BLUE STATE BLUES: Law-and-Order, Permitless Carry Florida vs. Lawless, Gun-Controlled Illinois [VIDEOS]

So my family and I returned from some time in Florida, specifically Ft. Walton Beach. We saw the sights and had a great time on the Emerald Coast, named for its beautiful green water and white sand.

Some call it the “Redneck Riviera”.  No doubt some in “civilized” and woke Chicago look down their nose at those friendly but knuckle-dragging rednecks on the Emerald Coast.  They view Florida as the home of racist rednecks and “Florida man” idiots.

Those erudite and sophisticated Windy City residents will tell you they have beaches adjacent to a large body of water too.  So why would they go to the place where woke goes to die?  Sure, the water in J.B. Pritzker’s hometown isn’t emerald green and their sand isn’t brilliant white.  They try to make up for those shortcomings at their beaches with the complimentary sound of gunfire in the distance and intrusive police checkpoints at the entrances.

Who doesn’t appreciate the sound of gunfire in and intrusive police searches, right?

For most of my trip to Ron DeSantis’ home state, I carried a SIG P365 for personal defense.  I’ve shot a lot of guns and the 365 is a fantastic, all-around carry gun that holds two-and-a-half times more rounds than my beloved J-frame revolver in a smaller package, ideal for vacation.  Meanwhile, the wife carried a Colt Commando Special.  It’s fairly heavy and bulky, but it’s her purse, not mine.

One day on our trip, we disarmed to visit the Pensacola Naval Air Station to see the Blue Angels practice along with the magnificent Naval Air Museum which had just re-opened to civilians after its closure during the Wuhan flu lockdown.  We even caught up with the Blue Angels pilots at the museum and introduced the 4-year-old twins to them.

Are you still stuck on the “disarm” part of visiting the Pensacola Naval Air Station?  John Boch leave his gun at home?  Yep. Unlike the Land of Lincoln, Florida remains the land of law-and-order and I didn’t feel that anxious about that missing weight on my hip.  With crime rates at 50-year lows there, we not only felt safe but we were safe.

Nobody got shot, stabbed or killed in Ft. Walton Beach or the bucolic redneck communities near us during our 10-day vacation. Meanwhile on just one of those days, the cosmopolitan and worldly folks in Chicago reported people 30 people shot, four fatally.

Serious crime in most of Florida is low.  Serious crime in Illinois is up, and in Chicago it’s up…  a lot.  Thank heavens for Illinois gun control, right?

#Chicago’s crime wave is still on the move.

YTD 2023 major #crimes are 34% higher than in 2022, which in turn was 33% percent higher than in 2021. Via @Wirepoints https://t.co/gfvYAzkcML #twill @GovPritzker #illinois @ChicagosMayor pic.twitter.com/gVoQqcPjLT

— Wirepoints (@Wirepoints) August 17, 2023

Heartbreaking to hear about the brutal attack on the innocent man and the mail carrier. We must stand together against violence and support law enforcement in their efforts to apprehend these criminals.
by u/Thompson_Emily in CrimeInChicago

On our vacation, we didn’t have to worry about robbery crews roaring up in stolen cars sticking guns in your face and take your property at gunpoint.  Then beat you down for good measure.

A reminder that compliance certainly does not guarantee that you won’t be physically assaulted. This is most recent upload from Instagram’s ChicagoCritterrr. Happened in Chicago but unsure of where. Last 50 seconds is just dude laid out & people trying to help.
by u/DuPageILLinois in CrimeInChicago

Mobs of hooligans don’t roam downtown streets to loot stores and trash private property with impunity.

Teen Takeover: 7-11 gets raided last night in the south loop. I just unblocked everyone except for “INate_H*****”. I’d like to keep it that way… just PLEASE refrain from racist or otherwise antagonistic comments Video compliments of C.C.C. (via Facebook). Please download this clip & share it
by u/DuPageILLinois in CrimeInChicago

Gang members don’t roll up in stolen cars and shoot people in the Sunshine State.

People in the Sunshine State weren’t getting shot or killed in road rage incidents outside of famous landmarks like Soldier Field – or anywhere else for that matter.

Then again, in Florida, they put violent people behind bars. They don’t release people with “affordable” bails and ankle bracelets so they can re-offend and continue victimizing productive members of the community.

The difference between Florida and Illinois – specifically Chicago – remains as stark as night and day. Remember the woman who stabbed a Chicago Transit Authority employee in the throat a couple of years ago and got charged with a misdemeanor? The same woman, Quinton Joiner, later moved to Florida and randomly stabbed two more people in a single day, critically injuring them. Maybe the stabby former Chicago resident thought she would catch another misdemeanor charge. Now she’s a long-term guest of Florida and won’t be poking anyone else.

Not only that but an average of one in five adult Floridians (roughly 2.757M as of July 31)  has a license to pack heat.  We surely had ours.  Heck, as of the first of July, Florida residents don’t even need a stinkin’ license to pack their heater.

Folks might remember this would-be armed robber from Chicago who drove down to Florida and found a surprise awaiting him when he walked into the convenience store toting a shotgun.  He didn’t expect the Florida store owner would have his own gun.  “I’m from Chicago, bro,” the robber said while staring down a determined clerk’s heater.

Ron DeSantis didn’t bring violent crime rates down to 50-year lows in the Sunshine State all by himself. But unlike Illinois’ governor and Chicago’s mayor, Florida’s Gov. DeSantis saves most of his compassion for the law-abiding as opposed to the criminals.