Jacob OglesAs state Rep. Anthony Sabatini pushes his controversial ‘constitutional carry’ legislation, he will appear at a Second Amendment forum Monday.
But there’s already anger he’s sharing the stage with radio host Bill Mick, who has been criticized for sympathizing with anti-Semitic callers.
The “2A Gun Rights Preservation Forum” will be held Monday in Cocoa at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites. Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey and Republican Liberty Caucus Chair Bob White also will appear at the forum. So will radio host Royce Bartlett, whose “Shooting Straight” show appears on the same network as Mick’s “Bill Mick Live.”
Organizers with Trump 2020 Brevard promise the event will “push back at the ‘Gun Grabbers’ in Tallahassee and the BAWN (Ban Assault Weapons Now) group.”
Those are notably different powers. Supporters of BAWN, a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban semi-automatic weapons, embarked on their effort in response to Florida lawmakers refusing to consider similar legislation, contributing to Florida’s reputation as an extremely pro-gun state.
But gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association sued the Legislature over a school safety law approved in the way of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High mass shooting. So there has been friction in recent years over gun control legislation in Tallahassee.
Sabatini’s ‘constitutional carry’ bill aims to greatly expand gun rights by gutting the existing concealed carry regimen. That proposal is one even the NRA has declined to embrace.
But it’s not that legislation that has Jewish leaders in Brevard County agitated. It’s that Sabatini will appear alongside Mick at the forum.
In August, Mick came under fire from the Anti-Defamation League Florida after taking a call on his show from someone espousing anti-Semitic beliefs and seemingly expressing sympathy, according to Florida Today.
“The caller who identified himself as Mark espoused textbook anti-Semitic views while paradoxically also claiming antisemitism to be a hoax,” read a letter from the League to WMMB, which carries the show.
“It was therefore quite disappointing to hear Mr. Mick not dismiss the caller’s bigoted views, or end the call entirely as he (does) with callers he disagrees with, but rather jovially engage with the caller and even himself dismiss those offended by anti-Semitism as ‘snowflakes.’”
Mick also got into a kerfuffle with lawmakers in Tallahassee after criticizing an anti-Semitism bill ultimately signed into law in a ceremony in Israel. Mick reportedly said of the bill on his show, “We don’t want the Jews to feel bad that somebody might say something about them.”
Sabatini did not respond to requests for comment about the forum.
Mick responded to a social media direct message days after the event. He noted one of the rabbis who signed a letter criticizing Mick also appeared at the event and gave the invocation. He reiterated in the message, and on his radio broadcast, that he is not anti-Semitic.
He believes reactions to the original caller interaction in question have been misinterpreted, and that he often spends more time talking on his show with listeners he disagrees with than those who share his views.
“Anyone who knows me or has looked into the false allegations has come away knowing that I am not that kind of person,” Mick said.
On his show, he said Sabatini before the event or this article’s original publication had called him to discuss concerns about the accusations. But he said Sabatini left the conversation comfortable Mick was not anti-Semitic.
6 comments
MJ
January 6, 2020 at 7:57 am
Love how a writer can write about an event and never talk to anyone involved. According to Mr Mick you NEVER reached out to him for comment. The writer’s second mistake was to quote the Florida Today newspaper, who is now relegated to a small corner office and down to a skeleton crew, thanks to the residents repudiating their liberal bias reporting and cancelled their subscriptions. We are a no nonsense Republican county. I have to ask, how did the West Coast writer get this story from the East Coast in the first place if he made no calls to check out the story? I have to wonder if he rec’d this false info from local representative or affiliates of Rep Randy Fine. Rep Fine is in panic mode bc he will be replaced in 2020. You see, he voted for the Red Flag Laws when his constituents asked him not to. He also voted against our First Amendment rights too. Oh btw, did I mention Rep Fine was Jewish? Yes he has taken to hiding behind his religion bc he is a terrible representative for Brevard County and the State of Florida. Rep Randy Fine does not respect or follow the Constitution and Brevard residents are ready for someone new, who will represent what they want. Not what the politician wants to feed us. Rep Randy Fine has made MANY promises to Brevard Republicans on the Bill Mick’s LIVE Show (on iHeart radio) and broke every single one of them. This is an important FACT the writer failed to mention. Makes you think perhaps the phone call was a set up from a certain Florida representative.
WeeWee
January 6, 2020 at 2:45 pm
Writer fails in every article. every time. Why? Because he basically sits around all week and thinks how to stir-the-pot and be as divisive as his limited left-wing brain will allow. Read his other work and you’l see what I mean.
John Kociuba
January 6, 2020 at 8:07 am
Dear Citizens ~
Re: The Constitution of the United States
Read it! BAWN, Mother Demand Action, CREW, UEAALDF, AFL-CIO, SEIU, UEW, SPLC, ACLU, PERF, countless others supported by International Socialist Organization, George Soris, Steyer, Bloomberg, etc.
THEY ALL HATE CHRISTIANITY! THEY ALL HATE E PLURIBUS UNUM by dividing us into groups with special monetary policy and rights which biolates the United States Constitution!
The 1964 UnCivil Rights Act, 1965 Immigration Act, Patriot Act, Hate Speech Law, Homeland Insecurity, TSA, Star Chamber FISA Courts are all ILLEGAL!
Who’s coming for your FREE SPEECH? Who wants to end the 2nd Amendment like they’re trying to do in Virginia? You have the Constitution Right not to like people!
The only speech that is UNCONSTITUTIONAL IS SEDITIOUS SPEECH! TRYING TO OVERTHROW THE CONSTITUTION WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT THESE CLANDESTINE COMMUNIST OPERATIVE MINORITIES HAVE TRIED TO DO FOR DECADES WITH THE HELP OF TREASONOUS FEDERAL ACTIVIST JUDGES!
Democratic-socialism is Menshevik Communism! Communism is Sedition by definition and therefore ILLEGAL in the United States!
Furthermore i will argue this fact with any Statesmen, Judge, Juris Doctor! Is it their opinions that the founding fathers fought a bloody revolution risking lives, treasure, family, just so the RED COATS could return the next day? Teach in schools? Buy newspaper corporations? Infiltrate all levels of Government and private sector whilst indoctrinating Americans that the Constitution is evil come and join the Monarchy?
NO! NO! NO! Because its SEDITION and the 3mentions SEDITION 3 times!
MgM
January 6, 2020 at 2:41 pm
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
Ken Willey
January 7, 2020 at 4:11 pm
All you have to do is look at 90% of the Republicans in the legislature and you can see they aren’t extremely pro-gun. With the exception of Sabatini and Byrd I would say they are barely pro-gun with a few anti-gun mixed in.
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