Gun Rights Activists Respond To Palm Beach Open Carry Assault
By Tom Knighton | 2:00 PM on November 20, 2019
When it comes to gun rights, I'm an absolutist. I believe I should be able to own a freaking rocket launcher and ammunition for it and that not only should the law allow such a thing, but probably encourage it. I think I should also be able to walk down the street with the thing and no one bat so much as an eye.
However, we live in a world where not everyone looks at weapons the way I do. Some are freaked out about them, even far more mundane weapons than the rocket launch I should be able to have.
Because of that, open carry gets a little wonky. That's also part of why the Palm Beach Police Department is pushing for the state to revisit their open carry laws.
To that end, though, gun rights activists aren't rolling over for it.
[Palm Beach Police Chief Nicholas Caristo] went a step further Monday, asking people on social media to support the amendment by calling their state senators.
The amendment would prohibit anyone from openly carrying their gun while on the way to or from or while hunting, fishing, or camping, if it's within 1500 feet of a school, church, government building, or guarded beach.
"He needs to understand his place and that equally enforces the law as it's written and interpreted by the courts," said Scott Barrish, a member of Florida Carry, Inc.
Barrish says Florida Carry members are working to organize larger-scale open carry demonstrations.
"We are going to be stepping up our open carry events in the jurisdiction and throughout the state. We will be emailing and contacting our local representatives as well," added Barrish.
Caristo argues that he's not trying to infringe on anyone's right, only asking gun owners not to openly carry in certain places and not to "intentionally place people in fear."
Here's the problem with that last bit. While I don't like how Florida Carry is doing this, one would be hard pressed to claim they're intentionally trying to scare people. While I think that's an obvious side effect of openly carrying AR-15s in public, that doesn't mean that's the intention and Caristo surely must understand this.
Let me be clear here. I support open carry laws. Unbridled open carry laws, actually. I do not support the idea of carrying guns strictly to draw attention to yourself. That said, I do not support any law that seeks place limits on open carry. I can think something is a terrible idea without wanting to see it banned or otherwise restricted.
Frankly, everyone needs to chill out here, but especially Chief Caristo. He's the one willfully trying to create an infringement on people's liberties here, and as such needs to cool it. He can claim he doesn't want to limit rights all he wants, but that's precisely what he's been pushing for. Anyone with half a brain can see it for themselves.
As such, he's justified everything Florida Carry does from here on out in Palm Beach. After all, they have a would-be tyrant running their police department. I kind of can't blame them for wanting to do more open carry events now.
Nah, no "kind of" about it, now that I think about it.
Tags: GUN CONTROL GUNS GUN RIGHTS OPEN CARRY FLORIDA CARRY PALM BEACH