Georgia's New Gun Law - Term Paper Example

Georgias House Bill 89 - The Impact It will have on Restaurants and Public Transit Workers Introduction A research study shows that only 5 – 11 % of the US adults carry guns for self-protection purposes. (Kleck, 1997) In the absence of a house bill that permits the gun owners to bring their weapons in public places, it was very rare for the local residence of Georgia with the license to carry guns to bring concealed weapons in public transportation, restaurants and nightclubs where alcohol drinks is being served. Governor Sonny Perdue recently signed House Bill 89 stating that gun owners will be allowed to carry their concealed weapon while on public transportation (MARTA) and in restaurants that serve alcohol. For this reason, a debate with regards to the advantages and disadvantages of allowing the gun owners to carry their weapons in public places is on-going. (MacDonald, 2008; Wooten, 2008) To give the readers a better understanding of the subject matter, a general information with regards to House Bill 89 will first be elaborated. In relation to the thesis statement, a research study has been conducted to determine the difference point-of-views behind the opposition and supporters of house bill 89 followed by the controversial issues behind the signing of house bill 89. Eventually, practical reasons that makes the signing of House Bill 89 increase the public safety concern will be tackled prior to the conclusion. Thesis Statement “Georgias new gun law allowing concealed weapons in restaurants that serve alcohol and on public transportation raises public safety concerns.” Background and General Information on House Bill 89 Effective July 1, 2008, House Bill 89 which is also known as ‘Business Security and Employee Privacy Act’ is one of the biggest gun reforms in Georgia’s history has been enacted. (Carter, 2008; King & OHayer, 2008) As part of the gun bill, house bill 89 allows anyone with a license to carry their concealed weapon in state and local parks (Georgia General Assembly, 2008; Salzer, 2008) including public transportation (MARTA) and in restaurants that serve alcohol drinks (Georgia General Assembly, 2008; MacDonald, 2008; Wooten, 2008). Even though gun owners who violates the law will lose his permit to carry guns in public places (Cox, 2008), gun owners in general are legally allowed to carry their firearms in purses and/or under jacket. Aside from allowing gun owners to bring their concealed firearms in public places, house bill 89 legally allows law abiding citizens who are staying at Georgia to carry a guns with or without having Georgia Firearms License (GFL) permit. (Carter, 2008) Opposition behind the Signing of House Bill 89 According to Ron Wolf who is the exective director of the Georgia Restaurant Association stated that “even good people may have an impaired judgment when they are under the influence of alcohol.” (MacDonald, 2008) Similar to the perception of the business group, the law enforcement officials has recently announced the negative consequences of house bill 89 on public safety. (Atkins, 2008) Because of the huge possibility that it will increase the crime rate in Georgia, millions of concerned citizens have been protesting against the new gun law. Among the biggest group of opposition are the business establishments. (Salzer, 2008) Atlanta Mayor Shirtley Franklin who also opposes the signing of the gun bill stated that “It’s not about a right to bear arms, it’s about safety.” (Carter, 2008; Smith, 2008) In line with this matter, Michael Bishop who has experienced losing his son from Virginia Tech campus shootings back in 2007 added that it is disturbing on his part knowing that more people will end up becoming an innocent victim of such crime. (MacDonald, 2008) Supporters of House Bill 89 Aside from the licensed gun owners, the NRA is one of the well-known supporters of House Bill 89. NRA together with GeorgiaCarry.org suggest the need for all licensed gun owners to submit a copy of their fingerprint and go through a criminal background check in order to minimize and prevent possible danger the gun bill may cause the general public. (Salzer, 2008) According to one of the few supporters of house bill 89, Sen. John Douglas stated that “responsible citizens should be given the permit to carry guns in order to enable them to protect themselves and their families.” (Jones, 2008) Controversial Issue behind the Signing of House Bill 89 When Governor Sonny Perdue of Georgia was re-elected in 2006, he was actively endorsed by the National Rifle Association. (Salzer, 2008) As a result, many people suspected the possibility that there was a lobby made between Perdue and the National Rifle Association to pass the gun bill. Public Safety Concerns behind Georgia’s New Gun Law The rate of firearm related deaths with 16.94 per 100,000 individuals that occurs in Georgia is considered high. (Blodgett, 1999) In response to Sen. John Douglas’ statement that “responsible citizens should be given the permit to carry guns in order to enable them to protect themselves and their families” (Jones, 2008), a personal interview that was conducted by Wallace (2008) with Rayshel Campana from Atlanta Crime Scene Unit stated that law enforcement officers perceive house bill 89 to have “a minimal impact on public safety” because of the lack of sufficient licensing and permit procedures. In general, the consequences of the new gun bill weighs more than its advantageous side since the lives of innocent people in Georgia will be at risk. The only people who will enjoy the benefits of the new gun bill are the businesses that sells firearms and those individuals who have the passion for guns. There is nothing wrong with the previous state law on guns since it allows gun owners to carry their concealed weapons in restaurants that do not serve alcohol. (Campbell, 2008) The only difference is that house bill 89 permit gun owners to enter restaurants that serves alcohol as long as they refrain from drinking alcohol. (Jones, 2008; Salzer, 2008) According to Sen. Nan Orrock, it is not practical to implement a “no-drinking rule to all gun carriers in restaurants” (Jones, 2008). Gun owners can simply go to restaurants that do not serve alcohol since they will not be allowed to drink. The problem with the new gun bill is the fact that it will be very tedious to assign each of the restaurant personnel to check on whether their customer is armed or unarmed before they serve them with alcohol. Aside from causing the restaurant establishments to suffer its business opportunities from the sale of alcoholic beverages, it will be too late for them to track on customers who have consumed a large amount of alcoholic until such time the customer would be pointing his gun to other people. Besides, the ‘no drinking alcohol rule’ does not guarantee that customers who enter restaurants that serves alcohol will be safe from possible criminal attacks and life-threatening violence. (Cox, 2008) By legally allowing the licensed and unlicenced gun holders to enter public transportation such as the buses, trains, some of the local airport where MARTA has a station and restaurants; Georgians will be at risks of becoming a victim of criminal events which involves the use of firearms. (Carter, 2008) In the process, it is not only the local residence, restaurants and public transportation employees who could be a victim of stray bullets but also the tourists. Recently, Governor Perdue also signed a bill that allows car insurance companies to increase their premium rates to protect big insurance companies from the possible consequences attached with the new gun bill. (King & O’hayer, 2008) The fact that Perdue allowed insurance companies to increase their premium rates means that he is aware that crime rates in Georgia is likely to increase. Conclusion The new gun law has a lot of negative consequences on public safety. The active endorsement of National Rifle Association on the re-election of Governor Perdue back in 2006 may have affected his decision to sign the house bill 89. Annotated Bibliography Atkins, M. (2008, May 15). Savannah Morning News. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from New gun law frustrates police. The news article discussed the individuals who were urging Perdue to veto the house bill 89 for the reasons that it could increase violence in Georgia. By interviewing significant individuals such as the Garden City Police Chief David Lyons, the writer wrote the factors that made them disappointed when Governor Sonny Perdue signed the new gun bill. Blodgett, S. (1999, July 30). Violence Policy Center. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Fact Sheet on Georgia Gun Laws and Statistics on Gun Violence in Georgia. Violence Policy Center published the statistics on gun violence that occurred in Georgia back in 1996 as well as the past Georgia firearm laws. Campbell, S. F. (2008, June 11). Times-Herabld. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Gun Carry Bill Passed by General Assembly. The author discussed about the disadvantages of allowing customers to carry guns and other forms of firearms in restaurants that serves alcoholic drinks. The author also stressed that the National Rifle Association was behind the passing of the new gun bill by making restaurant employers believe that it is illegal not to allow employees to carry their guns even if they keep it inside their vehicles. Carter, E. L. (2008, May 6). Georgia Political & Policy Digest. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from The "Biggest Gun Reform in Georgias History" In relation to the disadvantages of allowing gun owners to carry their weapons in public places, the author provided some examples on how the new gun bill could endanger the lives of the public commuters not only the local residence of Georgia but also the tourists who will be visiting the place. Cox, C. W. (2008, May 2). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from GUNS IN PUBLIC: Dont allow gripes to kill a valid bill. The writer of the news article highlighted the opinion of Ron Wolf – the head of Georgia Restaurant Association with regards to the safety and protection of their innocent customers from possible criminal attack and life-threatening violence that may occur in the near future. Georgia General Assembly. (2008). Retrieved June 23, 2008, from House Bill 89. The website of Georgia General Assembly posted the complete statement of the House Bill 89 which has recently passed the house and senate. Jones, A. (2008, April 3). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Senate OKs Concealed Guns in Eateries, MARTA. The news report discussed the process wherein the senators tackled the issues on house bill 89 and 257. In the process, the author reported the contradicting concerns among the senators who are strongly supporting and those who are against the house bill 89. King, M., & OHayer, D. (2008, May 14). 11 Alive.com. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Perdue Signs Controversial Gun Bill. The news article reveals that opponents of the bill remained very concern with the people’s safety and emotional stability given that the bill has already been signed by Governor Perdue. The news also stated that Perdue signed a bill to allow car insurance companies to increase their premiums. MacDonald, M. (2008, February 19). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Showdown Over Guns in Public Places. The author took a neutral stand with regards to the main concerns of house bill 89 supporters and the opposition. In the process, the author considered the personal stand of the business sector, state representative, the senate, the general public on behalf of Micheal Bishop who had experienced losing his son from a university shootout, and other related organizations. Salzer, J. (2008, May 14). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Perdue signs law allowing guns in restaurants: Concealed weapons now allowed in parks, on public transportation. The news report announced Governor Perdue’s signing of the house bill 89 aside from the other unrelated bills. It was also announced that customers are allowed to carry their weapons within restaurant establishments provided that they refrain from drinking alcohol. Smith, D. (2008, May). Hartsfield-Jackson News. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from City of Atlanta & Airport Opposes House Bill 89. Prior to the signing of the new gun bill, the news report announced and itemized the reasons behind Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin’s strong opposition with regards to the signing of house bill 89. Wallace, C. (2008). Interview with Rayshel Campana, Atlanta Crime Scene Unit. The student conducted a personal interview with Rayshel Campana in order to gain the perspective of someone from the law enforcement with regards to HB 89 and its impact on environmental and public safety. Wooten, J. (2008, May 15). The Atltanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Guns and LibGuns and Liberal Angsteral Angst. Similar to other news resort, the writer announced that the house bill 89 was already signed by Governor Perdue back in May 14, 2008. The news also revealed that some of MARTA’s union drivers would demand the use of bulletproof shields from their company whereas Georgia Restaurant Association also showed their strong disappointment with the news. References: Atkins, M. (2008, May 15). Savannah Morning News. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from New gun law frustrates police: http://savannahnow.com/node/497828 Blodgett, S. (1999, July 30). Violence Policy Center. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Fact Sheet on Georgia Gun Laws and Statistics on Gun Violence in Georgia: http://www.vpc.org/press/9907geor.htm Campbell, S. F. (2008, June 11). Times-Herabld. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Gun Carry Bill Passed by General Assembly: http://www.times-herald.com/printerFriendly/Gun-carry-bill-passed-by-General-Assembly-- Carter, E. L. (2008, May 6). Georgia Political & Policy Digest. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from The "Biggest Gun Reform in Georgias History": http://www.georgiapoliticaldigest.com/article_18864.shtml Cox, C. W. (2008, May 2). The Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from GUNS IN PUBLIC: Dont allow gripes to kill a valid bill: http://www.ajc.com/wednesday/content/printedition/2008/05/02/nraed.html?cxntlid=inform_artr Georgia General Assembly. (2008). Retrieved June 23, 2008, from House Bill 89: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2007_08/fulltext/hb89.htm Jones, A. (2008, April 3). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Senate OKs Concealed Guns in Eateries, MARTA: http://www.ajc.com/wednesday/content/metro/stories/2008/04/02/guns_0403.html King, M., & OHayer, D. (2008, May 14). 11 Alive.com. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Perdue Signs Controversial Gun Bill: http://www.11alive.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=115920&catid=3 Kleck, G. (1997). Targeting Guns: Firearms and their Control. New York: Aldine de Gruyter. MacDonald, M. (2008, February 19). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Showdown Over Guns in Public Places: http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/stories/2008/02/18/guns_0219.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Salzer, J. (2008, May 14). The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Perdue signs law allowing guns in restaurants: Concealed weapons now allowed in parks, on public transportation: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2008/05/14/bills_0515.html Smith, D. (2008, May). Hartsfield-Jackson News. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from City of Atlanta & Airport Opposes House Bill 89: http://atlantaairportbusinessopportunities.com/sublevels/news_room/HJN/2008/05/comm.htm Wallace, C. (2008). Interview with Rayshel Campana, Atlanta Crime Scene Unit. Wooten, J. (2008, May 15). The Atltanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 23, 2008, from Guns and LibGuns and Liberal Angsteral Angst: http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/shared-blogs/ajc/thinkingright/entries/2008/05/15/guns_and_liberal_angst.html Read More