How is this possible? Because the merchants of death at the NRA use our political system to legally blackmail our less-than-politically courageous state legislators. Let's be clear, the title of the diary is not hyperbole, it is literal truth. See this explanation from a website proud of the new law:



But in 2011, backed by the National Rifle Association, the Republican-led state Legislature put more teeth into the state law, creating penalties for local lawmakers who violate it. Gov. Rick Scott signed the law that now makes anyone who creates or upholds local gun ordinances subject to fines of up to $5,000. They also can be removed from office and forced to pay their own legal bills if sued over local gun ordinances.

* There's no restriction on the type of firearms or ammunition that can be used in a backyard shooting range. * There's no restriction on the time of day or night your neighbors can use their gun range. * And there's no restriction on gun ranges near a public school, day-care center or neighborhood playground. Talk about the need for duck-and-cover lessons. Already people are taking advantage of the law. In the Florida Keys, a homeowner built a makeshift wooden range in his yard after learning about the law. As reported by the Miami Herald, the man thinks there should be more restrictions, such as requiring gun-range owners to take a gun-safety course. But so far, Tallahassee shows no appetite for change. Closer to home, a homeowner recently threatened to build a personal gun range off Ranches Road west of Boynton Beach if a proposed daycare center was approved on land next door.

As the Florida Sun-Sentinel reports , there are almost no limits. This can take place in a yard as small as a townhouse backyard. This can take place any time day or night. This can take place next to a playground or school.Americans are slow to be motivated, but even the most apathetic of us start caring when bullets are flying around our homes at the explicit blessing of our politicians. Further, even the most conservative right wing Republican can be driven to care when his or her name in a Google search becomes synonymous with "neighborhood shooting gallery." They care even more when word of this makes its way to real estate and travel websites, to tourism bureaus, to groups helping companies thinking of relocating or expanding. Disney, are you listening?

This is an otherwise a peaceful neighborhood, and well-mixed, at about 50% white, 50% black. The home next store with the kids is -- very ironically -- a very evangelical, conservative family with home-schooled children. I love them dearly, even if our politics collide. They are kind, sincere, generous and their kids are polite, fun, active and super sweet. They were over our place last night for movie night and popcorn (we watched a movie about a little tomboy who befriends a migrant workers little boy in 1950s CA, which upsets the local bigots).The problem home next door is owned by a man with rap sheet 5 pages long; I have it here scrolled up beside me and will unscroll it tomorrow when the reporter we expect from the local news comes by. Most of the issue are traffic, but there are pled our domestic violence arrests, cocaine, hydrocone, and a DUI.

We are in Twightlight Zone territory here folks, as the GOP politicians are now in the pleasant position of defending a serial and near lifelong law breaker with an outdoor gun range less than 20 feet from the fence of evangelical, home-schooling conservatives who now feel like they are in a war zone. We get what we vote for don't we?



Here is the latest from the Lakewood Estates Community Association (LECA) President:



In the coming days you may hear quite a bit about a man in Lakewood Estates who has built a sand pile for his son to use for target practice, behind a house with children and other homes who are understandably very upset. Here is why this is an even bigger problem than it might seem at first glance -- there is a very real danger that as word of this gets out, others will think it's a good idea. It is a real and present danger to our property values as well as to any tourism or business development because word of this is going to scare people off like nothing else. In 2011 the state passed a law that allows a citizen to construct a gun range on the back of his property, and provides that any elected official - including police -- who tries to prevent or obstruct shall be fired and fined $5,000. I know this is incredible but we have had it verified from multiple sources, including the sheriff personally (and he's a lawyer!) This explains why one of our PD sergeants who came out to examine the patently idiotic arrangement late Friday afternoon pronounced it "safe and lawful." The law provides that he cannot do otherwise, notwithstanding that sand is not a proper target and that because this man has no back yard, he has to stand in his front yard, on a street with kids on bikes, dogs, joggers, etc., and fire toward the rear of his house. If he misses, he either hits the house with the kids or the bullet travels, alive and lethal, onto the driving range of the St Pete Country Club.

I am a parent to two of the children you see in that picture. The community should also know that the children that live at this home are homeschooled, so they are there during the school day as well. In other words, there is no safe time for this home owner to turn the neighborhood into a shooting gallery. Those of us who live right here and have children and thus lives at stake maybe less reasoned. This is a genuine existential issue. Some of us have modest national platforms for which to make the story widely visible. Some of us are prepared to spend our own money to place online ads strategically on tourism and business websites around the country informing everyone we can about the Florida State Legislature turned residential neighborhoods literally into shooting galleries.

Here is how I responded back:With your help and that of local activists, the story is now near viral. Help us keep up the pressure:

FL Governor: http://www.flgov.com/...

Mayor's office: mayor@stpete.org (727) 893-7201

Local media:

ABC Action News: News Tip line: 1-866-428-NEWS newstips@wfts.com

NBC News Channel *: 1-800-348-WFLA news@wfla.com

Bay News Nine: desk@baynews9.com

Top FL Employers:

Disney World: 1 (407) 939-5277

Jabil: (727) 577-9749, investor relations (727) 803-3349

Franklin Templeton Investments, Public Relations: https://www.franklintempleton.com/...

Bayfront Medical Center: (727) 823-1234 https://www.bayfrontstpete.com/...

Local TV news is on it's way to our neighborhood, coming to talk to me.

Just spent one hour with a camera crew. If you are in the area NBC News, 11PM. Interviewed the idiot and interviewed me. Also interviewed a country commissioner who lives across the street. Crew agrees this story has legs. We expect this will be national news inside the week. Stay tuned.

We've established a hashtag: #frontyardgunrange

A petition is up http://tinyurl.com/...

Additionally, the local NRA spokesperson has come out in AGREEMENT with us that a residential neighborhood is no place for an outdoor gun range.