Arizona: Civil Rights Bills Galore!
Always with the threat of a veto by Gov. Janet Napolitano in the wings, several gun rights bills are advancing in the Arizona Statehouse. From Arizona Central:
One of the bills filed this session would allow you to carry a pistol in some restaurants - so long as you don’t touch the beer and liquor. That measure continues to advance, getting preliminary support from the full Senate last month, although Gov. Janet Napolitano vetoed a similar bill in 2005.
Another measure would make it legal to show a weapon if you feel physically threatened by others. That also has moved through a number of legislative committees.
So has the measure that would allow concealed weapons on college campuses.
Needless to say, various police and university groups oppose the bills but to me they all make sense. If you’re responsible enough to own a gun then it shouldn’t matter where you own (i.e. carry) it. There are quotes in the article with the usual predictions of a “wild west” but that hasn’t happened anywhere else where such lack of limitations exist and we already know that “gun-free zones” don’t work in schools.
The article also works hard at claiming that the majority of Arizonians really want more gun control and that it’s the all powerful gun lobby that pushes these gun rights bills and their sponsors/supporters in the legislature. And yet, these same legislators continue to get reelected. Go figure!
12 Responses to “Arizona: Civil Rights Bills Galore!”
on 12 Mar 2008 at 7:51 am # Cherokee Jack
Considering the melodramatic, bare-faced spin that AZ Central is putting on the story, I strongly suspect that the ‘public’ with ‘concerns’ that they mention is mostly themselves.
“Although polls indicate that a growing number of Arizonans favor stricter gun laws, GOP legislators and pro-gun activists continue their fight to expand the right to bear arms.
And they appear to be winning.”
DUN DUN DUNNNNN!
on 12 Mar 2008 at 8:13 am # Old Dog
The Arizona Fishwrap does their polls within 15 miles of Glendale. That area has the highest concentration of California resettles.
The want to turn the Pheonix area into another LA.
Get 20 miles away from Glendale and the polls are heavily pro-gun.
on 12 Mar 2008 at 8:41 am # At Tucson
When you write to some Senators here’s what you get in reply:
Thanks for writing. Glad to hear opposing opinions delivered respectfully.
I don’t happen to agree with your opinion, however; after conversing with the President Shelton from UA, his opinion and that of his campus police are that pandemonium would rule if police responded to a crisis call (w/in 2 minutes) which gun man would they apprehend?
In addition, school superintendents, teachers, principals and counselors overwhelmingly oppose this legislation.
Also, I went through 2 CCW courses and was shocked to see the lack of experience some of the participants exhibited. I am not convinced that all CCW folks handle guns with confidence or intelligence.
I don’t believe in mandates. While I do support second amendment rights, I firmly believe that Legislators need to let those individuals most affected create policy for their own schools.
Public school students and teachers galore oppose this bill. So do I.
Thanks for writing.
Paula Aboud
State Senator
District 28, Tucson
1-800-352-8404 X 6-5262
Ranking Democrat: Appropriations Committee
Health Committee
Higher Education Committee
on 12 Mar 2008 at 10:18 am # Mike M
Dear Senator Aboud:
The police responding to a school shooting would probably apprehend both, and would quickly determine who was who, for multiple reasons:
- One guy would try to shoot at them or perhaps try to kill himself, while the other would follow orders and cooperate.
- One guy would likely have multiple weapons, and lots of ammo, while the other might have one spare mag.
- Everyone would be running from one guy, and hiding behind the other.
- One guy would be freaking nuts, while the other would be sane.
Hope this helps.
on 12 Mar 2008 at 11:03 am # David Rogers
We can only hope that Gov. Napolitano vetoes the gun-rights bills. A similar veto cost Gov. Ann Richards her job in Texas (she was beaten by W. in 1994 despite having a 54% positive rating, largely because she vetoed a bill offering Texans the right to vote on concealed carry).
Meanwhile, the wise move is to carry on campus, “gun-free victim zones” be damned.
on 12 Mar 2008 at 12:28 pm # tom gunn
A 2 minute response time by campus security or the police? Get real! Hasn’t happened yet, and your not likely to see it in the near future!
Anyway in 2 minutes it will be all over but the chalk outline drawings and unarmed victim removal.
As has been demonstrated where good guys have defensive guns the killing fields are much smaller and the good guys had nothing to fear from the police who arrived safely after the danger is past.
tom gunn
on 12 Mar 2008 at 12:58 pm # Right Wing Nutter
Hey Old Dog,
Don’t smear all us coasters. I know a few from San Diego who moved to AZ for the more liberal (in the classical sense, less Liberal in the political sense) gun environment. People who like a big city environment seem to also like gun control, so the residents of Phoenix and environs tend to self-select that way no matter where they’re from.
Yes, that includes gang bangers. They like gun control too. It ensures their safety as predators.
on 12 Mar 2008 at 7:42 pm # Daniel
Don’t matter to me.
I’d rather be judged by 12, than carried by 6.
I will defend myself.
on 12 Mar 2008 at 11:32 pm # John in Cincinnati
I came here through Instapundit tonight. I tried to look at it from work, and “Websense” blocked it. “Reason: Category ‘Weapons’…”
FYI.
on 13 Mar 2008 at 2:10 am # straightarrow
Who is she kidding? The cops aren’t going in until all the shooting is over. Just like everywhere else. They will be hiding outside, just like everywhere else.
2 minutes my ass, try 30 minutes. By that elapsed time of lack of gunshot reports the cops can be pretty sure they won’t have to face gunfire. By that time, the legal innocent defender of life will have already informed them that they are safe to go in.
on 14 Mar 2008 at 1:19 am # Rich Rostrom
Two minute response is extremely good, but occasionally it is achieved.
The campus police at Northern Illinois University actually did respond in only two minutes.
Of course, even that wasn’t good enough.
on 14 Mar 2008 at 2:14 am # Old Dog
Right Wing Nutter
Did not mean to smear all coasters, some of you are here for the right reasons.
But, can you honestly claim that you are in the majority of the CA flood coming our way?
Understand that I am not native, I came here from NC after repeated tours at Ft. Huachuca. Our East Coast wave (MI) bears no correlation to the West Coast wave when it comes to gun rights.
See you over at Misha’s place.