BY CAITLIN MOBLEY, Sophomore
BLYTHEWOOD-- On Feb. 11, Gov. Nikki Haley signed a law allowing concealed weapons in public places after a man was fatally shot in a South Carolina bar parking lot.
According to the new law, people holding concealed weapons permits are now authorized to carry guns in bars and restaurants as long as they are not drinking while inside.
Although the new law has been passed, establishments can impose their own rules on weapons bans as long as it is posted outside their window on a large sign.
This is a major victory for gun groups but leaves business owners in a tough spot deciding whether or not to allow guns in their establishments at the sake of losing business from people who do not agree with this new law.
Another question that has surfaced out of the new law is who the blame would fall on should a gun accidentally go off in a bar or restaurant.
According to Deputy Federal Marshal Shaw Muhamid, the gun owner, not the business owner, would be held responsible if a gun were to mistakenly go off.
“One of the requirements of carrying a weapon is the security of the weapon from improper discharge. Trigger locks will prevent accidental discharge of a firearm when not in use. The best way to carry a gun is in a secured holster and if it is out of the holster, as if the gun is loaded,” Muhamid said.
An advocacy group, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, has arisen out of this new law trying to convince business owners to enact stronger gun bans simply for the safety of their children and themselves.
“Most crimes occur in the heat of passion. If you have a gun and you’re angered in any way, you may likely use that gun. If the gun is not available, there is time for the anger party to cool off,” Chester Regional Medical Center Dr. Isom Lowman stated.
He feels guns should not be so easily accessible to people.
“Decreasing the amount of guns available to the public will limit gun violence,” Dr. Lowman stated.
Moms Demand Action has a similar opinion of how to crack down on gun violence and has many campaigns to convince businesses to do so.
They have convinced many chains, such as Chipotle, Starbucks and Panera, to ban guns in their restaurants to ensure public safety, but some independent businesses have received angry phone calls from gun owners wishing to bring their weapons into establishments and the restaurants eventually took down their “NO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ALLOWED” sign.
People have questioned the new gun law and how it will affect public safety.
But at the end of the day, it is up to the business owners to decide whether or not they will allow guns, even at the sake of their businesses and the safety of others.
