The Observation Deck

Headline from the Plain Dealer article:

"Ohio Senate passes bill allowing concealed weapons in bars and restaurants "

Is this some sick joke? Have those idiots who call themselves legislators gone stark raving mad?

If this becomes law it's only a matter of time before some horrible shoot out will occur and make the OK coral look like a playpen.

Stan Austin

PS---just love to be the first cop that gets sent to a bar fight the day after this bill passes

Stan,
I believe Ohio is one of only a few states that even has this ban still. Is the media hiding the fact that bar gun fights are happening all across the country, or are they just not happening? I think your response is a typical emotional response but it has no facts to back it up. The law still allows business owners to restrict people from bringing them in and it is only if you have taken the conceal courses. This bill gives more rights to responsible individuals and to private business owners.

Those fearful owners can put up a sign to let liberals like you know that only illegal guns will be inside.

This bill “was staunchly opposed by law enforcement groups such as the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio.”

Shouldn’t the statehouse be weighing with a bit more seriousness the opinion of our law enforcement and public safety experts?

The NRA has a bigger lobby and more $$$$$$.

Ed,

Are you against this legislation? If so, why?

Thanks.

I like the caveat in the bill that says they're allowed to carry them into the bar as long as they don't drink. Yeah, because that's an easy to enforce.

I swear our state government just doesn't have a clue and hasn't for decades. I find it hard to believe there aren't more important issues than passing this stuff and trying to put Creationism back into public schools.

Heard Kasich on the radio today to discussing the virtues of adding additional snow days. It was quite comical, he pretty much said, "more snow days are great because it's such a great feeling when you're a kid to wake up and see it's a snow day."

Yep, that's a great reason to add more Kasich, who cares about actually getting an education...can't wait to see what we do next. I seriously need to find a link to the audio clip because he really sounds even dumber than his rant on the "idiot" police officer if you can believe it.

EDIT: I found it, seriously, this is our governor: http://www.ideastream.org/news/feature/39669

I support the concealed carry law but in a bar or crowded restaurant??? really? They should have definitely put a time restriction in place.. eg. after 7 pm no weapons.. Discharging a firearm in crowded place could result in several innocent bystanders getting injured.


http://www.concealedcampus.org/pdf/ccw_gun_facts.pdf

Fact: Forty states, comprising the majority of the American population, are "right-to-carry" states. Statistics show that in these states the crime rate fell (or did not rise) after the right-tocarry law became active (as of July, 2006). Nine states deny or restrict the right to carry.

Fact: Crime rates involving gun owners with carry permits have consistently been about 0.02% of all carry permit holders since Florida’s right-to-carry law started in 1988.

Fact: After passing their concealed carry law, Florida's homicide rate fell from 36% above the national average to 4% below, and remains below the national average (as of the last reporting period, 2005).

Fact: In Texas, murder rates fell 50% faster than the national average in the year after their concealed carry law passed. Rape rates fell 93% faster in the first year after enactment, and 500% faster in the second153. Assaults fell 250% faster in the second year.

Woops---- I forgot----- in addition to bars and restaurants, open aired sports stadiums where alcohol is served. Now remember, a concealed carry permit allows you to conceal or hide a gun. So how're you gonna feel when you're relaxing down at Progressive this summer and a few rows above and behind you is some crazy guy with an openly displayed Glock, or maybe even a rifle?
And how 'bout those Browns tailgating parties? Those are real dignified affairs. Those RV's and trailers are great places to keep your gun until you're ready to walk into Brown's Stadium with it and watch the game. A gun is much better than flinging a full glass beer bottle!
Really folks, can there be any better definition or demonstration of pure unadulterated insanity?

Stan Austin

Now here's a final thought------ The legislators who passed this are the Tea Party, Birther types. You really think they qualify as sane, rational, people and should be carrying guns and rifles around?

Stan Austin

Stan Austin wrote:Now here's a final thought------ The legislators who passed this are the Tea Party, Birther types. You really think they qualify as sane, rational, people and should be carrying guns and rifles around?

Stan Austin

Is there a liberal KKK group? Holy Schnikey Stan!

The legislation includes open air stadiums, so does this mean I can bring a gun to a Browns game?
If not, why not?

The stadium is publicly financed, so the Browns shouldn't be able to stop anyone from bringing a gun, correct? They don't own the place, the county does.

You keep talking like that, Stan, and I might confuse you with Arthur Bremer.

So the criminals are going to bring a gun to the bar. Do we need to risk having more guns in the bar?

If the criminal who brought the gun to the bar starts shooting, chances are the guy who brought the gun to the bar will fail to shoot him before he gets shot or runs out in terror.

I think the pro guns in bars people are assuming every one who went through a conceal carry class is a master marksmen who can remain calm under pressure and use the gun to defend him self.

The video is a bit graphic so don't click on it kids....

If only there had bee a legal gun owner there to put those gangsters in the place!

What bugs me is that you can now bring a gun in but you can't smoke. Sorry last time I checked a bullet could instantly kill me, a cigarette is going to take years. Hmm......

I am still on the fence on this issue though. I honestly see both sides, but still not enough from either side to sway me. Then again I am also afraid of guns since I had one pulled on me a few years ago by a family member's ex.

But as the saying goes "It's all fun and games until someone loses and eye...then it becomes a sport."

Governor Taft, to his credit, refuse to sign the current law until law enforcement concerns were addressed. Those concerns included firearms in liquor establishements. He understood that was not a good idea.

The current law has weaknesses. Please undertstand that the required BCI record check is not complete. There is no all inclusive criminal record system in Ohio. BCI has most of the necessary violations documented, but by no means all because not all law enforcement agencies report all the same crimes to BCI. Any county could issue a permit when, in fact, a person may have a disqualifying criminal record with some police department in that very county that was not forwarded to BCI and therefore did not come up on the BCI check. It is already known among permit holders that some counties are easier to get permits in than others.

Next is the psycholigical issue. Records of mental illness or treatment are priviledged and private. There is no way to require or check them. The mass murder in Areizona is the best example.

Rest assured, the gaps in the current law means there are permitted people carrying guns now that should not. That's before we put them in bars with a virtually unenforcable requirement that they not drink.