In Florida, the courts now allow people to openly carry lethal weapons on playgrounds, at community pools, and in grocery stores and movie theaters. Guns have one purpose: to kill. And thanks to a state law passed in 2023, no one in Florida needs to learn safe storage, safe carry or live-fire training to carry these weapons in public.
As if permit-less open carry were not dangerous enough, our lawmakers are trying again to lower the age to purchase rifles (long guns) from 21 to 18, with House Bill 133. Guns are the second-leading cause of death of minor children in Florida and the No. 1 cause in the nation.
Have we forgotten about the 14 students and three adults who were mowed down by an AR-15-toting 19-year-old in Parkland in 2018? What about that 20-year-old who opened fire at Florida State University in April? Families who lost children in the bloom of youth haven’t forgotten.
They fought for commonsense gun laws to limit rifle sales to people age 21 and older. Their children are gone, but they press on to save others. Legislators must reject the decrepit mantra that life-saving gun-sense laws are burdensome. Ask yourself: What is more burdensome than burying a child? Speak out against HB 133 and do not allow 18-year-olds to buy AR-15s in our beautiful Sunshine State.
Barbara Witte, Coral Springs
Editor’s Note: HB 133 will be heard Tuesday in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee, which includes 12 Republicans and five Democrats. The three local members are Reps. Robin Bartleman, D-Weston, Mike Gottlieb, D-Davie, and Kelly Skidmore, D-Boca Raton. The hearing at the state Capitol in Tallahassee can be viewed live on the Florida Channel at 3:30 p.m.
An archbishop’s brilliance
I was deeply moved by Archbishop Thomas Wenski’s op-ed in the Sun Sentinel, seeking justice for immigrants (“Immigration law must mean more than broken, unjust status quo,” Nov. 6).
And not a punishing or vindictive sort of justice either. Because, as the archbishop put it, “Justice is first and foremost a virtue.”
His essay is brilliantly reasoned, and every paragraph could be quoted in the cause of justice with charity.
I am proud to live in the Archdiocese of Miami.
David Blasco, Fort Lauderdale
‘Lauderdale County’ no better
The proposal to rename Broward “Lauderdale County” overlooks a critical issue of national identity and business recognition. My experience from 1993, as president of the Broward Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), serves as a case study.
As the Broward chapter, we faced chronic confusion at national events when I stated the name. The question was always: “Where is that?” The lack of identity hampered our ability to network effectively. I initiated a successful name change to the Fort Lauderdale chapter of the AIA.
The result was instant clarity and better national exposure for our members.
Therefore, simply switching the name to “Lauderdale” will likely replicate the initial failure of “Broward.” It’s an unclear identifier to people outside of South Florida and fails to encompass the full economic diversity of the county’s many municipalities. For meaningful national exposure, the county should consider a more descriptive or regionally recognized name.
Stan Schachne, Davie
An idiotic idea
Changing the name of Broward County to Lauderdale County is one of the most idiotic ideas that has been proposed — and that’s saying something.
Instead of dealing with real-life issues like housing affordability, they (legislators) come up with this nonsense in the name of businesses making more money. If it makes the ballot, I’ll be sure to vote a resounding “No.”
Manuel Malo, Davie
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