For those who are unaware Tampa tried to get all firearms carry banned from downtown Tampa during the upcoming Republican Convention.

Governor Scott refused, saying that such a ban would infringe on citizens' constitutionally protected right to legally arm themselves.

He also said: "it is unclear how disarming law-abiding citizens would better protect them from the dangers and threats posed by those who would flout the law."

Exactly correct Governor.

Now explain this.

If I have a Constitutional Right to legally arm myself why do I need State permission?

It is time for Florida to adopt Constitutional Carry.

That is, it is time for Florida to recognize what Governor Scott already said by encoding it into statute. 

The fact that, under the Second Amendment, government must recognize:

The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

This does not mean that you can't lock up those who commit an unlawful act while in possession of or using a firearm.  Florida already has one of the toughest laws against firearms abuse in the nation -- 10/20/Life, which provides for a minimum term of 10 years in prison for any felony in which a firearm is "used."  Said term is "serve every day", no early release, no credit for good behavior, no nothing.  If you discharge the weapon it's an automatic 20 years.  And if you shoot someone it's a term of years not less than 25 years and up to life -- and again, you will serve every single day you are sentenced to.

It's a good law.  It serves the purpose for which it is intended.

But there is zero reason -- absolutely zero reason, given this law -- to prohibit law-abiding citizens from carrying, either openly or concealed in a constitutionally-protected manner, firearms on or about their persons.

After all, Governor Scott has already publicly recognized the truth about gun laws:

"it is unclear how disarming law-abiding citizens would better protect them from the dangers and threats posed by those who would flout the law."

By definition a criminal doesn't care if his intended conduct is illegal or not; "permits" and "licenses" are in fact privileges, not rights.  We call those who do illegal things criminals for the precise reason that they don't give a damn what the law says, and all such "permission slip" systems that restrict possession of firearms by law-abiding citizens simply increase the chance that a thug who intends to victimize someone will encounter a person who is unable to effectively resist his criminal act.

So do you really mean what you say Governor, or are you playing political games?

Simply put: It is time for Constitutional Carry in Florida!