Dealer Licensing

Do you know what the state of Florida requires you to do if you want to become an auto dealer?

– get a $25,000 bond
– get $25,000 in liability insurance
– provide proof of lease or ownership of your location
– make sure your location has a permanent structure for an office
– have DMV inspect and approve your location
– complete a 16 hour dealer training seminar
– submit fingerprints
– complete an application
– pay a $300 application fee

Do you know what the state of Florida requires you to do if you want to become a gun dealer?

– nothing
– no really, literally nothing

(In the interest of full disclosure, an ATF license is required for gun dealers in any state. The application fee is $200. It does require fingerprinting and a background check.)

In other news, the my future dream business of “Wiggins World of Wheels” will be changing it’s name slightly… to “Wiggins Weapon Wonderland”.

Gun Control

This is the last thing I will have to say on “gun control”. Feel free to argue amongst yourselves ad-infinitum. I’m out.

When I was a kid, like most kids I had an allowance, and later on a part-time job, and my dad would pretty much let me have anything I could afford to buy for myself, provided…. I was responsible with it.

If I didn’t take care of it, I would not be allowed to keep it. If I left it out in the rain, I would not be allowed to keep it. If it did not use it properly, I would not be allowed to keep it. If it posed a danger and I left it unattended where someone could hurt themselves with it, I would not be allowed to keep it. If it was valuable and I left it out were others might be tempted to steal it, I would not be allowed to keep it. In short, if I were going to own the thing, dad insisted that I be a responsible owner. If I could not be responsible with it, I would have the thing taken away from me. And dad didn’t want to hear any complaining about it – if I had a thing taken away from me, I had no one to blame but myself.

To the “responsible” gun owners out there, you want to keep your guns? Fine. Live up to your responsibility. Be responsible. Don’t just talk about it, do it. See that it’s done. Keep your guns safe, and out of the wrong hands. See that your fellow gun owners do the same. See that your gun dealers do the same. See that law enforcement has the tools they need to deal with those who fail in their responsibility. Make some hard choices about what you do and don’t need, what you can and can’t live with.

You don’t want government to interfere, fine – don’t give them a reason to. Find a way to make it happen, or your government, spurred by the parents of too many murdered children, will find a way for you. Be responsible. Be truly responsible. At this point gun owners, if you get your guns taken away from you, you will have no one to blame but yourselves.