U.S. flags will fly at half-staff at local, state, and federal offices through sunset on March 31 in memory of the three children and three adult staff members shot to death at The Covenant School elementary school in Nashville this week.
The gesture by Gov. Ron DeSantis comes as the Florida Legislature debates controversial bills that would allow any adult to carry a deadly weapon without having to register with the state or undergo firearms training. Existing law requires an application to the state for a permit to carry a concealed weapon, as well as undergoing a training and safety course and an additional background check.
The state House approved what’s called a permitless or “constitutional carry” bill (HB 543) along party lines on Friday. (Every Democrat voted against the measure.) The state Senate must pass the legislation before it goes to DeSantis’ desk and the governor has already said he would sign the bill into law.
If ultimately approved, the legislation would make the Sunshine State the 26th state in the nation to have such a law.
In addition, a committee in the state House advanced a bill last week that would repeal a gun-reform provision – reducing the age to purchase rifles and other long guns from 21 to 18 years old. The measure (HB 1543) would allow someone too young to drink legally to purchase a firearm from either a licensed dealer or a private seller. That bill has been sent to the House for a vote. So far, there’s been no Senate version.
Parkland anniversary
The HB 1543 bill comes at the five-year anniversary mark of Broward County’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting massacre at Parkland, where 17 students and staff were killed in 2018 by a teen, Nikolas Cruz, with an AR-15-style rifle.
In Nashville, the shooter was identified as a former student Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, a former Covenant student armed with at least two assault rifles and a handgun, police said. She was killed by two police officers.
President Joe Biden on Monday ordered flags lowered at federal facilities, and Gov. Ron DeSantis issued the order Tuesday for facilities belonging to the state and its political subsections.
Biden called it “a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated” on Monday.
“I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the federal government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its territories and possessions until sunset, March 31, 2023,” Biden wrote in an executive order.
“I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations,” Biden continued.
“Pursuant to this direction, I hereby direct the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff at all local and state buildings, installations, and grounds throughout the State of Florida immediately until sunset on Friday, March 31, 2023,” DeSantis’ order reads.
–Michael Moline, Florida Phoenix
richard says
Well, folks, it’s that time again: thoughts and prayers. Yessirree, thoughts and prayers, and no meaningful action by the gun-loving gerrymandered-to-the-hilt States run by the GOP to curb gun violence. And you can bet your booties that things will stay that way until we vote those feckless folks back into private life and out of our legislatures and state houses. Bipartisan America has been replaced by an America that now says, “Bye! Partisan, now and forevermore.” The fightin’ words of John Charles Carter, aka “Charlatan”Heston, ring eerily reminiscent and prescient in our ears “…from my cold, dead fingers.”
Deborah Coffey says
The smell of his hypocrisy makes it almost impossible to go outdoors!
Brian says
From Heather Cox Richardson…”In the wake of the shooting, Representative Andrew Ogles (R-TN), who represents Nashville thanks to redistricting by the Republican legislature that cut up a Democratic district, said he was “utterly heartbroken” by the shooting and offered “thoughts and prayers to the families of those lost.”
This is as good as it gets with these folks. Amazing.
YankeeExPat says
Yeah , Yeah Yeah….Thoughts and P
rayers , Flags at half mast …………………….total Republican Bullshit!
American children are 25 times more likely to be killed or injured than in any other developed country , and our church lady Gov. from Tallahassee/ ne Palm Coast thinks more access to guns is the answer
I have an idea Ronnie, give it a break with your obsession with drag performers and do your job to protect FL kids from dying in the classroom, neighborhood or home.
And yes you were elected as Governor and are an employe of the state, so put on your white beach Go-Go boots and get to work on real issues affecting your constituents
Alice says
DeSantis be a real hero and make assault weapons illegal for sale. Save the children and adults from assault weapons of war. You will get everyone’s votes then.
James Mejuto says
What do I think?: I regret, folks, nothing will change until we get MONEY out of politics. We place the entire blame onto desantis but we fail to admit there would be no Republican sponsored bills to sign without his control of the legislature, who are all paid-for with gun manufacturer’s money. We just got the news Tennessee and the entire Republican Party will not do a damn thing !
ralph6 says
Yes, nothing will change until people change. What is different now from other generations where these things didn’t happen? Were they just not reported? Guns have always been prevalent yet these mass killing events seem to be new in the last 40 years or so. Somehow people have changed and that is not being recognized.
If there are haters and murderers they will hate and murder. If there are not guns, bombs will be used, Knives will be used, or hands. This is borne out by global statistics.
One thing overlooked about the Nashville tragedy is the deranged shooter was intelligent enough to abandon his/her first target because it was too well protected. Underscores the point that gun-free zones are a magnet for crazies.
Michael Cocchiola says
DeSantis is one sick puppy as is his pack of cruel Republican legislators. There will be much more young blood spilled, in school and out, and it’s dripping from all Republicans’ hands for not stopping this madness.
Marek says
EXACTLY !
Shark says
As long as the republicans are owned by the nra, nothing will be done !!!
Bill C says
Once again Repuglicans offer up their thoughts and prayers- The thought is” who cares? Go F*** Yourself”. The prayer is “Please let it be a good day to sit by the pool.”
Herman says
Young blood is spilled every weekend in Chicago and no one including BLM says a word. Some of the tightest gun laws in the states and still the slaughter continues. Who’s hands is Illinois and Chicago in? Should we continue on with the other great bastions of liberalism? I grew up near Portland. Can’t even recognize the beautiful city it once was before the liberals from California moved in and turned it into a shit hole. What would happen if we spent some of those billions on helping those with mental health issues or even on securing our schools though that is sad in deed.
Laurel says
The number one killer of children is guns.
Right to lifers, where are you? Too busy banning books, or firing school principals over Michelangelo’s “David,” or bombing abortion clinics?
Y’all don’t give a damn about kids, or life. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) chased David Hogg, survivor of Parkland’s Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, down the street and heckled him: https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/27/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-david-hogg-video/index.html and now she has power in Congress. Phony Republican thoughts and prayers. They will let it happen again, and again, and again. The insanity will not stop until these useless people are voted out, once and for all.
Joseph Barand says
I think the real problem is that churches fail to address this problem. Why don’t they get as active in the needless murder of children as they do in “life” before birth issues? One reason is that churches realize that they will take a hit in their collection plates. Churches cannot afford loosing any dollars because they need money to defend themselves and pay for settlements from suits against the Pedifiles that run the churches. The only other thing that would cause a change is if some of the children of DeSantis and other elected officials where butchered by AR15’s and other military style weapons.
The dude says
In your zeal to compare your Faux Nooz apples to kumquats, please take a moment to research where all these guns in Chicago are actually coming from and why.
Then try to focus on the actual discussion at hand which has nothing to do with Chicago at all, despite your poor attempt to somehow draw a false equivalency.
DaleL says
Back in 1776, the “assault rifle” of the day was the smooth bore Brown Bess musket. A trained soldier could fire 3 rounds (round ball) per minute. The hunting weapon of the day was a smaller caliber rifle such as was used by the skirmishers. A trained sharp shooter could fire only one shot every minute or two. By the end of the Civil War, the American army began to be equipped with lever action 7 shot Spencer and 16 shot Henry repeating rifles. Confederate soldiers thought their use was unfair. Both rifles still required reloading one cartridge at a time. The West was “won” with 6 shot revolvers and lever action rifles. They all had to be reloaded one cartridge at a time.
We cannot stop crazy or bad people all the time, before they murder. However, we can reduce the carnage. Let us tightly regulate all firearms which have a detachable magazine. How many times on the news do we see images with cartridge casings by the dozens scattered around a crime scene? In the case of mass shootings (whether a school, on the street, anywhere), how many times has the perpetrator shown up with multiple large capacity magazines to feed their weapon? Make it hard for the hoodlums in Chicago, the hillbilly feuding families, and the school shooters to get their hands on such a weapons of war.
Isn’t a 6 shot .44 magnum revolver enough to stop a burglar? Or a 6 shot pump shotgun? Enough already!!!!
Geezer says
The NRA has become an impotent little lobby.
It’s the manufacturers who fill the coffers now.
Clearly, it’s time for changes.
We’re becoming desensitized to children being mass murdered.
Wife says to husband: “Hey hon–there was a mass shooting in a school.”
Reply: “Did you see the remote anywhere?”
Dennis C Rathsam says
WOW…. Everyone of you need to put Jesus in your life, and stop all the hate.
richard says
So, Dennis, will DeSantis disappear simply if I put Jesus in my life? So many of us hope so. Let’s get real: Do not mix religion with politics. It is a toxic mixture throughout all of historical time — a zero sum game called “I kill you in the name of MY God.”
Bill C says
You’re the one who constantly writes hateful things! Put a little education in your life and don’t be so proud of your ignorance.
Enough says
This man literally makes me sick!! How shallow can this phony be? Well, look at it this way: when (God forbid) you as a parent have to view your kids blown off head in a morgue, maybe…just maybe… you dolts who voted for this piece of garbage might get it. But don’t fret; the rest of us will send our thoughts and prayers. I am sure that will give you comfort as you place your kid in the ground!! Keep voting for the Repubs!! You deserve them!
Atwp says
Alice he will not get my vote.