Ohio is about to change state gun laws to allow people to wear concealed guns into facilities that serve alcohol, including bars, restaurants, and sports stadiums. Republican Gov. John Kasich is expected to sign the bill.
Advocates insist that it is safer to allow guns in bars than to require that they be left in cars outside of bars. Ohio is currently one of nine states that prohibit firearms where alcohol is served and consumed. Another 21 states allow guns in places that serve alcohol.
The new law would cover 17,000 facilities where alcohol is served and consumed.
Source: Dispatch
Mike: “In my opinion the Second Amendment has been transformed into an object of worship for the benefit of gun manufacturers.”
YES! I quit the NRA 30 some years ago when it became clear to me that they didn’t give a hoot about hunters or sportsmen. The NRA is a marketing arm for the manufacturers. We long ago reached a saturation point with guns in this country and the only way to maintain sales is to increase the fear and paranoia by grossly magnifying the threat.
They have hopped in bed with a set of politicians as often happens with lobbying groups. They feed and nurture each other. These sorts of inane laws are the inevitable result.
Bars: OK. State House: Not so OK. Go figure.
The violence potential in bars doesn’t vanish with the guns because the violence potential in bars doesn’t originate with the guns. The biggest problem is the alcohol. It is an fickle mistress of chemical entertainment. One minute a happy drunk, the next minute can be a violent brawler. Everyone who drinks has seen that happen. It may have happened to you. Guns just make that second state potentially fatal easier than the mere drunkenness alone. But it is the unstable loss of inhibitions alcohol creates that is the core cause of the violence. And I say “loss” purposefully. Because “loss of inhibition” is distinctly different from “lowering of inhibition”. It is in that distinction that the fickle nature of alcohol resides.
Rick L.,
I think someone needs to be certain if they are asking for a One Finger or Two Finger Shot…
This may give a whole new meaning to the request for a “shot and a beer” in Ohio.
I hope they are not so drunk as to misunderstand what is actually meant.
Mike, the operant words here are “CC with permit.” People who have gone to the trouble of getting a carry permit are very protective of it and will do nothing that might jeopardize it.
Now as far as drunks go, all bets are off on what a drunk will do. But even then, there are vastly more DUI related injuries and deaths than by gunshot.
Criminals are a peculiar breed. They tend to ignore things like signs saying, “No firearms allowed.” If you think when you stop in a bar there is no one there with a concealed weapon, you have another think coming.
I’m with mr. ed …
Otteray Scribe:
I’m not familiar with any of the statistics, but I am familiar with human nature. We are treated to a couple of stories on this site each week involving otherwise rational people who get drunk and do rather bizarre things. And the uniform opposition of law enforcement agencies to these laws should give us all pause. Besides, how many bar shootings are necessary to become statistically significant?
These sorts of laws should be called “scared White Man” laws. The rationale always seems to revolve round the fear of suburban white males that at sometime in their lives they will be robbed, raped, assaulted and violated by huge, well-muscled African American or Hispanic males. After all how is a “law abiding” Milquetoast to protect himself in a society ridden with crime?
Of course one wonders what said suburban white man is doing in order to put himself in a situation where he might feel threatened by young black and Latino men? Walking down the street clutching a paper sack full of hundred dollar bills with jacket and pants pockets over-flowing with cocaine?
mr.ed,
And it is your right for you to take your business elsewhere. Just as it is the right of the business owner to put the sign up requiring that no customer carry in their establishment.
This was fought by the restaurant and bar owners and the police. I can tell you that unless I see a sign on the door that states NO GUNS per state law, I’ll take my business elsewhere. I can’t take the chance that somebody with no impulse control and an inferiority complex will challenge somebody, drunk or sober.
Mike A. the data do not support your hypothesis. Several states have passed laws similar to this, and I am not aware of anyone with a legal carry permit shooting anyone in a bar. Not saying it has not happened, but I have not heard of it and I try to stay on top of crime statistics.
Of course, I have heard of a number of people who are carrying illegally shooting people, but that is not relevant to this law. Criminals have a tendency to not obey laws, regardless of what the law might be.
Here’s the deal. People go to bars to drink. Bars are not interesting places to visit if you don’t drink. Most of the people who walk into bars with concealed weapons are going to be drinking. When people drink their judgment becomes impaired. Even Dodge City prohibited carrying weapons into saloons. In my opinion the Second Amendment has been transformed into an object of worship for the benefit of gun manufacturers.
AY,
The purpose of the bill is personal protection. I don’t carry, but, I have friends that do. I feel that since they are law-abiding citizens who have a lawfully issued CCW permit, they should be able to carry in bars provided they do not consume any alcohol. While there are many stories of gun violence, there have also been situations of CCW permit holders saving their own lives and the lives of their families. I understand that many on this site will just roll their eyes at that comment, but, I believe that is based more on political and personal beliefs, which I am not saying are invalid, just different.
The article also acknowledges that 21 other states have a similar law and I don’t see a plethora of stories in the news where allowing CCW permit holders to carry in bars has had an adverse effect.
Shouldn’t those gun owners be out in the car park shooting the people stealing the guns from their cars? What am I missing here?
Andy – no doubt but we are not actually ruled by the majority currently. We are ruled by the insane 27%. They own one party & give us nothing but nutbags so the other party can run candidates wholly owned by business & frightened to antagonize the nutbags. Combined with a number of morans who’s reasoning can not understand anything beyond ‘taxes=bad, government=bad’ they rule our world.
Adam, then why go in the bar with a gun…to rob it, kidnap someone, shoot someone…showing off..how big you are…I mean gun….why…guns have better places than where alcohol is served….
Please believe me, there are some sane people here in Ohio.
Similarly to people not being allowed to consume alcohol and then drive. We just keep pushing the envelope until we find the crazy.
To be clear, one cannot be consuming alcohol while carrying a concealed weapon in the bar under the bill.