George Zimmerman is part of a large and growing class in Florida: He holds a permit to carry a concealed weapon.That's a lot of guns. And the best part is how the pro-gun folks decribe it.
Or he did until last week, when he was charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Sanford.
A gun permit in Florida is suspended when the holder is charged with a felony. If Zimmerman is acquitted, he'll get his gun permit back.
Through March, 919,831 people held permits to carry a concealed weapon in Florida, or roughly one of every 15 adults in the state. (More than 106,000 permit holders live in other states.)
Four out of five are men. Most are over age 50.
Rep. Dennis Baxley, the Ocala Republican famous as the House sponsor of the 2005 "stand your ground" law, vigorously supports concealed weapons and says the overwhelming majority of permit holders are careful, law-abiding citizens.
In a free society, people should have the right to arm themselves, Baxley says.
"These permit holders don't shoot people," Baxley says.
Is that some of the best narrow-minded biased nonsense you've ever heard? Is Baxley using hyperbole when he actually means not enough of them shoot people to worry about? Or is he really so far under the ether that he believes that stuff?
What do you think? Please leave a comment.
