Many politicians, like Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner and Democrat candidate for Governor, Nikki Fried are quick to make statements like this... I want to be completely clear: offering ‘thoughts and prayers’ is not enough. It’s past time for us to take serious and meaningful action to prevent gun violence. The Legislature must add gun violence prevention reform to the current Special Session agenda. There cannot be any more children massacred or lives destroyed by mass shootings while our government sits idly by. In the wake of the second deadliest school shooting in American history on Tuesday, there are multiple issues with that sentiment. Specific to Florida, it's almost as though Nikki’s oblivious to the fact that Florida’s already done this. As part of the Stoneman Douglas School Safety Act, Florida passed extensive gun control measures, which would have prevented the perpetrator in Tuesday’s attack from being able to lawfully obtain firearms. Frankly, Florida’s policies, from lawfully obtaining a firearm, to school security measures which most recently have included Alyssa’s Law, could and perhaps should serve as the national model. There’s a difference between politicizing tragedy and acting responsibly as a result of what you’ve learned from it. Calls for action in our state at this point are political ploys. Calls for action nationally may be legitimate, but the most unfortunate dynamic of all is the willingness to be dismissive of what’s most important and what’s most lacking in our society right now. Prayers, and more directly, faith.
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