David Marcus: California has a lot to learn from Florida when it comes to looters
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During the Los Angeles fires, we witnessed many brave acts of kindness, but as the number of robberies increased, the darker side of human nature also emerged. Unfortunately, in heavily anti-gun California, homeowners have few options for self-defense.
Police have charged more than 20 people with robbery. One vicious couple even dressed up as firefighters to snatch valuables from victims whose homes had been abandoned or destroyed.
Looters posing as fire officials and utility workers loot abandoned Los Angeles homes
Apparently, high winds are still raging around Hollywood and all resources, including the police, are being stretched to the limit, providing a target-rich criminal environment for hard-hearted thieves.
One thing these Los Angeles thugs can count on is that if they encounter a homeowner during a robbery, there’s a slim chance that that person will pull a gun on them.
A firefighter in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles jumps over a fence while fighting the Palisades Fire on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (Ethan Swope/Associated Press)
In the liberal state of Florida, where the Second Amendment protecting gun rights is respected, not reviled, would-be looters learned after the hurricane that stealing from the wrong house could be punishable by death.
They know this because Gov. Ron DeSantis told them so last year after Hurricane Milton caused damage to thousands of homes.
“If you go into someone’s house after a storm has passed and think you’re going to be able to commit a crime, you’re going to be in very serious trouble,” DeSantis promised, adding, “Frankly, you don’t know What’s behind that door in a Second Amendment state.”
Listen, listen.
In reality, unarmed people in Los Angeles are at risk from the Golden State’s tough anti-gun laws on two fronts. The first is the inability of the individual to protect themselves and their property, but the second, perhaps worse, is that the perpetrator knows this very well.
When we think about why the Second Amendment was created, people often note that it was for self-defense and to check the power of the government. But in California, we’re seeing a third reason, and it’s this emergency.
Polk County, Florida Sheriff Grady Judd issued a warning to looters trying to take advantage of areas affected by Hurricane Milton. (Fox News Digital)
Angelenos don’t need guns to overthrow their government, at least not yet, but they do need guns to hold down the fort, or house, while the government pours all its resources into disaster management.
In fact, when you look at gun ownership rates by state, rural states like Montana have the highest gun ownership per capita. This is precisely because, in cities, government protection in the form of police is always within minutes, but in rural areas, this is often not the case.
This is exactly where Los Angeles residents find themselves today. City and state governments are overwhelmed, people need to protect themselves, and short-sighted anti-gun policies are preventing them from doing so.
That’s why we see some wealthy people in Los Angeles paying private security to protect their homes, which I guess is great if you’re a millionaire, but if not, it makes you more vulnerable.
Frankly, in many cases all it takes is a handful of openly armed people patrolling the neighborhood to stop would-be muggers from rolling the dice with their lives.
But California’s progressive leadership, which by the way also has taxpayer-funded armed protection, will not allow the average person to use his own gun to protect his family.
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Progressive gun policies like California’s, like so many other progressive policies, are designed to make citizens weaker, more vulnerable, and more dependent on the state. Today, that was on public and clear display in Los Angeles.
Hopefully, once the emergency passes, Californians will realize how important their gun rights really are and demand their gun rights be restored. Meanwhile, thousands of people are simply helpless.
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Los Angeles District Attorney Nate Hockman was elected to be tough on crime. This is his first chance. If the city doesn’t allow its citizens to protect themselves, then the punishment for robbery must be severe, like years in jail.
But honestly, this is not and will never be an adequate replacement for an armed population, which is what the Founding Fathers understood when they preached our God-given right to gun ownership.
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