much larger decreases.) pic.twitter.com/VQCkd8ZAQj
— Steven Rattner (@SteveRattner) May 7, 2024
An armed society is a polite society. Unlike in gun control utopias like California, Florida’s good guys can carry guns and they shoot back.
