So: The Dire Predictions By Anti-Gun Hysterics Turned Out To Be Wrong in Florida. Now What?

[Michael Ejercito]

https://ethicsalarms.com/2024/01/18/so-the-dire-predictions-by-anti-gun-hysterics-turned-out-to-be-wrong-in-florida-now-what/


So: The Dire Predictions By Anti-Gun Hysterics Turned Out To Be Wrong in
Florida. Now What?
JANUARY 18, 2024 / JACK MARSHALL


The Federalist recounts some of the furious reactions when Florida
became the 26th state to adopt constitutional carry in July 1, 2023:

“Following mass shootings, DeSantis signs permitless carry bill,” one
NBC News headline complained. In the article, the producer of “The
Rachel Maddow Show” sneered at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for trading
what he dubbed “modest gun safeguards” for an “extreme” and
“controversial” law. Forbes [quoted] gun control groups including
Giffords claiming the pro-Second Amendment law is “dangerous” and “will
drive gun violence up and further jeopardize the safety of our families
and communities”…“It is shameful that so soon after another tragic
school shooting, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law a
permitless concealed carry bill behind closed doors, which eliminates
the need to get a license to carry a concealed weapon,” White House
Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wrote. “This is the opposite of
common sense gun safety. The people of Florida — who have paid a steep
price for state and Congressional inaction on guns from Parkland to
Pulse Nightclub to Pine Hills — deserve better.”

“Common sense gun safety.” That’s another one of those BS tell-tale
deceitful phrases—like “gender-affirming care” and “reproductive
freedom” that should start your ethics alarms ringing. But I digress..

Well waddya know! Florida’s biggest cities saw a significant decrease in
violent crimes, including shootings, in 2023. Murders and homicides fell
6 percent in 2023 from the previous 2022 in Jacksonville. Miami. had 49
homicides in 2022, nut last year only 31, the least ever on record.
Miami also experienced a 34% in non-fatal shootings 124 fewer
“non-contact” shootings than in 2022.


There are lots of factors that could explain these pleasant
developments, but you can bet that pro-gun advocates will cite the
statistics as “proof” that more legal guns prevent crime and keep
citizens safer, not the other way around. They already estimate that
“good guys with guns”stop an estimated 2.5 million crimes a year, which,
of course, depends on who’s doing the estimating.

It would be welcome, and lead to more productive debates about gun
policies and crimes if the gun-hating left would see the Florida
statistics and simply admit, “We were wrong. I guess we don’t understand
the relationship between guns, crime and violence as well as we
thought.” Then there would be more reason to take their arguments seriously.

Nah. Facts don’t matter to activists and ideologues, on either side of
the partisan divide. Nothing will make them change their minds.
Integrity is usually missing from the equation, as is a sincere desire
and an open mind to determine the truth.

And that, as they say, is why we can’t have nice things.