Saturday, June 06, 2009
Guns and liquor
Alcohol impairs people's decisions. People with guns kill people. Why increase the risk of people killing people by permitting armed customers into restaurants that serve alcohol?
This week Tennessee passed legislation enabling gun permit holders to carry firearms in restaurants that serve alcohol, as long as the owner sanctions it and the gun carrier does not drink alcohol. (But customers can conceal their weapons.) The state legislature also allowed handguns in state and local parks.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) members are happy, but Metro Nashville Police Chief Ronald Serpas and Governor Phil Bredesen are not, according to The Nation's Restaurant News.
"I've witnessed shootings in bars before," Chief Serpas said. "The presence of somebody else with a gun would not have saved anybody. These things happen in the blink of an eye. It's not like it is on TV."
On May 28th Governor Bresden vetoed the bill allowing guns in bars and restaurants, but the state legislature and the NRA triumphed.
"This veto override proves Tennessee legislators trust permit holders and understand this is a common sense measure that must become law in their state," said NRA-ILA Executive Director, Chris W. Cox. "HB 962 (the gun bill) will allow permit holders the opportunity to protect their own lives and the lives of those they love."
Chief Serpas thinks that proponents such as the NRA and the Tennessee Firearms Association are missing the mark on safety when they claim that guns allow permit holders to protect themselves against criminals.
On Monday June 8, Arizona's state senate will decide on Bill 1113, which would allow customers to take concealed handguns into restaurants that serve alcohol; in 2005 the Arizona legislature passed a restaurant carry provision, which was vetoed by previous Governor Janet Napolitano. Arizona began allowing guns in state parks last month.
The surge of gun rights across the nation is dangerous. When laws protect a citizen's right to carry a weapon into establishments that serve alcohol, the safety of others is jeopardized, and the vulnerability of violence increases.
This week Tennessee passed legislation enabling gun permit holders to carry firearms in restaurants that serve alcohol, as long as the owner sanctions it and the gun carrier does not drink alcohol. (But customers can conceal their weapons.) The state legislature also allowed handguns in state and local parks.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) members are happy, but Metro Nashville Police Chief Ronald Serpas and Governor Phil Bredesen are not, according to The Nation's Restaurant News.
"I've witnessed shootings in bars before," Chief Serpas said. "The presence of somebody else with a gun would not have saved anybody. These things happen in the blink of an eye. It's not like it is on TV."
On May 28th Governor Bresden vetoed the bill allowing guns in bars and restaurants, but the state legislature and the NRA triumphed.
"This veto override proves Tennessee legislators trust permit holders and understand this is a common sense measure that must become law in their state," said NRA-ILA Executive Director, Chris W. Cox. "HB 962 (the gun bill) will allow permit holders the opportunity to protect their own lives and the lives of those they love."
Chief Serpas thinks that proponents such as the NRA and the Tennessee Firearms Association are missing the mark on safety when they claim that guns allow permit holders to protect themselves against criminals.
On Monday June 8, Arizona's state senate will decide on Bill 1113, which would allow customers to take concealed handguns into restaurants that serve alcohol; in 2005 the Arizona legislature passed a restaurant carry provision, which was vetoed by previous Governor Janet Napolitano. Arizona began allowing guns in state parks last month.
The surge of gun rights across the nation is dangerous. When laws protect a citizen's right to carry a weapon into establishments that serve alcohol, the safety of others is jeopardized, and the vulnerability of violence increases.
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