Guns-in-bars law hurts tourism, cities say

[JAB]

I will simply quote here what I said in the comments section for the Knoxville News-Sentinel article on this subject:

Bullschnitzel. The majority of states already have laws allowing legal carry in at least some locations where alchohol is served and more are in the process of passing such laws. How, then, could this law be used to 'lure tourists away' when the states that are attempting to 'lure' them probably have similar laws, already? Simple logic (something that anti-gunners seem to be lacking) dictates that such an argument is utter nonsense. If anything, I find it more likely that, in light of the law having been overturned, some people who carry would choose to vacation in a state that recognizes the difference between legally armed citizens and thugs (states such as our neighboring Georgia, for example, where a law similar to the recently overturned TN law has been in effect for a couple of years) rather than being treated like a criminal when they want to get a bite to eat.

Further, while a few restauraneurs, etc. may have come out against legalized carry where alchohol is served, I'd don't for one second believe that there was any kind of united opinion from all restaurant owners. Just because a few owners were loudly outspoken doesn't mean that there was agreement across the board.

Heck, do tourists really come here to go to Applebee's, etc. anyway? I'd think that if any law recognizing that legally armed citizens aren't the problem would concern anti-gunners from other states enough to impact tourism in TN it would be the upcoming (goes into effect next month) FEDERAL law allowing us to carry in National Parks such as the GSMNP - maybe followed by legalized State park carry. Again, though, I think that many other states already understand that people who legally carry handguns elsewhere aren't going to turn into murderous psychos just because they enter a state park so maybe that is a nonissue to most tourists, too.

[DaveTN]

Ramsey said the media deserved blame for its coverage of the issue.

"This has been somewhat misrepresented in the press because everyone I've talked to seems to think what the press has portrayed is the average person can strap on a pistol and walk into a restaurant."

The average person can’t strap on a pistol and walk off his property. What does that have to do with liquor or restaurants Mr. Lt. Gov?

[Guest HexHead]

The average person can’t strap on a pistol and walk off his property. What does that have to do with liquor or restaurants Mr. Lt. Gov?

Ramsey's correct, that's the impression the media has been trying to portray. The media in case you haven't noticed, doesn't give a whit about either facts or accuracy.

[JAB]

I'd go further and say that the media has tried to put forth the idea that, under this law, 'beer joints' would be full of people getting stinking drunk while legally carrying a firearm. The thing that gets me is that some folks seem to think that people who would break the law by drinking while carrying are somehow magically forced to obey a law prohibiting them from carrying there in the first place - or that people who are perfectly trustworthy to carry a firearm in Walmart or Cracker Barrel will be possessed and turn into mass murderers simply because they are in the same room with booze.

Honestly, I think a lot of it goes back to the backward attitudes about booze that still seem to hang on in this region even so long after Prohibition was appealed. The whole idea of 'demon alchohol' seems to be at play, here, with the notion that folks who are upstanding citizens, otherwise, can be influenced negatively by simply sitting in one of those 'dens of iniquity' that dare serve 'the devil's brew.'

[Guest don_m]

Convention business is down here in Pennsylvania, too, but nobody's blaming it on the fact that we can carry in a bar (and even have a drink for that matter). As much as I hate to quote the likes of Bill Clinton, "It's the economy, stupid!"

[Guest TnRebel]

Actually, I got it from handgunlaw.us. I thought MT was off-limits, but it's actually like VA and requires OC, so it's really 41 states. There was a law firm here in TN (I believe helped with the stupid lawsuit that overturned the law) that did the research also (Guns in Bars), but some of their info is wrong. Maine seems to make it illegal if a place is posted and serves alcohol (download this State Police: Licenses & Permits: Weapons Permits & Professional Licensing and search for "liquor" to find the law) and Montana says no CCW in places like alcohol, but says nothing about OCing. So really, the count should be 41 states.

The states that currently allow NO carry period where alcohol is served are: LA, NC, ND, NM, OH, SC, TN, IL, & WI.

Here are the states that have no state restrictions (although, a few states like CA don't have state preemption)

N o Restrictions

AL

CO

CA

CT

DE

HI

IA

ID

IN

MA

MD

ME

MN

NH

NJ

NY

NV

OR

PA

RI

UT

VI

VT

WV

And here are the states that you can drink while carrying up to the legal driving limit.

AL

CO

FL

ME

MI

NV

OR

PA

UT

VI

Amazing that there are *10* states that allow you drink while carrying and hasn't been ONE murder by someone with a permit out at a restaurant or bar! (at least not that the brady campaign has found.) Even states like AL, NV, & UT which are considered "redneck" (especially AL) haven't had any issues with backwater bars and shootings.

What the real issue here is is not that permit holders can be trusted, but why are all these places that really are "bars" being allowed stay in business when they DO NOT meet the requirements to have license (I guess many do meet their local beer board requirements though.)

Matthew

And Florida's tourism jumped 2 fold when they passed there laws on restaurant serving alcohol while carring.

[macville]

And Florida's tourism jumped 2 fold when they passed there laws on restaurant serving alcohol while carring.

Are you being sarcastic, mocking the made up "won't release" info that the anti-gun people are saying? Or do you have stats that show tourism went up the year after they passed the law?

Matthew

[-boatman-]

And Florida's tourism jumped 2 fold when they passed there laws on restaurant serving alcohol while carring.

Is this a fact? I'm not disputing you. Just wondering.

[Guest TnRebel]

Are you being sarcastic, mocking the made up "won't release" info that the anti-gun people are saying? Or do you have stats that show tourism went up the year after they passed the law?

Matthew

Yes and No , it was aid by the anti gun crowd that tourist would stop coming to Florida if it was past , but tourism went up , and I will get the hard facts for you guys , and I can't wait to start voting here in my home state of Tn again.

[Guest TnRebel]

Ok I couldn't find the stats but ....... CC in restaurants has always been allowed since Concealed Carry went state-wide in 1987. There was no separate law passed in Florida, as there was recently in GA, TN, and AZ. They got it right the first time (sorta).

The concealed carry statute/state preemption of all firearms laws didn't affect tourism one iota, though the antis tried to spin it that way.