The following letter to the editor was published in The Daily Sun on Jan 19, 2023.
Ron DeSantis wants permitless carry in Florida before he leaves office. To prevent senseless homicides and shooting of police, We the People must act. Write or call Sen.Albritton (albritton.ben.web@FLSenate.gov, 860-487-5027), Sen. Gruters (joe.gruters@FLsenate.gov, 860-487-5033) and Representative Grant (michael.grant@myfloridahouse.gov, 850-717-5075) in support of our officers and citizens. Tell them to vote no!
“Permitless carry causes harm, and there is data to prove it,” said Shannon Watts, a board member at Everytown for Gun Safety.
Multiple studies show states with permitless carry have increased gun violence and police shootings. Everytown’s 2022 analysis shows handgun homicide rates rose by 11% in states that weakened their gun permitting regulations. Last year, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that police shootings had increased by 13% in 10 states that had passed permitless carry laws from 2014 to 2020.
“The gun lobby says we don’t need new laws; we just need to enforce laws that are already on the books,” said Allison Anderman, senior counsel and director of local policy at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “Permitless carry does the opposite,” she added. “It prevents us from enforcing existing laws.”
When DeSantis leaves for Washington, we will bear the harm of his selfish campaign stunt paid for by the blood of Florida citizens and cops. Stop this please!
Linda Richardson, Port Charlotte
Image Credits: www.pewpewtactical.com
