Former Army Special Forces Member and Firearms Trainer Discusses Need for Constitutional Carry

June 2, 2022     Updated 11:09 A.M. ET

FORT MYERS (FLV) –  Former member of the U.S. Army Special Forces and firearms litigation expert witness Aaron Forum said people should not have to ask the government for “permission” to conceal a gun for personal protection. 

Forum supports Florida legalizing “constitutional carry,” also known as permitless carry, which would allow Floridians who follow the gun laws to conceal a handgun without obtaining a concealed weapons permit. 

“I think constitutional carry is definitely better than what we have currently, which you have to go wait for the state to essentially approve you,” Forum said. 

Forum has a breadth of knowledge within the gun industry. He previously ran an indoor gun range, has experience selling thousands of guns, ran a training company doing government sales, and has deep knowledge on the use of deadly force law.

Current state law requires residents to go through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in order to receive a permit to conceal carry after undergoing training. That process can take months.

“The threat on your life is not going to wait for the government to give you permission,” Forum said. 

Forum said the quickest way to solve an active shooter situation is for someone who is right there to solve the problem. 

“We have to all come to the conclusion at this point, in realization that law enforcement do not serve as our personal security force,” he said.

Gov. Ron DeSantis this year fortified his support for legalizing Constitutional Carry in Florida. He vowed to sign constitutional carry into law before he is finished serving as Governor. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis Promises Constitutional Carry in Florida

DeSantis: “Legislature’s Got to Pass” Constitutional Carry Legislation

Rep. Anthony Sabatini sponsored constitutional carry for several years in the state legislature where the bill was stonewalled by Republicans. Sabatini said the Governor’s support makes it likely that hesitant Republicans will fall in line with the Governor’s wish. 

“People really underestimate how bad the legislature is. It is absolutely chock-full of RINOs who do not agree with what the governor is doing, but they fear him and so generally go along with what he does over time,” Sabatini said. “He just needs to continue to push them.”

Governor DeSantis has not provided a timeline on when the legislature would pass the legislation. There are 24 other states with constitutional carry or permitless carry laws on the books. 

Sabatini’s constitutional carry legislation would also allow people to “open carry” without a permit. That means someone does not need to hide or conceal the gun that they are carrying.

If someone had to use a gun to defend themselves, Forum said “open carry” laws would give the prosecution fewer tools to make that person defending themself the “bad guy.”

“In someone’s worst, they have their life scenario where they have to use a gun to defend themselves,” Forum said. “For that person who actually was doing the right thing, I want the law to be on their side as much as possible.”

While Forum does support constitutional carry, he is concerned about the lack of training from individuals. He said about 5% of people who receive a concealed carry permit take additional training. 

“I’m willing to keep our guns and tolerate the possibility of violence because I think it’s the lesser of two evils,” Forum said. “I would rather the population stay armed because I know that well beyond my lifetime, my grandkid’s lifetimes, the population not being armed could be a real problem and result in a lot more death and violence than what we have to tolerate as a free society.”

Forum said gun owners are facing an “information war” as Democrats take aim at the gun industry. 

“We want people who have negative opinions about firearms to see the light,” Forum said. “That was a big mission of mine.”

He hopes gun owners will have “open” conversations about gun ownership with skeptics or those who are curious.

“So again, this is an information war,” he explained. “This is a culture war and we can’t do that by just being isolationists.”