Beale Street bar owners resist newly loosened gun law(TN)

UALR ^ | 29 June, 2009 | Nicole Erwin

[marktwain]

Interesting that they stole 650 knives one summer. Where was the authority for the private security people to take people's knives?

At the end they mention 55 criminal homicides. How many of those were committed by CCW carriers? I bet it was zero, but the implication is that CCW carriers were involved.

[mbynack]

I didn’t feel safe on Beale Street in broad daylight when we were acosted by aggressive panhandlers. I wouldn’t go in to that area at night without a good reason.

[kellynla]

MEM, like most major cities in America, went to hell after the 1968 race riots & subsequent “white flight” and it never returned to it's previous grandeur as the cleanest & safest city in America with one of the finest fire & police departments in the country.

“...old times there are not forgotten...”

PS For all you tourists out there, word to the wise... don't be on the streets of downtown MEM after dark.

Semper Fi,
Kelly
Memphian

[DCBryan1]

I live in Little Rock, and love the culture and food of Memphis, TN (and the casinos at Tunica, MS). I have always carried a firearm on Beale Street, even before CCW laws were common.

The 2nd Amendment is my CCW license.

[vetvetdoug]

don't be on the streets of Memphis after dark...

I second the motion. Memphis anywhere near downtown at night is dangerous. LE won't help unless they draw the chalk line around your body. Diverse citizens of Memphis look to whites as prey at night.

[kellynla]

actually I said “downtown MEM”

There is a HUGE difference in downtown MEM & the suburbs.

[VeniVidiVici]

He says guns and alcohol don't mix, which is why all handgun carriers will have to leave their weapons at home if they want to enjoy Beale Street. Come July 17th signs will be posted stating "No Guns Allowed."

Wow! Sounds like they should've posted these signs years ago. All those felons carrying guns would've just turned around and left.

[Coldwater Creek]

Just got back from L.A. (Whittier). Didn’t feel threatened at all, and I will hardly go to any part of Memphis, even in daylight.

[Coldwater Creek]

Two fellows got into a fight about parking at a Chucky Cheese in Cordova recently, 1 dead, 1 in jail......

[neefer]

You know we have a very tough job in handling security anyway and this is just going to make it that much more difficult," Elkington said.

Dear Mr. Elkington, put up the sign and stop whining. Better yet. If it’s “very tough” for you to handle jackboots and thugs, perhaps you should get out of the alcohol consumption business and open a hardware store in a nicer part of town.

[Niteranger68]

Looks like the thugs will continue to rule Beale Street uncontested. John Elkington gets my vote for moron of the year.

[HamiltonJay]

This is an absolutely horrendously written article.. what exactly is the new law? The banning of weapons or the fact they can carry them concealed? Whoever wrote this never stepped back.

It seems the law says they can carry them conceiled but can’t drink, but gives the impression its also a ban?

Very poorly written

[GailA]

We don't call that rag the "Commie Appeal" or the "Comic Appeal" for nothing. This bill was aimed more for those of us who carry and go out to eat at places like Chilli's who serve booze and food. You can carry but NOT be drinking, like being the designated driver thing only being the designated CCW carrier. They businesses can post signs that weapons are not allowed. Law abiding citizens will obey that, but the thugs and criminals will not. Our politicians are a bunch of lackwits. What part of SHALL NOT INFRINGE do they not understand. The USSC should have acted when the first infringements happened in the old west.

I had to renew my permit 3 months ago, had to submit my passport and birth certificate to prove I was a US citizen for another FBI/TBI background check, the renewal form informed me that the State would KEEP my original documents IF I mailed them in. So I opted to go stand in line at the DL station for nearly 2 hours so they could photo copy those documents.

[kellynla]

Anybody who would eat at “Chucky Cheese” needs to be “dead” or in “jail.” ...J/K...J/K...

[Sloth]

It is a crappy article. The new law is a state law that enables handgun carry permit holders to carry in establishments that have a restaurant license and serve alcohol, so long as they are not consuming alcohol themselves (this had been previously prohibited, so you had to disarm to eat at many restaurants). TN also has a state pre-emption law that invalidates any attempt by local governments to regulate guns. It sounds like Memphis is trying to ban guns altogether from Beale street, which they do not have legal authority to do if it is a public street (as opposed to some privately-owned business district).

[Coldwater Creek]

lol

[kellynla]

“Whittier?”

Whittier? WOW! I AM impressed!

Maybe, I'll give you one of my Viet Nam war medals! LOL

I don't know what ethnicity you are but if you're white try driving between the 405 and the 710 and then tell me about it...I have Black & Hispanic friends who won't even drive there in DAYLIGHT!

And for the record, I was in MEM during the 1968 riots & in L.A. during the 1992 riots and there was NO comparison. MEM was a picnic compared to the hell in L.A.! Just ask Reginald Denny!

[Coldwater Creek]

My college age granddaughter and I who are both mayo white drove from Memphis to L.A., Hollywood, Lake Arrowhead, San Diego, Whittier, Downey, Riverside, Santa Fe Springs, Yorba Linda, I NEVER had any reason to feel threatened.

Maybe I was just so excited to be home after nearly 20 years, it never occurred to me to be frightened.

[wtc911]

LE won't help unless they draw the chalk line around your body....

________________________________________

Decades ago a buddy and I created a crime scene in the downtown antique row part of Port Jefferson, NY by outlining his body half on the sidewalk, half in the street and dropping a few drops of red paint.

We did it at three in the morning. By noon there were people swearing that they heard the fight that led to the stabbing...or they heard the shots...we never let on.

[mvpel]

He says guns and alcohol don't mix, ...

They have in New Hampshire for decades, and as recently as last year the life of a Manchester bouncer was defended by an armed bar patron.

People who object to allowing lawful possession of arms in bars are clinging to voodoo, not facts and reality.