How Laws Work

I found this story through the anti-gun channels.

Deer Park police said a man broke a new Ohio law, among others, after pulling a gun inside a bar.

They are of course outraged that Ohio has now made it legal to carry in restaurants with liquor licenses, even tho it is still illegal for those people to drink. But here’s the story and where its going:

As the argument became heated and verbal threats were exchanged, O’Reilly allegedly brandished a handgun and threatened to kill the other man, police said…Police said O’Reilly is a concealed carry permit holder. A new Ohio law that went into effect Sept. 30 gives CCW permit holders the right to carry firearms inside as bars and restaurants, but they are not allowed to consume alcohol while doing so. O’Reilly had been drinking, police said.

O’Reilly was charged with aggravated menacing, violating CCW laws, ethnic intimidation and possession of a schedule III controlled substance. He is being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center pending a bond hearing.

This is an ugly scene, and I’m not sure exactly how it went down, but O’Reilly’s gun did not have a round chambered, which is relevant only for logistics as deadly force and criminal threat is what it is.

I’m glad nobody was hurt, but what now? Mr. O’Reilly has most certainly lost his Ohio Carry permit for life, furthermore I suspect he’ll wind up catching a felony charge, and probably do some time in jail. That will forever make him a prohibited person from ever owning, carrying, or using a gun ever again.

Remember, nobody was hurt, and in its condition the gun was incapable of firing. This is also quite fair, play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Gun owners are generally more law abiding than the general population, and even the police population. This isn’t because we’re Angels, its because the stakes are so high.

Look at it this way, if O’Reilly got all lit up and drove home, and at one point swerved into oncoming traffic, but never hit anybody, before he was pulled over and charged with DUI….he’ll drive again…but threaten somebody with a piece that has an empty chamber, and he’s done with the 2nd Amendment for life.

Both are stupid and dangerous, and can result in people getting killed…but the punishment is disproportionate. That’s the reason for how we behave as a whole.

Now also let’s look a little bit further. Did this law change CAUSE this crime?

Hardly. Bad people have been carrying guns in bars ever since there were both guns and bars, no matter what the law was.

The laws work…unless your goal is just to ban guns rather than be concerned with people’s safety.