But a bill moving through the Arizona Legislature has some bar owners fearful that the state is turning back the clock to the Old West. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow anyone with a concealed-weapons permit to bring a handgun into bars and restaurants serving alcohol.
The bill gives bars discretion to keep gun-toting patrons out, and anyone with a weapon would not be allowed to drink. But the bill has angered bar owners who believe booze and guns are a recipe for disaster.
"This might be one of the stupidest things that I have heard of," said Mike Nelson, who owns Pomeroy's bar in Phoenix and plans to post a sign on his front door outlawing guns in his bar as soon as possible. "Can you think of a single reason guns and alcohol should be intertwined?"
The bill is part of a push across America by the National Rifle Association. Georgia passed a similar law in 2008, as did Tennessee earlier this year in becoming the 40th state to allow bar or restaurant patrons to carry guns.
"These laws are common sense," said NRA spokeswoman Rachel Parsons. "Restaurants are not immune to criminal activity. Law-abiding people _ regardless of whether they're in restaurants, cars or homes _ they should be able to protect themselves against criminal attack."
One of the bill's sponsors, Republican Rep. John Kavanagh, said it's about time Arizona passes such a law, and that the most important thing is that people carrying guns into bars aren't allowed to drink.
"You don't want intoxicated people with weapons, and this bill continues the prohibition against drinking and carrying," said Kavanagh, a retired police officer in New York and New Jersey. "What is the problem with having a gun in a delicatessen where someone is having a beer with their pastrami two tables away?"
The law would only apply to people with concealed-weapons permits because lawmakers say that type of gun owner has to pass a background check and take an eight-hour course to get their permits, and are therefore safer. More than 127,000 Arizonans have concealed-weapons permits, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Arizonans are also allowed to openly carry guns _ on a belt or holster, for example. But those people would still not be allowed in bars or restaurants serving alcohol if they're armed.
The bill has been approved by the Senate and is now before the House; Republican Gov. Jan Brewer would still have to OK it.
Marc Peagler, owner of the Silver Spur Saloon Restaurant in Cave Creek outside Phoenix, said he's in favor of the legislation and sees some marketing potential in it.
"I look at it this way _ let's just say for a moment you're a crook or a thief," Peagler said. "Are you going to break into a place where you know that there might be 10 to 15 people who are armed? I wouldn't do that."
Peagler, a gun owner himself, said people with concealed-weapons permits aren't people to be concerned about.
"People who carry concealed weapons for the most part are your general law-abiding citizens, and the people who are going to break the law are going to do it no matter what laws we have out there," he said. "If somebody has been drinking and they have a weapon in the car, they're just going to go out and get it."
Frank Murray, owner of Seamus McCaffrey's Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Phoenix, said he opposes the law and will prohibit his customers from coming in armed.
"It's kind of like the Wild West days," he said. "We've got enough nuts out on the street walking around with guns. We don't need them in places with alcohol and families."
The Arizona Licensed Beverage Association threw its support behind the bill after some compromises were made this week.
-
-
-
-
- Apocalipstick
- added this
-
I love Sergio Leone movies but I don't want to live in one.
-
-
-
-
- Apocalipstick
- 4 months ago
-
-
the world is coming to an end
-
Drunk people+guns= chaos Good work Arizona!
-
Booze+ Guns sounds like an equation for FAIL to me.
""People who carry concealed weapons for the most part are your general law-abiding citizens, and the people who are going to break the law are going to do it no matter what laws we have out there," he said. "If somebody has been drinking and they have a weapon in the car, they're just going to go out and get it."
While I generally agree with the first part, that people who are going to break the law do it no matter what, anyone who's had one too many at the bar can testify to your lack of judgment! Maybe that means bringing home the ugly friend, maybe that means puking in the parking lot, and hell, maybe that means waving your pistol after a drunken argument. I certainly wouldn't put it by anyone- people are fucking nuts, and drunk people even more so. C'mon Arizona, have some common sense!
-
alcohol and guns,..ain't nothing better.
I almost completely forgot how necessary guns are in bars
"excuse me,..barkeep, can you stir my martini w/ your 38?"
"I am going to the bathroom, hand me my gun so I can prop my wiener up and make the toilet"
"do you see that (insert derogatory comment here) guy over there, he will not live past this evening"
-
1 gun bad in bar. Many guns equal out playing field. Guns will never go away. stop running from them and learn about them.Other states have guns in bars. no robbing those people.
-
-
-
-
- sickinjersey
- 4 months ago
-
-
The sad fact is this makes perfect sense to more than on idiot out there. Our only hope is all those idiots will eventually shoot each other or preferably themselves some where along the way.
-
That is not very nice eldamon.The sad fact is there is a bunch of pussies running around crying about guns and they have no clue as to the whole thing that guns do. Only emotional pleas about how guns kill people. AND OF COURSE PEOPLE SUCH AS YOURSELF THAT ARE JUST SO MUCH SMARTER THAN EVERYONE BECAUSE THEY MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT BELIEF IN LIFE AND YOU SUGGEST KILLING EACH OTHER AND OURSELVES. YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A SELF RIGHTEOUS LITTLE SNOB.Yes i believe in guns and gun laws especially. They Will never go away. they will only progress into tasers and fasers.eldamon with an attitude like that you of all people should carry a gun.
-
Bad idea
-
BANG!
-
Let's face it they are always in the bars anyways.
Its just right now its the criminals carrying not the "law abiding citizens" Don't get me wrong I am not a gun nut, just happen to believe as long as they are around they will be used.
Besides I have seen way more people fucked up in bar fights with out any guns around. Maybe just maybe, if someone in the bar was carrying they would stand up for other people that are being attacked.
I know wish full thinking.
Also if we are going to ban them then we better ban driving from a bar while we are at it because, that still proves to be 100 times more dangerous. -
that is reFRESHing!
-
-
-
-
- sickinjersey
- 4 months ago
-
-
I firmly believe that the "concealed" handgun convention is a cowards-society travesty; "Prominently Displayed" should be the social norm,....or not at all. The principal involved in this judgement is that "dangerous" members of society,...(read aggressive)...are not allowed to be inherently more lethal than the average joe. The "don't take no shit, got no bone to pick, and no chip on the shoulder" individual should not be at a disadvantage because some urban sociopath has him out gunned when he comes to town to get a beer or buy feed. Everyone should be taking their lives into their own hands EQUALLY.The only individually concealing a weapon, should be ,by definition, the criminal, coward,.....or gestapo. [back to criminal-coward]
-
Okay, maybe we should start taking guns away. I always believe people everyone should have the right to defend themselves, but try self-defense. It's easier to kill someone these days rather than just to learn to punch someone.
-
I love how people always reference the “old west” from movies when they talk about gun control. Why the hell would anyone rely on Hollywood for real world information? Seriously, WTF man. Last time I checked everyone in the movies was smoking ass hot, everyone (including the minimum wage burger flipper) had a kick ass high rise loft, the ocean was full of monsters, demons, giant everythings and aliens, all grease monkeys lived ultra hip fast and furious lifestyles, one man/woman/child/monkey/cow/anything could easily kick the shit out of thirty plus people, and so on and so forth.
At any rate this sort of thing has already happened in a couple states, it’s not that big of a deal. Arizona has the right of it though. This sort of thing should be left to only CCW permit holders.
-
arizona got life backwards u need guns everywhere esle except a bar
-
-
-
-
- uglyghettokid
- 4 months ago
-
-
Really folks, did you read the article enough? It applies to those who have registered, gotten a background test and taken a 8 hour corse. compared to those who are just packin illeagaly, these people are relatively safe and want to protect themselves for criminals. its not that risky and a little worrisome at first glance, but your probably safer with these people around. Basically because Criminals will get a hold of a gun regardless of laws. And bring them in anyway.
-
I agree with 'mirror', these individuals are probably the most "responsible" arms bearers in our midst,....but its the "sneaking", "skulking", -AMBUSHING- element of this RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS expression that leaves something wanting. If some nut case walked into a Dennys,....and looked around, and ALL HE SAW in his snap assessment was LETHAL----LETHAL-----people.....
a nut case would open fire just the same,......... but grandmother would express herself.
concealed is cowardly. -
live in the state whose laws you support, live around like minded people. the real issue is security, what are you willing to do feel safe? do you want someone to protect you or your 14 year old daughter? would you hang out in a byker bar,watts or church, choose how you want to live. just accept that not everyone will agree to your choice.
just imagine a place where only the cops have guns and how safe you would feel there, it's called prison.
by the way most killin's in the wild west were bushwackin's, in the back by shot gun. shoot outs were very rare. -
wow, what an outrageous level of stupidity being exhibited by the lawmakers and citizens of Arizona that are in support of this new bill.....
-
State lawmakers approve guns in bars
Tennessee overrides governor's veto to join 37 states with similar laws-
-
-
-
- sickinjersey
- 4 months ago
-
-
I'm moving there and gonna get dressed up like doc holiday every day.
-
Yep sounds like one hell of a night to me...suspend my mac 10 under my coat go down to a bar where I know all them gang types hang out, get liqured up and just wait for one of 'em to try and start sumthin'...by God they'll have one hell of a surprise when da mac starts talkin!
I was wondering why Wyatt Earp required all guns to be turned in at the marshalls office in tombstone....Arizona.....before they could go to the saloons....I guess they had figured out that to keep arguments fron escalating to shootings you remove the devise that enables the shots to be fired. -
This doesn't sound like a good idea at all. The obnoxious excuse that if everyone had guns people would be less likely to use their own gun is invalid when alcohol is factored in.
-
-
-
-
- Jacques_of_Spades
- 4 months ago
-
-
this NRA type Rachel Parsons sounds like a half wit and a retard thinking people need to protect themselves with firearms in a bar or restaurant!!!?!?!
Maybe she'd like it if they were allowed to bring guns to sporting events, speeches by government officials or public speeches by her and her cohorts? This chick is a FUCKING MORON.
I say put a metal detector at the door to keep the gun toting imbeciles outside and the normal people inside.
Another option would be to have a bar where the gun toting cowboy wannabes can go so they can all get "loaded" and shoot each other and we'd be rid of them.
Anyone who would think that it's even remotely intelligent to be allowed to bring a gun into a bar is obviously too much of a tool to even own a gun.
It's plain old bald faced idiocy. Full stop.
