Recently, League of Women Voters of Florida President Pamela Goodman submitted an article advocating a ban on “assault weapons.” In the article she suggests Florida legislators pass a bill on the first day of session. Even though I will not be in Tallahassee in the coming session, my advice for Florida legislators is not to fall prey to the pandering, anti-gun rhetoric of this partisan organization.
Unfortunately, it’s clear to me that the League makes its “suggestions” with very little knowledge or understanding of the weapons it seeks to ban. So let me provide some facts based on my years in the military and as a life-long hunter and sportsman.
First, the term “assault weapon” is only used in a way to drive fear into the minds of the public and push a political agenda. The reality is, every weapon classified as a gun is an assault weapon. At times I carried a shotgun while in the army. The special operations forces learn to assault targets with pistols. Every gun is an assault weapon! In fact, people have assaulted people with all kinds of weapons as long as Man has been on this earth. So, describing one particular gun as an “assault weapon” is merely political rhetoric.
I'm sure some will argue that the AR-15 is an “assault weapon” due to the rate of fire or the magazine capacity. However, this argument is badly misguided. Many of the most common guns, such as 9mm, M1Garand, and shotguns have similar capacity and firepower to the AR when used properly.
All guns are assault weapons and are highly effective in the hands of trained individuals. Is the League also suggesting banning these weapons as well? Enacting a “ban” because a weapon may look scary, or you’ve arbitrarily deemed them to be “assault weapons” is completely silly, and does nothing to keep our families and nation safer!
Another important fact to consider is that the number of all guns deaths has declined since the lifting of the assault weapons ban in 2004 -- something that was also intentionally left out by the League of Women Voters of Florida. Regardless of beliefs, regardless of styles of the rifle or the name of the rifle, fewer people have died because of rifles.
So there is absolutely no evidence that an assault weapons ban led to fewer gun deaths -- in fact, quite the contrary. This is an inconvenient reality that the media and the League have no interest in exploring or accepting because it flies in the face of their knee-jerk, radical, anti-Second Amendment agenda. I would suggest our promotion of good pro-Second Amendment policies and a well-armed populace have actually led to a safer Florida.
While I do not believe a “ban” is appropriate policy, I do agree with the League that anyone who is on a terrorist watch list should be excluded from being able to buy guns. The question I have is, how can this be done without people who hold controversial views being improperly added to the terrorist list? Because in this country, regardless of party, we have a number of very good people who have made statements that could land them on a government list. We have to be absolutely sure there is due process and we are absolutely sure an individual is a true threat before we deprive someone of their Second Amendment rights.
So let’s reject this rush to ban “assault weapons” that is not based in fact or reason. Let’s work together to make our state and nation safer by protecting citizens’ Second Amendment rights. Let’s focus on stopping the “assaulters” rather than banning a weapon owned by many law-abiding citizens. Finally, let’s not politicize a tragedy to push an anti-gun agenda. Florida and our nation deserve better.
State Rep. Jimmie T. Smith, R-Inverness, retired U.S. Army Infantryman and Second Amendment advocate, served as 2015-16 chairman of the House Veterans & Military Affairs Subcommittee. Smith is currently running for county commissioner in Citrus County.
