Driving down any highway will result in seeing a plethora of billboards. While we should keep our eyes on the roads, a clever billboard draws your attention anyway, yet only for a brief moment.
Usually, it’s advertising something like a restaurant or tourist attraction.
They don’t disappear inside cities, either, often advertising pretty much any kind of business one can imagine.
Yet in central Florida, motorists will be seeing something a bit different. They’ll be seeing billboards admonishing them to take steps to mitigate gun violence in their communities.
A powerful message about gun safety is being broadcast across Central Florida through ten strategically placed billboards. The Ninth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office has launched a campaign featuring Orange County Sheriff John Mina and Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, emphasizing the critical importance of responsible firearm storage to help reduce gun violence in the community.
…
“Improperly stored firearms not only endanger our families but can also significantly contribute to crime in our community,” stated State Attorney Bain. “Firearms stolen from vehicles are frequently used by criminals, increasing the problem of gun violence. Taking simple steps to secure firearms in vehicles will reduce gun thefts and ultimately help save lives. We can create safer environments for our families and neighbors by working together and educating others.”
Honestly, this is how you address the problem.
Yes, common sense should dictate that you don’t leave your gun in a car unsecured, but common sense isn’t that common anymore. In fact, it’s seeming rare enough that it should qualify as a superpower at this point.
We know this to be true because an alarming number of people think nothing of leaving a firearm in a car with the doors unlocked, often overnight in their own driveways.
The truth is that while I’ve seen countless stories of people leaving guns in the car overnight and them being stolen, most people don’t. They don’t follow the news in that great of detail and while they might see the odd story of a theft here or there, unless it’s in their neighborhood, they don’t think much of it.
So, they leave the gun in the car.
Educating them on the risks through an educaiton campaign, such as billboards, offers an opportunity to deal with the problem without trying to create news laws that come with their own problems such as being nothing more than an attempt to punish the victims of a theft.
If common sense isn’t that common, then it’s clear education has to at least be attempted before legislation. Especially when you consider how many laws there are and how impossible it is for any one to keep up with them all. Even if a law is on the books, there’s no guarantee that someone is going to be aware of it. When you’re talking about guns unsecured in cars, that means the issue isn’t really solved.
Some people need to leave their guns in their car. They’re in and out of places where guns are prohibited. Those people need gun safes in their cars, but we need to make sure they’re aware of that need. This does that without punishing victims.
