Op-ed: Ft. Lauderdale Proves It's Time for Open Carry

Op-ed: 
Ft. Lauderdale Proves It's Time for Open Carry 

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots on American Political Radio

As I sit here writing this article this, 11 days have passed since Estaban Santiago-Ruiz murdered five people at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. And as some of the media talking heads, the ‘so-called’ mental health experts, and the kumbaya touchy-feely sorts try to turn his murderous jihad inspired rampage into that of someone suffering from mental illness or PTSD instead of accepting the fact of what Santiago-Ruiz’s act was...as in a lone-wolf act of islamic terrorism (see proof of that in my article, A Bit Too Close to Home)...what must be remembered is that there is another component to this shooting...one that must shoulder at least some of the blame...and that component is that under existing U.S. law flying with a checked gun is perfectly legal.

Now dear reader do not get all bent out of shape thinking that I am favoring gun control for I am not...in fact quite the opposite...just bear with me and you will see that in a bit.

So while most people do not know that flying with a checked gun actually is legal, most do know that we cannot bring a firearm...a gun...loaded or otherwise...onto a plane. And last year alone, as per TSA data, 3,391 people tried to do just that...with four of the five guns confiscated being loaded. And that number is quite hard to believe what with the left’s cry for even more gun control after incidents like the Sandy Hook school massacre, the Charleston South Carolina church shooting, San Bernardino, and so many others.

In fact, there have been similar shooting incidents like Ft. Lauderdale in the past few years but incidents somewhat buried by the media. In 2013, a security officer was killed and passengers were injured in a shooting spree at Los Angeles International Airport and in March 2016, a similar incident happened at the Brussels Airport...does anyone even remember those two incidents...I think very few do.

But the simple fact is that while it is a federal law not to be able to carry a firearm onto a plane or for a concealed weapon of any kind to be carried into an airport, the feds still leave it up to the airlines and local and/or state legislatures to set rules for the actual ‘so-called’ public areas of their respective airports...areas like baggage claim, restaurants, gift shops, and bathrooms for example...making these areas ripe ‘targets’ for those states or cities who allow guns to be carried in a public area or who allow pick-up of checked guns to go unhindered.

And not to be forgotten is that airlines are not required by law to check to see if a checked gun is even registered to the person traveling or even to the person checking the gun in, nor are they required to check to see if said person has a permit for said gun or if a permit is in place to use or even carry that gun once the passenger has reached their intended point of arrival.

And while Estaban Santiago-Ruiz did indeed have legal ownership and a permit to carry a gun in Alaska...a gun some believe is the same gun he used in the airport shooting...he still had to check his gun in as per existing TSA rules...rules that allowed him to freely pick up his checked bag that held the gun at the Delta baggage carousel upon his arrival in Ft. Lauderdale...rules that allowed him to go into the bathroom and open the case, take out the gun, load it, and then come out shooting...rules that allowed the end result being five innocent people lying dead and eight others being wounded, some quite seriously.

Remember, neither the feds nor airport security monitors how a checked firearm...a checked gun...is picked-up by the person who checks it in...meaning once that person picks up their luggage, bags, or case that holds their gun, they can now freely carrying it within the airport itself, albeit still in the required case, but there is nothing to prevent them from doing what Santiago-Ruiz did...as in take it into a bathroom and load it, especially since by TSA law the ammunition must be stored in the same case as the gun.

So what exactly are the current TSA rules regarding bringing firearms...bringing guns...onto a plane? First, a passenger may ‘transport’ (their word) unloaded firearms in a locked hard-sided ‘container’ (again the TSA’s word) as checked baggage only but the hard case can then be placed inside a regular suitcase if so wanted. Second, said firearm and/or ammunition must be immediately declared to the airline when checking their bag at the ticket counter. Third, the ‘container’ case must completely secure the firearm from being accessed. Any locked cases that can be easily opened are not permitted and only the passenger flying can retain possession of the key or combination to that lock. Fourth, all firearm parts, including magazines, clips, bolts and firing pins, are prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in said checked baggage. Fifth, all 'so-called' replica firearms, including toys, can be transported in checked baggage only. Sixth, rifle scopes alone are permitted in both carry-on and checked baggage. And lastly, ammunition of any kind is prohibited in carry-on baggage, but may be transported in checked baggage... which is exactly what Santiago-Ruiz did.

And yet even with all these safety features in place there remains no addressing whatsoever of what happens when said case carrying the gun is picked-up. And herein lies the problem...so what is the solution?

First, it is important to remember that airport security as of now continues to remain focused only on the threat of armed hijackers who could take over an aircraft, which means that all actually flying are screened very carefully...as in the infamous TSA groping and searches many of us have gone through. But the people remaining behind or those doing drop-offs or pick-ups are not screened at all...a very common occurrence at most airports both here in the U.S. and worldwide with the exception most likely being Israel and for obvious reasons their security is much better than ours.

As for U.S. baggage pick-up areas, there is no screening at all for domestic flights thus allowing  for anyone to pick-up anything unless the gate personnel take the time and effort involved to match the airline ticket with the baggage claim number. However, when someone gets off an international flight arriving in the U.S. they pick-up their baggage but must go through Customs which is a secure area and whose personnel not only checks numbers and such to make sure they match, but who can and do open bags at will, thus being able to confiscate numerous guns and weapons each year.

But when all is said and done the question remains will there be any viable and much needed changes made to airport security in light of the Ft. Lauderdale shooting?

And the answer to that is not really a simple yes or no for the liberal do-gooders amongst us will call for a time-out and a wait-and-see attitude until Santiago-Ruiz’s mental status and/or islamic ties...ties as in his islamic moniker 'Aashiq Hammad' which the media is so playing down...is finally determined. And why...because these sorts in their misguided wisdom hope this attack was just an isolated incident. Refusing to see the strong possibility of copycat incidents becoming reality in the very near future, as well as their refusing to see the Ft. Lauderdale shooting being the sad beginning of islamic terrorist airport attacks of all kinds on America’s airports...attacks with a much higher body count than Ft. Lauderdale I might add...our liberal do-gooders continue to bury their heads in the sand as to who and what the enemy really is.

So now in Ft. Lauderdale’s aftermath we are left with the question of what if anything can be done to at least stop others from following the bathroom modus-operendi of Estaban Santiago-Ruiz. Personally I think we will at least see an overall yet slight beefing-up of security at the baggage claim areas whether it be just a general heightening of police and/or security presence, or of security actually knowing who on each flight checked in a firearm and now waits to pick it up, coupled with a visual check to see whether that person leaves the airport, uses the rest room, or just hangs around. And maybe we will even see an armed guard posted in each bathroom to be on the lookout for anyone acting suspiciously.

But there is another solution...a solution ignored by many on the left while being heralded by many of us on the right...and that is simply allowing 'open carry' in all 50 states. And by 'open carry' I mean being able to openly carry a firearm in public, doing away with the in effect in all 50 states 'concealed carry' laws where firearms can be carried but cannot be seen by the casual observer. And the 34 states where 'open carry' is already in effect, those states have seen a 24% drop in the overall rate of violent crime...including murder...than states without 'open carry.' And know that implementation of 'open carry' in no way would stop or delay the much needed background checks done before a firearm could be purchased...those laws would and must remain in place.

And I do not want to hear that the ‘bad guys’ will now be able to 'open carry' too because guess what... they already do and always have.

Now just think about what even one lone person with an openly carried gun could have both done and prevented at Ft. Lauderdale...as in shoot Estaban Santiago-Ruiz dead before the body count started to rise, while also saving ‘We the People’...we taxpayers...the expense of keeping the bastard alive for years as he awaits trial even though he has already admitted he did what he is being accused of, as he goes through needless appeal after appeal, until whatever sentence he is handed is finally carried out. And 'open carry' also spares the victim’s loved ones left behind the heartache of knowing that justice in today’s America sadly still seems to favor the perp over the victim in most cases.

If ever there was a case for 'open carry,' the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport massacre is just that case. And I just hope that Florida lawmakers listen loud and clear to the will of the people...me included...now that Florida Senate Judiciary Chair Sen. Greg Steube, has filed an 'open carry' bill for our state Senate’s upcoming session. And while it will not bring those five murdered people back, it just might prevent even more innocents from being murdered by those out to kill us all. 

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!

Today, Tuesday, January 17th from 7 to 9pm EST on American Political Radio, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori will discuss why open carry is needed in all 50 states, will take a look at who's really deplorable, and will look ahead to Friday's 'end of an error.'

Hope you can tune in at: http://tunein.com/radio/American-Political-Radio-s273246/

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