By Victoria Mezera
Gun laws in the state of Florida are pretty controversial, especially considering the most recent shooting at Marjory Stone Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where 17 people were killed. Students in particular have been seen rallying for stricter laws regarding gun control. However, not everyone agrees that gun control is the answer. In order to see where our school stands, The Blue and White put out a survey based on current laws regarding guns in the state of Florida.
A law in Florida allows people to purchase a gun without a background check if it is a private sale. 84.2% of the people who took our survey are not satisfied with this law. 10.7% were neutral, and 2.4% were satisfied. The rest of the people input their own responses, with some confused by the definition of private gun sale. A private gun sale is typically seen as a bypass, and it is commonly referred to as the Brady loophole, which refers to the sale of guns that aren’t from a licensed dealer. This means that there are no required background checks or waiting periods.
In the state of Florida, you do not need a permit to conceal carry a rifle or shotgun, but a permit is required to conceal a handgun. 74% of the students were not satisfied with the law, 14% neutral, and 6.5% were satisfied with the law. The other people input their own responses, with one student saying “You should have a permit for all guns.” Another law in Florida is that assault weapons are not regulated. 55.7% of students were not satisfied with this law, 31.3% were neutral, and 10% were satisfied. The remaining percent typed out their own responses, with a student saying “Assault weapons are regulated the same way as all other guns. This is called equality.” Another student said “You cannot have an automatic weapon. This is just false.” However, automatic weapons are available if they are “antique”, or if they are lawfully owned and made prior to May 19th, 1986. Also, there are readily available add-on pieces that can be used to make weapons that are nearly fully automatic, which is what was used in the Las Vegas shooting, which is the deadliest mass shooting to date.
In Florida, if you’re buying a gun from a licensed dealer you’re required to pass a background test. 76.8% of the students who took the survey were satisfied with this, 16% were neutral, and 6.1% were unsatisfied. The remaining percentages were from students who typed out their own answers, with one student saying, “Background checks need to be in more detail.” A different student said, “I think that the background checks aren’t extensive enough.” You can also buy as many guns at one time as you like. 62.8% of people were not satisfied by this, 24.2% were neutral, and 11.9% of the people who took the survey were satisfied. The remaining percent of students made their own responses. One student said, “Good people should be allowed to. I think they should not let mentally ill or convicted felons get as many as they want.”
According to Florida law, a person must be found mentally defective in court to stop or slow the purchase of a firearm, however there is no restriction for those who have been privately hospitalized. 63.9% of people who took the survey were dissatisfied with this law, 25.5% were neutral, and 8.8% of the people were satisfied. The remaining portion of the people wrote their own replies, and one student said, “I think it is our individual right to bear arms.” Another student said, “I think you should have to actively prove your mental fitness.”
There’s a three day waiting period to buy a gun from a licensed dealer in Florida. 15.3% of students were not satisfied with this, 42% were neutral, and 39.2% were satisfied. The rest of the responses were typed individually. One response from a student said, “It should take way longer, I’ve waited longer for a package of clothes. That’s not okay.” Another student said, “Needs to be longer to allow more extensive background checks.”
Overall, the majority of the people who took this survey seemed unsatisfied with current gun laws. There were a small percentage of those who were satisfied, and a considerable amount of people who remained neutral. Regardless of views on gun laws, most students seem to agree with the prospect of helping to stop violence in school, but differ on the way in which they approach it. Some view it as a mental health problem, some as a gun problem, and some believe the two are intertwined. However, most students believe that our current gun laws need to be revised.