imported post
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I think this brings to point that even law-abiding gun owners such as ourselves aren't really doing the best for our own safety or the safety of others by following the law 100% of the time. Note that I am not advocating breaking any laws here but am simply pointing out as others have stated the incosistency of doing the right thing and following the law.
Arizona prohibits open or concealed carry in places that serve alcohol, private property in which it is prohibited, government land, buildings, or sponsored events which prohibit it, K-12 schools, and beyond the security point at the airports. It is generally a misdemeanor for breaking this law. The irony of concealed carry is that how do they know you have it? So it is illegal but unless they have metal detectors or they search you as a condition for entering the property, nobody knows you have a gun. In all practicality, I don't see how leaving your gun in the car or with the owner does you or anyone else around you any good.
What good does leaving your gun in the car do while drinking at a bar, if someone walks in and shoots it up? Are you going to be able to get to the car and get it in time? Maybe some of the victims at Virginia Tech left their guns in the car or at home that day. Following the law got them killed. Breaking it may have saved many lives. If someone had a gun on 9/11 on one of those planes, there may have been less lives lost. While alcohol and guns don't mix, if you cannot conduct yourself appropriately under the influence (carrying or not) then you shouldn't be drinking period and might have an alcohol problem or otherwise a generalattitude problem.
One thing that makes the gun control laws silly is that if I open carry in a prohibited area, they will ask you to leave the gun in the car but then all I would have to do is go to the car, pretend to leave it in there but instead stick it in my pocket, and go back in and because they don't see it, they think I don't have it. So much for the logic of gun control against open carry. If every place which prohibited firearms guaranteed to have armed personnel on duty who were sworn to protect you while on the property and were held legally liable for your safety, then it wouldn't be that big of a deal. The problem is that the same places which prohibit firearms (schools, airplanes, bars, etc.) have no one there who can helpyou should some psycho come in with a gun and start shooting it up.