Unconstitutionally vague.....unintended consequences!

Any student of high school physics knows that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For example, the exhaust gasses from a jet engine go to the rear, the plane moves forward.

Last year, in 2009, the Tennessee Legislature passed a bill that allowed persons with valid Handgun Carry Permits to carry their sidearm in restaurants that serve alcohol. This bill was dubbed the "Guns in Bars Bill" by major media outlets in the state. Governor Bredesen vetoed the bill, and the Legislature quickly overrode the veto.

That did not sit to well with the Guv, I think, but conveniently, his appointee, Chancellor Bonnyman, in a classic move of judicial fiat, ruled the statute unconstitutionally vague.

Now, the Legislature is in the throes of rewriting the law, with hopes of its meeting judicial review.

But, there is always the law of unintended consequences to contend with. We find out from the Chattanooga Times Free Press that,

"After years of lax enforcement, the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission is beginning to crack down on bars and nightclubs that have liquor-by-the-drink licenses as restaurants but in reality offer little to no food to patrons."

 It seems that Tennessee does not actually have legal "bars" in the state. The Times Free Press goes into some detail on a confusing patchwork of law and policy. It would appear that some establishments that are in fact bars, not restaurants, may be in jeopardy of losing their licenses.

So, the leftist gun-aversive dyslexia that negated last year's partial restoration of the Second Amendment may now put out of business some of those very establishments that they were trying to protect from gun toting citizens (who have had background checks done, been fingerprinted, had training, and already by law, can't drink and carry).


This reminds me of the Clinton gun ban of 1994, which coincided with the sweep of carry laws across the states. Its unintended consequence was a big boost to manufacturing and sales of small, concealable handguns.

Disclaimer: The information and ideas presented in this column are provided for informational purposes only. Gunrights, like all other Constitutionally recognized rights, must be exercised responsibly. Firearms, like cars, kitchen knives and life itself all can be dangerous. You should get professional training as part of any plan to use firearms for any purpose. I have made a reasonable, good-faith effort to assure that the content of this column is accurate. I have no control over what you do, and specifically accept no responsibility for anything you do as a result of reading my columns. Any action or lack of action on your part is strictly your responsibility.