HOLLY HILL -- "The bursts from handguns at an indoor shooting range echo the growing number of persons in Florida carrying concealed weapons.
"We get new shooters all the time," said Brian Sherman, 24, owner of E-Z Gun & Pawn Inc. and Hot Shot Indoor Shooting Range on North Nova Road. "Sometimes up to 30 new shooters a day, and on some Saturdays there can be a two-hour wait."
The increase coincides with a boost in new concealed weapons licenses issued over the past five years -- up 101.6 percent from 2001 according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Licensing.
From July 1, 2001 to June 30, 2002, new licenses totaled 36,306. The same time period in 2006-2007 saw 73,179 new licenses issued.
Despite the timing of the sharp rise in the years after 9/11, experts said the increase doesn't relate so much to terrorism as it does to crime -- including violent crimes involving firearms, up 12.6 percent in 2006, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
"Since 9/11, the Department of Homeland Security has been trying to tell the public to be responsible for their own safety," said Lt. Greg Arthur, Homeland Security contact for the Volusia County Sheriff's Office."
And a hearty salute to you, Lt. Arthur. Imagine that. A member of law enforcement standing up for common sense. Compare this with the reaction of certain Texas police officers who are quaking in their cowboy boots over the fact that law abiding Texans may now carry a firearm in their vehicle. Just when I start to think that Texas is back on the road to manhood, the fuzz drop the ball and embarrass the whole bloody state for being such crybabies, and it's damned good to see Floridians taking up the slack until ALL of Texas is free once more.
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