Handguns will soon be allowed in bars and restaurants in Tennessee under a new law passed by state legislators who voted to override the governor's veto.
The legislation that takes effect July 14 retains an existing ban on consuming alcohol while carrying a handgun, and restaurant owners can still opt to ban weapons from their establishments.
More on Tennessee House Bill 0962.
While the legislation itself denotes that if you bring your gun with you that you can't be drinking alcohol, It won't be long before someone makes a deal of this part of the new rule. And that is what makes this stick out.
What is the rationale of having this type of legislation?
Certainly, not everyone that is a patron of restaurants with an open bar are their to consume alcohol, but the headline at Huffington Post is more than a shade misleading, one has to wonder why the Tennessee legislature opt to create this ruling that states that people can have a gun at a "bar"?
There are serveral different variables at question here.
Who is going to monitor those that do and don't have a gun while sitting at the bar? Surely this can create a job position at the various restaurants that have open bars, but the management of each restaurant appears to have discretionary power. If he/she/they don't like the idea, then they can say "no way, partner."
However, then they face the very real aspect of having their place of business boycotted by the public that feels their very right to carry a gun inside, should they have the proper permit, is being infringed upon by the restaurant.
Perhaps I'm reading too much into this.
The other aspect of this law is that, as most bar areas of restaurants are seperate from the remainder of the dining rooms in restaurants, and that the bar areas are 21 and up only, this legislation will no apply to them.
So, what exactly is the point?
Regardless of your stance, guns in "bars" is a very bad idea.
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