There was a time when newspaper editorials were suppose to be thoughtful pieces of writing addressing some important point for the local audience. While the rest of the paper was supposed to deal with the facts of a story, the editorial page was the opinion outlet for the collective mind of the newspaper about some major issue. And yes, maybe I am romanticizing a bit.

But now, with every story, most “journalists” immediately editorialize and color with their own personal bias an event. Instead of just telling readers what happened, they also want to control what they should think and feel getting in what once was exclusive turf of the Editors.  Of course, the editors kicked it quite a few notches and we have seen editorials that are nothing more than outright propaganda for one subject or another and with guns, they have been close to inciting hate.

But this editorial by the Sun Sentinel has gone a bit too far.  Let’s go over it. First, the nice part:

 

But that’s one of the pieces of legislation Gov. Rick Scott signed into law last week. The law, which takes effect immediately, allows people to fire warning shots in certain circumstances.

The governor also signed into law the so-called Pop Tart bill, which makes it legal for children to play with simulated guns in school without facing punishment. Another bad law, but the warning-shot bill is worse.

At the behest of the National Rifle Association, Florida lawmakers continue to broaden the latitude given shooters under the state’s controversial “Stand Your Ground” law. Instead of getting rid of that law, or clarifying it, or watering it down, state lawmakers continue to give it more ammunition.

via Florida’s newest shoot ’em up gun law – Sun Sentinel.

So the editorial clowns at the SS don’t mind having third graders handcuffed and taken away like felons because they were being kids and were playing & pretending to have guns.  This is bad in their opinion which leads us to believe that common sense was eliminated from the paper’s budget. And it is not unexpected that they have Stand Your Ground because…you know… it’s bad…it is a bad law… M’kay? Nothing new here. Let’s go on.

The warning-shot law was inspired by public outcry over the 20-year prison sentence given to Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville. Under the state’s 10-20-Life gun law, a judge had no choice but to give her the maximum punishment after she fired a gun at her abusive husband during an argument.

Alexander did not injure anyone with her shot, and was granted a retrial by an appellate court. But that didn’t stop the NRA and the Florida Legislature from pushing to make warning shots legal in certain circumstances, without fear of a minimum mandatory sentence.

Now, I am not sure where the misnomer Warning-Shot Law came from, but the newspapers, assorted media and many pundits who apparently have not read the law had no problems repeating it.  It does not matter that the words or the concept of Warning Shots is nowhere on the law, but we all know about repeating a lie a thousand times.  From here on, it gets creepy and I almost say criminal:

Warning shots? Most police agencies won’t use them because it’s widely considered a dangerous practice. But now civilians have that right.
Warning shots? How long before a vigilante uses one to justify his or her actions?.

They won’t be able to. The principles associated with self-defense must be present: Ability, Opportunity and Jeopardy. To say that you can shoot for no damned reason is a lie.

Warning shots? The spent bullets could pose a threat to animals, children and anybody picking up the shells.

I am scratching my head with this one. spent bullets and spent casings are just pieces of metal with no danger to anybody. hell, a regular round is not a threat to anybody on its own unless you are talking about artillery rounds which even in the depths of the Pork ‘N’ Beans neighborhood are very unusual to find in the wild.

For better or worse, we already have Stand Your Ground to protect people who feel they have to use deadly force to protect themselves or their families. Allowing for warning shots is just another way to give someone the opportunity to use lethal force when none may be called for.

Do I detect an advanced case of schizophrenia here?  At the beginning of the article, SYG needed to be clarified, watered down or eliminated, but now suddenly it is a good law?

In addition to the potential for unintended injury and death from warning shots, you can be sure the law will bring about lawsuits from folks injured by warning shots

They must be confusing civilian shooters with some members of South Florida’s PDs.

or whose children were alarmed by warning shots, or who witnessed their pet dog become extremely ill by eating the spent shells of warning shots.

I understand that the temptation of using the “Do it for the Children!” is too much to resist, but if the dog is so hungry it chews on pieces of brass, there is animal cruelty somewhere in there that needs to be addressed. Who wrote this thing? Michael Vick?.

And what happens when someone decides he wants to fire a warning shot during Fourth of July revelry, or someone who has had one too many beers decides he’d like to fire a warning shot, just because he can?

Did the Sun Sentinel just misinformed its readers that the Florida Legislature has made legal to shoot a firearm in celebration of the Fourth of July?  It is still illegal you bunch of morons! But somebody is gonna half-read this piece and say “Hey cool! We can pull out Daddy’s old revolver and just do our fireworks!” and end up in jail. This is The Sun Sentinel’s version of Joe Biden’s Shotgun advice that has already guided a couple of idiots to spend time behind bars.

Far-fetched? This is Florida. It will happen.

No crap! you are telling people they can! Are you guys like making sure there will be something happening so you can publish more stories? Sort of seeding the ground for more in-depth editorials? Are you trying desperately to come up with events so your jobs are not put in the chopping block for lack of newspaper sales?

Legalizing warning shots simply gives people another excuse to fire their weapons.

And again they will rather publish a lie..excuse me, they are misinformed and made an honorable mistake… Absence of Malice.

One of the most frustrating things we do as responsible shooters is to help the newcomers understand the nuances of being a responsible gun owner. There is plenty crap floating out there being my two top ones “you can carry in a car as long as you make three movements to get the gun” and “If anybody has a knife within 21 feet, you can go ahead and shoot them.” That a newspaper editorial board appears to be too idiotic or irresponsible and adds one more and possibly very deadly piece of misinformation is despicable.

And as always my advice to anybody: Do not depend on cops to know the laws about guns and do not the depend on the media to tell you the truth about gun laws. Both are mistakes that will be paid with large amounts of cash, loss of freedom or loss of life.

Always Read The Law.