A yellow jellyfish has more spine, honor, and guts than the majority of Republicans in the Florida Legislature.
Hillsborough County Republican Mike Beltran had recently filed an amendment to HB 543 (permitless carry bill) that would legalize carrying a holstered handgun in plain view in public. This was a good amendment ***, since free citizens should not be jailed merely for not hiding their peacefully carried sidearms. Must we also hide our First Amendment Rights?
On March 22nd the amendment was withdrawn. Once again the spineless ones with an "R" by their name win the day for a defeat of liberty.
And although Gov. DeSantis has stated he would sign a bill legalizing open carry, he has never called for it. Such a stance is nothing more than weak leadership on display. He needs to rise to a higher level if he wants to be the next President.
Since these lawmakers continue to treat the open carry of a handgun in public as a crime even for licensed carriers, the protest gloves need to come off.
Here's how: Use your First Amendment Rights!
Specifically, OPENLY wear a gun holster with a lid that hides whatever is inside. Don't put your pistol in it, in order to avoid a false charge of carrying openly, but rather put spare ammo in it, since ammo also enjoys state preemption under the law.
Wear it on publicly owned property where you have a right to be so that you cannot be trespassed just for wearing it. Let this act of free speech be your DEMAND that the Repub-limplicans truly honor our Second Amendment Rights.
Carrying a sign or wearing a t-shirt demanding your open carry rights would be a good addition.
I wrote this article as a private citizen, and not on behalf of any group or organization.
*** Upon a more careful reading, the open carry amendment upped a violation to a FELONY. For example, if you carried openly, but in a non-approved holster, you'd go away for a long time. That's rather unconstitutional. So Rep. Beltran apparently is also a snake in the grass.
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