Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Right-to-Carry In Restaurants

Wednesday, August 26, 2009


It hurts to say this, but I`m embarrassed by what` going on in my home state of Tennessee. I`m even more disappointed by the recent actions of Governor Phil Bredesen. But these developments offer some important lessons for Right-to-Carry reform nationwide.

Right-to-Carry is not a new concept. It` been the law in Tennessee for more than ten years. A 1998 article in the Tennessean newspaper carried the incredulous headline, "Gun law hasn`t led to carnage"--as if this were a big surprise.

The pattern is familiar. When Right-to-Carry is proposed anywhere, our opponents whip up fear and hysteria about "blood in the streets."

Of course, the mayhem never materializes. When Right-to-Carry passes, only a small percentage of the population applies for a permit. By definition, these people are law-abiding.

But that small percentage of the public is enough to change the odds against predatory criminals. And even the media are starting to get it. Another Tennessee newspaper, the Commercial Appeal, ran an article last year that looked at the increase in justifiable homicides, from 11 in 2006 to 32 in 2007. A Memphis concealed-carry instructor had a simple explanation for the reporter: "The thugs have started running into people who can protect themselves."

When first passed, Right-to-Carry laws are often imperfect. To get enough votes for passage, sponsors often have to carve out certain locations where Right-to-Carry will not be allowed. So we have our work cut out for us, in Tennessee and elsewhere, to reform these arbitrary lists of supposedly "gun free zones"--which are really just safe zones for criminals.

Tennessee` original law banned lawful carry in any restaurant that serves alcohol. "Guns and alcohol don`t mix," our opponents warn. And while that` true on the target range or in the hunting fields, our opponents really believe that guns don`t "mix" with anything. And, as with the concept of Right-to-Carry itself, they are ignoring the experience of the 39 states that don`t ban lawful carry in restaurants that serve alcohol.

The debate in Tennessee followed the familiar pattern this year. The legislature passed a bill to allow lawful carry in restaurants (as long as the permit holder doesn`t drink), and the media launched into predictions of carnage--again. Having lost sight of recent history, Governor Phil Bredesen capitulated to the media and vetoed the bill during a staged, camera-friendly event.

The legislature quickly voted to override the governor` veto. Then, the legislature went a step further and passed another law to permit lawful carry in state parks. But to avoid another veto, the legislature included a provision allowing localities to "opt out" of lawful carry in their own municipal parks.

Now, debates have erupted all over the state about whether localities should opt out of the parks law, and whether restaurant owners should post their establishments as off-limits. Governor Bredesen` veto has set the tone for this debate, so we have him to thank for the overreactions from cities such as Memphis and Nashville. Those two cities lead a long list of municipalities that may "opt out" their parks, resulting in a patchwork of bans.

Nashville and Memphis are pushing restaurant owners to go even further. The Memphis city council passed a resolution that encourages restaurant owners to post their establishments as off-limits. As a result, the group managing the popular Beale Street has promised that their restaurants will post signs and "metal detector wands will be used at every entrance." That` certainly not the Tennessee hospitality I grew up with.

The issue has even gone to court, with a bizarre lawsuit claiming that the new law illegally promotes "vigilantism" and violates a "fundamental right to be free from gun violence"--a right that even the plaintiffs` lawyer admits is a new one. (He helpfully points to a constitutional provision on the issue. Unfortunately for him, it` in South Africa` constitution, not Tennessee`.)

Clearly, our work in Tennessee is not done, nor is it done in other states facing similar issues. We will return next year, and every year if we have to, until Right-to-Carry is truly honored. We will point out the facts--and work to defeat candidates who have bought into the hype.

Eventually, we`ll prevail. But the fight will never be easy. Facts can dispel the fears of legislators, but not those that afflict opponents of self-defense. As I`ve said before, our opponents suffer from a fear of change, a fear of the unknown, and--strangest of all--a fear of their fellow citizens and neighbors.

The first part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt` quote is the famous one, but the rest is equally applicable: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself--nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." As we advance the right of self-defense through Right-to-Carry, the only people who should retreat into fear are violent criminals.

IN THIS ARTICLE
Tennessee Right-To-Carry
TRENDING NOW
Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes General Assembly and Semi-Auto Ban Temporarily Removed from Calendar

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Colorado: Mandatory Storage Bill Passes General Assembly and Semi-Auto Ban Temporarily Removed from Calendar

In a temporary reprieve for Colorado gun owners, the semi-auto ban HB24-1292 has been removed from the calendar. But we cannot let our guard down as gun control advocates can bring it up for a vote at ...

The U.S. Supreme Court Looks at Government “Blacklists”

News  

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

The U.S. Supreme Court Looks at Government “Blacklists”

Much of the attention this past week in the United States Supreme Court was the oral arguments in National Rifle Association of America v. Vullo, No. 22-842, a First Amendment case on whether government officials ...

25 years and one PLCAA Later, Chicago is Still Harassing Gunmakers

News  

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

25 years and one PLCAA Later, Chicago is Still Harassing Gunmakers

On March 19, the city of Chicago filed suit against handgun manufacturer Glock. Seeking to shift responsibility for the city’s woeful governance, Chicago’s lawsuit blames the popular firearm manufacturer for the third-party criminal misuse of ...

Washington: Governor Signs Anti-Gun Legislation

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Washington: Governor Signs Anti-Gun Legislation

Today, Governor Inslee signed five anti-gun bills into law that were recently passed by the Washington State Legislature. The bills include:

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Passes Committee and Sensitive Places Bill Hearing Rescheduled for Today!

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Colorado: Semi-Auto Ban Passes Committee and Sensitive Places Bill Hearing Rescheduled for Today!

Yesterday the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on House Bill 24-1292, the semi-auto ban, that lasted over 12 hours where hundreds of patriotic Coloradans overloaded the committee with opposition testimony. The hearing concluded with an ...

NRA Files Amicus Brief Asking Supreme Court to Hear Antonyuk v. James

News  

Second Amendment  

Monday, March 25, 2024

NRA Files Amicus Brief Asking Supreme Court to Hear Antonyuk v. James

In response to the NRA’s victory in Bruen, which secured every American’s right to carry arms, NY passed the “Concealed Carry Improvement Act,” severely restricting carry throughout the state. The 2nd Circuit upheld many of ...

Pennsylvania: Senate Committee Passes Full Inclusion Sunday Hunting

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Pennsylvania: Senate Committee Passes Full Inclusion Sunday Hunting

On Wednesday, the Senate Game & Fisheries Committee voted 7-4 to pass Senate Bill 67 to the Senate floor for a vote. 

California: DOJ Proposes Emergency Rule that Reauthorizes NRA Instructors

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

California: DOJ Proposes Emergency Rule that Reauthorizes NRA Instructors

On Monday, March 25th, the California Department of Justice published an emergency rulemaking package proposing to amend the Carry Concealed Weapons DOJ Certified Instructors regulations. Under the proposed rulemaking, NRA Certified Instructors would once again ...

Grassroots Spotlight: Michigan Grassroots

Take Action  

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Grassroots Spotlight: Michigan Grassroots

It's been a busy start to the year in the Wolverine State, as the Michigan NRA-ILA Grassroots Team has been out alerting and educating members and supporters on the critical changes in gun laws and working to stop ...

Kentucky: Credit Card Data Privacy Bill Passed Into Law

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Kentucky: Credit Card Data Privacy Bill Passed Into Law

Today, Governor Andy Beshear let HB 357, the Merchant Category Code ban legislation pass into law without his signature. Your NRA would like to thank Representatives Derek Lewis (R, H-90), Michael Meredith (R, H-19), and Senator ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.