Island Issues

Fernandina Beach Commission Chimes In As Raging Gun Debate Further Divides Factions

Fernandina Beach Commission Chimes In As Raging Gun Debate Further Divides Factions

As a result of the Parkland, Florida high school shooting, there’s been a variety of “solutions” offered by pundits, alleged experts, politicians, among others on how to stop these tragic and senseless killings ranging from calls to ban all guns or just certain guns to arming teachers and putting police officers in schools.

Editorials, letters to the editor and online debaters argue for a variety of controls from raising the age for gun owners from 18 to 21 to the confiscation of all guns.

In Fernandina Beach the City Commission, led by Mayor “Moonbeam” Miller, passed a hollow resolution “to take actions to prevent further incidents” when in fact they can do nothing says state law. This is the  same group of people that spent more than $5 million to build a Ripley’s Believe It or Not “airport terminal that looks like an airplane” while ignoring a very lucrative city marina as it sinks into the mud and have done zip for the past eight years except talk about a downtown waterfront park that never sees any results. This is an inept, impotent group of bunglers that can’t figure out if the city should have paid parking or not, endorses the extortion of illegal impact fees from local businesses, has no concept of property rights, and would be baffled by a P&L statement because none of them has ever owned a business. Do we want to entrust our Second Amendment rights  to these Marx Brothers wannabes? It’s because of people like this group that Florida legislators passed a law prohibiting local governments from enacting gun control legislation among other critical programs. Thank goodness. In addition its difficult to take serious a group led by a mayor who promised to tattoo Bernie Sander’s image on his butt if the socialist senator had won the Democratic nomination for President. These folks shouldn’t be allowed to own a pet much less make decisions on gun laws.

Longtime former resident, businessman and local property owner Pat Keogh was correct when he said in this space last year: “Fernandina Beach City government seems to be mostly a bad soap opera whose principal product is conflict, losing litigation, and creating positions for people who control the government.”

Nationally the far left’s extreme politically correct element blames the National Rifle Association (NRA), the one organization in the country that promotes the safe use and handling of guns, and had absolutely nothing to do with the Parkland shooting. The far left hates the NRA and calls for the confiscation of guns, while at the same time screaming that Trump is a fascist, comparing him to Hitler. If they really believe that then taking away the public’s guns would be self-defeating wouldn’t it?

The left says the public doesn’t need guns because the government will protect them. Really? It was a government program initiated by the Democrats that led to the Parkland shooting. The most glaring mistake leading to the tragic deaths of the 17 high school students and teachers was the Broward County Sheriff’s Office failure to do its job because it operated under an idiotic Obama Administration concept to stop the “school-to-prison pipeline.” This program’s left wing proponents claim the only reason so many students — a disproportionate number being black — are tossed out of school and into prison is because they were disciplined in high school. So they stopped the discipline and stopped arrests. Guess what? Crime numbers plummeted. Of course they did, because the crimes weren’t being reported. The Parkland killer was visited 39 times by law enforcement, kicked out of school, threatened to kill other students, started fights, pulled a gun on his mother, and publically said that he was a future “school shooter.”

The Sheriff’s office and the FBI were warned about all of this. They did nothing. So according to the loons on the far left the shootings are the fault of the NRA when in fact programs sponsored by the NRA make gun ownership safer and teach self-defense. Blaming the NRA for Parkland is disgustingly obscene.

Liberals say we don’t need guns for protection. But we obviously can’t count on a Democrat-run law enforcement agency like the Broward Sheriff’s Office to protect us because reporting crime scene visits would increase their crime figures making them look bad. The Cruz kid was known to be a problem, warnings were pouring in and nothing was done. Local armed cops on the scene didn’t even try to confront the shooter. They could have prevented this tragedy but didn’t act. He wasn’t stopped because the government and the authorities followed a far left politically correct program as crazy as the kid doing the shooting.

One gun concept that I’ve heard that deserves study was proposed to me by Tampa H. B. Plant High School classmate, friend, and fellow blogger, Philip Pettus, who reminded me about the frequent bomb scares we experienced as high school students. He says there may be a clue in how they were stopped to preventing today’s nut case school shooters.

Phil thinks technology helped end those bomb scares as call tracing became effective in tracking down the miscreants doing the calls. “Students were never hesitant to let officials know if someone they knew had indicated that he or she made the call or would make one,” he says. “They turned them in.”

Phil wonders if an early warning system of citizen and student activism through technology and preparation added to government notification and quick interactive response could prevent and catch people before they act.”It seems that there is a potential live network of people who could, aided with their own computers, identify potential shooters and cause some sort of interdiction,” he says. “This concept deserves thought and discussion about what could be done legally by students and citizens using their inquisitive instincts and the Internet in concert with law enforcement officials.” It’s worth some thought.

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Read All About It! Oh, Never Mind! Last week when a rowdy gathering of some 500 drunk youngsters took place at Peter’s Point beach Sunday, February 25, it appears that the  local biweekly News Leader chose to ignore the event, didn’t consider it newsworthy or was naively unaware.

The drunken brawl of some 500 young people was  reported by local the online news publications, Fernandina Observer and NCFL Independent, as well as a Jacksonville TV station. You’d have to have been in a coma to have missed the beach ruckus that was the talk of the town and all over local social media.

However, there was nothing in the Wednesday February 28 edition of the News Leader about the three-day-old incident, nothing in the Friday, March 2 edition, and nothing again in the Wednesday, March 7 issue. However, there was a lengthy mind-numbing front page article headlined “Taming Tempers” in the March 2 edition about anger management with no local angle I could find. Maybe the editor was preparing herself for calls from irate subscribers questioning why the paper doesn’t cover local news.

There was also a front page story in the March 7 edition reporting that former Principal Dr. Spencer Lodree stole $1,300 from Fernandina Beach High School, a story that had been reported many days earlier in both online newspapers as well as the Jacksonville-based Florida Times Union.

There was also another lengthy opinion piece March 7 by Ron “Get Off My Lawn You Little Bastards” Sapp, who a few months ago said he was tossing  in the towel on his periodic News Leader screeds because he claimed he had nothing left to say and his efforts weren’t having an impact anyway. Well he’s back, I guess to fill the left-wing gap left by cranky Joe Palmer, who left in a liberal snit a few weeks ago. Sapp is also back indoctrinating students at Fernandina Beach High School where he’s teaching Advanced Placement psychology, a course that is supposed to enable students to understand how and why the people in their lives think and behave the way they do, a useful skill if they intend on reading any of their instructor’s local editorial codswallop.

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A Public Display Of Affection: Friend Al Waldis, co-owner of the popular downtown Salty Pelican, publically proposed to girlfriend Christine Hicks last Friday evening in an arrangement cooked up with Pajamadave Voorhees, to have Christine walk past the 12 South Street PJD’s Beer & Wine Garden’s sandwich board chalked with the message: “Christine! Will You Marry Me?” Below the proposal were two boxes, one indicating “Yes”, the other, “No.” Al dropped to one knee in front of the sign, ring in hand, and verbally repeated the proposal, to which a delighted Christine excitedly squealed: “YES!” and promptly scratched out the “No” box and checked the “Yes” box followed by a lengthy kiss. As they say when the home team scores: “The crowd went wild.”

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Things I wish I’d Said: “He loves nature in spite of what it did to him.” — Forrest Tucker

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A Spelling Bee Stumper: Last week I mentioned that as far as I’m aware there are only two words in the English language that contain three consecutive consonants and no hyphen — wallless and walllike. I asked if readers knew of any words containing three consecutive vowels and I received many examples ranging from lieu and queue to beau and beauty, among others. I should have been more specific in my request and asked for a word with the same three consecutive vowels and no hyphen. If there is one, I don’t know what it is. Let’s try again.

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Nice Work If You Can Get It: Chris Tillman is a guy who failed miserably at his job and is being handsomely rewarded for his incompetence. Tillman, a 29-year-old starting pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles, last year posted a 1-7 record, and a 7.84 earned run average. If you’re not a baseball fan let me explain. This guy won only one game and lost seven during which he allowed almost eight runs per appearance. In other words he stinks. For this dismal performance the Orioles are rewarding him with a $3 million a year contract for 2018. Hey guys, if you’re interested I can’t pitch either.

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“Well, Here’s Another Nice Mess You’ve Gotten Me Into!” Despite the fact that Democrats told them they were going to die and those who didn’t would get only crumbs, American workers are getting to keep more of their own money and not give it to the government to be redistributed thanks to the GOP tax bill passed last December without a single Democratic vote.

When they sobered up after days on a bender screeching and howling, Nancy Pelosi’s and Chuck Schumer’s hangovers were compounded by the reality of corporations giving unplanned bonuses to employees, fatter paychecks and no dead workers.

Undaunted, Democrats are attempting to inform the tax cut’s beneficiaries that they aren’t really getting more money, but can’t explain why they are still alive. What do you do for an encore to this act? And people vote for these morons.

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Another Big Bang Concept: A Canadian cousin tells me about a husband and wife who worked for the circus in Ontario and went to an adoption agency where the social workers there questioned their suitability.

The couple produced evidence of their 50-foot motor home, which was clean, well maintained and equipped with an attractive nursery.

When the social workers asked about the education a child would receive while in the couple’s care the couple outlined their plans for a full-time tutor who would instruct the child in all the traditional subjects along with French, Mandarin, and computer skills.

They allayed the agency’s concern about a child being raised in a circus environment by producing the child’s nanny, a certified expert in pediatric care, welfare, and diet.

Following their exhaustive investigation the social workers were eventually satisfied and asked the couple: “What age child are you hoping to adopt?”

They said: “It doesn’t really matter… as long as the kid fits in the cannon.”

16 Comments

Rich - 06. Apr, 2018 -

The gun whack jobs (not hunters but the nuts that need every gun) love to shorten the 2nd Amendment:
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
It’s about the “well regulated Militia” stupid. That’s it. It’s harder to do most anything in this killing field known as America than buy and shoot gun.

Dave Lott - 14. Mar, 2018 -

From the Oxford Living Dictionary: Are there any words with three consecutive letters? The answer is not really, because the usual rules of English spelling outlaw triple letters. We put hyphens in words that contain three of the same letters in a row, so as to break the letters up, e.g. bee-eater, bell-like, cross-section, cross-subsidize, joss-stick, and shell-less. A person who flees is a fleer, not a fleeer, and someone who sees is a seer, not a seeer.
No such words – consonants or vowels.

Eliot Ness - 10. Mar, 2018 -

Your Saturday Facts:
1) Donald Trump is your President.
2) Jerusalem is the capitol of Israel.
3) The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

Charles Mullen - 10. Mar, 2018 -

As usual I enjoyed the read, Dave. It was also good to hear from Phil Pettus, even if it was indirectly.

Eliot Ness - 10. Mar, 2018 -

Dave, I know our “Mayor” is a Liberal, but a tattoo of Socialist Bernie Sanders? It’s sad to see children who were eating tide pods a few weeks ago, suddenly becoming constitutional scholars. The Liberal press is glad to give them a podium. Sadly our “Governor” has signed SB-7026 (touted in the media as Florida’s “gun control” bill) into law, violating the Second Amendment rights of persons between the ages of 18-21. The bill prohibits any person under 21 years of age from purchasing a firearm – any firearm – PERIOD. The bill took effect immediately. The gun control provisions in this bill do not enhance school safety. They merely punish law-abiding citizens for the actions of a mentally ill murderer as well as the failure of government officials who did not do their jobs.

Anne - 10. Mar, 2018 -

You are disgusting.

Terry - 10. Mar, 2018 -

I hav enjoyed your column until now. The insensivity you have shown is a new low without doubt. It makes me thankful the Youth of this State/Country are leading the way to change. It’s too too bad they have to since the grown ups didn’t..

John Heck - 09. Mar, 2018 -

I am fervently satisfied with the passion you have for your sound American values and beliefs. I cannot express vociferously enough how much I loathe these local politicians. They are more interested in weighing in where they have little to no influence. Liberalism is the vestige of the immature and idealistically retarded ! I have no respect for these childish imbeciles !
I wish you would address the “wild west” actions occurring on the beach. Automobiles have no business on the beach, it is strictly for the indolent ! But, as I walk my Lab everyday for several miles everyday I have been chased, bullied, and my Dog bit by dogs not being on a lead and highly arrogant and apathetic pet owners ! Incidentally, I am only 53 and every one of my many unpleasant encounters has been performed by those of whom are older than me and ergo, should posses more wisdom and discipline as far as the law is concerned. Out of 30 or so conflicts, only one person has ever apologized. I contacted the Sheriffs office on more than six or seven occasions. I wanted to know what good is a law if the perpetrators of that infraction and the authorities do nothing to adhere to the law. It is not being enforced and I fear I am going to act irrationally next time.
Thank you for your service.
jbradleyheck@gmail.com

Mutt Daniel - 09. Mar, 2018 -

Well written sir. I couldn’t agree more.

Joe Murphy - 09. Mar, 2018 -

Dave think MLB will be the next sport on die . I support ,big Shrimp, Class AA or college more than most left over,”wanabes” in MLB.
Check out the new Putt- Putt. Big event coming up 3/24,25 at the main beach. Major competition in NE Florida putt putt circles.

Tom Yankus - 09. Mar, 2018 -

Told myself, “Self…if/when the Jax Times Union monthly delivery cost goes above the half century mark Tom here will cancel this little to no news rag (other then daily Jags news) Monthly charge, without notification, went from $49 to $51 recently. I fired them! I have to decide what to do now with the extra money in my pocket. News Leader? Not surprised they ignored the Peter’s Point fiasco. Oh, yeah…also dropped them from mail delivery. Far too much “no news” each issue and opionated guest columnists wasting space. I pick up a USA Today during the week.

Jason - 09. Mar, 2018 -

Love this…

Robert Warner - 09. Mar, 2018 -

Dave… It’s all about uncontrolled “image” marketing, running wild – with extreme lethality at the end of a gun barrel. “Mano-a mano” crap from the NRA and extremist organizations that incites, promotes fear, aggression, and provides a basis for selling military style weapons (and associated components) to the most gullible, uninformed, or disturbed. It’s an open question as to where you fall on this spectrum.

disappointed - 09. Mar, 2018 -

What’s funny is that the left accuses the right of foreign interference in politics. Here is Fernandina Beach, there are non-citizens organizing marches for the left, and influencing political elections locally as well as nationally. Of course, the left just ignores this, because it doesn’t fit their narrative. How interesting.
It is likely a foreign national can be deported for this activity.

Jeff - 09. Mar, 2018 -

Great read- again!

Lee Murray - 09. Mar, 2018 -

Another great read. Thanks Dave.