New firearm bill assault on common sense
It’s one thing to be drunk in a bar and then get in a fight. But it’s another thing to be in the same situation, except you have a gun on you. Impossible, you say? Not now, South Carolina residents. The General Assembly has passed and sent bill S.308 to Gov. Nikki Haley’s office. That will allow licensed patrons to carry concealed weapons in bars and restaurants that sell alcohol. There are many questions that can be asked as to why this has occurred; among them is why this “issue” is on the agenda, anyway.
This may go without saying, but it is incredibly stupid to allow patrons in bars with guns — but the issue is larger than that. The General Assembly’s actions have placed the current safety talks regarding Five Points in serious jeopardy and almost in a state of being in vain. Have lawmakers forgotten the tragic story of Martha Childress when she was shot by a hoodlum while she was just standing around waiting on a taxi?
They might have missed it, considering their inattentiveness to other university news and petitions, such as the desire for more funds to combat constantly rising tuition rates. It’s worthy to note that higher education was not addressed once in Gov. Haley’s annual State of the State address Wednesday night. Needless to say, if S.308 passes, it will make law enforcement’s job of protecting patrons in Five Points harder than it already is.
The State House’s perilous actions are only more cause for concern regarding the competence of South Carolina’s elected officials. It also brings into question their priorities. Their job is to keep residents safe and to deter danger. I guess their solution is to place firearms in the hands of intoxicated patrons, thus creating a civilian police force under the direction of one Jack Daniel. South Carolina residents, it is time to drive such incompetence out of our law making body.
Remember, it is election season. They are at our mercy now.