Friday's letters: Florida's concealed-carry gun law takes effect Saturday
New concealed-carry law begins Saturday
For over 30 years, Florida has protected its citizens by prohibiting the open carry of handguns, rifles and shotguns in public. Currently, Floridians need a concealed-carry permit to carry a handgun outside of their home.
On Saturday, July 1, a new law allowing concealed carry without a permit goes into effect. This law removes requirements for safety training, background checks and state licensing before a person can carry a loaded concealed firearm in public.
Floridians are now supposed to self-monitor and only carry a concealed weapon if they would have qualified under the old rules.
Manatee: County workers allowed to carry guns to work
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More than 16,000 concealed-carry permit requests have been denied, suspended or revoked since July 1, 2022, but all those unqualified people – and more – will be able to more easily carry their firearms in many public places starting July 1.
Every day, more than 120 Americans are killed by gun violence, and more than 200 are wounded, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
In Florida, there are 2,849 gun deaths every year, a rate of 13.3 deaths per 100,000 people. In short, our state has the 19th-highest rate of gun violence in the U.S., according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
Floridians and visitors beware: There will soon be more guns carried publicly by unqualified people, making us less safe.
Virginia McCallum, Bradenton
Shooting stopped in Korea 70 years ago
So it is that out of the back pages of history comes the final chapter of the Korean War. This month commemorates the 70th anniversary of the signing of the war’s cease-fire agreement between the United States, the Republic of Korea and the Republic of China.
That war, ill-suited for the type of limited engagement it proved to be, nevertheless preserved the Republic of Korea, our ally. Reputations were made and lost in Korea; many of us fought and died on that tortured peninsula.
At the end of it, we who were there learned that those who led us did not have final answers and absolute solutions to our problems. That is because final answers are not part of the human condition.
So it is, 70 years later, we remember the “Forgotten War.” I tearfully submit this opinion to those with whom I served on that bloody peninsula and those who sacrificed their lives to save mine. Freedom is not free.
George Staudt, Korean War veteran, Bradenton
Climate change an immediate threat
Florida is ranked as one of the most vulnerable states for the risks of climate change with a long coastline, low elevations and hurricanes.
Millions of Florida homes are already at risk of flooding. It will only get worse because the ocean is warming, the sea level is rising and hurricanes are growing more powerful.
Hurricane damage is now much greater and insurance rates are skyrocketing. Florida’s climate is warming!
Florida has only 6% of its energy coming from renewable sources. That ranks a poor 35th among all states. We must do better!
The five best states are Iowa, South Dakota, Vermont, Oklahoma and Maine – they get anywhere from 42% to 62% of their energy from renewable sources. It is encouraging that some Republican states are among the leaders in renewable energy. We need them all!
Not addressing climate change will be a disaster for Florida’s economy. Using green energy tax credits to create renewable energy will add tens of thousands of jobs and add billions to our economy.
Let’s vote for those who believe in fighting climate change.
Robert Kolk, Venice
Cry me a river: Trump’s goose is cooked
The mountain of evidence of wrongdoing in the classified documents indictment of former President Donald Trump is overwhelming.
It consists of:
His own statements.
Sworn testimony from staff and lawyers.
Security footage.
Sensitive national security documents he refused to return.
Let’s assume, for the sake of argument, that everyone involved in prosecuting Trump has it out for him and is politically motivated, as he keeps whining. He’s done plenty of disgraceful, vile and now criminal things to rouse disdain and bias.
So cry me a river. Trump has brought this upon himself. He had many chances to do the right thing and received deferential treatment no one else would get.
What matters is the rule of law and the facts of the case. News flash: More indictments are coming.
Seth Stottlemyer, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: With new concealed-carry law, more Floridians may be armed
