Testy tourists risk being shot

2005-09-29 17:06

Miami - Welcome to Florida, but avoid arguments or thanks to a new law you run the risk of getting shot, according to an ad campaign launched by a gun-control group.

The campaign coincides with a state law that enters into effect authorising gun owners to shoot anyone in a public area who they believe threaten their safety.

The law, supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA), was approved by the state legislature in April. Governor Jeb Bush described it as a "good, common sense, anti-crime issue" when he signed it into law. He is a brother of US President George W. Bush.

Supporters call it the "Stand Your Ground" law, while opponents call it the "Shoot First" law.

Under the previous law gun owners had first to attempt to withdraw and avoid a confrontation, and were authorised to shoot the threatening individual inside their home or property.

'Law sides with law-abiding victim'

Critics say the current law allows gun owners to shoot if they engage in a simple argument. Supporters say criminals will think twice when they try to attack someone in public.

Before the law was "on the side of the criminal", said Marion Hammer, head of Unified Sportsmen of Florida and a former NRA president. "The new law is on the side of the law-abiding victim," Hammer said.

The Washington DC-based Brady Campaign to Control Gun Violence will run ads in US and British newspapers warning tourists planning to visit Florida that a "nervous and frightened" Florida resident could shoot to kill. "Warning: Florida residents can use deadly force," the ad states.

"If you are involved in a traffic accident or near-miss, remain in your car and keep your hands in plain sight. If someone appears to be angry with you, maintain to the best of your ability a positive attitude, and do not shout or make threatening gestures," the ad reads.

Take precautions

"It is reasonable to make people know that while they're visiting Florida they should take the right precautions to avoid potentially being victims of violence," said Brady Campaign spokesperson Peter Hamm.

The group is named after Jim Brady, spokesperson for president Ronald Reagan. Brady received a gunshot wound that paralysed him when a mentally disturbed man shot Reagan in 1981.

Florida tourist authorities are hardly amused by the campaign.

"The Brady Campaign is one group's political agenda and not a safety and education issue," fumed Bud Nocera, executive director of Visit Florida, the state's tourism office, who described it as a "scare tactic" campaign.

Nocera said the campaign would have no impact on the millions of tourists that visit Florida, numbering 80 million in 2004.

The Brady Campaign is "not telling anybody they shouldn't visit Florida. My family and I vacation in Florida every Easter and were intending to do so. But I'm going to make sure that none of the people in my family get into a loud argument while we are there," said Hamm.

- AFP