People can blame anything they want on anyone... Does not make it true... sure I can almost guarantee people wrote stupid stuff, but most of these senators all ready have their minds set.... Emails wont change a persons mind.
It is no doubt in my mind that the open Carry/Florida Carry movement got duped by the NRA and Ms. Hammer. I have seen the tactic for many years. The professional lobbyist recruit inexperienced “grass roots” groups that desire to introduce a legislative issue contrary or could possibly jeopardize theirs. They ask you to combine your issue into their bill and combine your resources. As you support them and the bill moves forward they make back room deals against your issue. If your issue is controversial they make deals to support the senators until such time as they can amend the bill and drop the controversial language. They do it all the time. Than after it is all said and done and there is nothing you can do about they blame you for your failure and being so naive to think your issue would ever be addressed. The NRA said it “it was never about open carry” yet they name the bill open carry.
Ms. Hammer did an excellent job and she is a professional lobbyist that knows exactly what she is doing. NRA did it to Florida in ’87 and they did it again in 2011.
Read her own words and take note:
“The following is in response to a
blogger/website owner who is one of the overzealous “open carry” supporters whose behavior is far beyond arrogant and offensive — and who only cares about “open carry” and cares nothing about other gun owners and gun rights. He is attacking NRA & USF because SB-234 and HB-517 Relating to Firearms, was amended on the Senate floor. Those bills are our concealed weapons & firearms license reform/improvement bills that were filed for the purpose of protecting the rights of concealed weapons license holders. These response explains this issue and what the “open carry” faction has done in Florida — Marion Hammer
SB-234 and HB-517 were filed on behalf of NRA and USF and they were NEVER about “open carry.” Neither OpenCarry.org or FloridaCarry.org had anything at all to do with the purpose, the drafting, or the filing of those bills.
(Note: FloridaCarry.org intended to file their own bill this year to provide for “full constitutional open carry.” When they couldn’t find sponsors for their bill, they decided to support NRA/USF bills. Subsequently, some of their members started attacking NRA/USF because our bills didn’t give them all they were demanding. —)”
It is sad but it is reality. Open Carry in Florida is dead for many many years. If you financially support anyone that tells you different your efforts will be futile. This was the best and last opportunity for a movement like this. There are people on this forum that that are telling people it’s not over. I question their motives. Ms. Hammer said it, “When they couldn’t find sponsors for their bill, they decided to support NRA/USF bills”. That is probably true and it will be the same for a long time. No senator will ever introduce an open carry bill in the future. It will have to be another attachment to a popular bill that the senate needs. Seeing that there are very little pro gun related issues left for Florida I do not see that happening, most likely ever. I have but a few more years before I retire and I don’t think I will be staying in Florida. Good luck and never forget what the NRA did to you. If it was a
"concealed weapons & firearms license reform/improvement bill" then it should have been name as such.