Officials in Tampa, Fla., are fretting that a state law letting law-abiding residents carry guns poses a big risk when the Republican national convention is held there this fall, and there may be similar concerns about the Democrats’ convention in Charlotte, N.C., where weapons also can be carried.
But as usual, emotion and anti-gun bias, rather than reason, appear to be driving such concerns.
Look at Tennessee.
As of late last year, roughly 340,000 residents of the state had permits allowing them to carry handguns, according to statistics from the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security. They first had to pass a criminal background check and complete a handgun safety course.
And where are the Wild West shootouts that anti-Second Amendment activists reflexively predict will result whenever any state takes serious steps to protect the constitutional right to bear arms?