See if you can spot the "winning" argument in the debate over open carry gun laws in the Florida House today:
1. Lt. Rick Hernandez of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office raised the specter of gun-carrying, partying, drinking patrons at the annual Gasparilla festival, which draws 400,000 people. "Lots of drinking, lots of problems," Hernandez told lawmakers. "Now we're going to have citizens out there that are probably going to have guns."
2. Marion Hammer said the open carry provision is needed for the sake of the 800,000 people who carry concealed weapons for self-protection."Every time they leave the house with a concealed weapon, they run the risk of it being accidentally or unintentionally or inadvertently exposed, and being observed by a law enforcement officer who's having a bad day," Hammer said.
Here's a hint: Marion Hammer is a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association.
You guessed it. That would be argument number two. Open carry law approved.
If anyone knows that the last thing an excuse to drink and act like a "pirate," disguised as "family fun" like Gasparilla needs is guns, real ones, visible or otherwise, it's police officers. And that's just one small example of what a bad idea this is.
Open carry?
More like "open season."
