Noise 'About' Guns in Florida











A controversial new law took effect in Florida on October 1st regarding guns and their defensive use. The “stand your ground” law says that if a woman (or man) is confronted, then that citizen has right to use a gun or other violence to act in self-defense. The person confronting you must be a perceived threat, but doesn’t have to have a gun him or herself. Previous state law said that the person being confronted must try to calm the situation or flee, rather than by this new method of defending themself.

Then, on the Monday following that day in October, members of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, based in Washington, were reported to have handed out fliers at the Miami International Airport, cautioning visitors to take "sensible precautions" and to be aware that altercations on highways, in nightclubs or on the beach could provoke a shooting.

Talk about invoking an outcry. The media certainly has no responsibility to report both sides of a story in this great land of ours. However, when the media reports on this law, and the efforts of this Washington based group, it tends to stir emotions while ignoring our freedoms. This kind of reporting too often omits specific wording of current and past laws, related to this topic, or quotes the law in such a narrow manner, that the story becomes slanted. There's nothing objective about that. This style of reporting not only insults the public's intelligence, but grinds the emotions of the public for an increased market share. That's to sell newspapers, folks! The approach may increase the number of viewers on a cable network's channel for awhile. This writer was a both a newspaper writer and reporter in the past. This is an age old approach to journalism, and tomorrow it will be recalls of possibly 'unsafe' automobiles, or a natural disaster.

Tourists in Florida have not become targets for slaughter with this new law. The law is less restrictive for self defense, and includes new wording within Florida's statutes. The law is here, and perhaps we can look at it while not confusing the general public in the process of understanding it. Why create a smokescreen when we want to bring attention to our side of a discussion? Give us credit for intelligence about this topic, and others related to firearms, and self defense.