Opinion
Fayetteville, AR – -(AmmoLand.com)- A Florida group, Ban Assault Weapons Now (BAWN), is seeking to put an initiative on the ballot for 2020 that would transform the state from one of the most respectful of gun rights—including being the leader of the modern concealed carry licensing movement—to one of the most oppressive.
In the organization’s view, Congress and the Florida legislature have not passed laws that satisfy them, so they must use the vote to impose prohibition of what they regard as weapons of war.
The proposed amendment to the state’s constitution starts with the declaration that “The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and of the lawful authority of the state shall not be infringed, except that the manner of bearing arms may be regulated by law.” This allows a lot of room for legislators to attack carry rights, but the first part of the sentence sounds good in principle. The rest of the provisions, though, go on without a trace of shame to propose violations of the first paragraph.
- A mandatory delay of three business days would be required between the purchase and delivery of a handgun unless the buyer has a carry license that the state honors.
- An assault weapon is defined as any semiautomatic long gun that can hold more than ten rounds, whether in a fixed or detachable magazine and regardless of any other features, including caliber.
- Possession of such firearms would be illegal unless the owner is an armed agent of the government or registers any such gun bought before the ban would come into effect.
I must give these anti-rights people credit for something. They are learning how guns work and refining their proposed violations accordingly. Many of them claim that they don’t want to ban all guns. They only want the icky ones removed from society, or so they tell me. But I’ve never found that claim credible, and here, BAWN is engaged in a rare moment of honesty. Banning future sales of semiautomatic rifles and shotguns that can hold more than ten rounds in some manner effectively means that all semiautomatic long guns would be off the legal market in the state. Even if you only have magazines for your rifles that are legal in Canada—limited to five rounds—if your gun can take magazines of higher capacity, it would appear to qualify under this ban. And even if your self-loading long gun currently has only approved-capacity magazines available to it now, all that would be required is for some manufacturer to produce an “ammunition feeding device” that requires Florida politicians to take off their shoes so as to count all the rounds, and lo! Your gun is a naughty one.
To be placed on the 2020 ballot, the initiative will need 76,620 valid signatures for a review by the Florida Supreme Court, 766,200 to be placed before voters, and sixty percent of total votes to pass. Signatures must be in by the 1st of February 2020 for the official count. As of June, BAWN claims to have over a hundred thousand. The state’s attorney general, Ashley Moody, has made a filing with the Florida Supreme Court, saying that the initiative is “clearly and conclusively defective,” so where things will go with this proposal is anyone’s guess for the moment.
As I suggested above, this ballot initiative makes abundantly clear that BAWN wants to see all semiautomatic long guns banned.
They’d likely claim that I’ve misread their intentions, but the details, something that gun control advocates like to gloss over, leave no room for another interpretation. Their label, weapons of war, doesn’t improve things since I’ve yet to have anyone name for me a gun design that has not been used by some military in one or another battle. Are there guns that are suited for the particular conditions of organized combat? Yes. But what gun control advocates don’t like to admit is the fact that a fight can come to anyone at any time or place. Disarming the law-abiding—or more likely transforming the law-abiding into armed resisters—is not going to save lives. All that I foresee happening is a backlash against this ballot initiative that will push Florida in directions that I doubt BAWN wants to go.
About Greg Camp
Greg Camp has taught English composition and literature since 1998 and is the author of six books, including a western, The Willing Spirit, and Each One, Teach One, with Ranjit Singh on gun politics in America. His books can be found on Amazon. He tweets @gregcampnc.
BAWN is all about money. They send out daily collections emails using names from Parkland and others. It is really a turn-off. I hope they investigate them for fraud. Where is the money going?
President called on Congress to push so-called red flag laws. This will result in law-abiding Americans losing their guns — or even worse, being killed just like Gary Willis of Maryland was late last year. We need to flood the White House inboxes to be sure that YOU are the loudest voice heard by President Trump during the next few days.
Please add your name to the pre-written letter to President Trump reminding him to keep the promises he made to us on the campaign trail to defend our God-given rights.
https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=6820
BAWN can not come up with any common sense gun laws because they have no common sense and don’t even know what they are trying to pass into law. They are just playing this game because they got tired of board games.
Did Dean or Greg write this opinion?
tetejuan: I fear that you are correct. There may be an up side though. If only a few violently refuse to comply and take out a lot of the enforcers with them, it will certainly give the survivors a moment of pause before they continue on their unconstitutional path.
BAWN = Ban ALL weapons now.
Seems pretty clear to me. it bans any semi-auto CAPABLE of accepting a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds. So any pistol without a heel type magazine release is banned.
They’re only taking about long guns not pistols. Though I bet if they get this passed that’s the next step
It figures… looking at the article’s photo of a woman holding the anti-2A sign, I can only wonder how many clueless women have bought into this hysteria.
Here is a repost of what I posted on the sister article relating to BAWN fraud. You have to distinguish between fatal conceit, F. A. Hayek’s term to describe ignorance of all issues relating to a question of policy and outright lying. Either way, this law is trying to capitalize in the ignorance of the general public on the particular matter of magazine capacity and action type. “Assault rifle” or “assault weapon” is not a term generated by the military or shooting community. It is a slick piece of hyperbole crafted by propagandists at the Center for Disease Control in… Read more »
And I will say it again, Semper-Fi Mac! I will see you in the trenches!
For the rest of you either shoot reload or bake biscuits.
Dean, you are right, BAWN will say that you misread their intentions because BAWN, is like all gun grabbers, they are LIARS. Thank you for the article.
“Come and take it” were the words written on a flag, a flag with a rendition of a cannon on it. When the Mexican army returned to retake their post this flag, with those words written on it was there to greet them. The only parts of the cannon they got were the grape shot and cannon balls. This happened in 1835, in Texas. I suspect that history is about to repeat itself. Arm up, carry on.
Will, that is correct, I was referencing that particular battle. I used to live in Victoria. Gonzales was not too far away. I really do think that history is about to repeat itself. Same ideals, different players.
When the British tried to disarm the colonials at Concord, that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. 1775, 1835 and 2019? I expect there will be a lot of “you can have my guns–bullets first” going to happen in the not so distant future. Arm up, carry on.
Then,
the People of Florida will have to grow some balls, pick up their guns and do their Constitutional Duty, as is their Right.
But, considering how the American People have tolerated governmental abuses of their Rights since 1904, I doubt
anyone will do anything except meekly comply. They will kneel and lick the hand of the tyrant.
Cowardice has its consequences.
Or their balls… I think Society has pretty much succumbed to the point where they won’t be licking hands or rings.
Cowardice does indeed have consequences. Nasty ones.
the American People have tolerated governmental abuses of their Rights since 1904, goes way back before that. The Whiskey Rebellion, early 1800’s was fought over bsic rights bring violated by FedGov. Things settled down a bit, partly because of the rapid westward expansion. But then we had a president stage a false flag op to manufacture an excuse for the invasioin of a sovereign foreign nation, and what is deceitfully referred to as “the CivilWar” ensured…. it was THAT conflict blew the dam of government abuse of our rights, and its been downhill ever since. That conflict arose out of… Read more »
This country has the same problems other great nations had to endure. Human nature. But this country has done better than most countries have done, it has worked its way through many of its problems. Socialism, on the other hand, has never done anything that even faintly resembles the good and greatness of this country. Socialism never will because its manifesto is all about the destruction of any power or person that could possibly weld power against the state. Socialism is self defeating in every way because of its fear of someone having more power than they do. Just like… Read more »