To the people who say Red Flag laws cannot work, they are highly mistaken. Many states already have them and in most cases they are working great. Take Florida for example.
Florida Red Flag Law
Florida’s red flag law was passed in the wake of the Parkland high school shooting. It provides police a path to ask a judge to temporarily bar dangerous individuals from possessing or purchasing a firearm. Florida judges have acted more than 8,000 times since its creation. They use it to keep guns out of the hands of people authorities deemed a risk to themselves or others. This is according to data maintained by the Office of the State Courts Administrator.
In Florida, a red flag law, was one piece of a gun reform package Gov. Rick Scott signed into law. This happened just three weeks after a teenage gunman killed 17 people inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. It included $400 million in new spending for priorities like school security and mental health resources. It allowed trained school staff to carry firearms for the first time. Republican lawmakers also agreed to raise the age to own a gun to 21. They also implemented a three-day waiting period to purchase most rifles.
Red Flag Law Problems
The only problem is that the Red Flag Law (called a “risk protection order”) only lasts for one year. It must be renewed or the person gets their rights back to have possession of a weapon.
The NRA fought against this law when it was being passed and threatened the Republican lawmakers. They told them that if they passed it that it would be political suicide for them. Guess What? It did not cause any to lose their re-election mainly because it was wanted by a majority of people in Florida.
So other states should try to pass Red Flag laws for their state that do not have them since the polls suggest it is wanted by citizens all over the US.