The Florida law allowing constitutional carry went into effect recently, and actor Billy Baldwin has thoughts:
Florida passes concealed carry law this week. It’s like the Wild West down there now.
— Billy Baldwin (@BillyBaldwin) July 3, 2023
Two questions…
1. How soon before innocent people die as a results of this in some domestic, racial, road rage or alcohol related incident? How soon before a child, woman or cop are struck… pic.twitter.com/ljvVxM8Odf
Twitter users were quick to point out a rather inconvenient little scenario that Baldwin seems to have overlooked:
I trust Florida man with a gun more than I trust a Baldwin with a gun, I can tell you that much.
— Some Welder 🇺🇸 (@SomeWelder) July 3, 2023
Being in Florida is a lot safer than being on a movie set with a Baldwin.
— Ultra Grateful Calvin 🇺🇸🐶🏒 🎶 (@shoveitjack) July 3, 2023
I guess that depends on where your brother is at.
— Freedom 🇺🇸 (@freedomspeech50) July 3, 2023
Ouch. But also, yes.
As for the Wild West reference, we know that actors are dramatic, but maybe check out this write-up in the Pensacola News Journal about how the law actually functions before hyperventilating on Twitter. From the article:
Can I carry a concealed weapon anywhere in Florida?
Not quite. The bill spells out a lengthy list of places where open and concealed weapons are restricted:
- Any place of nuisance as defined in s. 823.05 (an open term that includes places that endanger the health of the community, become "manifestly injurious to the morals or manners" of the community, or "annoy the community" such as prostitution dens, illegal gambling halls, specified massage parlors and anywhere criminal gang activity happens)
- Any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station
- Any detention facility, prison, or jail
- Any courthouse
- Any courtroom (although judges can carry concealed weapons or determine if someone else can)
- Any polling place
- Any meeting of the governing body of a county, public school district, municipality, or special district
- Any meeting of the Legislature or a committee thereof
- Any school, college, or professional athletic event not related to firearms
- Any elementary or secondary school facility or administration building
- Any career center
- Anywhere in an establishment primarily devoted to dispensing alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises
- Any college or university facility unless the licensee is a registered student, employee, or faculty member there and the weapon is a stun gun or nonlethal electric weapon or device designed solely for defensive purposes and doesn't fire a dart or projectile
- The inside of the passenger terminal and sterile area of any airport, unless it's encased for shipment to be checked as baggage
- Any place where the carrying of firearms is prohibited by federal law
So, yea, not exactly the Wild West after all.
Come to think of it, given the setting of Alec Baldwin's film 'Rust', maybe Billy should have thought that analogy through a bit more.
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