Gun Message Muddled By Jackson Drive-By

Remember when the Sunshine State was dubbed “Flori-duh” for its pivotal, hanging-chad role in electing a president who didn’t get the most popular votes? Those were the days. They practically induce jai-alai-like nostalgia now.

But that was then–and this is not.

What has happened since is that the rest of the country has noticed, for example, that some of Florida’s presidential-election, voting lines looked like UN food queues in sub-Sahara Africa. And Washington insiders have noted that a net tax-donor state has inexplicably turned down federal dollars for needed infrastructure and health-care help. In addition, many outsiders have been taken aback by a lingering, Cold War time warp regarding a certain nearby island. And, most notably, Americans have seen that “right to carry” permits have been issued like driver’s licenses and that “Sunshine” has perversely morphed into “Gunshine.”

Forget the “Live Free or Die” crowd. They’re sounding increasingly idealistic. To too many, Florida is simply the “Itchy-Trigger-Fingers-R-Us” state. As a result, it’s more than Jon Stewart having a Rodney Dangerfield-day at our expense.

And then it got worse.

The Revved Jesse Jackson, America’s avatar of racial opportunism, showed up in Tallahassee–ostensibly to support Capitol protestors who have been demonstrating on behalf of a special legislative session to overhaul the state’s self-defense laws.

It got worse because the legitimate issue of doing something about Florida’s fatally-flawed misunderstand your ground law became muddled. Jackson’s polarizing presence and drive-by sound bites co-opt any spotlight. As a result, the focus shifted from stand your ground to the made-for-media flap over whether Jackson should be apologizing to Florida for his insulting, race-baiting rhetoric.

Jackson, inevitably, became the issue–not stand your ground and Florida’s heat-packing culture. Moreover, since drug dealers and gang bangers are often the beneficiaries of SYG, this is not a civil rights and racial-profiling matter. This is a common sense meets self defense matter.

It might be a good applause line, but it’s wrong to characterize Florida as the “Selma of our time.” Florida is not “Apartheid” the sequel, nor is it a Jim Crow state. If anything, it’s been evolving into a Grover Norquist, Marco Rubio, Ted Nugent, Koch Brothers, NRA, Glenn Beck state. Rick Scott is more like Sarah Palin than George Wallace.

The Jackson diversion has also given Scott a fortuitous opportunity to “defend” Floridians and call out Jackson for being “divisive.” Scott, ironically, has been the embodiment of division in Florida.

“It is unfortunate that he (Jackson) would come to Florida and insult Floridians and divide our state at a time when we are striving for unity and healing,” said Scott with a straight face. What Jackson actually did, of course, was divide our attention. The result: There was less focus on how Scott, who has been defending the indefensible, was handling calls for a SYG special session that he clearly opposes.

As it turned out, there won’t be, to be sure, a special SYG session. But there will be a less-than-special hearing–not to be confused with an exercise in “unity and healing.” The hearing seems reminiscent of Scott’s do-nothing, Jennifer Carroll-chaired task force on SYG last year. For this forum, House Speaker Will (not) Weatherford has assigned hard-line Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, as hearing chairman. Gaetz wasted no time in flaunting his lack of objectivity on the issue.

“I don’t support changing one damn comma of the ‘stand your ground’ law,” he proclaimed. “It would be reactionary and dangerous to make Floridians less safe to pacify uninformed protestors.”

No, Florida is not the “Selma of our time. ” Alas, it’s more like the Dodge City of our time.