Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
On July 1, 2023, the state of Florida will embrace permitless carry, at least to some degree. There’s still no open carry in the state, but concealed carry will no longer require a permit or mandatory training, which will make it far more accessible to many people.
Unsurprisingly, a lot of gun control advocates see this as a problem. As per usual, they hold up the old variations on “the streets will run red with blood” they always do.
And at least one media outlet is ready to say that’s not going to happen.
Some experts say they don’t expect the new law to make life more dangerous or significantly increase crime because plenty of people are already permitted or carrying weapons without a permit.
“I think things will be fine here,” said Stephen Moyer, a security consultant and former deputy chief of the Sarasota Police Department. “I’ve talked to a lot of the sheriffs across the state. I have testified up in Tallahassee a couple of times. I don’t think we’re going to see a big uptick. It’s going to be pretty seamless.”
Nicholas Chotos, a defense attorney who practices in Manatee County, agreed. “Most people who want a concealed carry permit already have them,” he said. “People who want to carry a gun without a permit are already doing it. We’re not going to see an uptick in crimes.”
In fairness, there likely will be a few people who are going to start carrying whereas they weren’t before, but most of those are still law-abiding folks who just hadn’t gotten a permit or are fairly new to firearms.
The bad guys are going to keep doing what they’ve been doing.
However, not everyone is so sanguine about what’s happening with permitless carry in Florida.
“I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see it go up,” said Carol Conyne Rescigno, the president of Brady Sarasota, the local branch of Brady United, which advocates for, among other things, a ban on assault weapons and stricter gun safety laws.
“Road rage, anger-related incidents in general. If you have a gun, you’re going to be more apt to use it.”
Ah, yes, the Brady bunch spouting out the tired old lines.
They’ve been saying this since the 1990s. When states went “shall issue,” someone from a group like Brady made the same comments.
They made these claims and then never admitted they got it wrong when violent crime rates declined for more than two decades–the only uptick in the homicide rate was because of 9/11 during that time. They still opposed every pro-gun measure with this same tired argument.
Now, they’re doing it with permitless carry.
But let’s take a look at the idea of road rage somehow leading to shootings. In particular, all I’m going to point out is that it’s already legal to have a gun in your car in Florida. Permitless carry has absolutely no impact on that to speak of, meaning road rage shootings aren’t remotely prevented by the current laws and aren’t more likely after July 1st.
Then again, this is Brady’s fearmongering.
Congrats, Florida. Maybe you guys can get open carry next.
https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2023/06/30/fl-permitless-carry-2-n72124