***ACTION ALERT -- SB-2356 Protect Possession/Guns/Cars/Parking Lots

DATE: April 5, 2007
TO: USF & NRA Members and Friends
FROM: Marion P. Hammer
NRA Past President
Executive Director Unified Sportsmen of Florida

SUBJECT: SB-2356 To Protect Possession of Firearms in Vehicles in Parking Lots

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on
SB-2356 by Sen. Peaden on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 at 9:30am.

SB-2356 protects employees and customers from having their private vehicles searched and protects against punitive action by anti-gun business owners who would deny you your right to have a gun in your car for protection and other lawful purposes like hunting and target shooting when you park in a business parking lot.

SB-2356 stops ARROGANT CORPORATIONS who think they can control the personal private property you have in your private vehicle in parking lots.

Please immediately send email to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and URGE THEM TO SUPPORT SB-2356 by Sen. Peaden

Below is a list of the email addresses of those you need to contact

IN THE SUBJECT LINE OF YOUR EMAIL PUT:

PLEASE SUPPORT SB-2356/Protect Firearms/private vehicles

(To send one email to all committee members at the same time, block or highlight the entire list and then copy and paste the block into the address section of the email.)

Senate Judiciary Committee

baker.carey.web@flsenate.gov
deutch.ted.web@flsenate.gov
portilla.alex.web@flsenate.gov
fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov
gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov
geller.steven.web@flsenate.gov
joyner.arthenia.web@flsenate.gov
ring.jeremy.web@flsenate.gov
saunders.burt.web@flsenate.gov
villalobos.alex.web@flsenate.gov
webster.daniel.web@flsenate.gov

You may also make phone calls – call these numbers:

Sen. Alex Villalobos (R) Chair (850) 487-5130
Sen. Arthenia Joyner (D) VC (850) 487-5059
Sen. Carey Baker (R) (850) 487-5014
Sen. Ted Deutch (D) (850) 487-5091
Sen. Alex Diaz de la Portilla 850) 487-5109
Sen. Mike Fasano (R) (850) 487-5062
Sen. Don Gaetz (R) (850) 487-5009
Sen. Steve Geller (D) (850) 487-5097
Sen. Jeremy Ring (R) (850) 487-5094
Sen. Burt Saunders (R) (850) 487-5124
Sen. Dan Webster (R) (850) 487-5047

BACKGROUND:

The bill will stop business entities from searching private vehicles and violating the constitutional rights of customers and employees.

Your Second Amendment rights are at the very heart of this issue. In addition to prohibiting searches of private vehicles in parking lots. The bills also prevent businesses from asking customers or employees to disclose what personal private property is stored in a private vehicle and prevents action against customers and employees who refuse to divulge that private information. Further, it prohibits action against a customer or employee based on information provided by a third party.

Some Florida businesses are trying to ban guns in cars in parking lot used by customers and employees. They are discriminating against people who exercise their constitutional rights – they are violating the constitutional rights of gun owners and Florida law.

Corporate giants have been trampling constitutional rights. Some are even attempting to coerce and intimidate gunowners into giving up constitutional rights as a condition of employment.

Your Rights are in Danger

Carrying firearms in a vehicle for hunting, target shooting or protection of yourself and your family obviously means you can leave that firearm locked in the vehicle in a parking lot when you go grocery shopping, to the doctor's office, to the movie, to visit a sick friend in the hospital, to rent a movie, to the shoe store or anywhere else normal people travel to conduct business.

Florida law, the U.S. Constitution, and the Florida Constitution clearly and unequivocally give law abiding citizens to have firearms in their vehicles for lawful purposes.

How can anyone justify telling a woman who is being stalked that she can't have a firearm for protection? In many cases police tell these women to get a gun for protection because police can't be there to protect her -- and calling 911 is nothing more than government sponsored dial-a-prayer.

A business owner or manager has no more right to say you can't have a firearm in your private vehicle than they have a right to say you can't have a pair of sun glasses, an umbrella, a Bible or a baby seat.

Such an anti-gun political exercise is not good business sense. They want your money but don't respect your rights.

Businesses are not allowed to discriminate against employees and customers because of race, religion, political party, color of eyes, hair or weight. And they certainly can't discriminate because of the exercise of lawful self-defense. And, make no mistake, these gun ban policies are blatant discrimination against people who chose to exercise a constitutional right and take responsibility for their own safety.