Let’s talk guns. Or more specifically, let’s talk about the Southern misinterpretation of gun needs.
I know Louisiana and the general southern portion of the United States tend to believe guns should be attached to the hip. But somewhere between mass shootings in schools and armed robberies near campus, I missed the logic in this.
We don’t need to carry guns with us everywhere we go. Some new laws in discussion would allow concealed weapons in restaurants. My question is why? There is no dire matter that would call for gun use in the lobby of a Chili’s — unless you really want your server to be quick about bringing those lemons for your
water.
Restrictions on concealed carrying should not be lifted because they protect the general public. When we bring guns into the picture, the carrier is not the only person who should be discussed.
Everyone in shooting range is at risk when weapons are brought into public places, concealed or not.
If guns are allowed in Class A restaurants, which are restaurants that serve alcohol, we have to worry about what kind of events can occur under impaired
circumstances.
It sounds extreme, but bar arguments can turn into bar fights just a quickly as bar fights can turn into bar shootouts. It’s not only the mentally unstable we have to watch out for.
Louisiana already has some pretty pitiful regulations regarding gun purchases and permits. If I wanted to buy a gun, I could go into Walmart right now and walk out a few dollars poorer. No matter that I haven’t handled guns more than one day in my life and couldn’t tell you how to put the safety switch on.
And to obtain a permit so I can carry my new concealed weapon, the only thing that would hold me back is my age and Louisiana residency. In a few years I could be a proud owner and carrier of a handgun. Scratch the “proud.”
Supporters of guns will say it is our right as citizens to bear arms, and restricting these rights is unconstitutional.
Congratulations! You quoted the Bill of Rights and took its literal meaning to heart. Good thing the majority of Americans don’t follow that same tactic or else this column might contain some distasteful slang and claim freedom of the press to justify blatant vulgarity.
Just like how we, as Americans, cannot yell “fire!” in a crowded movie theater, we should not be able to bring our deadly weapons into a family restaurant.
On that note, permit holders shouldn’t be allowed to take guns anywhere that it isn’t necessary for their safety. Excluding law enforcement officers, most people
obtain gun permits for hunting or for protection at home in case of an intruder.
If those are the real reasons people purchase guns, then this obsession with concealed carrying shouldn’t be an obsession at all. The people who want to carry their guns around are welcome to do so in the comfort of their own home.
Southerners have a mentality that gun restrictions mean the government wants to strip away our defense and start a dictatorship. Fortunately, we are not North Korea, and I would like everyone with said mentality to take a look at their rights before scrutinizing our gun laws.
Go ahead and take your guns hunting and even take them on a walk around the block concealed under your shirt if you want. But please don’t take them to dinner.
There’s a time and place for everything. Lawmakers should take note of that when voting on the proposed gun law regulations.
Annette Sommers is a 19-year-old mass communication sophomore from
Dublin, Calif.