Charlotte and Tampa, Fla. – the host cities for this year’s two political conventions – may be able to prohibit protesters from bringing backpacks or water guns.
But what about real guns? That could be a problem: State law in North Carolina and Florida allows concealed weapons.
The Associated Press reported that in Tampa, where Republicans will convene in August, the City Council voted last week to ask GOP Gov. Rick Scott to issue an executive order preventing people with concealed weapons permits from carrying guns.
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn said the state law has made the city "look silly," particularly because officials can ban water guns but not real ones.
In Charlotte, host of the Democratic National Convention in September, the issue is more complicated, AP reported: "In January, the city adopted an ordinance allowing it to set up 'extraordinary event zones' – designated areas where people won’t be allowed to carry backpacks and other items. The city wanted to ban guns in those zones. State law, though, allows people to carry concealed weapons – unless they’re at a parade or protest."
The tricky part is that the zones are far bigger than the areas reserved for actual demonstrations, AP said.
Tim Funk
Home loan forgiven? It may count as income
9 years ago
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7 comments:
Good point made with this story. Also, NC law allows residents to openly carry a weapon. So as long as someone's not taking part in a parade or protest, there's nothing to stop people from strapping on a gun and holster and walking around uptown, is there?
The only people carrying weapons...concealed or otherwise...that anyone uptown needs to worry about are the ones who will be carrying them ILLEGALLY. Law-abiding citizens with valid Concealed Carry Permits are no threat to other law-abiding citizens, the police or anyone else as long as their life is not threatened. You people need to focus your concerns on the REAL threats - thugs toting deadly weapons who intend to use them to the extreme detriment of polite society.
Mr. Funk,
Your use of the First Amendment doesn't permit you to ignore the Second.
VOTE YES !
BAN HOMO MARRIAGE 4EVER
SCREW NY TIMES HETRO BIGOTS
SAY NO TO HETROPHOBES
3rd anonymous: I think his point is not that people shouldn't be allowed to carry guns, it's that if we're going to enforce 2nd Amendment rights, we ought to enforce 1st Amendment rights as well.
It that is indeed his point, I would concur.
ROTFL!
I always get a kick out of people who think that making another thing illegal will change the behavior of the criminals and nut jobs!
There is already a death penalty for committing murder. If someone is willing to risk that, they aren't going to care about an executive order saying they can't carry a gun.
However, a properly licensed concealed carry citizen MIGHT just be able to prevent, or quickly stop some nut job or terrorist because they were armed!
There will be at least 5000 armed federal, state, and local government employees running around downtown Charlotte. As long as all those folks are armed, what is the problem with normal citizens being armed? Governor Bev should go on Youtube inviting delegates to bring their guns with them, because we are not like New York or California
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