Bredesen Vetos Restaurant Carry Bill; Insures Future Invites from the Cocktail Party Crowd

Gov. Phil Bredesen has vetoed the restaurant carry bill. Here is part of is disingenuous statement:

As a young man growing up in a small town, I attended a gun safety class in my high school sponsored by the National Rifle Association. A basic tenet taught in that class was this: “Guns and alcohol don’t mix.” This seemingly common sense proposition is as true today as it was almost 50 years ago.

Either Phil didn't read the bill or he is just playing politics. The bill does not change the fact that it will still be illegal to consume alcohol while carrying. Kleinheider has it right. This is a widely popular bill and for good reason - it is nonsensical to require me to lock my gun in my car while I go eat at the Olive Garden. I'm not drinking; I'm eating.

The sad fact is that many permit holders who carry frequently have often become inadvertent violators of the current law. When you carry, at some point it becomes subconscious. It's like carrying your keys. The gun is simply one more tool in your pocket that you don't think about. It is easy to walk into a restaurant without even thinking about the gun and without even realizing they serve alcohol. If you don't regularly consume alcohol, a lot of times you do not realize that the restaurant serves it. As for the "guns in bars" angle loved by the left, the reality is that most people go to bars to drink. I suspect very few guns will end up in bars and even if they do, it is still illegal for the holder to drink while carrying. The practical effect of the bill for probably 99.9% of permit holders is that they can sit down and enjoy a meal without leaving their personal protection in a car to be stolen.

This would be the perfect bill for a veto override. I'm emailing legislators today and encourage all freedom lovers to do the same.