FzSBLACKMAGICK
Campaign Veteran
Bill Wohlsifer
Forgive me if this has been discussed but I did several searches for his name in this forum and nothing came up. There's a man (Bill Wohlsifer) running for State AG under the Libertarian party. I'm a registered Republican and his name appeared as one of the choices on my absentee ballot for state AG.
So I looked him up - https://wohlsifer4ag.com/on-the-issues/gun-control/
I remember someone in this forum saying they were going to run for something a long time ago. I mention that because he seems extremely familiar with our main focus...
On the issue of guns he says...
"The 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution and Article 1, Section 8, of the Florida Constitution enumerate that the inalienable right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. However, the right to defend oneself in our state has been significantly eroded. The people’s right to bear arms in defense of themselves is not a privilege; it is a right, whereas concealed carry in Florida is a privilege, subject to regulation.While recognizing the evolution and mandate of present law, Bill is of the opinion that concealed carry law in Florida, particularly sections 790.06, 790.25 and 790.053, Florida Statutes, is vague and ambiguous. It defies logic that the mere brief or accidental exposure of an otherwise lawful carry subjects a peaceful armed citizen to arrest. Also, Florida’s concealed carry statute treats similarly situated citizens disparately, depending on how they may fall into a particular statutory exception at a given time and place. An example of this is well stated in Appellant’s Initial Brief On The Merits, now pending in Norman v. State of Florida, Case No. 4D12-3535 (Fla. 4th DCA April 22, 2013).
Two people, each with a backpack, riding the same city bus or walking down the same city street, may or may not be able to open carry. If one of them is going to be camping, then it is perfectly lawful for him to open carry. If on the other hand the second person is merely going for a day hike on the same trail, he may not open carry. The same is true of someone traveling to a friend’s house. If they are going there to shoot at the friend’s private gun range, open carry is lawful without any license, but if they are just going to visit their friend, they must have a CWFL and conceal the firearm at all times. See Sec. 790.25, Fla. Stat. The absurd dichotomies are endless.
Id. at 44.
Across the nation, states with concealed carry laws have lower crime rates than those that do not. In such states a rapist, murderer, or burglar tend to assume that his or her intended victim is armed. Citizens want to go about their business without becoming victims of crime. Carrying a firearm is one of the practices that will assist in that pursuit. Peaceful citizens have no desire to shoot or harm anyone, but the criminal is deterred by the presence of equal or greater force.
Although the federal and state constitutions clearly protect the right to bear arms, both the Florida and U.S. Supreme Courts have consistently upheld the notion that the legislature retains discretion to enact law regulating the way in which guns may be carried. Indeed, the fundamental right to bear arms is not unlimited. Reasonable men and women can and do differ as to the point where “regulation” crosses the line into “infringement.” Although Bill supports reasonable regulation, he is of the opinion that current Florida open carry restrictions have crossed that line.
As Attorney General, Bill would seek the governor’s approval to work within the courts to uphold 2nd Amendment protections and to harmonize the law toward allowing open carry under substantially similar regulations that currently apply to concealed carry under section 790.06, Florida Statutes. In fact, Florida’s history reflects that secretive or concealed carry is an extraordinary privilege beyond open carry. (“The statute under which this indictment was found provides, ‘that hereafter it shall not be lawful for any person in this State to carry arms of any kind secretly on or about their person, &c.: Provided, that this law shall not be so construed as to prevent any person from carrying arms openly outside of all their clothes.’)
Th. Dig., 498, § 5. Sutton v. State, 12 Fla. 135, 136 (Fla. 1867). The current law is backward.
Forgive me if this has been discussed but I did several searches for his name in this forum and nothing came up. There's a man (Bill Wohlsifer) running for State AG under the Libertarian party. I'm a registered Republican and his name appeared as one of the choices on my absentee ballot for state AG.
So I looked him up - https://wohlsifer4ag.com/on-the-issues/gun-control/
I remember someone in this forum saying they were going to run for something a long time ago. I mention that because he seems extremely familiar with our main focus...
On the issue of guns he says...
"The 2nd Amendment to the US Constitution and Article 1, Section 8, of the Florida Constitution enumerate that the inalienable right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. However, the right to defend oneself in our state has been significantly eroded. The people’s right to bear arms in defense of themselves is not a privilege; it is a right, whereas concealed carry in Florida is a privilege, subject to regulation.While recognizing the evolution and mandate of present law, Bill is of the opinion that concealed carry law in Florida, particularly sections 790.06, 790.25 and 790.053, Florida Statutes, is vague and ambiguous. It defies logic that the mere brief or accidental exposure of an otherwise lawful carry subjects a peaceful armed citizen to arrest. Also, Florida’s concealed carry statute treats similarly situated citizens disparately, depending on how they may fall into a particular statutory exception at a given time and place. An example of this is well stated in Appellant’s Initial Brief On The Merits, now pending in Norman v. State of Florida, Case No. 4D12-3535 (Fla. 4th DCA April 22, 2013).
Two people, each with a backpack, riding the same city bus or walking down the same city street, may or may not be able to open carry. If one of them is going to be camping, then it is perfectly lawful for him to open carry. If on the other hand the second person is merely going for a day hike on the same trail, he may not open carry. The same is true of someone traveling to a friend’s house. If they are going there to shoot at the friend’s private gun range, open carry is lawful without any license, but if they are just going to visit their friend, they must have a CWFL and conceal the firearm at all times. See Sec. 790.25, Fla. Stat. The absurd dichotomies are endless.
Id. at 44.
Across the nation, states with concealed carry laws have lower crime rates than those that do not. In such states a rapist, murderer, or burglar tend to assume that his or her intended victim is armed. Citizens want to go about their business without becoming victims of crime. Carrying a firearm is one of the practices that will assist in that pursuit. Peaceful citizens have no desire to shoot or harm anyone, but the criminal is deterred by the presence of equal or greater force.
Although the federal and state constitutions clearly protect the right to bear arms, both the Florida and U.S. Supreme Courts have consistently upheld the notion that the legislature retains discretion to enact law regulating the way in which guns may be carried. Indeed, the fundamental right to bear arms is not unlimited. Reasonable men and women can and do differ as to the point where “regulation” crosses the line into “infringement.” Although Bill supports reasonable regulation, he is of the opinion that current Florida open carry restrictions have crossed that line.
As Attorney General, Bill would seek the governor’s approval to work within the courts to uphold 2nd Amendment protections and to harmonize the law toward allowing open carry under substantially similar regulations that currently apply to concealed carry under section 790.06, Florida Statutes. In fact, Florida’s history reflects that secretive or concealed carry is an extraordinary privilege beyond open carry. (“The statute under which this indictment was found provides, ‘that hereafter it shall not be lawful for any person in this State to carry arms of any kind secretly on or about their person, &c.: Provided, that this law shall not be so construed as to prevent any person from carrying arms openly outside of all their clothes.’)
Th. Dig., 498, § 5. Sutton v. State, 12 Fla. 135, 136 (Fla. 1867). The current law is backward.
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