“We’d make a joke that state Rep. Charlie Collins should amend his gun legislation to make all of Arkansasfrom border to border—a mandatory gun-carrying zone. But we don’t want to give him ideas.”
—Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, last week
WE SHOULD learn to keep some things in our head. They oftentimes sound better in there.
First there was a bill to force colleges to allow some professors, administrators or employees to carry concealed weapons, if those employees/professors were trained and willing. (The previous law only allowed colleges to decide for themselves, campus to campus. And they all opted out.)
Then said bill was amended, and amended, and amended, and the lawmakers who like and maybe need the NRA’s A-plus rating got offended that anybody questioned their bonafides, and amended the dang thing again till everybody with a concealed permit could carry pert near anywhere. Including not just college campuses, but the state Capitol and sporting events, but we repeat ourselves.
That’ll teach ’em! (Who “’em” is is anybody’s guess.)
But late last week, the adults were heard from. Finally. The state Senate passed a bill by President Pro Tempore Jonathan Dismang to exempt from the latest law places like the State Hospital, UAMS and collegiate athletic events. Because emotions can run high at hospitals, and folks in these latitudes take sports too seriously. That, and the NCAA might have had something to say about folks packin’ at its sanctioned events.
There will be those lawmakers who oppose this bill in the House simply because the NRA tells them to. Here’s a question for them: If some fool starts trouble at the next football game, can he be safely left to the dozens of police and security guards already there, or would you rather have 70 people in his section pull a gun—and have the cops, and everybody else, try to figure out who’s bad and who’s got a permit?
Come, let us reason together. That’s always the best policy.