TN widow pleads for Restaurant Carry Bill

terraformer

terraformer

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This is one of those rare situations. A woman, carry permitted, who was forced to leave her firearm behind by stupid laws to disastrous consequences. Hell, how many men has this happened to? [thinking]

Anyhow, the point being, we don't have too many circumstances to point to where someone was forced to leave their gun behind and paid for it dearly. The only other notable case was the TX wendy's shooting. If it can save just one life, we should do it right??? [rolleyes]

If bar handgun bill existed, my Ben might be alive
By Nicole Goeser • May 22, 2009

I am Nicole Goeser, widow of Benjamin Felix Goeser. First, I want to say that I love my husband very much and I miss him terribly. He was the most giving, loving, concerned, thoughtful person I have ever met.

My husband was gunned down on April 2 right in front of me at Jonny's Sports Bar on Nolensville Road here in Nashville. There is a very important bill that has passed the House and Senate called the Restaurant Carry Bill. This bill is awaiting Gov. Phil Bredesen's signature.

I support this bill.

I am a permitted gun owner here in the state of Tennessee. If I could have been allowed to carry my gun that night, perhaps I could have saved my wonderful husband (Metro Police have charged Hank Calvin Wise, 43, of W. Main Street in Hendersonville with Benjamin Goeser's death).

I can tell you that the odds would have been more in our favor. I had to leave my gun locked in my car in the parking lot that night because we have a law in place right now that makes innocent people "helpless" and at the mercy of people with horrible intentions. People who have gone through proper training, a complete background check and have the permit should be allowed to carry a concealed gun for their own protection and protection of loved ones as long as they are not under the influence of alcohol.

Just remember, when seconds count, the police are minutes away. I am proud of all police officers and respect them for the risk they face every day but those officers cannot be everywhere at any time and every time. I have heard people talk about, "Oh, those people that carry guns just want to be a hero."

I can tell you that the last thing in the world I want to do is actually use my gun to take someone's life. But if I am forced to because my life or another's life is in danger of being taken, I will.

Please understand that bad guys don't care about laws. Only law-abiding citizens will honor a "Gun Free Zone" and, therefore, only non-law abiding people will be armed in a "Gun Free Zone." Gun Free Zones are killing zones.

I want people to understand why this bill becoming law is so very important. Please support this bill. It looks like it will become law. That will be a "Great day in Tennessee."

Unfortunately, it is coming too late for Ben and I.
Click to expand...
 
PS: There is scant details on the circumstances of her husbands death. Another posting by her I found has her stating she can't going into specifics of the case. But apparently the guy who shot her husband was carrying against the law in the establishment (a bar). He was definitely NOT permitted, so was outright carrying illegally actually. Nothing about what started it, etc but probably the typical beer balls incident that turned very deadly.
 
SC has a similar law, no carry in establishments that serve alcohol for consumption. When I was down there, I couldn't carry when I went out to dinner, even in nice restaurants, even if I kept to soft drinks. In SC's defense, at least it is shall issue and everyone is licensed the same.

(SC non-resident LTC)
 
This incident does sound eerily familiar to the Luby's Cafe Massacre. When will they realize that criminal thugs don't give a hoot about victim-disarmament laws like Gun Free Zones? I wonder if that's actually their sinister intention.
 
It would be interesting to see the outcome had she or her husband (both licensed to carry) been carrying the night Hank Calvin Wise decided to open fire.

Had they disobeyed a law that made them sitting ducks, does anyone really think a jury would convict them of illegally carrying if they'd been able to save their own lives and possibly others?

As with Luby's Cafeteria, if a lawfully armed citizen been carrying in violation of the "restaraunt law" that day and prevented the deaths of 23 people, what do you suppose the outcome would be? Would they have been charged? Would it have been enough for the laws to be changed?

My heart goes out to the Goeser family.
 
R1ch said:
Looks like they are having a little poll on that news page "Should guns be allowed in restaurants and bars". Click and vote your thoughts. ;)
Click to expand...

Should guns should be allowed in restaurants and bars?
Thanks for your vote.

Yes 59% 49 votes
No 39% 33 votes
Not sure 1% 1 vote
83 total votes
 
Should guns should be allowed in restaurants and bars?
Click to expand...
This borders on a push poll. A more accurate question should be "Should persons with carry licenses be permitted to carry in establishments licensed to sell alcohol by the drink provided they do not consume any alcohol while in possession of a firearm?"
 
"Kids, this is what happens when states are allowed to mandate permits and
regulate firearms. "

I often get into discussions with folks about permitting, and as of yet, nobody
can come up with a cogent argument as to why the "vermont standard" doesn't make sense.

-Mike
 

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