Another reason to reconsider constitutional carry?
A Florida sheriff recently told a press conference that he encourages properly trained and educated gun owners in the state to defend their property from burglars and other intruders, as a means not-only of exercising their constitutional rights to defend their property, but as a way of saving the taxpayers money.
Sheriff Bob Johnson of Santa Rosa County was speaking at a press conference and made reference to a recent case where a serial offender had been scared off from a property he was attempting to rob, after the homeowner opened fire with their gun.
The intruder in this incident - named as Brandon J. Harris - was not hit by any of the shots fired, but ran from the scene and was eventually captured.
"More than welcome to shoot" intruders
The homeowner who shot at the intruder has not yet come forward. In spite of this, the message from Sheriff Johnson was clear. He was keen to point out that responsible gun ownership and training are encouraged by law-abiding citizens, and that citizens are entitled to defend their property by using guns if they're legally owned.
It was a message he was happy to share with the assembled press, as he spoke about the incident and the as-yet unidentified shooter:
"I guess they think they did something wrong, which they did not. If someone's breaking into your house, you're more than welcome to shoot them in Santa Rosa County. We prefer that you do, actually."
He went on to promote the benefits of well-trained gun owners in Florida:
"We have a gun safety class we put on every other Saturday. If you take that, you'll shoot a lot better. Hopefully you'll save the taxpayers money."
Another reason to revisit constitutional carry in Florida?
The message from Sheriff Johnson was clear, and likely welcomed by those who are in favor of more relaxed gun control in the state.
Earlier this month, Governor Ron DeSantis demanded that state legislators to reconsider allowing constitutional carry of guns in the state, after the bill failed to gain approval during the state's legislative season.
Those in favor of such law changes (which would add Florida to 20+ other states that allow permit less ownership and carrying of handguns) believe that the measures would allow citizens to better protect themselves and their property with guns as a deterrent.
It remains to be seen whether Sheriff Johnson's words of encouragement to gun-owners has any effect over the number of shooting incidents in his jurisdiction.
Would you use a gun to defend your property against intruders? Do you believe the police should be more responsible in deterring criminals rather than encouraging gun owners to do it for themselves? Let me know in the comments section below.
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