The Gun Writer:
While traditional open carry is generally banned, Florida law allows the open carry of handguns while hunting or fishing.
To be clear, you can wear an exposed handgun in a holster if you’re fishing — period. It’s completely legal.
There are a few other exceptions.
This fishing exception was apparently unknown by Miami Beach police officers Sunday morning.
The results were almost tragic.
Thank God no one was killed or seriously injured.
Details are still emerging, but here’s what we know for sure:
A group of fishermen — who were lawfully open-carrying handguns — was fishing off of the South Pointe Pier in Miami Beach Sunday morning at around 10:40, when they were confronted by Miami Beach police officers.
At some point during the confrontation, a Miami Beach police officer pointed his gun at the group. At least one man was unlawfully detained and his weapon was confiscated.
Police injured one man’s shoulder when they took him to the ground. He was later transported to a hospital.
So now do you want to hear how the MSM reported this event? Hold on to your breeches boys.
Six armed people who were fishing Sunday morning at the South Pointe Pier in Miami Beach were detained by police and then released.
The anglers, whose guns were openly displayed on their hips, cited a state law that allows people to carry a firearm while fishing, hunting, camping or attending a gun show, said Miami Beach Police spokesman Ernesto Rodriguez.
Park rangers spotted the group about 10 a.m. Sunday and summoned police. The anglers were questioned by police but allowed to stay after mentioning the state law, Rodriguez said.
“Out of an abundance of caution we have assigned two officers to the pier while they remain,” he said. “We are encouraging visitors to use other portions of South Pointe Park.”
It all sounds so peaceful and well-intentioned, yes? So here is a question for you. Abundance of what caution? Exactly what did the police think they were protecting?
Let’s pose a question. “Why officer, you don’t want us to see a weapon on the carriers, but carrying concealed is acceptable, then exactly what are you doing by recommending we stay away from these men? They could be carrying anyway and it be legal, it’s just that we wouldn’t know about it?”
They would only have one answer. “We don’t want you to see peaceable men openly carrying weapons because you may figure out that there is no difference between open and concealed carry except that you don’t know it if someone has concealed their weapons. Then you may demand that these men be allowed to do that everywhere, or at least not oppose open carry, and we can’t have the peasants with the same rights we have, can we?”
But the MSM reporter doesn’t go there, because like all MSM reporters, she got her talking points from the cops. The MSM is an organ of the state. It always has been, it always will be.
One final thing. Let’s stipulate that the cops were poorly bred, uneducated imbeciles for a moment (that’s usually a good approximation for cops). The first thing out of my mouth if I had responded to this event as a cop would have been this. “Hey boys, how’s the fishing? Catching anything today? Let’s talk about what you’re doing here, sirs.”
Unholstering a weapon and pointing it at someone who is peaceable and innocent is the most idiotic, irresponsible, dangerous and thoughtless thing a person can do. The cops truly are morons of the highest order.
