[RSSZ]

AP- Tallahassee, Gov. Jeb Bush said Tues. that he intends to sign a bill that would allow people who feel threatened-even on the street- to meet force with force and defend themselves without fear of prosecution. The measure,the top priority of the NRA in Fla. this year,passed the house 94-20 on Tues. It had already passed the Senate. Bush who has championed tougher penalties for people convicted of using guns in crimes,said the bill is about self-defense and called it"a good,common sense,anti-crime issue". The measure essentially extends the right Floridians already have in their home or car. Under present law,however,people attacked anywhere else are supposed to do what they can to avoid escalating the situation and can use deadly force only after they have tried to retreat. Opponents feared the bill would make Florida resemble the wild west,but defenders say it is no different from what most other states allow in laws governing self-defense. The bill says a person has "the right to stand his or her ground and meet force with force,including deadly force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so,to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another".

 

[acparmed]

Outstanding!! We need this kind of lawmaking all over the country.

 

[Captain Crunch]

Outstanding!! We need this kind of lawmaking all over the country.

No kidding. Our nearly identical legislation in Montana was just defeated, because when it was first introduced, the NRA refused to support it, opting instead to support Florida's bill.

When it became obvious that Florida's bill would pass, then the NRA decided they should support Montana's, but by then it was too late. The Democrats that supported the bill reneged, and it was shot down.

I'm happy for you folks in Florida. At least your Legislature has some common sense. Of course, it helped that your bill had some high profile support in NRA past president Marion Hammer.

 

[Deke45]

Opponents feared the bill would make Florida resemble the wild west

Have you noticed that this seems to be the favorite position for just about any self-defense legislation the antis' oppose. They used the same scare tactics when opposing concealed carry..."It'll be the wild west...streets will run red with blood...etc., etc." Never happens...won't they ever get it?

 

[acparmed]

...won't they ever get it?

No they won't, because they don't want to, in their minds guns are evil and the people who possess them are just one temper tantrum away from a mass killing spree. Possession of firearm makes a normally sane individual lose his or her mind and it takes over their reasoning process and then this inanimate object makes their decisions for them.

 

[ExSoldier]

Actually the BEST thing about this law is that it BARS lawsuits by the attacker (or his estate) against the victim who defended themselves and it bars any antigun jurisdiction (like where I live in liberal-land Miami) from arresting and prosecuting even when they know in advance they're going to lose, just because they want to use court costs to intimidate gun owners.

 

[P95Carry]

That ExSoldier is perhaps the biggest up side - I applaud that totally.

As for the same-old-same-old ... ''streets awash with blood'' - ''wild west'' crap .... no, the idiots never do seem to get it do they! I often wonder if they are remotely aware of just how reluctant the average CCW'er is to have to use his/her piece?

I'll wager all of us carry not just a gun - but a considerable burden of responsibility too. Heck - if we do actually have to use a gun in defence - we are culpable - no ''special status'' in that respect. We have to answer for actions and probably it would be a very life altering and far from pleasant experience.

All that - and folks think somehow carry folks will go on some rampage. Sheesh. Do they not have any clue just how much CCW limits crime? No - obviously they do not. Totally rhetorical question!

 

[Obiwan]

I agree with Ex. Years ago when Janet Reno was our local "persecutor", she always prosecuted those who defended themselves against crime. In some ways we were glad to get rid of her when she became A.G.
As far as the "blood in the streets" comments, they were widely broadcast in the 80s when our carry law was being debated in the state legislature. The antis never learn............

 

[grnzbra]

You guys are making a potentially fatal error.

The antis never learn

This seems to indicate that you believe they honestly don't know the reality of gun control. Nothing is farther from the truth. They know perfectly well that the streets won't run red with blood, they know perfectly well that the AWB didn't cover machine guns, etc.

The truth is, they don't care! They want to outlaw guns! Period! All their hand wringing and concern is merely an act to sell their gun prohibition to the general public.

By the way, gun control is not a grass roots movement to which the Democrats are responding. It has, for many years before HCI, The Brady Bunch, et al, been a plank in the platform of the Democrat party. These groups have been encouraged by the Democrats in order to make it appear that they (the Dems) are simply responding to their constituents.

So, don't marvel at the fact that they "don't get it". They get it perfectly well but choose to ignore facts in order to sell their ideas.

 

[P95Carry]

grnzbra - welcome! :smile:

You have a very valid point - it's that old ''Gun control is not about guns - it's about control''!

I know we say ''they never learn'' - well looking at that in the light of your comment of course, it is more accurate to say ''they pretend to never get it''!! For a great many I daresay you are right - they actually are intelligent people - so much so that they manage to continue to sell this empty rhetoric over and over, to the masses - who unfortunately listen!

It is this latter category that we have to change and educate - such that they see the absurdity of what the HCI camp et al promulgate.

 

[AirForceShooter]

it's going to make hurricane season here in Fla very interesting

AFS

 

[WyattEarp]

That's right. We don't have to run away now, we can actually fight!!

 

[F350]

grnzbra-

+10,000

You said everything I was going to.......It's not the antis that never learn, they learn perfectly well; the masses of this country are stupid (ever watch Jay Leno do his Jay walking bit ) and will fall for the same hysterical rhetoric every time.