Inviting anarchy into our community

Florida bill could lead to West Coast-style rioting and mayhem.

A Florida bill that would decriminalize certain types of retail theft could lead to San Francisco-style anarchy, more armed robberies and ultimately, the increased theft of firearms and ammunition.

It’s also one of the silliest bills most of us will ever see.

Florida Senate Bill 1534, which was sponsored by Sen. Jim Boyd, would, among other things, forever change the shopping habits of some ne’er-do-wells by decriminalizing the theft of food.

“A person’s theft of one or more food items with the intent to consume such items for the sustenance of himself or herself or another person under his or her care is not a theft violation for purposes of this Paragraph,” the bill states.

Florida Senator Jim Boyd

Boyd, a Republican from Bradenton, was unwilling to be interviewed for this story. More accurately, his staff wouldn’t let him talk about his bill. Boyd has been called a RINO before, and he’s always been a bit squishy on guns. By green-lighting any type of retail theft, his bill could prompt the lawlessness we’re seeing nearly every day in liberal states that have similar laws, which bar police from making arrests for retail theft.

Boyd’s bill would make thievery a legislative right, which raises a plethora of questions and none of them are good.

What about the shopkeepers’ rights? Are they trumped by the thief’s newfound right to steal?

What if a store owner tried to prevent the theft of their property? Could the thieves use force to stop shopkeepers from infringing upon their newly minted right to steal?

This bill would create a melee at every grocery store – something far worse than what you encounter at a Publix on the night before Thanksgiving.

The good Senator’s bill establishes a legislative right to steal, but what concerns me most is what would happen to our actual rights. When the hoodlums figure out they have a constitutional right to bear arms, will Boyd empower them to steal guns and ammunition? Where does this type of lunacy end?

Boyd introduced his thief’s-rights bill Jan. 5. It has not yet begun to move through the legislative process. Hopefully, it never will.