NY Times Concerned About Liberalized Firearm Laws

The NYTimes looks at the efforts of Tennessee and other states to liberalize their carry permit laws to allow holders the ability to take their weapon wherever they so choose:

Once again, politicians caved to the gun lobby’s “right to carry” agenda which insists that there is no place — campuses, workplaces, churches — that should be off limits to guns.

We fear that Gov. Phil Bredesen, a gun owner and hunter, was right when he warned his state: “It’s an invitation to a disaster.”

The governor found no safety in provisions that ban the licensed gun toters from drinking alcohol — is it the honor system or will bartenders do a search? — and allow bar and restaurant owners to opt out by posting a notice prohibiting guns. Unfortunately, there is no requirement for owners to post warnings of the dangers inside at the doorways of gun-friendly places.

Of course, one could argue (rightfully so) that if a person is willing to ignore the restrictions on drinking while carrying, they probably would have no problem ignoring previous restrictions against carrying their weapons to a bar in the first place.

As for the "dangers inside" of restaurants and bars from carry-permit holders, is there any real evidence that there is a threat or danger? I'm not really sure you could even find much anecdotal evidence, let alone statistical proof, of gun holders who followed the law up to the letter up until the moment they shot or killed an innocent victim.