DATE: March 22, 2007
TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
NRA Past President
Executive Director Unified Sportsmen of Florida
SUBJECT: SB-2356 To Protect Possession of Firearms in Vehicles in Parking Lots
SB-2356 protects employees and customers from having their private vehicles searched and protects against punitive action by anti-gun business owners who would deny you your right to have a gun in your car for protection and other lawful purposes.
SB-2356 stops ARROGANT CORPORATIONS that think they can control the personal private property you have in your private vehicle in parking lots.
The Senate Criminal Justice Committee will hold a hearing on
SB-2356 by Sen. Peaden on Tuesday, March 27, 2007.
Please immediately send an email to members of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee and URGE THEM TO SUPPORT SB-2356 by Sen. Peaden
Below is a list of the email addresses of those you need to contact
IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL PUT:
PLEASE SUPPORT SB-2356/Protect Firearms/private vehicles
(To send one email to all committee members at the same time, block or highlight the entire list and then copy and paste the block into the address section of the email.)
Senate Criminal Justice Committee
You may also reach these Senators by phone:
Sen. Nancy Argenziano (R) Chair (850) 487-5017
Sen. Dave Aronberg (D) VC (850) 487-5356
Sen. Mike Bennett (R) (850) 487-5078
Sen. Victor Crist (R) (850) 487-5068
Sen. Mandy Dawson (D) (850) 487-5112
Sen. Jim King (R) (850) 487-5030
Sen. Evelyn Lynn (R) (850) 487-5033
Sen. Frederica Wilson (D) (850) 487-5166
Sen. Steve Wise (R) (850) 487-5027
BACKGROUND:
The bill will stop big business entities from searching private vehicles and violating the constitutional rights of customers and employees.
Your Second Amendment rights are at the very heart of this issue. In addition to prohibiting searches of private vehicles in parking lots. The bills also prevents businesses from asking customers or employees to disclose what personal private property is stored in a private vehicle and prevents action against customers and employees who refuse to divulge that private information. Further, it prohibits action against a customer or employee based on information provided by a third party.
Some Florida businesses are trying to ban guns in cars in parking lot used by customers and employees. They are discriminating against people who exercise their constitutional rights – they are violating the constitutional rights of gun owners and Florida law.
Corporate giants have been trampling constitutional rights. Some are even attempting to coerce and intimidate gunowners into giving up constitutional rights as a condition of employment.
Your Rights are in Danger
Carrying firearms in a vehicle for hunting, target shooting or protection of yourself and your family obviously means you may have a need to leave that firearm locked in the vehicle in a parking lot when you go grocery shopping, to the doctor's office, to the theater, to visit a sick friend in the hospital, to rent a movie, to the shoe store or anywhere else normal people travel to conduct business.
Florida law, the U.S. Constitution, and the Florida Constitution clearly and unequivocally permit law-abiding citizens to have firearms in their vehicles for lawful purposes.
How can anyone justify telling a woman who is being stalked that she can't have a firearm for protection? In many cases police tell these women to get a gun for protection because police can't be there to protect her -- and calling 911 is nothing more than government sponsored dial-a-prayer.
A business owner or manager has no more right to say you can't have a firearm in your private vehicle than they have a right to say you can't have a pair of sun glasses, an umbrella, a Bible or a baby seat.
They want your money but they don't respect your rights.
Businesses are not allowed to discriminate against employees and customers because of race, religion, political party, color of eyes, hair or weight. And they certainly can't discriminate because of the exercise of lawful self-defense. Make no mistake, these gun ban policies blatantly discriminate against people who choose to exercise a constitutional right and take responsibility for their own safety.
To find further contact information or help identifying your legislators
please use the "Write Your Representative" feature found at www.NRAILA.org.
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