Sheriff Bob Gualtieri says a Sarasota Herald-Tribune blogger “absolutely mischaracterizes” his concerns about open-carry, as the blogger and Florida Carry, the pro-gun lobby group, claim the sheriff would threaten to shoot concealed carriers.
Rights & Liberties
“I’m Against It,” Sheriff Manfre Says of Open-Carry as Bill Picks Up Momentum
Opponents of open-carry, including a number of Florida sheriffs, Flagler County’s Jim Manfre among them, warn that people who openly display guns could get hurt as a result, either by criminals or law enforcement.
Hunting Undocumented Immigrants,
Travis Hutson Discovers His Inner Jim Crow
Sen. Travis Hutson filed a pair of bills that would criminalize undocumented immigrants in Florida. The bills are unconstitutional, bigoted and unnecessary.
Transgenders in Flagler Schools: District Takes It Case By Case as State Scrutinizes More Than Nurtures
The state and, to some extent, Flagler County, have a long way to go to ensure that transgender students are treated not only fairly and equitably, but that the environment they face is more respectful than questioning, more welcoming than inhibiting.
Stillbirth: FPC Art Student May Show His Class Work at a Gallery, But Not At His Own School
A provocative painting by Patrick Conklin, a senior at FPC, was banned from display at his school but allowed at an art gallery, triggering a broad discussion on the lines between expression, censorship, fear and propriety.
Florida Protest Group Delays Rally in Light Of Terror Attack at Planned Parenthood
Orlando-based Florida Family Policy Council’s “Rally to Defund Planned Parenthood,” slated for Dec. 7 at the Florida Capitol, will take place in the spring instead, the council organizers said.
Should Government Censor Offensive Speech? 40% of Millennials Say Yes. That’s a Problem.
Surprisingly, the Pew survey finds nearly twice as many Democrats as Republicans saying government should be able to stop speech against minorities. Independents are in the middle.
Shirley Chisholm, “Part of the Heritage of Palm Coast,” Receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman to run for president, retired to Palm Coast in 1991. She received the posthumous medal from President Obama today as an awareness campaign about her life and impact on Palm Coast grows locally.
Conservatives Should Be Leading the Charge to Accept Syrian Refugees. We Have No Choice.
Doesn’t American exceptionalism demand that we lead where others have neither the will nor the courage? We have no choice. America gives sanctuary to those fleeing persecution, argues Nancy Smith. This is what we do and who we are. We’re the good guys.
In Rare Defeat for NRA in Florida, Lawmakers Kill Broader Stand Your Ground Measure
A National Rifle Association-backed measure that could have made it easier legally for people to claim self-defense in shooting incidents failed to get through its first House committee on Tuesday.
Not All Speech Is Free: County Slams McDonald for Legal Fees Over “Knowingly False” Claims
Dennis McDonald, the Ronald Reagan Assembly member and frequent critic of government, said he’ll “absolutely” contest the county’s move on First Amendment grounds.
Gov. Scott Orders DCF to Stop Aiding Relocation of 425 Syrian Refugees
Governors in Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Ohio and Wisconsin have also announced they will refuse to accept any more Syrians.
As Paris Bleeds
The Paris attacks strike at the mother democracy and culture, but they’re the continuing consequence of 15 years reckless militarism in the Middle East. More of the same will solve nothing.
Paying for Patriotism: The Pentagon’s Crass, Misguided Stunts
The Pentagon has been buying and choreographing patriotism at NFL, baseball and NASCAR events that are made to look spontaneous and voluntary. They’re anything but.
In Defeat for Florida Carry Inc., Court Upholds UF Policy Banning Guns in University Housing
The appeals court rejected Florida Carry’s argument that the Legislature provided for gun possession in dorms as it does in homes. That leaves it up to lawmakers to change. There’s been movement in that direction.
From a Speeding Stop to an Accusation of Rioting at Flagler Jail: Dustin Singleton’s Spiral
Dustin Singleton, 35, was accused of inciting a riot at the Flagler County Jail Tuesday, a 2nd degree felony, after he refused orders to go to his bunk. He was serving 30 days on a misdemeanor probation violation over a minor pot possession.
For Flagler’s NAACP, More Trust Than Fear of Local Police as Body Cams Clip On
Flagler NAACP members were mostly reassured by use-of-force evidence that, according to the Sheriff’s Office, has declined in Palm Coast, thanks in large part to police body cameras.
No Sanctuaries: Undocumented Immigrants’ Fears Persist Even as Deportations Are Down
Immigrants’ fear can prevent them from cooperating with police, derail attempts to ensure that all drivers are licensed and endanger growth in areas looking to immigrants to help reverse population losses.
Openly Displaying Handguns and Guns on Campus Bills Win Senate Panel Approval
One of the Florida Senate committees also supported a measure that might make it easier for people to claim they have stood their ground in self-defense when shooting others.
NRA’ Misinformation, Mendacity and Victim-Blaming Take a Dive Into Rabbit Holes
More guns do not lead to less crime. More guns lead to more crime, argues Julie Delegal, who sees NRA zealots misrepresented the facts on guns with junk science wrapped in blame-the-victim hysteria.
Superintendent Apologizes Over Gender-Neutral 8th Grader Sanctioned for Wearing a Dress
Leon County School Superintendent Jackie Pons apologized to the family of an 8th grader who identifies as neither boy nor girl, but who was accused of violating the dress code for wearing a dress on Tuesday. The violation was, in fact, committed by the school principal.
Florida’s Clergy Did Not Need More Protection from Gays. They Don’t Bite.
Florida lawmakers in each chamber are plowing ahead with bills to protect the religious freedoms of lawsuit-fearing clergy in case the U.S. Constitution doesn’t. It’s entirely unnecessary, argues Nancy Smith.
No Privacy: What Your Smart Home Reveals About You, and Possibly To The World
As trends toward networked smart homes and connected cars continue, customers may not be aware of just how much information their devices collect about them and share with the world.
Proposed Florida Law Would Tell Employers to Butt Out of Employees’ Social Media Accounts
The measure, which is filed for the 2016 legislative session, would prohibit employers from requesting access to private social media accounts, but pressure from business caused it to fail in two previous years.
Quadruple Murderer Jerry Correll Will be Executed as Florida Supreme Court Lifts Stay
The unanimous decision issued today clears the execution by lethal injection. Correll murdered his wife, 5-year-old daughter, mother in law and her sister in Orlando in 1985.
Police Body Cams: Exemptions From Public-Record Disclosure Belie Intended Transparency
Police body cams were intended to improve accountability and public access to cops’ work. Access exemptions in Florida and many other states are instead countering their intended purpose.
How Does Lawbreaking Kim Davis Get to Keep Her Job?
The law of the land isn’t an item on an a la carte menu from which elected officials can pick and choose, argues Nancy Smith, who says Kim Davis should have been removed from office by the governor.
Muslim, Dark-Skinned, Geeky:
Ahmed Mohamed Had No Chance
If there’s remaining doubt that it is subhuman to be a Muslim or an Arab in the United States, the imbecilic arrest of 14-year-old Ahmed Mohamed over a clock puts the doubts to rest.
Anonymous Internet Browsing at the Public Library? Not if Homeland Security Finds Out.
A library that allowed Tor users around the world to bounce their Internet traffic through the library, masking users’ locations reversed course after getting word from the Department of Homeland Security.
The Hell With Your Tired,
Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses
Barack Obama’s order to open the U.S. to 10,000 refugees is dismal compared to Germany’s. Racism, not means, block greater numbers from an American welcome.
Facing Lawsuit from Florida Carry, FSU Scraps Gun Ban in Cars on Football Game Day
The changes to the school’s “Game Day Plan 2015” guide for fans won’t holster the legal challenge by Florida Carry Inc. as legislators again consider allowing concealed weapons on campus.
“God’s Authority” Has No Place In Civil Government
Kim Davis is not the problem. She’s a symptom of a dangerous movement that seeks to carve out religious objections all over the law books, making civil government a vassal of religious edicts.
For Every US Soldier Killed in Afghanistan, 13 Children Were Shot and Killed in America
Between 2002 and 2012, at least 28,000 children and teens 19-years-old and younger were killed with guns. Teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 made up over two-thirds of all youth gun deaths in America.
Florida’s New Drone Law, Restricting “Surveillance,” Is a Gift to Personal Injury Lawyers
Like medical marijuana, there’s an entrepreneurial rush to get in on the drone business, but states like Florida have been stumbling their way to legislation., argues Nancy Smith.
Alone Among 50 States, Florida’s Ban on Prison Newspaper Is Upheld
Florida Corrections officials have censored the publications for six years, objecting to certain ads and calling them a security risk. No other state prison system agrees.
Flagler, Among Top 10 Counties With Most Concealed-Weapon Licenses, Will Fast-Track Permitting
Flagler has 8.24 concealed carry permits for every 100 residents. Starting Jan. 1, the Flagler Tax Collector’s office will accept concealed-weapon permit applications for $134 and renewals for $72.
SLAPP This: Florida Scores a Big Free Speech Victory Against Intimidation Lawsuits
It was a rare success in the last Florida Legislative session: a new law protecting the public from frivolous corporate or otherwise intimidating lawsuits intended to silence public expression in government issues.
Sheriff Plans DUI Checkpoint Saturday at SR100 East of Old Kings Road Saturday Night
The checkpoints typically result in far fewer arrests for drunk driving than for other reasons: drivers may charged with a host of issues that have nothing to do with drunk driving, including for drug possession or for non-moving violations such as non-functioning headlights or tail lights or irregular registration.
GOP Opens Special Session With Complaints That Fair Districts Infringe on Free Speech
Senators scolded the Florida Supreme Court for trampling on their First Amendment rights as lawmakers began a special session Monday aimed at redrawing congressional districts the court said were gerrymandered to help the Republican Party.
Rick Scott, 1st-Ever Florida Governor Successfully Sued Over Sunshine Law, Settles for $700,000 in Taxpayer Dollars
The suit alleged Gov. Scott and his staff, violated the Sunshine law when they created email accounts to shield their communications from state public records laws and then withheld the documents.
Rethinking Restrictions on Food Stamps and Welfare Benefits for Drug Felons
The bans on welfare and food stamps assistance apply only to drug felons, in accordance with a 1996 federal law, unless states choose to waive them.
Federal Court Upholds Docs v. Glocks Law Forbidding Physicians From Asking About Guns
The 2-1 decision by a panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a victory for the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights advocates and a defeat for medical groups that argued, at least in part, that the law infringed on doctors’ First Amendment rights.
Florida Supreme Court Refuses to Lift Stay on Execution of Jerry Correll, Who Contested Lethal Injection
The Florida Supreme Court’s 5-2 decision turned down AG Pam Bondi’s request to let Gov. Scott set an executuon date, and ordered a hearing on Correll’s assertion that the drug poses a heightened risk to him because of his alleged brain damage and history of drug use.
Reporter Kicked Out: When Public Officials Abuse Florida’s Sunshine Law, With Lawmakers’ Blessing
A “health district” run by public officials closes a public meeting under a bogus exemption to the Sunshine law, and gets a blank check to secretly talk about whatever it wishes, though it affects public policy.
Florida’s Impending “Pastor Protection Act” Weds Spurious Scenarios With Homophobia
The proposal is aimed at safeguarding clergy members from being forced to perform gay-marriage ceremonies even though they’re categorically protected from doing so by the First Amendment.
Reclaiming Islam’s Enlightenment From Its Fundamentalist Hijackers
Granting that more than a few Muslims back the hijackers’ extremism, what is needed is cultural exchanges instead of armed, panicky overreactions,
Against Protest, Walton County in Panhandle Joins Marion to Let Confederate Flag Fly For Now
Walton County flew started flying the Confederate flag at its courthouse in 1964 in direct opposition to the Civil Rights Act, which extended rights protections to blacks.
Palm Coast’s Sign Regulations May Be Forced to Loosen, City Attorney Warns
The changes, which would likely relax Palm Coast’s rules, would be required to comply with a new U.S. Supreme Court ruling making the regulation of temporary signs on private property much more difficult.
Memo to GOP Candidates: Why Conservatives Should Embrace Gay Marriage Decision
As a conservative who has always supported gay marriage, it’s difficult for Nancy Smith to understand why so many people of her generation — the ones who grew up witnessing some of the worst discrimination of the 20th century — could consistently rage against it.
As South Carolina Folds the Confederate Flag, Florida County Votes to Raise It Back Up
The Marion County Commission voted unanimously to raise the Confederate flag again on government grounds after removing it last week, just as the South Carolina Legislature ended debate this morning ina vote to remove it from state grounds.