Oh, the Places Your Gun Will Go!
Pro-gun Georgia lawmakers want to make sure Americans exercising their second amendment right aren't arrested for accidentally trying to board airplanes with guns, according to Politico.
.Pro-gun Georgia lawmakers want to make sure Americans exercising their Second Amendment right aren't arrested for accidentally trying to board airplanes with guns, Politico reports on Monday. Under the current law, permit-holding gun owners can take their gun with them if they follow procedures and check the gun with other stored luggage at the airport. If you try to take the gun on the plane with you, you'll be arrested. But! According to gun rights activists, gun owners are so used to carrying their guns they forget they have them. This leads to them getting arrested in security. And that's why lawmakers want to change the rules so that absentminded gun owners won't get arrested if they forget to check their guns, as long as they have a permit and are willing to leave the security line.
On the one hand, the TSA doesn't approve of this for their own safety, especially after a gunman killed one agent and injured four others at LAX last year. Also, responsible gun owners aren't impressed by people who forget about where their guns are. On the other hand, doesn't anyone care about the Constitution anymore? Gun rights activists across the country do, and they've been pushing for expanding gun carry laws, even in places that common sense might suggest are not good places for guns. Here's where the battle for the Second Amendment is being fought:
Guns in schools. Indiana lawmakers ran into some trouble in January while attempting to pass a bill that would allow guns in cars on school campuses, as long as the guns are locked and out of sight. The bill stalled in committee after a fatal shooting at Purdue University. A Florida law seeks to decriminalize guns in college dorms. So far Kansas and Arkansas are the only states that managed to pass laws allowing guns in schools.
Guns in courthouses. Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Wyoming all spent 2013 trying to get more guns into more courthouses. In South Dakota this year a guns-in-court bill sought to allow anyone with a gun permit to carry a gun ... then just elected officials and public employees ... then just elected officials. Legislators also tried to get rid of the $10 fee for applications for concealed carry permits. “I find it wrong that we are charging people to enjoy one of their constitutional rights,” said one supporter of the bill.
Guns in bars. Last week South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley signed a bill into law that would allow people with gun permits to bring guns into bars as long as they don't drink, according to the AP. South Carolina is the 46th state to allow guns in places that serve alcohol, following trailblazers like Arizona and Tennessee. Senate Democrats tried to impose a curfew on guns (no guns from midnight to 5a.m.) but that got tossed out. Still, businesses can ban guns with a sign. The Associated Press goes with an understatement: "Opponents say mixing guns and alcohol invites problems."
Guns in church. Arkansas just passed a law that allows guns in churches. Churches can choose whether to allow guns or not. From NBC News:
"It is crucial to protecting the freedom of religion and property rights," said Nicholas Stehle, a member of the board of directors of the advocacy group Arkansas Carry.
"The state has no business meddling in the affairs of our churches," Stehle said.
In 2012, The Blaze chronicled the many church shootings that have happened in the U.S., arguing for the history showed a need for more guns in churches.
Guns in parks. A Tennessee bill introduced last month would have stopped cities from opting out of a law that allows guns in parks. “Put simply, I believe guns in Nashville parks is a bad idea,” wrote Nashville mayor Karl Dean.
Guns everywhere. South Carolina's Haley thinks all gun regulations are kind of silly. She's backing a bill that would allow people to carry guns either concealed or out in the open without a permit or firearm training. Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Vermont, and Wyoming have similar laws. Her reasoning: “Criminals are dangerous and I think that every resident should be allowed to protect themselves from criminals." It would still be illegal to carry a gun with the intent of committing a crime.