GEORGIA: GUNS IN RESTAURANTS?

A bill recently proposed in the Georgia Legislature will allow people with permits to carry their gun into restaurants. The bill hasn�t moved too far at the Capitol yet, but it has started a lot of table talk. In nearly half a century, Manuel's Tavern has seen many political arguments, but managers and regulars said it never gets to the point where they would feel safer with guns in the place. �If there was a problem, you could always call the police to come out and, you know, handle things for you,� said Marilyn Huggins, a restaurant regular. �Just pointing and aiming a gun doesn't mean that you are capable of making rational decisions in an environment such as a pub or a restaurant,� added Curtis Echols, another regular.

But even some uncommitted lawmakers said armed criminals could hurt or kill a lot of diners, unless those diners could arm themselves. �Why do we want to discriminate against those who simply want the right to protect their own family?� said Republican Rep. Jan Jones of Alpharetta. The bill's supporters say a lot of patrons also need protection once they leave the restaurant. Without a weapon, they argue, customers cannot defend themselves from an attacker on the street.

The bill would let customers carry a gun into a restaurant that serves alcohol, but weapons would still be banned at bars that make more money from alcohol than from food.

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Armed homes are safe homes : "Recently, three young criminals in Omaha were looking for a home to rob. Their criteria included an interesting condition. Pointing to a particular target, a townhouse in the northwest part of town, one person told them, 'That house has no guns.' And since Nebraska has no concealed carry law, they could be fairly certain that none of the residents would have one on their person, either. Shortly before noon last November 11, the three punks (all of whom did have guns, of course) broke into the townhouse, demanded money and order[ed] residents to the floor. During a struggle in the hallway, all three intruders fired their guns, killing Trevor Lee, a 23-year-old aspiring stock market analyst."