Wednesday, July 24, 2013

North Carolina Gun Owners Will Soon Be Able To Carry Firearms At Bars And Playgrounds

By Aviva Shen/Think Progress

On Tuesday, North Carolina lawmakersapproved a bill allowing gun owners with concealed-carry permits to bring their weapons to playgrounds, bars, and public recreation areas, although bar owners will still be permitted to deny entry to armed patrons. Gov. Pat McCrory (R) is expected to sign the expansive bill into law soon. The measure will also allow concealed-carry permit holders to keep their guns in cars parked on school campuses. The bill was stripped of an especially extreme provision that would have eliminated the requirement for background checks or handgun permits.
Since the Newtown elementary school shooting, legislation to put guns in more places is gaining traction among Republican lawmakers, who argue that gun-free zones leave people unarmed and vulnerable to attack. But North Carolina’s plan to put guns in bars poses a far greater danger. Shootings involving alcohol are all too common. Nearly half of all homicides are preceded by some sort of argument, frequently a drunken fight over a perceived insult. Moreover, an estimated 40 percent of men and 30 percent of women who killed someone were drinking alcohol at the time.
Gun owners also tend to abuse alcohol at far higher rates than people who do not own guns, engaging in risky behaviors like binge drinking and drunk driving.
Undeterred by this data, North Carolina Republicans embraced the bill along with an onslaught of radical legislation targeting poor people, women, and minorities. Residents are fighting back with widespread “Moral Monday” protests. As of this week, 900 North Carolinians have been arrested in these demonstrations.
Other Republican legislatures have recently pushed similar bills to put guns in bars in Georgia,South Carolina, and Louisiana.

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