Lawful Carry in Establishments That Serve Alcohol, and Places of Admission Fees

Statute 14-269.3a:
Carrying weapons into assemblies and establishments where alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to carry any gun, rifle, or pistol into any assembly where a fee has been charged for admission thereto, or into any establishment in which alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed. Any person violating the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor.

We hold that all citizens who may lawfully purchase and carry a firearm should be allowed to carry in places that statute 14-269.3a prohibits for the following reasons:

1. Every individual has the right and responsibility to defend their self against unjustified threats of death or serious bodily injury.
2. The Constitution of the United States guarantees the right for an individual to keep and bear arms. The US Supreme Court affirmed this last year in the case DC vs. Heller.
3. The Constitution of North Carolina also guarantees the right to keep and bear arms for defense.
4. Many people who attend these establishments do not drink or consume alcohol, but are still barred from lawfully carrying their firearms into these establishments.
5. Leaving a firearm in the car is more hazardous because of vehicle theft. The gun is much safer in possession of the legal owner.
6. Criminals are not deterred by laws such as these and will still carry firearms in places where an admission fee is charged and where alcoholic beverages are sold and consumed, leaving honest citizens disarmed and helpless.
7. Forty (40) other states do not forbid people from carrying firearms in establishments such as these, with no measurable increase in violent or gun-related crime. In some cases, a lawfully carried weapon has saved lives.
8. In these States the carrying of firearms in these establishments is common and it does not alarm law enforcement or other citizens.

For the foregoing reasons, we the people of North Carolina request that statute 14-269.3a be stricken restoring the rights of citizens who in other circumstances may lawfully carry a firearm.