In only the first three months of 2023, 72 mass shootings (defined as a shooting injuring or killing at least four people according to the Gun Violence Archive). 

According to a Gallup poll, more than 50 percent of Americans want stricter gun laws, but Florida’s government seems to be doing the opposite.

On April 5, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill passed by the legislature taking away the requirements for background checks and licenses to carry a concealed weapon in public. Gun rights advocates like the National Rifle Association, the Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Police Chiefs Association are calling the new bill proposal “constitutional carry” or “permitless carry.”

Katie Hathaway, a member of the Moms Demand Action group established after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting told CBS News, “I’m absolutely terrified of what this legislation is going to do to our state. Florida is already in a gun violence crisis. Children are dying and communities are devastated. It’s downright shameful to push forward this dangerous legislation that will eliminate our decades-long permitting system.”

This law makes it even easier to have access to a gun. Unfortunately, the politicians’ plans don’t stop there. They’re also pushing for an open carry bill, meaning people would no longer have to conceal their guns when going out in public. With so much recent gun violence, more guns in public is not likely to make anyone feel very safe in their communities.

House Minority Leader Representative Fentrice Driskell told WUSF that “This will put more and more guns into our communities, and that will lead to more shootings.”

It seems that we have not learned anything from recent years, and are determined to ignore the likely consequences of taking away gun control.