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Miami Herald: Leave guns, assault weapons at home

1K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  RETSUPT99 
#1 ·
According to the Miami Herald, we is unsafe peoples

Posted on Fri, Apr. 06, 2007
Leave guns, assault weapons at home
OUR OPINION: GUN BILL HAZARDOUS TO WORKERS, BUSINESSES, CUSTOMERS
What should a business owner do when an employee shows up threatening to shoot co-workers with a loaded AK-47 assault rifle stashed in his car? Amazingly, the Florida Legislature is considering a bill that would render an employer powerless to defend workers by banning guns from the workplace. That is just plain wrong. Lawmakers mustn't let this dangerous, nonsensical bill become law.

Protecting employees

This real-life incident occurred several weeks ago at the BrandsMart USA warehouse in South Florida, as Larry Levine, the company's operations vice president, described it. Like many businesses, BrandsMart bans guns from its property. The man was fired and escorted off the grounds. Had the proposed gun bill been in effect, it would have been illegal for BrandsMart to act responsibly to protect its employees.

This is an invitation to tragedy, one that the Legislature must avoid by rejecting the bill (SB 2356/HB 1417). The proposal would allow gun owners to take weapons to work in their cars. Doing so, the bill would trample the right of businesses to protect their workplaces, employees and customers.

The bill would make it illegal for a business to prohibit employees or visitors from keeping ''legal personal property'' in their car at work. Thus, business owners could be prosecuted for searching cars on company property or making a weapons ban a condition of employment. Businesses wouldn't be allowed to fire an employee or banish visitors for having weapons in their car. This language is so broad that an employer would be barred from questioning a day-care worker about suspect pornography in his car.

The bill does recognize the potential for violence. Its solution is to immunize businesses from the consequences when a gun owner shoots up their premises. In other words, the law protects businesses from financial consequences after damage has been done and lives have been lost.

National Rifle Association lobbyists say that a licensed gun owner's right to bear arms should extend to the cars. But that right is not absolute: It is limited by a company's right to set employment rules and dictate what happens on its private property.

Legislature overreaching

Many companies impose drug tests, dress codes, ethics rules and smoking and weapons bans. People who object don't have to work for those employers. The Legislature would overreach by dictating how a company conducts business on its own premises. Outlawing policies that protect the workplace is bad business and bad for Florida. The bill unfortunately sailed through the Senate Criminal Justice Committee last week in a 7-1 vote. We urge the Senate Judiciary Committee, led by Sen. Alex Villalobos, R-Miami, to stop this bill now.
On an article a couple of week backs in their business section, they used the Brandsmart case (A big home electronics store) and they also mentioned that the Florida Chamber of Commerce had a demonstration where they loaded a vehicle with "assault" weapons & porno in full display and said they that if the new legislation passed, business would not be able to even question the owner of the vehicle about the items. I dutifuly wrote them asking if the Chamber of Commerce was aware that openly displaying firearms anywhere in Florida was against the law and as such did the reporter contacted the proper authorities or did the Chamber of Commerce had a special permit or dispensation for the display.

I also inquired if after the Brandsmart individual they mentioned. What's lacking in this editorial is the original information on the article where the employee was making threats to other employees and informed everybody that he had an AK 47 in the trunk of his car. I asked the Herald why was not police called? Making that type of threats is also against the law in the State of Florida and if they were really in fear for their lives, Police should have been called right on the spot.

I am still waiting for an answer..... sitting confortably, of course!
 
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#2 ·
"Leave guns, assault weapons at home"

I will WHEN the BGs leave their's at home!

Had the proposed gun bill been in effect, it would have been illegal for BrandsMart to act responsibly to protect its employees.
'act responsibly to protect its employees'.......How is banning LEGAL firearms protecting their employees? Most places of employment have little if ANY security.

The few that due have security, even fewer are armed. Even with the armed security, they may not act.......just look at the CNN shooting this week.....BG succeeded in his mischief & was stopped AFTER he killed his target.

Work place shootings happen & will happen again. The only way to help ANY of these is if someone WITH A FIREARM INTERVENES!

I'm just a hick from Virginia & I can see that!
 
#3 · (Edited)
If some one is going to break a State law by murdering their co-workers do you really think that they will obey their company's rule about no firearms.

Do the reporters really think that people are that stupid?
 
#6 ·
+1



This seems so obvious to me. The guy is not worried about murdering co-workers but hey, put up a sign and that will stop him in his tracks.

What is the business doing to make the workplace safer from a murderer? Why they ban the law-abiding worker from self protection not only at work but on their trip too and from. Ridiculous!
 
#4 ·
Yea I think a company should be able to search my property anytime any place and for any reason they wish (sarcasm off). Barring the fact of making threats or having a good reason this seems police stateish to me. Note the same people that say "well you should just get another job" are the same ones that "embrace" "illegal" worker migration.
 
#5 ·
I guess they just miss the concept that lawbreakers are going to break the law.

Or maybe they want to pass a law which will make breaking the law illegal . . . . sheesh!
 
#7 ·
It is my opinion that any business that does not allow its employees to have a concealed weapon in the car does not care what happens to their employees.

There are many people that spend alot of time driving to and from work. Occasionally, this might mean stopping at a gas station to fill up, perhaps doing some shopping after work or doing any number of things that need to be done after work.

Denying someone the right to protect themselves when they are OFF duty is wrong. Using "safety" as an excuse to ban firearms from cars in parking lots is wrong. Saying that an employee might go crazy and retrieve a gun from his car and then shoot the place up is wrong.

The Miami Herald has an excellent record of being anti-gun on all accounts. The people there were the first to scream "blood in the streets" when the laws that deal with concealed handguns were introduced. They repeatedly mentioned the "wild west" and did their best to try to sway opinion against the bill.

National Rifle Association lobbyists say that a licensed gun owner's right to bear arms should extend to the cars. But that right is not absolute: It is limited by a company's right to set employment rules and dictate what happens on its private property.
I agree with that statement...to a point.

When the rights of the company LIMIT my right to self protection OFF of their premises, then it needs to be addressed, right then and there.

And something else that never gets discussed...what IF some disgruntled employee walks into the place and starts shooting everyone he/she sees?

Would someone that had a weapon in their car be able to stop it and save lives ? It has happened in several well publicized events. Banning guns form vehicles on company property would essentially make it a target rich environment where a shooter would be guaranteed a high body count.
 
#8 ·
Liberal Left Lunacy...

Trying to reason with people who think gun laws will effect/control the wacko's in our society just do not understand self-defense. To argue with them is a waste of time...

If someone chooses not to carry...fine...just don't depend upon others to defend you when you are in harm's way!

The DemoLefts will not be satisified until we are like Britian, Canada, and Australia...no guns, no swords, no knifes, and no balls...

OMO

Stay armed...stay safe!

ret
 
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