The media spent the past eight months arguing that allowing people to legally carry concealed weapons would result in an increase in violent crimes, but new findings suggest the opposite - even in some of Florida's biggest cities.
Gov. DeSantis was vilified by Democrats, left-wing media members, and anti-gun lobbyists.
In January 2023, Gabrielle Giffords publicly denounced the thought of permitless carry legislation in Florida. "Our elected leaders should be taking steps to make us safer-not putting communities in greater danger," Giffords said in a press release. She went on to argue that such a bill would 'drive gun violence up' and put the 'safety of our families and communities' at risk - citing a flurry of studies and statistics to strengthen her claim.
Even the White House painted a grim picture of what the bill for public safety. On April 3, 2023, Karine Jean-Pierre posted a tweet on behalf of Present Joe Biden, condemning the signing of the bill, calling it "shameful". While many people expected violent crimes to increase with the signing of HB 543, new reports are refuting those claims. For example, Jacksonville actually saw a 6% reduction in homicides in 2023, while Miami saw just 31 homicides in 2023, as opposed to 49 in 2022. They also saw a 34% decrease in non-fatal shootings and a major drop in non-contact shootings.
It can't be a coincidence that crime rates are dropping at a time when more citizens are walking around with guns. Knowing that people are walking around with concealed handguns without a permit is unsettling to a lot of people, but that's because they picture bad people with easy access to guns. What they don't picture are all the good people who now have the means to protect themselves, their families, and those around them.
One thing we have to consider is that legally carrying a gun doesn't turn legal gun owners into criminals. Most 'bad guys with guns' are already walking around with a gun, but these new laws allow 'good guys with guns' to help hold the 'bad guys' accountable and keep them honest.