Arizona, Tennessee allow guns in bars

[Meirionnydd]

Gun owners in the US states of Arizona and Tennessee will be allowed to carry their weapons into bars and restaurants, from today.

The law survived a last-minute legal challenge but bar owners say they will find a way to stop the guns getting in.

The laws will allow anyone with a permit to carry weapons to take them into bars and restaurants as long as they are not drinking when they carry them.

Tennessee State Senator Mae Beavers sponsored the legislation.

"We've had good results with the permit law, not had any problems, and so we decided it was time to expand that [so] that if you wanted to go into a restaurant that serves alcohol with your family, you would be able to carry your gun, not have to leave it in the car to be stolen," she said.

There are 375,000 registered gun owners in those two states. Jerry Hassler owns a gun store in Nashville, Tennessee.

"I look at this as rebuilding gun rights, not necessarily adding to the right to carry a gun here or there," he said.

"It's nice because of the possibility that something bad could happen.

"There are just enough instances with criminal activity that if you are in a restaurant and something happens where you would need to defend yourself or your family... and if you don't have that option, you can't do anything but let whoever's doing it to you, do it to you."

Guns and alcohol
The restaurateurs have fought the changes unsuccessfully. Brent Howard runs the Stockyard Restaurant in Nashville - a steakhouse that can seat 750 people at any one time.

"Anytime that you mix alcohol and firearms is not a good combination," he said.

"I don't really foresee it affecting us too greatly because we're more of a fine dining establishment, not more of a rowdy type of a bar situation.

"But I definitely think if you mix those two elements together that that's something that could become very dangerous very quickly."

Drew Mischke runs the Mercy Lounge, which attracts a crowd looking for live music and a drink. He says despite the law, he will do as he pleases.

"We are going to ban any person from entering into the venue if they have a firearm in their possession," he said.

"We have the right to refuse service to anyone as any business does, and it is our policy that while it is not illegal to carry a weapon into a place that serves alcohol, as the business we can choose whom we do and do not want in our establishment.

"And we will not allow someone in the establishment if they have a weapon on them."

But that could be tricky if patrons conceal their guns.

"That is a difficult aspect of the law, and that's something that is extremely disappointing," he said.

"We certainly don't want to put our patrons in a position where they are frisked or in any way violated when they're entering the venue, and that's one thing that's extremely difficult about the law.

"We will have signs posted that say that we do not allow people with weapons into the venue and we hope that people will respect our rules and our wishes as an establishment."

There was a great fear among gun owners in America that the election of Barack Obama as president would put their rights at risk.

Now they are feeling emboldened and they are talking about trying to see more lenient gun laws brought in federally.

Allowing guns in bars... that's SO logical...

Arizona, Tennessee allow guns in bars - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

 

[MoonOwl]

Well, I'll just have to remember not to sit w/my back facing the entrance......

 

[NuckingFuts]

Well hell I am going to have to go out tonight. With my Glock to celabrate.
































:sarcasm Thats the dumbest idea I have ever heard.

 

[dt3]

It specifies if they're not drinking. Right now, the law won't let you go into a restaurant armed because it is a place that serves alcohol. What's the difference between a sober person sitting in a restaurant with a gun, and a sober person in their car with a gun?

 

[thatguyjeff]

MN already allows guns in bars, unless the owners post a very specific sign at all entrances that says otherwise.

People who carry guns legally are law abiding citizens. It's the law breakers you have to watch out for.

I really don't see a problem with this.

 

[AUFred]

I have a CC permit. I used to carry every day. I would rather have someone with a permit sitting next to me armed than someone without the permit sitting near me armed.

 

[Tim]

MN already allows guns in bars, unless the owners post a very specific sign at all entrances that says otherwise.

People who carry guns legally are law abiding citizens. It's the law breakers you have to watch out for.

I really don't see a problem with this.

People who are legally licensed can legally drive, but not while drinking. The law keeps them separated because alcohol does impair your judgment/motor skills. So while you may be legally allowed to carry a fire arm it doesn't mean that certain restrictions shouldn't be applied to you while you are carrying your weapon. Bars should fall under this category just as it does with government buildings, schools, banks, etc.

 

[Tim]

I have a CC permit. I used to carry every day. I would rather have someone with a permit sitting next to me armed than someone without the permit sitting near me armed.

It's not hard to get a CC permit, meaning that just about every personality type can have a permit. And it wouldn't bother you that someone with a CC is in possession of a loaded weapon while drunk?

I have no problem with people carrying a concealed weapon if they have the proper permits/licenses, but I do have a problem with people who are carrying and are intoxicated. And even if the law says that you can carry in a bar but not allowed to drink, do you honestly think that there is a high demand for people wanting to go to a bar with their weapon just to hang out and not drink? You know there will be a good percentage of those people who drink while there.

 

[dt3]

People who are legally licensed can legally drive, but not while drinking. The law keeps them separated because alcohol does impair your judgment/motor skills. So while you may be legally allowed to carry a fire arm it doesn't mean that certain restrictions shouldn't be applied to you while you are carrying your weapon. Bars should fall under this category just as it does with government buildings, schools, banks, etc.

It's not hard to get a CC permit, meaning that just about every personality type can have a permit. And it wouldn't bother you that someone with a CC is in possession of a loaded weapon while drunk?

I have no problem with people carrying a concealed weapon if they have the proper permits/licenses, but I do have a problem with people who are carrying and are intoxicated. And even if the law says that you can carry in a bar but not allowed to drink, do you honestly think that there is a high demand for people wanting to go to a bar with their weapon just to hang out and not drink? You know there will be a good percentage of those people who drink while there.

It seems like you're really hung up on the fact you don't trust the CC permits holders not to drink. Have you ever driven to a bar, then had the sense not to drive back home after you drank? By your logic, people shouldn't even be allowed to drive to a bar because the temptation to do something illegal is too great.

 

[Minor Axis]

The focus on guns in this country (the U.S.) is perplexing. I am not aware of any other other stabile civilized country in the world with this fixation. Is it our triumph or our failure?

 

[Strauss]

As I recall, Virginia also allows concealed weapons in bars without the restriction of no drinking. However, I think there may have been an attempt to restrict guns in bars recently. I don't know if that was successful or not.

The proposed federal legislation should really heat up this argument.

 

[Accountable]

The focus on guns in this country (the U.S.) is perplexing. I am not aware of any other other stabile civilized country in the world with this fixation. Is it our triumph or our failure?

Triumph, absolutely. Ours is the only country created witht The People in charge and The Government as subject. It is changing quickly ... even more quickly with Obama & Pelosi ramming new legislation through ... so our enumerated rights acknowledged in the Constitution may be our only saving grace when the professional politicians make their big push for supremecy.

As for the misleading thread title, it's pretty clear the law is for restaurants that serve alcohol.

 

[Meirionnydd]

Triumph, absolutely. Ours is the only country created witht The People in charge and The Government as subject. It is changing quickly ... even more quickly with Obama & Pelosi ramming new legislation through ... so our enumerated rights acknowledged in the Constitution may be our only saving grace when the professional politicians make their big push for supremecy.

As for the misleading thread title, it's pretty clear the law is for restaurants that serve alcohol.

Sorry about that. I just used the title of the news story as the thread title.

The Obama administration has been very timid about the issue of gun control. I don't see that changing anytime in the near future. So for the moment, more of the status quo, or a lightening of restrictions on gun owners, which is what this and other legislation would suggest.