Shot glass: Guns in winery tasting rooms & wine bars [poll]
Three hundred people a week are injured in “glassings” in British pubs. The rate is so high that doctors have recommended substituting plastic tumblers for all glasses. In two test cities where the switch has been put in place, the incident rate has declined sharply. (I guess Riedel needs to think about making a plastic pint and plastic, stemless wine cups.)
What would happen if guns were allowed in bars and restaurants? We will find out here, apparently. According to a NYT story from Sunday highlighted a change in four state laws that now allow loaded weapons to be carried into bars and restaurants. Twenty other states, including New York, have legal gray areas and thus could be up for a challenge soon from gun-rights groups.
There is a catch, however that’s possibly more important than a trigger lock: those carrying weapons cannot drink alcohol. That does give a slight twist on the ordering process: will waiters now have to ask if you’re armed before they serve you? Red or white? Packing or not? And what about winery tasting rooms? The Tennessee legislator who sponsored the bill there highlighted the need for security between car and the restaurant. So if a winery visitor wanted to pack heat before tasting some fruit bombs, would he or she have to check the gun at the door? How would this affect the tasting room experience? Should wineries ban guns?
Have your say in the comments or the latest poll!
[poll id=”17″]
On October 5th, 2010 at 9:10 am ,Paul wrote:
Seems to me this should be up to the owner of the bar/restaurant/winery.
If you own a winery and don’t want guns in the tasting room, simply ban them from your property. Likewise with smoking or any other behavior you may find distasteful.
Consumers will respond accordingly.
On October 5th, 2010 at 9:36 am ,ADD wrote:
I agree with the previous commenter that owners should be allowed to set the rules on their property. The government shouldn’t force them to allow guns.
On October 5th, 2010 at 10:05 am ,BillC wrote:
It makes me sad to learn that Tennessee is so dangerous.
On October 5th, 2010 at 10:14 am ,Stickermeister Steven wrote:
Insert profanity laced puns about fruit bombs here.
Geez Louise, good doctor, these imbeciles would make Bizarro #1 cry out for some common sense.
On October 5th, 2010 at 10:15 am ,bchapnj (Bill Chappell) wrote:
Twitter Comment
Imagine the confusion when ordering a beer and a shot. RT @drvino: Guns in winery tasting rooms & wine bars [poll] [link to post]
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On October 5th, 2010 at 11:00 am ,Goddess of Wine wrote:
Guns and alcohol – always a winning combination.
On October 5th, 2010 at 11:15 am ,Taylor Eason wrote:
Would this launch “wine room brawl” as local vernacular? Could get ugly… but are firearms already allowed in tasting rooms in Texas, where guns roam free?
On October 5th, 2010 at 12:24 pm ,El Jefe wrote:
I guess I need a new sign for the tasting room:
“Please leave all guns, shivs, howitzers, and nuclear devices in your vehicle.”
On October 5th, 2010 at 3:32 pm ,Randy wrote:
Jesus… Seriously? Mental midgets…
Alcohol + firearms = dead people…
On October 5th, 2010 at 4:17 pm ,Juice wrote:
I agree with Randy….seriously how can we even be discussing this? We’ve all heard of, or seen someone who grew beer/wine/vodka muscles and wanting to pick a fight with anyone in their vicinity…just imagine if they are strapped. Booze and guns don’t mix.
On October 5th, 2010 at 4:29 pm ,Chuck Antonio wrote:
Most gun-related murders occur when a gun is immediately available and most are domestic in nature. I live in AZ where people can carry a weapon that is not concealed. It is uncomfortable to see a gun on someone’s hip while at a grocery store or elsewhere. I cannot imagine going out to eat or visiting wineries and feeling the same way. I believe it will adversely affect business in a number of ways, some unanticipated.
On October 5th, 2010 at 5:46 pm ,Dan wrote:
I agree with the two initial commenters. Whether guns are allowed in tasting rooms as well as whether or not the owner of the tasting room will served armed customers, should be up to the owner of the tasting room.
Nothing about the new laws *requires* that restaurants or bars admit armed patrons – the new statutes simply clarify that is is not unlawful for armed patrons to be in a business that serves alcohol, such as a restaurant or a bar.
From a practical standpoint, creating a “gun free” zone (and publicizing that information), simply enables violent criminals to take advantage. A “No Guns” sign appears differently to a criminal – it reads “Unarmed Victims Inside.” And if a state outlaws guns in all bars, it tells criminals that bars (and the parking lots outside bars) are a relatively safe place to commit armed robbery.
But no one should be forced to allow armed customers in their business, nor should they be forced to bar armed customers from their business.
I disagree with those who would operate on the presumption of guilt simply because someone is armed in a place that serves alcohol. The fact that some people will behave irresponsibly in a certain situation is not a justification for treating everyone as though they are irresponsible.
This is an issue of basic human rights. Everyone has a right to self-defense, and firearms are often the most realistic tangible means by which anyone, regardless of size or strength, can exercise that right. That may make some people uncomfortable, but so can the exercise of free speech. Our discomforts and aesthetic preferences do not override the rights of others.
On October 5th, 2010 at 7:02 pm ,Chuck Antonio wrote:
I could not disagree more with the statement that it is a “basic” human right to carry guns. It is a “constitutional” right. However, like Thomas Jefferson believed: “The constitution should be viewed like a boys trousers. As the boy grows it is necessary to change trousers. As the nation grows and society changes it will be necessary to make changes to the constitution.” The reason for the “right to bear arms” no longer exists and in fact has caused more problems than it has solved by tremendously increasing the number of guns available to the public and hence the criminals – or in some cases non-criminals that use them in a moment of anger.
On October 6th, 2010 at 8:10 am ,boyce wrote:
Y’all gonna need four sections in the bar…
– Smoking/Guns
– Nonsmoking/Guns
– Smoking/Non-guns
– Nonsmoking/Non-guns
Cheers, Boyce
On October 6th, 2010 at 11:39 am ,Mark Freeh wrote:
Smoking kills. Ban it. Guns kill. Go get em’ sonnnnnnn!
On October 6th, 2010 at 4:32 pm ,Corbin wrote:
It should be your right, as a private business owner, whether guns are allowed in your business or not.
I would be completely comfortable drinking with armed patrons. The people who go through the effort to get a permit to carry have shown themselves to be responsible citizens. As a matter of fact, every time I enter a business that displays a sign stating guns aren’t allowed, my first thought is “except by criminals”. The people who carry legally aren’t the threat.
And to Chuck: Saying the reason for “the right to bare arms” no longer exists is like saying the reason for the “the right to free speech” no longer exists.
On October 6th, 2010 at 4:47 pm ,Robin C wrote:
Gamay and Guns. Semillon and semi-automatics. Ican see the headlines now.
On October 6th, 2010 at 5:12 pm ,Dan wrote:
@Chuck.
I did not say it is a basic human right to carry guns. I said that self-defense is a basic human right, and that firearms are often the best tangible means to effectively exercise that right. Similarly, self expression is a basic human right, and using electronic media is often the best tangible means to effectively exercise that right.
Do you deny that self-defense is a basic human right? If not, how can unarmed people effectively exercise that right if they are attacked by someone who is physically superior (or by more than one attacker, etc. etc.)?
You are correct that the right to bear arms is a constitutional right, although both the English Bill of Rights and the Second Amendment codify a pre-existing right – they did not create a new right.
I have no idea why you think the reason for it no longer exists. See this list of commonly understood reasons for the right to bear arms in early America: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Experience_in_America_prior_to_the_U.S._Constitution
Which of those reasons is no longer relevant in today’s world?