Florida governor signs gun control bill

As reported by the Associated Press on Friday, Gov. Rick Scott of Florida has signed the gun control bill passed by the legislature.

Although the bill does not ban the sale of semi-automatic weapons, as many people wished it had, it does several positive things:

1.  It raises the minimum age from 18 to 21 to buy a rifle.
2.  Extends an existing three-day waiting period for handgun purchases to include long guns.
3.  Bans the sale of bump stocks that allow guns to mimic fully automatic firing.
4.  Creates a "guardian" program that enables teachers and other school employees to carry handguns in schools.

Student activists calls this bill "baby steps;"  but, although it is far less than what they wanted, they do recognize that it represents a significant step forward -- not only for the legislature but also for Gov. Scott, who broke with the NRA to support stronger measures.

Predictably, the National Rifle Association (i.e., the lobby for the gun industry) is not happy.  In fact, the NRA immediately filed a federal lawsuit, saying that the law violates the Second Amendment in raising the age to buy guns.

Baby steps are real steps -- and they grow up into bigger steps.

Ralph