Two Minor Victories for the NRA

During Obama's first term, with no resistance from the administration in the White House in spite of all the dramatic predictions, and a sympathetic Supreme Court, the gun-rights folks have been hard-pressed to make much progress.  Earlier they had that little victory with the National Parks and then the Amtrak thing.  But, it seems odd they haven't accomplished more.

Now they're chalking up two more practically insignificant victories.

Guns on campus in Oregon.

People licensed to carry concealed weapons can’t be barred from bringing guns onto university campuses, a state appeals court ruled Wednesday.

The ruling by a three-judge panel of the Oregon Court of Appeals strikes down a state administrative rule that prohibited carrying guns on property owned or controlled by the Oregon University System.

Guns in bars in Ohio.

As you sit in your favorite tavern, devouring hot chicken wings and downing cold beer, could the person next to you be packing heat - legally?

Yes, starting Friday, when Ohio's revised concealed-carry law takes effect.

"Few if any" problems are anticipated. I imagine that's true, also in Oregon. But that's the problem right there. Those few problems that will occur, need not. They are totally avoidable.

Part of the pro-gun argument rests on the false presumption that the armed people in Ohio bars and on Oregon campuses will prevent violence or intervene in dangerous situations and actually save lives. But, this doesn't seem to be the case. Even staunch gun-rights advocates admit it's very unlikely they'll ever be in exactly the right position in exactly the right moment to intervene. Violence happens too randomly and too quickly for them to help.

So what we're left with are the "few if any" problems. No gun-control people are predicting "blood in the streets" over this, but neither can the pro-gun crowd claim major victories.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.