Florida: Guns to control guns
The recently passed law in Florida, pending of approval by Governor Scott, does not touch what most Parkland students are claiming, which have driven the #NeverAgain movement against guns: the ban on selling assault rifles. In Florida the wildest part of the problem, the civil access to war material, remains intact.
After the February 14 massacre at the Parkland Institute where 17 people died, lawmakers approved a law on Wednesday that allows some teachers to arm themselves so that they can act in their own defense and against the possible attack of a shooter. The regulations are limited to a minority of teachers. Only those teachers who have military training or who have experience as agents of the law can only receive training in weapons and to face those situations of potential violence.
The law is pending the decision of the governor of Florida, the Republican Rick Scott. Despite being a man very close to the National Rifle Association, Scott, taking into account the sensitivity of the moment for the massacre of the institute, has not been in favor of arming teachers, an idea that came out from the president Donald Trump, after the tragedy. Scott, who has the power to ratify or veto the regulations, has said he will consult with the relatives of Parkland's victims.
The law has been approved this Wednesday by 67 votes in favor and 50 against in the House of Representatives of Florida and had on Monday the approval of the Senate for a narrower result, 20 in favor and 18 against. The ability to arm some teachers is part of a broader law and is called a voluntary school “marshal” program." It is explained that its objective is "to prevent or abate incidents of active attackers in educational institutions". Some teachers may be those guardians, but the program is intended to be especially for other school employees who have no function in the classroom.
However, it opens for the first time in the United States the disturbing option of a teacher being an armed agent in a school. Staff who want to participate will be trained in weapons and will be examined psychologically. Law 7026 contemplates other timid measures but that do have the clear orientation of reducing the impact of violence by the sale of firearms. It Increases from 18 to 21 the minimum age to buy them, prohibits the sale of a device that converts a normal rifle into a submachine gun and boosts funds for a program to detect mental problems that can trigger a mass shooting.
