Florida is a state known for sunny beaches and red state politics. I've actually heard a state lawmaker describe it as the freest state in the nation. Of course, this was at a Second Amendment gathering where people know how restrictive the state can be on guns. They're not anti-gun, but not the most pro-gun, either.
But they're good enough that people can defend themselves if need be. However, that doesn't mean someone won't make you move.
It seems a Florida woman defended herself from a home invader. She shot the intruder and killed him. But rather than just be thrilled the tenants of the apartment are safe and sound, they're getting some very different treatment.
According to an outraged parent, a Fort Myers apartment complex is kicking out tenants because one of them shot a man trying to get inside their room.
“It adds insult to injury, it’s completely outrageous and I just don’t know what kind of person or organization makes that kind of decision,” said Stuart Lurie.
Lurie said his daughter lives at the Carlton of Fort Myers, in the room where a man with a gun tried to get in, before being shot and killed by one of her roommates.
Now, it seems the would-be home invader lived in the apartment complex and had an apartment number similar to theirs, so he may not have actually meant any harm.
Then again, no one inside the apartment had any way of knowing this at the time. Instead, they reacted as any reasonable person would and defended themselves.
But rather than just having to deal with the trauma from that ordeal, the tenants like Lurie's daughter are having to find a new place to move because they had a gun.
Lurie sent Fox 4 a copy of the seven-day notice, which says they have to leave because of prohibited conduct, which includes the following:
“You, your occupants or guests, or the guests of any occupants, may not engage in the following activities: ...engaging in or threatening violence; possessing a weapon prohibited by state law; discharging a firearm in the apartment community; displaying or possessing a gun, knife, or other weapon in the common area in a way that may alarm others; engaging in criminal activity that threatens the health, safety, or right to peaceful enjoyment of others in or near the apartment community (regardless of arrest or conviction);.. Any violation of this paragraph shall be a material breach of this Lease and will entitle us to exercise all rights and remedies under the lease and law.”
So they exercised a constitutionally protected right, and now they're getting the boot?
I'm not one who tramples on property rights, so if the ownership doesn't want guns on its property, that's certainly something they can do just as they could say you can't hold worship meetings in your apartment or display political messages in the windows.
But I'll just say that everyone who lives there should consider moving right away.
Denying people the right to keep and bear arms, then evicting them when they defend themselves, is a terrible look at best. Stuff like this is why landlords get hit with laws about what they can and can't do in the first place, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Florida ban this kind of language for lease agreements.
I'm not ready to go that far. I'd much rather hurt the owners in the wallet by seeing literally everyone move away.
However, I'll also note that with this now in the public, I wouldn't be surprised to see a lot more home invasions in this apartment complex. After all, if it's all a massive gun-free zone, what do they have to lose?