Common Sense Gun Laws Being Attacked By Gun Controllers

In Georgia, gun controllers are once again proving that common sense gun laws to them only include ones that seek to stamp out the 2nd Amendment completely.

The gun haters are currently foaming at the mouth at HB-60 that is currently awaiting Governor Deal’s signature to be enacted into law.

HB-60 basically tosses in a whole helping of common sense but the gun control zealots are once again doing their prognostication of blood running in the streets.

Here are the highlights of HB-60:

It allows CHOICE of private business owners on who they allow into their establishments

Removes bars from the off limits list and treats them like every other piece of private property in GA in that the property owner has the right to eject a person from their property.
Allows church carry if the church agrees to allow guns in churches and establishes up to a $100 fine if caught carrying in a church that does not allow.

It forces the government to adhere to the rights of the people

Allows firearms in government buildings that are not restricted or screened by security personnel during the hours the building is open for business.
Require public housing to allow tenants to have firearms in their dwellings unless required by federal law or regulation.

It updates the Licensing procedure

Removes fingerprint requirement for license renewals
Provides for issuance of GWL to a person who is at least 18 years of age who has completed basic training in the armed forces and is either actively serving in the military or has been honorably discharged from the service.
Allows a person who has had his/her GWL revoked to be issued a GWL if the revocation was more than 3 years of the date of his or her application.
Restricts any person who has been adjudicated mentally incompetent to stand trial or who has been adjudicated not guilty by reason of insanity at the time of the crime
Allows GWL applicant the right to sue if they feel they are wrongfully denied a GWL and to recover their costs and reasonable attorney fees if they are the prevailing party.
Prohibits any person or entity from creating or maintaining a multijurisdictional data base of information regarding persons issued GWLs.

Straightens out violations at an airport

Codifies airport carry in non sterile areas. If a person knowingly enters airport screening with a weapon will be guilty of a misdemeanor unless it is with intent to commit a separate felony offense. A person with a GWL will not be arrested if no intent of an additional felony is involved

Restores the 4th Amendment for gun carriers

Requires carrying of GWL when carrying a weapon or for exempt persons, proof they are exempt.
A person carrying a weapon shall not be subject to detention for the sole purpose of investigating whether such person has a weapons carry license.
If a person is caught carrying a weapon without a GWL the fine in court will be $10 if GWL is produced and was valid at the time of the arrest.
Defense of self or others, shall be an absolute defense to any violation of off limits places.

Restores the 4th and 5th Amendments during times of Emergency

Strikes firearms and ammunition and components from the Governor’s Emergency Powers Act.
No one, while acting during or pursuant to a declared state of emergency, shall:

Temporarily or permanently seize, any firearm or ammunition which was not prohibited by law at the time immediately prior to the declaration of a state of emergency
Prohibit possession of any firearm or ammunition or any component thereof or
Prohibit any license holder from carrying any weapon if such carrying was not otherwise prohibited by law at the time immediately prior to the declaration of a state of emergency;
Require the registration of any firearm.

And in General

Codify into law some common law prohibitions that prohibit a person from being arrested if they go to a prohibited location to save someone’s life.
Clarifies that private property owners my eject a person from their property but may not criminalize carrying.
Makes hunting with suppressors legal in GA.
Strengthen state Preemption
Requires GA courts to inform the FBI if person was involuntarily committed to an asylum, ruled mentally incompetent to stand trial or found not guilty by reason of insanity
Expressly permits anyone who had their rights violated in violation of 16-11-173 (concerning gun shows) to bring forth action for equitable relief

Now, while this isn’t exactly on the same level of Arizona, Vermont or Alaska, it is a GREAT start filled with plenty of good common sense gun laws.

For instance, as a private business owner or church, why would the government have a say in who I cannot allow into my privately owned place? In fact, as a minister at a church, for the government to expressly forbid one of my congregation to come to worship because they wish to do so armed is a clear example of a violation of the first Amendment. The government is trying to establish a religion of hoplophobes. Fortunately this bill is addressing that.

If a minister/priest/rabbi/cleric or otherwise now overtly doesn’t allow weapons into their church/temple/mosque etc, if I was a Georgian I would find a different place to worship. Same goes with businesses. If they want to deny me my rights on their property I have the right to go somewhere else.

As for public places, the government should not be allowed to disarm me ESPECIALLY if it is a place I am living at.

It is bad enough that I would need a permit to carry to begin with but at least now I do not have to be treated like a criminal and be fingerprinted in order to do so. With HB-60, now those in the military who are under 18 can continue to use a firearm to protect themselves at home as they do when they are overseas fighting for our freedom. I don’t particularly care for different rules for different citizens but let us hope this is a first step to allowing all adults over the age of 18 to exercise their rights fully.

I love the part where police cannot go all 1938 Berlin and ask for “your papers” just for walking around with a gun. This is America and we have a presumption of innocence. To be allowed to hold up and shakedown innocent people in a fishing expedition to try and find guilt would be like pulling people over just to check if they have a license.

One of the BIGGEST things is the section that protects Georgians from the same fate of Hurricane Katrina victims who were disarmed and beaten by police who were parading around like SS storm troopers.

During natural disasters and emergencies, that is the time when the people MOST need to be armed.

And there is even something for hunters, they are now allowed to hunt with suppressors. That’s great, it keeps noise pollution down, protects hearing and gives hunters a better chance to not scare off game.

Of course, where a normal, rational person sees nothing but good common sense gun laws here, gun hating mouth droolers are wetting themselves talking about how Georgia will fall into some Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome state.

There one note that they keep blaring from their mouths is so tedious and tiresome and has been proven false SO many times all ready (see Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming, Arkansas) that it really is pathetic.

Common Sense gun laws have NOTHING to do with stripping the rights from the law abiding. Common sense gun laws have everything to do with ensuring that the law abiding are not violated and screwed over by an overarching tyrannical government.

As such, HB-60 is chock full of common sense and hopefully will be expanded upon in the future. Georgians deserve to be free from oppression. HB-60 seems to pretty much completely encapsulate Georgia’s State Motto: Wisdom, Justice, Moderation

I look forward to Governor Deal signing HB-60, thereby doing his job: protecting the people from the government.

Common Sense Gun Laws Being Attacked By Gun Controllers

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