New Concealed Carry Law
Erica Truong | May 16. 2023 | Opinions
On March 27, 2023, the death of six individuals in the Nashville, Tenn. Covenant School shooting fueled a debate on gun laws and their effectiveness in reducing the prevalence of mass shootings. A week after this shooting, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill (HB) 543 allowing Florida citizens to publicly carry concealed weapons without government — issued permits. The bill was signed on April 3, 2023, and goes into effect July 1, 2023.
The timing and circumstances under which this bill was signed disregards the consequences of unrestrictive gun laws. According to Gun Violence Archive, as of April 25, 2023, the United States has had 13,303 deaths resulting from gun violence. This statistic may increase once HB 543 goes into effect. In a state that already allows its citizens to purchase firearms without permits, there will be an increase of guns in the hands of those underqualified, including untrained firearm users and possibly minors. There will be no way to check if a user has a permit to handle such a deadly weapon.
As of 2023, there was a range of incidents where gun violence was present. On April 18, a Floridian woman, Elizabeth Arrieta, was shot and killed by a suspect in road rage. The lack of licensing and training will cause these incidents to occur more frequently and endanger society. A person’s emotional intelligence varies by the circumstances in which they were raised. Some were not taught how to properly deal with their emotions. This results in a lack of self-control when confronted with difficult situations. For example, having arguments with others out in public. Having direct and immediate access to a gun threatens the lives of all involved parties, especially since their anger is at its peak. Bystanders may also be injured by the gun user. Permits are meant to identify competent users. Without them, the risk of gun violence in public areas increases tremendously.
Although some Floridian citizens have opposed this bill, DeSantis has ignored their concerns and continued to sign this bill out the public eye, with only sponsors, advocates, and legislators in attendance. Supporters of this bill, such as right-wing conservative groups like the National Rifle Association, believe this bill strengthens their Second Amendment right to bear Arms. However, in a country that experiences plenty of gun violence, this law will only increase the presence of guns, thus injuries and deaths caused by guns as well. Being willfully ignorant of the potential consequences of immediate access to firearms is selfish as it actively threatens other lives.
Similar laws to HB 543 have been active in other states, resulting in seven of them having the most gun deaths per capita. These states Alaska, Mississippi, Wyoming, Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, and Montana, allow firearms in public without a permit. The passing of HB 543 hints at what Florida may potentially look like starting July 1. To prevent this, there should be revisions to current gun laws. For example, a required training period. Organizations such as the NRA offer firearm safety and self-defense courses that are accessible to potential gun users. These programs should be taken advantage of to ensure responsible firearm users. If changes are not made soon, countless civilian lives are at stake.