About a Response

Triker responded to one of my recent blogs about NC being saner than Tennessee.  His comment is below:

As another Tennessean, I have to agree with your assessment of Tennessee lawmakers. However, I have to disagree with your "Bruce Willis" civilian vigilante example. 

In Georgia the law permits you to carry your weapon most places. However it doesn't allow you to have your gun at an establishment that sells alcohol for consumption on premises. Also excluded are government buildings, political rallies,and polls. Also private property owners (malls, stores, etc) can post signs that forbid firearms. (The Mall of Georgia is an example of a gun-free Mall)...

My point is that there hasn't been a widespread increase in shootings in Georgia. Nor has there been a single report of a hand-gun being used in a violent crime by anyone with a carry permit.

I believe that is because of screening gun owners here at the point of sales with an even more intense screening for those who have carry permits. 

I know that we are speaking generalities here.

Enjoyed your observations...


Enjoyed your response Triker, but the Tennessee law I was referring to does allow weapons in bars and seeks to override the objections of businesses that want to ban guns from their establishments.  In addition, some states do not require any training or accept military service in lieu of training for a concealed carry permit.  I think my point is still valid.  No amount of screening can determine how a person will use his/her weapon in a time of crisis.  A bystander at the shooting of Congresswoman Gifford came within a hair of shooting the other bystander who had wrestled the gun away from the shooter. He didn't know who was innocent and almost shot one of the heroes of this incident.  


If concealed carry permits were the great blessing that you guys think they are then why are so many police against them.  These police cite the fact that armed civilians confuse an already deadly situation, forcing the cops to make decisions about which armed person is the criminal and which one isn't.  A person with a gun is a person with a gun.  No white or black hats available.


As to the judgment of a concealed carry permit holder, well a couple of years before this law was proposed, two concealed carry permit holders shot each other to death in an Appplebee's parking lot over a parking space.  The permit didn't make either man more responsible or less prone to rage.  It did allow them to kill each other.  Additionally, most states  do not keep statistics on crimes by permit holders, but given the number of domestic shootings (there have been one every week in Greensboro for the last month, where the husband ends the argument with the wife using the Glock manifesto), I would be willing to bet that a percentage of these tragedies were committed by permit holders.


All this being said, I have no argument against conceal carry permits within reason.  There are many legitimate reasons for someone to responsibly protect themselves.  However, to allow people to carry weapons into establishments where the likelihood of being attacked is less than the odds of being attacked by a crazed otter does not give me a sense of security.  Add to that the fact that this law allows these permit holders to go into establishments serving alcohol is asking for trouble.  After all, if I am carrying what's one beer - or two.  I am truly glad there have been no tragedies based on permit holders' actions in Georgia so far.  But that state seems to be saner than Tennessee, too.