Predicting the anti-gun response to restaurant carry bill

June 3, 6:32 AMCleveland Gun Rights ExaminerDaniel White

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Thirty-nine states have provisions for legal armed defense in restaurants

Yesterday, the bill to remove Ohio's ban on self-defense while dining was introduced. If passed, this bill would allow a lawful citizen with a concealed handgun license (CHL) to remain armed while eating in a restaurant that serves alcohol as long as that person was not drinking. Soon, we'll see the typical responses from the anti-gun, anti-freedom crowd.

Usually the first attack on legislation like this is that they claim this will result in people getting drunk, getting into fights, and that will lead to shootings. Of course, they neglect to explain why this doesn't happen in the other thirty-nine states that do allow restaurant patrons to remain armed.

The common quip is that 'guns and alcohol don't mix.' Except that we're not mixing guns and alcohol. HB 203 would only permit concealed carry if that person was not consuming alcohol. The canned response to pointing out that fact is usually, "well, that person might drink anyway." Using that logic, we should ban alcohol from restaurants completely because that person might get drunk and try to drive home. But again, if this was an issue, why isn't it happening in every single state that borders Ohio?

This isn't some radical change. Not only does the vast majority of the country already allow ccw in restaurants, but it is currently legal in Ohio to drink alcohol outside of a restaurant while armed, provided that you're not impaired (the same standard as driving a car). Concealed handgun licensees are being responsible now, why would it be any different if they were seated in a restaurant?

Ohio CHL holders are just as responsible as those in the green states noted in the graphic above. Those states have not had a problem with armed citizens in restaurants getting into drunken gunfights, and it won't happen here either. So when you hear the hysterical predictions of blood running in the streets, remember that those same predictions were made for every other pro-gun rights reform made in Ohio and those predictions didn't come true then either. It is time to stop crying wolf.