FAST FACTS:
(Memphis 6/4/09) On July 14th, gun owners in Tennessee will be able to bring their weapons into restaurant and bars.
The bill may have just become a law, but the debate is far from over. Lawmakers over-rode the governor's veto, making this the 37th state to allow guns into businesses that serve alcohol. Governor Phil Bredesen says the law doesn't provide the proper safeguards to ensure public safety. Some gun owners can't wait to arm themselves, but are already facing roadblocks. Businesses can still ban guns, simply by putting up a sign.
Date night for Robert Hough and his wife nearly ended with a sign outside Bosco's Restaurant in Midtown. The sign was a gun with a red cross through the middle; a clear sign guns weren't welcome. As a gun owner, the sign made Hough bristle.
"It's my right as a Tennessean to carry a firearm into this restaurant, but now I can't because he's blocking it. It's his right to say I can't, and it's my right to say I don't have to come back," says the Collierville resident.
Gun owners say the law will keep them safe, but Boscos owner Jerry Feinstone calls it something else: fear-baiting.
"Stepping into a situation where they expect trouble -- expecting trouble and creating trouble tend to go hand in hand," says Feinstone, who thinks folks walking into a bar cocked and loaded isn't the answer.
"Responsible people, when they've had a few drinks, can become irresponsible. that's the part of this that concerns me a little bit," says Sheriff Mark Luttrell who was among several top cops who say they're not much they can do to enforce the new law. Lutrell says it's up to restaurants and bars to regulate who comes in armed.
Even Hough admits the law is nearly impossible to enforce. The biggest law enforcement concern right now is how do you keep someone with a gun from drinking?
Feinstone wants his customers to feel safe; to feel they're in a place where they don't need a gun. He knows just putting up a sign won't stop people from bringing guns inside, but for the former college rifleman, the answer is simple -- his restaurant is no place for guns.
- Nashville lawmakers override Governor's veto; guns now allowed in restaurants/bars
- Gun-carrier cannot drink
- Businesses can ban guns by putting up sign
(Memphis 6/4/09) On July 14th, gun owners in Tennessee will be able to bring their weapons into restaurant and bars.
The bill may have just become a law, but the debate is far from over. Lawmakers over-rode the governor's veto, making this the 37th state to allow guns into businesses that serve alcohol. Governor Phil Bredesen says the law doesn't provide the proper safeguards to ensure public safety. Some gun owners can't wait to arm themselves, but are already facing roadblocks. Businesses can still ban guns, simply by putting up a sign.
Date night for Robert Hough and his wife nearly ended with a sign outside Bosco's Restaurant in Midtown. The sign was a gun with a red cross through the middle; a clear sign guns weren't welcome. As a gun owner, the sign made Hough bristle.
"It's my right as a Tennessean to carry a firearm into this restaurant, but now I can't because he's blocking it. It's his right to say I can't, and it's my right to say I don't have to come back," says the Collierville resident.
Gun owners say the law will keep them safe, but Boscos owner Jerry Feinstone calls it something else: fear-baiting.
"Stepping into a situation where they expect trouble -- expecting trouble and creating trouble tend to go hand in hand," says Feinstone, who thinks folks walking into a bar cocked and loaded isn't the answer.
"Responsible people, when they've had a few drinks, can become irresponsible. that's the part of this that concerns me a little bit," says Sheriff Mark Luttrell who was among several top cops who say they're not much they can do to enforce the new law. Lutrell says it's up to restaurants and bars to regulate who comes in armed.
Even Hough admits the law is nearly impossible to enforce. The biggest law enforcement concern right now is how do you keep someone with a gun from drinking?
Feinstone wants his customers to feel safe; to feel they're in a place where they don't need a gun. He knows just putting up a sign won't stop people from bringing guns inside, but for the former college rifleman, the answer is simple -- his restaurant is no place for guns.
