© 2016 by Phillip Evans
United States -(AmmoLand.com)- Do you know why Florida's Open Carry (SB 300) and Campus Carry (SB 68) bills have been stalled in the Senate Judiciary Committee since last October?
It's because Senate Judiciary Chairman, Republican Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla does not want them to be voted on by the open Senate. His boss, Senate President Andy Gardiner is in agreement with him, and refuses to let the bills out of Committee jail.
Let's look at Portilla's admitted reason he does not like the Open Carry bill:
“It's not looking really good for open carry unless some agreement surfaces that provides for some safeguards that you don't have a Wild Wild West situation with people walking down the streets of, say Miracle Mile or International Dive or Brickell, like they are walking to the O.K. Corral,” said Diaz de la Portilla. (underline and italics mine)
Folks, “Wild Wild West” and “O.K. Corral” in the context of people walking down the street is Democrat code for OPEN CARRY! Just say those phrases to a Democrat sometime, and watch him drool like you just rang the bell for Pavlov's dog.
Sen. Portilla doesn't like the Open Carry bill because it would allow people to openly carry their holstered pistols in plain sight. He believes it will scare people and hurt Florida tourism. Bull-Cow!
Tourism Excuse Debunked
Do any of those tourists visiting Florida come from 45 other states that have open carry as an option for legal carriers of firearms? If so, they've already seen it! Are they going to flock to Canada when seeking warm beaches if Florida legalizes open carry of pistols for those who hold a carry license?
Open Carry has always been legal in Georgia, and we have plenty of tourists from Japan, India, China, Africa, Germany, France, Britain, etc coming to various concerts, festivals, fairs, and other events in public parks and other public venues where citizens can legally carry holstered firearms openly. It hasn't seemed to have hurt us in the tourism-dollar pocketbook.
One very popular tourist spot in Georgia is Stone Mountain Park. I've openly carried my holstered pistol there dozens of times (including twice at their huge July 4th celebration) as people from many varied nationalities walked right by me without crying out in fear, running away, calling the police, or grabbing one of the police officers that patrols the park. The crowd seems to get greater each year, so what does that tell you?
Lives More Precious Than Dollars
But even if open carry did somehow present a minuscule risk to tourism, does not Sen. Portilla know that being able to deter crime and save lives is more important than tourism dollars? And wouldn't less crime help tourism?
Perhaps Republican Sen. Portilla enjoys too much support from Miami Democrats? If so, then he knows where his bread is buttered, it would surely seem.
Talk Is Cheap
So what possible “agreement” coming to the surface would make Sen. Portilla happy? Why, an amendment that would strip open carry out of the open carry bill, of course! That's exactly what Representative Dave Kerner, a Democrat, tried with the House's version of Open Carry, HB 163, with his failed Committee Substitute 2, amendment number 354865.
Sen. Portilla has talked the talk when it comes to supporting the Second Amendment, but he has not walked the walk. With Open Carry and Campus Carry, both Portilla and Gardiner are Republicans acting like impudent Democrats who typically do what they can to block pro-freedom, self-defense bills that restore to citizens the rights that belong to them.
If SB 68 and SB 300 die in committee, it is my sincere hope that Senators Portilla and Gardiner never, ever utter another word about supporting the Second Amendment.
True Leadership Needed
What is needed now is true leadership from Governor Rick Scott. He has stated in the past that he would sign an open carry bill if it reached his desk. However, he is now silent and dodging the issue with the current Open Carry bills in the House and Senate. He is refusing to take a public stand on either Open Carry or Campus Carry.
What is with this laissez faire attitude exhibited by the Governor with regard to citizens having the option to openly carry firearms for their self-protection, and to carry concealed on a college campus for the same purpose?
If you support these bills, call and write the Governor to ask him to publicly urge that they be released from captivity in the Judiciary Committee and receive an honest and open vote by the full Senate.
About Phillip Evans:
The author is a self-defense rights advocate and member of the NRA, GeorgiaCarry.org, and FloridaCarry.org, and posts at PursuitOfPatriotism.Blogspot.
This Cuban is acting like fiedel castro. He is lucky to be allowed in this country he is a traitor, he says he is for the second amendment but its obvious he thinks he is a dictator. I and all my family and friends will be voting him out of his Cushing easy job that his brother gave him. He will pay for this! I feel bad for what is going to happen to him.
I have been in a situation where I had to decide to shoot or not and according to the Florida Highway patrol as he stated to me, you are the ones we need out here, I don’t fear law abiding citizens for if I need you, you would be there to help and step in. I know the local law is not in gracious favor with this but the ones that will open carry and I am going to say that number will be lower than they think because surprise is the best defense/offense… I want to be able to go out to eat and take my suit jacket off to enjoy a comfortable meal time.. carrying openly is not the issue, it is the men that want to imprison our rights to bear arms to protect us not only from thieves/robbers and threats to our life but to also protect us from a government that would steal our rights and enslave us to socialism….
____People this senators term ends in 2016.If he does not bring open carry to a vote,,,he will not be around.except at the unemployment line.. One person can not go against our rights and freedom..
They all work for me and you the Floridians that got them that cussy job. As his boss I want a vote now! If you can not follow orders then lets fire you and get someone that can and will.
The apple (i.e. Portilla) doesn’t fall far from the tree (i.e. Cuba).
Hi People, I just want to point out that if the Cubans wanted to really be free they would have rebelled against the dictatorship they have lived under an entire generation. Oh Yah, the citizenry was relieved of their personal protection. It is common for Cubans in American politics to be fearful of the local citizenry being armed. America is a free country.
Wake up Cuban D.P. you need to leave your small time Cuban thinking at home and start being a free American. We are only one of a few states in America that is not open carry.
All your arguments against open carry are nothing but fearful Cuban thinking.
Please leave that in you home as you go to work working for Americans in America.
Be Blessed;
Harm……
Alvaro Zarante, why don’t you agree with law abiding citizens bringing guns to government places like court houses, hospitals (even the non-government private hospitals), or schools? The law abiding citizens aren’t the ones you need to worry about bringing guns to those places. It is the criminal who you need to worry about bringing guns anywhere. Yet, the criminal would bring it anyway, well, becuase they really don’t care about the law, now do they? The law abiding citizen isn’t going to be bringing their gun anywhere to cause malicious harm, otherwise they wouldn’t be a law abiding citizen, would they? No, they too would be a criminal if that was their intent. So why put the law abiding citizen in a position where they must disarm when entering any location? The criminal isn’t going to disarm.
[email protected]
Diaz de la Portilla, a REPUBLICAN, is blocking the bill in the Senate. You can email him and let him know not to infringe on the 2nd admendment: Go to the senate site: https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s40 and click on email the Senator button.
Rafael J. Fanjul – Wasn’t 1959 when Dictator Fidel Castro came to power and immediately banned gun ownership by Cubans ,except for his gun toting revolutionaries. Remember, Castro is/was? a Communist =socialist=Nazi=Democrat who all want guns banned in order to institute a dictatorship.
He needs to be PRIMARIED OUT, when he comes up for re-election.
So the majority of the house members voted (80 Y vs. 38 N) and agreed to expand or reinstate open carry.
{SB300} / {SB163}. And not only that, but more than 1.4 million people also agreed with open carry along with many other people that want the bills to pass… And yet the bill is held by just one senator?
It really doesn’t sound too democratic to me or anyone to be honest. And refusing to hear people’s concerns and opinion doesn’t sound too good either! Isn’t that what elected officials are bonded to do?… To accommodate to the majority and their constituents? And as well as follow the US. constitution?
Don’t get me wrong… I don’t agree with bringing guns to any government places like court houses or hospitals or public schools…
But to silent the voice of the majority of voters by one individual, or small group, does not conform with the ideas or believes of this nation and its constitution….. It really does not sound democratic at all and the process seems to be broken at its roots…
I am also a Cuban born American Citizen with a Weapons License. I have sent Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla two emails with no response. I can’t believe he is a Republican! I will be voting him out. He doesn’t stand for the people. He is acting like a dictator.
OK gentlemen, it’s time to use spell check, grammar check, and maybe have someone proof your comments before you submit them. I think we lose credibility when we express ourselves poorly.
Miamians, you know what to do. Put Portilla’s ass on the road to the unemployment line where he belongs, next chance you get.
Again another bunch of idiot officials who are hiding behind there government paid gun carrying body guards holding up law abiding people from carrying guns to protect themselves. These idiots are nothing but thugs who are in power because we the people beleaved in them to do the right thing for them. Now they are holding up the common people cause they have for got who they work for or more than likely don’t care who they are supposed to be working for. So people of Florida empeach the SOB;s and put one in power who will work for you and not themselves.
Rafael you’re on point. Tex you’re an idiot as well as those two politicians.
As a Cuban born American Citizen with a Weapons License as many of us do and active shooter I go out in to the Glades at least two times a month shooting, with a former chief of detectives of PB County. Many Cubans have licenses and guns were freely owned in Cuba prior to 1959. This particular person does not represent the Cuban American people or the Republican Party to my impression he is a closet Democrat a supporter of Hillary, Bernie and Barack and the secret is to mount a campaign against him to oust him from his post.,
These people are hardly portraying the feelings of the American people. These 2 people are just remembering how it is where they come from. If you keep gunas away from people you can make them do what you want. Grow up and vote these guys out of office.
Why is a couple scum bags allowed to make rules for us the people
Time to turn on them
Remove these people – its time to stop hanky panky with these traitors.. thats the only thing they know
Why does he fear a vote? Because a vote means The People might get what they demand. How can he impose his tyranny? Prevent a vote. Muzzle every Floridian.
He forgets his place. But given that his nickname is Castro Lite, setting up his own little Banana Republic has probably been a childhood fantasy of his.
It boils down to simple logic. Why would a REPRESENTATIVE stand in the way of the representative process on ANY bill? Even bills I disagree with, I’d want at least heard! this man is is way out of line, and the excuses he’s presented are inflammatory lies and slander, at best.
Florida needs to send the Cubans back to Cuba ! Only elect real Americans to political office !