Thursday, July 2, 2009
News Egerton Joins Rayburn in Taking Up Arms Against Guns in Bars; Hearing Re-scheduled for July 13
Posted by Carrington Fox on Thu, Jul 2, 2009 at 11:55 AM
UPDATE: Per the request of the Tennessee Attorney General, Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman has rescheduled the "Guns in Bars" hearing from Tuesday, July 7 to Monday, July 13 at 1:30 p.m.
Author John Egerton, an esteemed observer and chronicler of Southern foodways, distributed this email this morning in reference to Randy Rayburn's last-ditch stand to thwart legislation allowing guns in bars:
Friends, when some of us met for supper at Second Harvest Food Bank one evening last winter, I had in mind several projects that we might pursuemore productively by working together than we could by working as individuals or in small groups. At the time, I didn't imagine that one such project would be to stand in support of Tennessee restaurant and bar owners who don't want patrons bringing loaded guns into their places of business.
As you no doubt know, the Tennessee General Assembly recently passed a law allowing individuals with gun permits (about 225,000 state residents)
to eat (but not drink) while armed in any public restaurant or bar unless the establishment owner prominently posts a sign barring guns. The responsibility for monitoring who can legally enter and who cannot, who is armed and who is not, who can be served alcohol and who cannot, who needs police protection and who does not, rests entirely on the shoulders of the restaurant/bar owner.
Without consulting the hard-working people who must shoulder these responsibilities, the Republican-controlled legislature, with more than enough help from Democrats, passed the bill by a wide margin in both houses, and when Governor Bredesen vetoed it, he was decisively overridden, and the bill became law. It is scheduled to take effect on Tuesday, July 14. The national gun lobby, which is very strong in Tennessee, thus breezed to victory in our statehouse, where about one-fourth of the 133 lawmakers are themselves certified to carry loaded weapons almost anywhere they please.
Almost anywhere. But not in schools, colleges, universities. Not in courtrooms. Not in the House, the Senate, the Governor's Office or anywhere else in the State Capitol. What about at Little League games in public parks? That prospect is raised by another law the General Assembly just passed, allowing guns in parks. And what will happen henceforth when gun permit holders bring their loaded weapons with them to games of the Titans in Nashville and the Grizzlies in Memphis?
While the rest of us were wringing our hands about these developments, one restaurateur, Randy Rayburn of the Sunset Grill in Nashville, decided to take action. Yesterday, in Metro Chancery Court, he initiated a legal proceeding that seeks an injunction to halt implementation of the law until its constitutionality can be tested. A hearing on the injunction will take place next Tuesday, July 7, at 3 p.m., [See update above for correct time] in Courtroom 1 of Chancery Court, on the fourth floor of the Metro Courthouse. I hope that any of you who can make arrangements to be there will do so, and will invite others who are patrons and supporters of Tennessee restaurant owners to come with you. Randy and a handful of his friends have taken this public stand for all of us who resist the notion that a public show of citizen firepower is what we and the police need to keep us safe. The least we can do, as individuals and as an ad-hoc group of peaceable friends of good food, is to show up at the courthouse and show Randy we stand with him in opposition to that wrong-headed idea.
The Tennessean story about the lawsuit is patched in [here]. Please also note and check out the websites mentioned, plus one more:
http://gunfreerestaurants.wordpress.com/
Chow!
John
Comments (8)
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All a restaurant/business/bar owner has to do to keep permit holder from going armed into their establishment is to post at the entrance that they are a banning business. Banning law abiding permit holders who have passed an extensive backgroung check will not stop the criminal element from going into the same establishment armed. You eat with people with concealed weapons every day. Have you ever seen a banning sign on a Shoneys restaurant, Burger King, Hardies ect.? You shop with people with concealed weapons every day in WalMart, TJ Max, Sears, JC Penneys, Belks. None of them ban concealed weapons. Think of all the places you go every day and do not see a sign banning concealed weapons. If there is no banning sign at the entrance you will find people carrying concealed weapons in Tennessee. Do a web search and see if you can find one instance of a Tennessee permit holder committing a crime. If you do not like the fact that people carry concealed weapons I suggest you stay home. You do not need to worry about people who have permits, you need to worry about the criminals.
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Only took about a minute to find this:
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/feb/08/8shootingweb/
Last time I checked Shoney's, Burger King, Wal Mart, Sears, etc don't serve alcohol.
"Only took about a minute to find this:"
The weapon was in his car and NOT concealed on his person while in a banning establishment. Try again.
"Last time I checked Shoney's, Burger King, Wal Mart, Sears, etc don't serve alcohol."
Just pointing out establishments you go into where people carry concealed. Have you ever wondered how many criminals are carrying weapons in those bars you frequent Dan?
Is that what you call them, Fatback, "banning establishments"? How sad it must be to be you, living in a state of constant paranoia. By your own fearful logic, you must not eat out anywhere, given the clear and constant threat to your safety.
I think the odds are overwhelmingly in my favor that I am in no greater danger under the current laws when I go out to eat, than under a system built on fear, a false hero syndrome, and vigilantism.
In fact, in a stressful, life-threatening situation, I would prefer that as few people as possible are armed, given the paltry requirements for the conceal and carry permits in this state. Have you been in an adrenalin-laced life-and-death situation? How was your reaction time? Rate your judgment? How accurate are you with you sidearm at 30 feet? 40 feet? 50? You shoot and miss. Now what, big shot?
This so much more about advancing an agenda than public safety that it's nauseating. How a few zealots can use fear and the money of lobbying interests is an even sadder commentary on our state legislators.
"Do a web search and see if you can find one instance of a Tennessee permit holder commiting a crime."
I did and I found one in less than a minute. That is what you challenged. You said nothing about being "concealed on his person while in a banning establishment".
I have no problem with people legally carrying concealed weapons in places such as Shoney's, Sears, etc. where there it is legal and no alcohol is served. However, I do have a problem where it is (was) illegal to carry them and alcohol is served. The potential for a bad situation, I feel, escalates when alcohol and firearms are mixed. And to be honest, I don't go into a restaurant/bar and wonder if someone is packing. Guess we frequent different establishments.
