Guns In Ohio Bars? Not Really

Guns In Ohio Bars? Not Really
By Jeff Garvas

Ohioans For Concealed Carry

Ohio --(Ammoland.com)- As Ohio lawmakers debate legislation that would allow licensed citizens to carry a concealed, holstered handgun into restaurants that serve alcohol, opponents of the bill continue to reject an intellectually honest discussion of the facts.

They’ve morphed the ”restaurant carry” discussion into a campaign of fear.

This legislation simply never mixes alcohol consumption and handgun possession, period, regardless of what you’ve read or been told.

Ohio’s concealed handgun licensees already can carry into nearly any burger joint. But if they try to have a hamburger and Coke at a Max & Erma’s while armed, they commit a crime. The only difference between the lawful and criminal act is the presence of a liquor license at a particular restaurant.

That’s the simple problem that ”restaurant carry” legislation is designed to fix.

This legislation simply was never about being able to carry a gun into a bar — it’s about being able to retain your gun at a Max & Erma’s instead of leaving it in the car as an invitation to thieves and thugs.

It is already a misdemeanor to be in possession of a handgun while under the influence of alcohol. The proposed legislation increases that penalty to a felony, a year or more in jail, and the loss of one’s right to own a firearm ever again.

When you see stories implying that people will start carrying guns into bars, remember: There are more than 210,000 concealed carry licensees in Ohio. You encounter them every day as they go to and from picnics, supermarkets, weddings, barbeques, liquor stores, and homes — all of which are opportunities to consume as much alcohol as they please.

So, what keeps them from doing exactly that? The law — the same law they had to scrupulously obey in order to qualify for their concealed carry license in the first place. And the same law that will make it a felony to carry in a bar while consuming alcohol.

Fear-mongering opponents of this legislation also have scared some into thinking that the proposed law entitles citizens to carry firearms into sports stadiums. But the truth is exactly the opposite — nothing in the bill prevents sporting franchises from continuing to prohibit firearms on their premises, as they already do today.

The Ohio Ohio Fraternal Order of Police misleads you with ”guns and alcohol don’t mix,” but when you point out all law enforcement in Ohio was given this very right to be in a restaurant, off duty, without any prohibition on consumption, their current president falls back on their standard ”we have more training” red herring. They also have FOP lodges with Class D liquor permits.

Contradicting their catch phrase, the FOP now implies there is a level of training that makes mixing guns and alcohol acceptable, but only if you’re a cop.

Don’t fall for it.

Because our legislation is strictly about not drinking any alcohol their position is akin to saying a concealed handgun licensee may walk down the bread aisle of a grocery store, but only police officers may walk down the liquor aisle.

If we’re going to continue to discuss the restaurant carry bill, let’s at least ”keep it real.” That’s what honest and reasonable people deserve.

Garvas is the president of Ohioans For Concealed Carry.

About:
Ohioans for Concealed Carry, founded in 1999, is a grassroots political activist organization. When founded, the primary goal of OFCC was getting concealed carry passed into law in Ohio. With that accomplished, our mission became to refine the concealed carry law and to expand and preserve the rights of all gun owners in Ohio. Visit: Ohioccw.org

Recent Comments

Charmaine KLaus: This law must be kept as written. Citizens have a right to defend themselves outside of their home...
Bill: Sooo.. what does this have to do with Washington State????
chad collins: This article says some good things but don’t forget president Bush and the Republican party are...
Aide Lym: Aw, this is an incredibly nice post. In idea I would like to put in writing such as this additionally...
wesp22: Let’s put this in perspective: If you are in a “shoot your way out” situation and...

This is the same Police that said ” if we issue carry permits, there will be the OK corral again” and ther will be shooting on evry street corner. THEY WERE WRONG…..Ohio CCW permit people have PROVED the Police WRONG, now NONE of them will admit they were wrong, a cowardly act in my book. Good upsatnding Gun Permit people will abide by the NO drinking and in five yeqrs the Fraternal Police order again will not admit they were wrong. I Personally have seen Policemen IN UNIFORM DRINKING ON DUTY and the Union does nothing about this. Unions only protect the bad cops, the drunks, abusers and loosers, IF YOU ARE GOOD AT YOUR JOB YOU DO NOT NEED A UNION.Back in the 70′s they cought a Akron Policeman selling Cocain out of his cop car, slapped his hands ande NO pun ishment, I know this for a fact I went to High school with this BAD cop. UNIONS for Cops just show how week they are.

Comment link | Joe Eckerman | May 31st, 2011 at 3:45 PM