According to Firearm Chronicles
The mayor of West Palm Beach, Florida has instituted a state of emergency after several nights of violent protests, including riots on Sunday evening that resulted in the arrest of five people. That’s not an unreasonable thing to do, but some of the details in the order absolutely are unreasonable, including Mayor Keith James’ proclamation that firearm and ammunition sales are forbidden in the city while the order is in effect.
According to James’ proclamation, not only are gun and ammunition sales now verboten, but the lawful carrying of firearms in public is also prohibited.
Is this legal? According to the Florida statutes, the answer is yes. In fact, according to the statutes, those prohibitions automatically kick in once a state of emergency has been declared because of rioting and unrest.
Instead, Florida gun owners and Second Amendment supporters should start talking to legislators about the language of the statutes that requires the ban on gun and ammo sales and the lawful carrying of firearms. When riots and civil unrest break out, Americans want to protect themselves. There’ve been long lines of customers reported at gun stores across the country over the past couple of days, and I’m sure there are plenty of residents in West Palm Beach who would like to purchase a firearm for self-defense right now. To deprive them of that ability at a moment when their Second Amendment rights are more important than ever seems unwise to me, if not unconstitutional.
Rioters and looters are already breaking in to gun stores in nearby Miami, so clearly they’re not going to be thwarted by a simple proclamation. It’s the law-abiding residents of West Palm Beach (and potentially other cities as well) who are bearing the brunt of this ban, and legislators need to fix this flaw in the state statutes as soon as possible. It’s unconscionable that Americans seeking some ability to protect themselves during a state of emergency can be left disarmed and defenseless by the State.