Bill would OK guns without permit in State of Emergency

[SecularMotion]

Saint Petersburg, Florida – A bill has made its way onto the Florida house floor that would allow gun owners in certain situations to carry their weapons even if they do not have a permit.

"For both safety and protection reasons, firearm owners would want to have that ability," said Gary Miller, a concealed weapons permit holder. "That would be something that could be reasonable."

HB 209 would suspend concealed carry gun laws during mandatory evacuations in Florida July 1st, if it became law.

The breakdown means that if a State of Emergency is declared, and gun owners without a permit were forced to leave their homes, then they would not have to leave their weapon at home.

http://www.wtsp.com/story/news/2014/03/28/bill-would-ok-guns-without-permit-in-state-of-emergency/7040985/

[NYC_SKP]

1. If I had been living in New Orleans during Katrina, and especially if not a white person...

But, seriously, black or white, this makes sense.

People who think that "it can never happen here" are among that group who believe in American Exceptionalism.

We're not that special, our power structure isn't trustworthy.

[jehop61]

3. Are you advocating

it's ok to shoot someone if they steal someone else's bread during a time of starvation or no access to food? Sick!

[NYC_SKP]

5. Wow, talk about coming away from a post with the entirely wrong idea!!!

That is not at all what I meant, or think, but jumping to such a conclusion is kind of revealing.

You might want to read the post again with an open mind, and then read it again for good measure.

I'm suggesting that people aren't safe during emergencies, emergencies bring out the best and the worst in people.

In emergencies, police and private citizens might take you for a "looter" without proof, especially if you're black.

I'm saying it's OK to shoot someone if they're about to shoot you for the wrong reasons.

And, what's more, police (who aren't obliged to protect you anyway) are nowhere to be found if you need them.

Dial 911 during Katrina, see what happens.

So, you bet your ass it makes sense to suspend certain limitations to allow law abiding citizens to protect themselves during emergencies.

I don't see any legitimate arguments against it, and I'm not likely to in this thread.

[SQUEE]

9. I'm starting to really see a pattern here,

people that are opposed to my owning a firearm, because the have some strange idea of how THEY will handle adversity... Either via killing to save your bread, or thinking it's ok to take my food, I have sacrificed much to have and have safe....

but, here's a hint, ask me first, I have a lot of food stored, because I plan on helping many besides myself and family in times of trouble or emergency.

[Duckhunter935]

2. So I assume you want unsecured weapons

laying around.

Since you never comment, I think I know what you would say.

This legislation seems like common sense.

[Zambero]

4. So let's OK fireworks in the woods during extreme fire danger

Open season on anything and everything, all the time. Hey, it's a LIBERTY thing, ya know!

[NYC_SKP]

6. Call 911 the next time you're in a Katrina and need some help. See what happens.

Your fireworks analogy is absurd.

It's more like suspending water rationing during extreme fire danger.

But then your "LIBERTY thing" snark suggests that you're not about to discuss this reasonably.

[rrneck]

7. It's interesting that

people become so complacent that they forget about the possibility that there may be an absence of civil authority.

[Eleanors38]

10. Fireworks in the woods after Katrina? BwaaHaa!

[ileus]

8. Life is always worth protecting...not just during declared emergencies.

No one should have to give up the ability to defend life.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

11. It should be like that everywhere

[spin]

12. I evacuated Tampa in 2004 because Hurricane Charley was predicted to hit the Tampa Bay Area ...

I drove to my daughter's home in south Florida. All my firearms went with me.

In the worst case scenario, Hurricane Charley would have been a force 5 storm traveling up Tampa Bay with a tremendous tidal surge. If that would have happened, my home would have been under 25 feet of water. Fortunately for me and residents of the Tampa Bay Area, Charlie did the unexpected and made landfall in southwest Florida as a strong category 4 hurricane with winds up to 150 mph. My daughter's home was 60 miles from the center of the storm but since Charlie was small but very intense, we were on the outskirts.

What surprised me was that few people in my neighborhood bothered to evacuate. Sooner or later a major storm will hit the Tampa Bay Area and it will be a major disaster.

While I have a concealed weapons permit, I don't feel it was a requirement for me to be able to transport my firearms. It's legal to carry a loaded firearm in your vehicle in Florida without a license as long as it is "securely encased." The carry permit allows you to carry a concealed weapon on your person.