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Guns Legalized in Bars in Arizona and Tennessee
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by alia_d | July 23, 2009 at 10:06 am
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Guns were legalized in bars in Arizona and Tennessee on Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Gun-rights advocates are pleased with the legalization of guns in bars, while many owners of bars and restaurants that serve alcohol do not support the guns-in-bars laws in Arizona and Tennessee.
Last Tuesday, a new guns-in-bars law took effect in Tennessee after a judge in Nashville refused to issue a temporary injunction blocking its implementation. A few hours later, Arizona followed suit with a measure signed into law by the state’s governor, Jan Brewer.
Gun-rights advocates support the move because the legalization of guns in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol enables law-abiding citizens to protect themselves in more places (or kill more people by accident in a drunken brawl, if you ask me). Peter Remondino of Scottsdale, Arizona, for example, says he will now feel safer on rowdy nights like the 4th of July.
As a protective measure, customers who carry guns into bars are not allowed to drink; however, it is up to the bars to monitor whether or not the customers actually do drink. Needless to say, law-abiding bar owners are not pleased with the legalization of guns in Arizona and Tennessee bars.
In fact, many bars and restaurants are opting out, as the legislation allows owners of bars and restaurants that serve alcohol to forbid firearms on their premises. According to the Tennessean, industry groups expect as many as 4 out of 5 restaurants to opt out of the guns-in-bars law in Tennessee.
Some bar and restaurants are even planning to frisk their customers with a metal wand. Others are planning to sue the state, as they believe the legalization of guns in bars violates the constitution.
Tennessee and Arizona are the only two states where guns are legal in bars. To the dismay of gun-rights advocates, soon after both states legalized guns in bars, the John Thune Amendment, which would allow citizens of all states to carry concealed weapons past state boundaries, was defeated.
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Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (2)
at 11:52 on July 23rd, 2009
That is a good start but I will not feel safe until I can drive a tank into a bar and enjoy my favorite beverage while carrying a backpack nuke in the safety of a bomb squad suit!
at 15:03 on July 28th, 2009
What a slanted story. Not only are no where near that many restaraunts opting out by placing signs baring guns through out the state, the right same as allowed to any business in Tennessee, but where do you get this stuff that these are the only two states that allow them in BARs? By definition of law, there are no Bars in TN, only restaurants as any place that serves alcohol is reqired to have half of their receipts in food. Many states probably at least 20-30 allow permit holders in restaurantsthat serve alcohol. Our neighbors in VA allow concealed permit holders to carry in such restaurants, BUT gun MUST be visable. Now -that- is just plain stupid as someone else who IS drinking heavily might try and take someones visible weapon or try and pick a fight (yeah, drunks do stupid things).Of course the new law only applies to those persons that have gone throught the reqired state backgroundchecks and training paid a steep fee all ot comply with the law. They are not going to risk loosing theirpermit by doing something foolish.
What the article doesn't mention is the new law will have little effect in all the people who have carried weapons in bars ALL ALONG, as the pevious ban didn't apply to them. They carried before these laws andwill carry weapons after this law even though they have no permit because laws just don't apply to them,or a more likely case, they are not allowed to have a permit because of their criminal background.
Also in TN at least, restaurant owners and managers in such establishments are allowed to have gunswith absolutely no permit or training required.