It's long been said that we're a nation of laws, not a nation of men. What that means is that while we're never going to be equal in every way, no matter what some try, we're supposed to be equal before the law. Who we are isn't supposed to matter. Connections aren't supposed to matter.
Unfortunately, all too often, it does, and a Florida bill is a prime example.
See, Florida has a mandatory three-day waiting period for gun sales. However, the bill would provide an exception for one particular group of people, and that's kind of a problem, especially as the state Senate just advanced it.
The Florida Senate passed a bill 33-3 on Monday that would allow certain correctional probation officers to carry concealed firearms during off-duty hours at the discretion of their superior officers.
The bill would also waive the mandatory three-day waiting period for firearm purchases for law enforcement officers, correctional officers, correctional probation officers, and military service members.
Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa) sponsored the bill (SB 490). Sen. Collins specified certain rights for correctional probation officers to conceal carry.
"SB 490 is very straightforward. What this does is add(s) correctional probation officers, being their[sic] now included to the members of law enforcement, can now carry concealed firearms off duty," Collins said. "Such carry is at the discretion of their superior officer, and these officers may also perform certain law enforcement functions off duty when necessary."
Honestly, since Florida is a permitless concealed carry state--they don't have open carry at all unless you're hunting, fishing, or camping--I don't see why there would need to be another law that would allow probation officers to carry.
Still, be that as it may, that's not the issue here.
The issue is the removal of the three-day waiting period...but only for a select group of people.
"But law enforcement officers need a firearm! People might try to hurt them or their families!"
Yes, that's true. That's why they're issued a weapon by their department. If something happens to that weapon, the department will issue them a new one. They have a gun they've been handed, that they're already familiar with, and so I fail to see why they should get a pass on the waiting period almost everyone else has to endure.
I'm fine with probation officers being included on the list as law enforcement because, well, they are. That makes perfect sense to me, especially as I worked in a jail for a time (as a civilian) and every single probation violator had some degree of animosity toward their probation officer even though they were in for popping positive on a urine test, so I get it. No issue there at all.
But if the waiting period is so important, then why does anyone get a pass?
If these groups can be the exception, then why not just kill the waiting period entirely?
If probation officers need a firearm, why isn't their department issuing them one in the first place?
Honestly, there are questions that I have, and it's not any animosity toward the police. I have respect for the profession and while I don't like bad cops, I know them to be the exception rather than the rule.
Especially since this is the same Senate that refused to revisit the state's age restrictions on long guns, refused to pass open carry, or any of a host of other pro-gun measures.
Had those measures passed, I probably wouldn't give a damn about this.
They didn't, though, even with the backing of Gov. Ron DeSantis, so yeah, I'm a little worked up. I'm right next to Florida and the laws there can and do sometimes impact me. Even if they didn't, I'm kind of sick of supposedly pro-gun lawmakers refusing to actually be pro-gun.
