A Sign of the Times

Being from a family of native northerners (yea, one of those blue states), and many of us having already migrated south, it was only natural that when my Mother retired from her state job, she would move south to Florida. You know, the Sunshine State. The place where my Brother likes to lovingly refer to as "the place where old people go to die."

Having lost my Dad a few years back, Mom's independence is evident. Everything is paid for and she gets her pension. She does what she wants when she wants. She wants for nothing and that is as it should be when you retire. I admire her tenacity because after 5 kids, an ailing husband, and some very tough times, she still has her attitude and swagger. While on in years, my Mother still walks with such determination and a look on her face that could knock you on your ass if you gazed too long. A look we all remember from back in the day when she would use your full name or talk between clenched teeth. Now, on those rare occasions when she does those things, we take a step back and cringe, as those childhood flashbacks run through our memory circuits.

We all worry about our Mother. Independence and strong will aside, she is elderly and a prime target for scum, maggots, thieves, rapists, whatever else you  want to call today's violent offenders. She does have a soft heart, but I'd like to think that she is smart and savvy enough that she will not be conned by some smooth talking, snake oil salesman. However, violence is something no one can predict or often times, adequately prepare for. 

But I digress...

While I myself do not live in Florida, I live in a state that recognizes the Stand Your Ground Rule and the Castle Doctrine. In fact, ours was patterned off of Florida's since they were the first state to enact such legislation. In 1996, they started this wave of concealed carry reform.

We live in a world where violence is perpetrated wantonly and many of these thugs have no conscious, taking lives with impunity. Senior citizens are now empowering themselves, obtaining their permits or at least getting handguns for their homes or having them in their cars. I see them all the time at the gun store and gun range.
They ask for advice and information on the gun laws and what they should purchase. Many more are getting their permits to carry concealed.

A prime example of senior citizens fighting back is when that elderly man shot 3 armed robbers at an internet cafe in Florida. He went to town on their asses! He had a carry permit and he had a concealed handgun he whipped out during the commission of a felony. He fought back, defending the lives of many others in that cafe and thwarting a robbery. While he popped a cap in their ass on the way out the door, which he probably shouldn't have considering the threat was leaving, I can't see any jury in Florida convicting him. The jury would be full of gray haired compatriots who would all want to buy him a drink and pat him on the back.

While my Mother thinks all of her children are overly protective and paranoid, we have all seen the reality of life, more so me, and we all worry about her safety. While she doesn't have a permit and stubbornly refuses to do so, she has a revolver in her home and on rare occasions, has it in her car.  No, she doesn't have to jump through hoops or have permission from the state government to have it in either place, nor does she have any kind of 'registration' process for guns she may keep in her home for self defense. That is her Constitutional right.
I also provided Mom with a simple to use can of pepper spray that fits neatly in her purse or on her key ring. That too, is not illegal in Florida. Illegal as hell on an airplane, but not illegal in Florida.

Mom recently took her car in for service. At the dealership the sales person asked her if she had any weapons in the car. She smiled, and said, "No, not there." According to my Mother, she saw the salesman was carrying a gun under his suit coat. He told her that they have to ask now because they had 2 customers who had left their guns in their cars. One of the forgetful gun owners was a law enforcement officer. Another elderly gentlemen had a .45 in his center console and they had to call both to come retrieve their weapons before they did any work on their vehicles.

Hell-oooo folks! Whatever happened to responsible gun ownership? Don't we get enough flak from the liberal left who think banning guns is the solution to all the violence? 

But you've got to ask yourself one question, and it's not, "Do you feel lucky, punk?" Although....
No, the question you should ask yourself is, "Do you want to be a victim or do you want to be a survivor?"
And I am by no means condoning vigilantism. I am, however suggesting that no one should have to stand by and cower in fear because thugs don't care! They take what they want by any means necessary. Get a gun and learn how to use it. It's unfortunate, but it's a sign of the times. We live in a violent world.