It's been the year of the gun in Tennessee. In a flurry of legislative action, handgun owners won the right to take their weapons onto sports fields and playgrounds and, at least briefly, into bars.
A change in leadership at the state Capitol helped open the doors to the gun-related bills and put Tennessee at the forefront of a largely unnoticed trend: In much of the country, it is getting easier to carry guns.
A nationwide review by The Associated Press found that over the last two years, 24 states, mostly in the South and West, have passed 47 new laws loosening gun restrictions.
Here's one example of common sense working in reverse.
Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Utah have made it illegal for businesses to bar their employees from storing guns in cars parked on company lots.
Even pro-gun writers have often said storing guns in cars is one of the least secure methods, but when it comes down to a common sense choice of leaving the gun at home or taking it to work and leaving it in the car, guess what happens. Is that to protect themselves against armed criminals with road rage on the drives to and from work? Or is it just in case they witness a bank robbery while driving past the bank?
Meanwhile, the cars are stolen or broken into.
There are many other examples. What seems to be happening is the NRA-backed initiatives across the country do not take anything into account except whether the law is pro gun or not. A victory is a victory. It's bad news.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
I've never been a fan of leaving guns in cars. I don't even stop for gas when I have guns in the car.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, unless you have to go through a security check point where you will obviously be caught, take your gun into work with you. A handgun is easy. Just keep it in a holster and keep it on your body or locked in your desk. If it's a long gun, just put it in a nondescript looking case and keep it in your office or locker at work.
Of course, you run the risk of being caught and possibly losing your job, so it's up to each person to determine whether it's worth it or not.
"What seems to be happening is the NRA-backed initiatives across the country do not take anything into account except whether the law is pro gun or not."
ReplyDeleteThe Brady Bunch does the exact same thing in reverse.
The difference is that the NRA is kicking the BC's ass.
Its just all about that compromise you and the gun banners want. We want no restrictions, you want absolute restrictions. You already have over 20,000 restrictions on the books so it makes sense that if we are to compromise then we have a lot more to go.
ReplyDeleteI hope we compromise some more in 2010.
kaveman, I don't think the Bradys do that to the extent of the NRA. I really don't, But, I'll say this, I think both sides are sincere. The gun control folks really want to lessen gun violence even at a great cost to legitimate gun owners, and the NRA really believes if they don't oppose every single thing, the slippery slope with get them.
ReplyDelete"kaveman, I don't think the Bradys do that to the extent of the NRA."
ReplyDeleteUh, yeah. They do. The BC even goes as far as to rank each state by how anti-gun it's laws are.
Even pro-gun writers have often said storing guns in cars is one of the least secure methods, but when it comes down to a common sense choice of leaving the gun at home or taking it to work
ReplyDeleteThis is a problem created entirely by anti-gunners like yourself.
If not for CCW laws and general anti-carry laws we wouldn't have to store our guns in the car. The safest place for my gun is on my hip yet you anti-gunners force me to leave it in the car to be stolen.
Anti-gunners contributing to "gun-flow" to criminals. Funny eh?
So MikeB, aren't you responsible for every gun that's stolen and used in a crime, since the policies you support directly contribute to "gun flow?"
ReplyDeleteThat's your logic, so surely it applies to yourself and your ilk as well