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The commission appointed by outgoing Florida governor Rick Scott to investigate the Valentine’s Day mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas in Parkland has issued its primary recommendation, and it is appalling. Florida’s controversial new “Guardian Program” funds non-educators who wish to carry concealed guns in K-12 schools. The commission wants the program to pay sheriffs to train teachers to carry guns in classrooms as well.
This idea was shepherded through the commission by chair Bob Gualtieri, the Pinellas County sheriff. Sadly, all but one of the commission members appointed by Rick Scott voted in favor of arming teachers. Max Schachter, whose 14-year-old son Alex died in the Parkland shooting, was the lone NO vote.
Gualtieri explained his push to arm teachers by saying, “We need to put aside these ideological positions and realize what reality calls for.” In truth, the Pinellas County sheriff gave NRA-TV host Dana Loesch nonpublic information from the commission after appearing with her on NRA-TV in August to argue that an armed teacher could have stopped the Parkland shooter. Commission member Brady Judd, a radical sheriff from Polk County, also appeared on NRA-TV to brag about his role in shepherding the proposal with Gualtieri.
Please contact Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri through one of the channels below and give him the following messages, personalized to your liking:
I was disgusted to learn that you have collaborated with Dana Loesch and others at the NRA to shepherd a recommendation to arm teachers through Governor Scott’s commission that was appointed to investigate the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Sheriff Gualtieri, you used to be a man of integrity who opposed the NRA’s most radical and dangerous ideas—including open carry, unregulated concealed carry during states of national emergency, and firearm/ammo purchases without any kind of screening for criminal/mental health history. But the NRA attacked you, threatened you (probably), and broke you. Now you’re carrying their water to avoid harassment and putting our families and loved ones in the line of fire. That is totally unacceptable. I never really cared about sheriffs’ races before, but if you don’t reverse course with this commission and offer real gun reform proposals to disarm violent individuals—not this armed teachers garbage—then I am going to get heavily involved in your next re-election race and do everything in my power to see you defeated. Florida can’t afford one more law enforcement official who lack the guts to stand up to the NRA and put the well-being of their communities first. NO MORE!
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri
Phone: (727) 582-6201
Email: rgualtieri@pcsonet.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bob.gualtieri
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheriffPinellas
Once you have contacted Sheriff Gualtieri, fill out the three fields below and click the orange banner to report taking action!