Proposed gun restrictions thwart will of Floridians
Some Florida lawmakers refuse to learn. They refuse to observe and they’re unwilling to recognize what the rest of Florida — and the nation — had to say about firearm ownership. Floridians bought more firearms last year than any year previous. They were part of the national trend that drove background checks to record levels. There were 1.9 million background checks for the sale of a firearm in Florida in 2020, compared to 1.1 million in 2019. Nationally, there were 21 million in 2020, sailing past 2019’s totals of 13.2 million.
Floridians, like the rest of America, are exercising their Second Amendment rights to keep and bear arms — the right to protect themselves and their families — at the same time some Florida lawmakers want to take that away.
Recent legislation filed in Tallahassee to limit firearm magazine capacity and prohibit the sale, transfer or possession of modern sporting rifles (MSRs) reflects a major miscalculation of Florida’s immediate needs. In a time where Americans are prioritizing public health and economic stability, new gun-control laws miss the mark in addressing either issue.
That doesn’t stop lawmakers like state Sen. Gary Farmer (D-Fort Lauderdale), who introduced this misguided bill, from trying to persuade Floridians with rhetoric rather than facts. By taking political aim at the most popular-selling centerfire rifle in American today, Farmer and his gun-control advocates neglect the everyday use of these instruments.
Look no further than hog hunting — a legal activity across each of Florida’s 67 counties. The overpopulation of wild hogs not only causes great damage to property across the state, but it also threatens the health and safety of livestock, pets and humans alike. While Farmer argues that modern sporting rifles are not appropriate for civilian ownership, the fact is they are the most sought-after tool for hunting this invasive species and protecting the state’s agricultural interests.
Gun bans not only impair Floridians’ right to bear arms, they also degrade an entire industry that serves both gun owners and non-gun owners alike as a massive contributor to the state’s economy. In 2019 alone, the firearm and ammunition industry supported over 10,000 jobs in Florida, which paid over $595 million in wages. Our industry contributed more than $2 billion in economic output to Florida’s economy. A ham-fisted ban on America’s most popular firearm would hurt the state’s economy by putting many Floridians out of work and cost millions of dollars in lost taxes used to fund state and local initiatives all in the middle of an ongoing pandemic.
The legislators responsible for the potential shuttering of our industry in Florida justify their actions in the name of public safety. Legislators continue to center the conversation regarding crime and violence around guns not because firearms are the issue, but because they are tangible. The solution to public safety is complicated, blaming crime on rifles is a lazy policy approach.
Modern sporting rifles are misused in exceedingly few crimes — banning them will not meaningfully serve the public interest. FBI crime data shows that knives, fists and clubs account for far more murders than all rifles, combined. A ban serves only to disenfranchise law-abiding citizens of their ability to choose the most popular firearm in America. Instead, criminal misconduct must be aggressively prosecuted with the laws already on the books to ensure guns stay out of the wrong hands as opposed to crafting new legislation keeping guns out of all Americans’ hands. Once again, if public safety is the issue, taking away Floridians’ rights is simply the wrong solution.
Florida legislators would be better served to join the firearm industry in supporting responsible, informed gun ownership, combating illegal straw purchasing of firearms, and working to advance suicide prevention. The industry itself has long been committed to leading on these national initiatives for real solutions and safer communities. Florida lawmakers must seek to do the same. By contrast, legislation to ban rifles positions rhetoric above fact and showmanship above public interest.