Assembly approves concealed weapons in restaurants

I support the bill, I am a Armed Security Officer in Virginia. While working we can make arrest and issue summons just like a police officer. Problem is when we work in areas where we make large numbers of arrest for drugs, beatings, and etc. the courts smack them on the wrist and sends them back on the street. We then run into them on our off duty time and that's why I carry a concealed weapon off duty, but with out this bill I have to find somewhere to eat that doesn't serve beer, wine, etc. and it's getting harder and harder. Remember gun control only effect those of us who follow the law. Those who don't could care less, if they break a gun law, what's one more, or two, or so on. I've ran into three people I've arrested and helped to send to jail only to run into them in life off duty. The first time I had no weapon, they did, I ran. I wised up and the second two times I did and called for back up. Not everyone who carrys a weapon is a gun nut, some of us face real danagers because we do a job that helps protect the public.

“Why would somebody want to have a gun in a restaurant?” said Standing, of Waterman’s Surfside Grille in Virginia Beach. “In case the crab legs came alive and got angry?”

Mr. Standing's comment is a pretty fair example of how those who have no valid argument to support their position will resort to stupidity to try and ridicule their opposition.
How many people have been assaulted/robbed/murdered in places where they were "supposedly' safe? I myself was standing in front of Yale University when three thugs attempted to mug me. I was lawfully carrying a concealed pistol, and when I opened my coat and showed them the pistol, they went away and left me alone. IN FRONT OF YALE UNIVERSITY!
The Police cannot prevent violent crime to an individual. I am a former police officer and I can tell that that is a fact! In fact the Supreme Court and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals handed down similar decisions: "The police have no legal responsibility to provide for the protection of the individual citizen". The police investigate crime AFTER it has taken place.
We are not talking about "gunfights at the OK corral"; we're talking about common sense preparedness.

Men were required to check their weapons at the bar. Sounds like they had common sense! Others seem to not understand what that even means.

(laughing)

I guess it is no class then...

Guns SAVE Lives!

I won't be enrolling in one of your classes. I now know I will sleep better knowing you and others will be in the restaurant and on the streets to protecting me. Yeah right! Keep telling yourself that, because it is my personal opinion people who feel they have the need to carry a concealed weapon have extreme low self-esteme problems. They were probably bullied at some point and now they want to get even, and by the grace of the law they legally can do so. You scare me, just as much as a bully of a cop who was the school bully in his day. Certainly not all cops are bullies I happen to know a number of fine offices, but there are rotten apples.

Many of the posts from the Anti-Gun Nuts remind me of the lady that jumps up on the table Screaming when she spots a mouse on the floor.

We all have various reasons for carrying concealed weapons. For some, it is to have the upper hand of surprise in self defense, for others it is the confidence of knowing, and for me it is for defense of myself and family without brandishing it in my childrens faces and making others in the community feel discomfort. Sure, this is not the wild west. I am not in a militia, nor do I necessarily feel that I need to carry into a restaurant. But many seem to be missing the point, which is not the destination, but rather the means of getting there. I walk to most restaurants, and it is on those walks where we are at the most risk. As nice as Ghent is, law obiding citizens in this neighborhood, along with our peers in Park Place have long battled the few criminals in our area who prey on pedestrians, be them waitstaff leaving work with cash tips or families leaving nice restaurants. You don't need to know I have it, I'll be happy to tell my server when I order my coke. Chances are we've already exchanged pleasantries while passing on Colley Ave, and it wasn't a big deal then, was it?

It's obvious to me that CS has a pretty good grip on this topic. His responses are well thought out and Quite Reasonable. However; Barbie and her ilk are not at all reasonable, do not understend Any of the implications of this debate, rely on Bogus information, Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics, and above all are too Emotionally Stressed by this topic to really make any Sense. However; as I stated earlier, they are Quite Entertaining.

I'm sorry that the other gentleman insulted your intelligence. You seem like a very compassionate and considerate person. From reading your comments it seems to me that you have lived a life where you have not been exposed firearms or had to deal with real violence on any level. You are fortunate. But the reality of it all is there are people out there that have been exposed. Honest, hardworking, god fearing, educated and qualified people that are tired of being prayed upon. I know that the thought of guns in your presents makes you nervous, rightly so but in retrospect it is in your best interest that good people are carrying legally. Freedom and safety in this country unfortunatly has been paid for as uncomfortable as it seems in blood. There are people out there that if they had the opportunity to benefit from you would spill yours. You have been lucky enough at this point not to see it. It does exist and I promise that you will not see my gun to protect my family while you eat. I also know that everyone out there is not out to get me...

Sure swd2k you are happy to see me again-because you ALWAYS enjoy making rude remarks about me. So if that makes you happy, enjoy. I have no problem with someone having a different view then me-I really enjoy debating. But to make remarks suggesting that have no brain, you are just turning debating into a demeaning little game.Like a child, and why? I never said that people who have guns are bad or are not law abiding citizens. You need to read the whole post not just parts of it. I am not the one that is going out and thinking everyone is out to get me, so I need a gun. That is basically what you are saying, you never know at any time somebody will come out shooting? And who's to say you are the better shot and SAVE all of us, with out hitting us?? I can still be killed in the cross fire, and you can read that in the paper too. Then what? That is not being safe, and I wont walk around thinking I need a gun because the next guy may have one?? Then again sometimes I forget where I am...Shoot first ask questions later. Great logic.

My gun has already been to Harborfest, openly carried. No one noticed. I open carry in restaurants I go into because I *HAVE* to by law. This really just lets me hide my gun so that hoplophobes (people with an unreasonable/unjustified fear of firearms), such as yourself, do not get alarmed and pitch a fit to the manager or call the police and take one more cop off the street where they can do some good for a senseless “there is a man with a gun in the restaurant and he is EATING!” call. Yes, ohmygodthehumanity. With 3% of the population in Virginia licensed to carry concealed, chances are, you’ve sat by a gun today. Not many? Then what about the others licensed by Florida, Utah, Pennsylvania or others that carry here without a Virginia permit? I have taught firearm safety classes to over 1200 people in Virginia. Most get their permit. My goal is 10,000. Can I put you down for a class or no class?

Lord willing, I'll never have to use one of the several weapons I own to take a life, but I am prepared. But, as any intelligent, law abiding, prepared citizen knows, "In the seconds it takes a crime to happen ... the police are “only” minutes away."

-I'm trained in the proper use of my weapon; I'm law abiding and polite. Our family loves to eat out at all types of eating establishments and we leave GREAT tips.
-You'd never know I had my weapon on me because it's not something to "show off". It's not a status symbol it's a right as a citizen of these United States. I choose to be able to defend myself and others should the situation ever present itself.

Remember, police don’t often get to stop crimes, they try to catch criminals

Yes, people with things (whatever they may be) legally can do illegal things with them. You can beat your child with your curling iron, but should you be prevented from bringing one to your home? You can stab your co-worker with your ball-point pen, but should you be prevented from bringing pens to work? You could drive your car through the front door of your bank, but should you be prevented from bringing your car to the bank?

Again, simple logic makes this whole argument childish and redundant. The fact is that we live in a dangerous society, and a previous comment nailed something else that I had forgotten about: Cities that have VERY strict gun laws are some of the most lawless. Why? Because only the outlaws have guns. Get it???

Law-abiding citizens, by definition, obey the law. If the law tells them they can't carry their .45 into the store, they don't. Do you think the thug about to rob the store and shoot people is going to care what the law says about him/her carrying their weapon into the store??? Of course not!

Here's an interesting thing, it's a poll from this site on this very issue:

Poll Question
Posted to: News Virginia
Should Virginia residents with permits be allowed to carry concealed weapons into bars and restaurants?
Yes
68% (1264 votes)
No
31% (573 votes)
Undecided
1% (15 votes)
Total votes: 1852

Again, I'm not math major, but that looks like better than 2 to 1 in FAVOR of this sort of legislation...

I can see both sides of this one. Most of my friends and family members are gun owners and the importance of protecting yourself is supreme. Also, like someone already mentioned in DC you can't have a gun at all leaving innocent people severely at risk. My problem is the restaraunt is in charge of who can and can't carry a weapon as well as whether they can drink. If you allow the trained, well intentioned gun owners to carry weapons those carrying illegaly will be more likely to bring theirs. Is the restaraunt gonna frisk every patron that visits? They have enough problems not serving people underage, I can't even count the number of times friends and I drank in restaraunts/bars underage. I saw one post that mentioned restaraunts/bars have to serve a certain % of food and that's true but spending a lot of time on the oceanfront, granby street in norfolk, etc i have seen way more drinking than eating. I would feel better if they were more specific about how they are going to regulate this law.

1st The Concealed Carry Permit holder falls into the most law abiding category of citizens. Even more law abiding than police officers. This was established by research done recently in Michigan. 2nd The gun free zone has shown to be sadly tragic in numerous states including Virginia.
In the last few months numerous examples and deaths can be attributed to the irrational argument put forth by Barb and Governor Kaine. In Colorado however, a very good example of the result when good people armed STOP bad people from killing some or more innocent people. A church attending woman who was authorized to carry and was asked by the church Pastor to be armed, stopped a very dangerous and heavily armed man from killing more than he did. He was in what he thought to be a GUN FREE ZONE. He is dead.
The argument against allowing firearms in restaurants by CCW holders is irrational at best and will cost lives at some point if not signed by Governor Kaine.

However, once again, your narrow mind leaves little room for logic or reason. What apparently does fill the space between your ears is supposition and assumption. This is about concealed weapons, weapons, which to be carried in such a way, require the carrier to submit to a number of background checks, fingerprinting, photographing, and safety training. Mentally stable is pretty subjective, but I'm sure you know that. I would submit that anyone interested in NOT being able to protect themselves is far less stable than most; what do you think?

For one, I feel safer with licensed citizens carrying guns, and I feel safer with them carrying them EVERYWHERE, even into restaurants. We live in violent times and in violent places. It will be a sad day for you and yours, Barb, when you're confronted with a split-second life and death decision but you have nothing but your ideas in your head to defend yourself. In the seconds it takes to fight back/shoot back or die, where will you be?

We'll be reading about you in the paper, and your friends and family will be calling for more gun laws, laws that would have prevented you from being able to defend yourself had you chosen to do s

-Great observation & many believe the same philosophy as posted by “swd2k”. If there is nobody to protect the herd of sheep, then the wolf will be able to slaughter willingly.

-Okay, picture this… if you were to shoplift, would you… A) Shoplift in a 7-11 where there are no cameras or maybe one camera or B) Shoplift in a Wal-Mart where there are dozens of cameras??? A large majority of you would shoplift in a 7-11 because it is what class??? Easier!!! Same goes for people who want to commit acts of violence. If somebody knew there was a restaurant full of people, of whom a portion of the customers were “carrying”, they would not commit an act of violence.

-To those who say mass murder and violence will intensify if this passes, READ:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_carry

...don’t understand or want to veto this bill, can you GUARANTEE my safety in between vehicle & place of business or once I am inside? Can the owner of the business GUARANTEE my safety in between vehicle & place of business or once I am inside? Hmmm… CAN YOU??? Didn’t think so! I would at least like a fighting chance to defend myself. I legally carry & think many others should also. It is especially apparent with all the robberies/carjacking/murders that go on around the HR area. When I do go into a restaurant, I either open carry (which is legal & one of the few good things about the Communistwealth of VA) or leave in vehicle. I do agree if you were to conceal carry/open carry, one can not consume alcohol. However, the great state of VA says one can open-carry & consume alcohol. But nobody is offended by that!

Some people, who have guns legally, can do illegal things. You cant say you never heard about someone shooting in the dark and killed their wife or child (by mistake) or murder/suicide and done by people who have guns legally. It has happened, and we all know it! I just wont feel safe having some stranger next to me have a gun, and can you guarantee he/she wont drink or will let the restaurant know they have a gun. I have been in a situation of having a gun pointed at me (person was drunk); the person had the gun legally too. So yes I may have a fear and that is not easy to get over. I just dont see the point of having a gun while you go out to eat. I am sorry, things do go wrong. Even people who obey the law make mistakes. This will not make us any safer.