(TheLastPatriotNews.com) – Joining a short list of other states warning credit card companies they will be punished if they start tracking gun buyers as announced, Florida is seemingly going further and threatening significant financial penalties to any credit card company it believes is interfering in the Second Amendment rights of Floridians.
As Red State lays it out in “Florida Warns Credit Card Companies It Will Bring Down the Hammer If They Track Firearm Sales”:
“Ever the protector of the people’s rights, Florida’s Republican politicians are set to make life very difficult for credit card companies like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express should they go through with their plans to begin applying codes to purchases of guns and ammunition, effectively tracking firearm purchases and creating an unofficial registry.
“As RedState previously reported, major credit card companies moved to create “merchant codes” for firearms. When you buy something like a plane ticket, the card company files it under a certain code to identify it in their records. With merchant codes for firearms, this could not only create a registry but also allow the company to deny the purchase if they so choose.” [emphasis added]
Now Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, has issued a statement that reads in part:
“The second amendment is foundational to our American way of life. The idea that law-abiding Americans would be put on some kind of corporate watchlist is disturbing. Our rights come from our Creator, not the government, and especially not big corporations. It is clear that the actions by these credit card companies are part of a larger effort to curtail God-given constitutional rights of Americans. It is also symptomatic of the virus known as ESG, which is part of a global effort to socially re-engineer the country that we love so much. There is no way we are going to allow that to happen in the free state of Florida.
“If we come to the legislative session and companies like Visa, Mastercard and American Express are generating these reports to create a chilling effect against the purchase of firearms, then I’ll work with the Legislature to pass a law penalizing businesses who are targeting the right to bear arms. We’ve seen a groundbreaking ruling come out of the Fifth Circuit limiting corporations’ ability to curtail American’s constitutional rights, so we are on solid legal footing to pursue a bill protecting Floridians 2nd Amendment Rights. We can also take it a step further by barring these companies from doing any business with the State of Florida. We will send a message out to these large corporations that if you are interested in doing business with Florida, you need to make sure that you’re protecting Floridians right to arm and defend themselves.” [emphasis added]
Given Florida’s track record of going after corporations like Disney, it’s a safe bet that credit card companies are on notice that if they track gun purchases by Floridians, they will be punished by the state.
What is your opinion? Do you agree or disagree with the stance taken by Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis? Please share your thoughts and views by emailing [email protected]. Thank you.
Florida Warns Credit Card Companies That It Will Bring Down the Hammer If They Track Firearm Sales
https://t.co/TMxX0hCTa0— RedState (@RedState) September 22, 2022
