Florida Carry, Inc. regularly organizes an event called Second Saturday, where folks gather to take advantage of the tenet of Florida law that says it’s permissible to open carry while hunting, fishing, or camping, or traveling to and from those activities. Florida is, with very few exceptions like that one, most assuredly not an open carry state. The events often take place at a lake or beach or pier, and folks bring their BBQ guns and their fishing poles, and just have a good time and attempt to engage in a little public education. I’ve never personally attended one, but reactions, from both the public and LEOs, can vary considerably. Most recently, there was an event in Jacksonville . . .
covered by firstcoastnews.com, and although it’s a largely neutral to positive article, I do take issue with one small quote from one of the attendees. It’s the old joke that someone asks him why he’s carrying a gun, what he’s afraid of, and he jokingly responds that “with the gun I’m not afraid of anything.” I dislike that, and here’s why. I’m not generally afraid of “giving ammunition to the anti-gun folks,” but I think that in that situation, you’re largely dealing with people on the fence, and I really don’t think that flippant answer is going to sway anyone in our direction, and it might actually even push them away. Thoughts?
Your Lockdown of the Day™ comes from Cincinnati, Ohio. While several of the lockdowns I’ve featured recently have been notable for their brevity, this one is going to set a new record for the opposite. Lincoln Heights Elementary went into lockdown on Wednesday, and will remain on lockown through the end of the school year, June 2. The decision to undertake the long-term lockdown was made at a school board meeting Monday night. It is a reaction to the mid-morning shooting of two individuals on a nearby streetcorner, which followed a few months after a single random bullet went through the back window of an empty school bus and lodged in the front wall near the driver’s head. Prior to that, in August of last year, a young child was shot while inside a vehicle in front of the school. The lockdown will eliminate recess and extracurricular activities for the 200 students in preschool through fifth grade, and will require visitors to be buzzed in through the main office. Due to the randomness and unpredictability of the violence, there is some talk of closing the school down entirely and redistributing the students, but most parents and neighborhood residents do not consider this a valid option. [h/t ctsheepdog, DL]
It’s sort of a gun, just a really big one. The Anniston Army Depot will be building the next model of the M109 Self-Propelled Howitzer, the A7 model, better known by the name given to an earlier model, the Paladin. The big gun can drop rounds on target at ranges of up to 40 miles with scary accuracy, especially if you’re on the receiving end. The Army plans to buy 133 of the vehicles on a $668 million contract to BAE Systems, with delivery of the first machines expected in December. The contract runs for four years and is expected to bring $25 million to the Depot, sustaining the workforce in the slowdown due to the end of our most recent two wars. Hopefully before the contract runs out, we’ll find ourselves embroiled in another mess that will keep these folks employed for another decade or so.
Yadda yadda, Colion Noir new video, yadda yadda…
Lumberjacking, the 22plinkster way…
That was louder than I expected.