In the Carolinas, guns are allowed in bars. In Arkansas, you can take a gun into some churches and religious schools. In Indiana, you can keep a gun in your car on school
property. In West Virginia, residents with concealed-carry permits can bring firearms into public recreation facilities such as tennis courts and swimming pools. Since the massacre in Newtown, 18 states have passed laws allowing guns in more places—but in only four states can you bring a gun into state legislative chambers.
property. In West Virginia, residents with concealed-carry permits can bring firearms into public recreation facilities such as tennis courts and swimming pools. Since the massacre in Newtown, 18 states have passed laws allowing guns in more places—but in only four states can you bring a gun into state legislative chambers.
“They did it everywhere but where they are,” Danny Jones, the Republican mayor of Charleston, W.Va., said of his state legislators. “The road to power is paved with hypocrisy. That’s what’s going on here.”
to power is paved with hypocrisy. That’s what’s going on here.”
Why the disparity? Some of the laws are aimed at preventing towns and cities from enacting their own gun-control measures. Steve Hickey, a Republican state legislator in South Dakota who owns 17 guns, believes more guns make people safer. He sponsored a bill that allows some teachers to carry guns in schools, but opposed one that would allow them into the statehouse.
people safer. He sponsored a bill that allows some teachers to carry guns in schools, but opposed one that would allow them into the statehouse.
“We have the most contentious issues being debated in publicpolicy, affecting people in irate, angry ways and affecting millions and millions of dollars,” he told Bloomberg Businessweek. “This is different than when you go work at the bar. This is different than you [are] working at the bank.”
policy, affecting people in irate, angry ways and affecting millions and millions of dollars,” he told Bloomberg Businessweek. “This is different than when you go work at the bar. This is different than you [are] working at the bank.”
Minnesota is one of those four states. The law has been in force for over ten years with no problems.
ReplyDeleteThe point was not whether the law is causing problems. It's about the obvious hypocrisy of the legislators who won't allow guns where they work but push for them elsewhere.
DeleteI agree Mike, the obvious solution then is to treat most public property as public.
DeleteI don't know. I think you can read a bit more into this. These law makers apparently believe guns are too dangerous to allow in the state house. That could mean that they also understand they're too dangerous to allow in schools, churches and bars but since that doesn't affect them so personally they really don't give a fuck.
DeleteNo problems? Hardly, check the record. Besides, you always try to cite Minnesota on these gun issues when one State does not represent the whole country, so it is nothing but anecdotal.
ReplyDelete"Besides, you always try to cite Minnesota on these gun issues when one State does not represent the whole country, so it is nothing but anecdotal. "
ReplyDeleteIn this case, the anecdotal cite is 25% of the states that allow carry in their respective Capitols. Have you seen any incidents in the other three states that allow it committed by permit holders in the respective sate legislatures?
Why would you support legislators exempting themselves from the laws they pass for the rest of society? That's elitism at its worse.
Delete"Why would you support legislators exempting themselves from the laws they pass for the rest of society?"
DeleteAnon, I think you misunderstand. The laws that allow firearms in legislative chambers that they refer to are laws that allow citizens to carry in the chambers. The hypocrisy the article speaks of is the states that allow permitted carry in other places, but not in legislative chambers.
I'm suggesting that it would be great to eliminate the hypocrisy by allowing permitted carry in all legislatures.
I think ssgmark agrees with Mike that State Capitals and all other government buildings along with all public areas should be right to carry locations. Isn't it nice that everybody can agree on something?
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