Repeal the Restaurant Ban

We believe that all citizens who may lawfully carry a concealed handgun should be allowed to carry concealed in ALL restaurants in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

1. Every individual has the right and responsibility to defend them self against unjustified threats of death or serious bodily injury.

2. The Constitutions of the United States and Virginia guarantee the right of individuals to keep and bear arms.

3. Criminals are not deterred by rules, regulations, and laws forbidding the possession of weapons. A man bent on mass murder will not be stopped by a rule forbidding him to have a concealed gun.

4. In 1995, Virginia's concealed weapons law was modified to prohibit the concealed carry of firearms by concealed handgun permit holders, even though advocates of this prohibition could not document a single problem with permit holders carrying concealed in these locations.

5. Since 1995, Virginia's concealed carry law has prohibited otherwise lawful concealed carry by permit holders (even if they aren't drinking alcoholic beverages) in ABC licensed restaurants and clubs.

6. Prior to 1995, permit holders faced no such restriction and there were no problems.

7. Because of this 1995 change in Virginia's concealed weapons law:

a) Violent criminals know that restaurant patrons are defenseless prey.

b) Law-abiding citizens may be at risk not only at dinner, but when walking to and from their car in a dark, secluded parking lot.

c) Law-abiding citizens may be forced to unnecessarily handle and unsafely store their loaded firearm in an unattended vehicle while in a restaurant.

8. Thirty eight other states with over 3.3 million permit holders do not have this "restaurant ban" and have not experienced any problems.

9. Virginia is one of only 12 states in the entire United States that prohibits the lawful carry of concealed firearms by concealed handgun permit holders.

10. Virginia currently allows untrained off-duty state lawyers to carry in restaurants concealed and even drink alcoholic beverages. Likewise, trained, licensed citizens should not be prohibited from carrying concealed in all Virginia restaurants.

11. Repealing the "restaurant ban" leaves the decision about carry to the restaurant owner, where it belongs.

12. Further, it is already a Class 1 misdemeanor to be publicly intoxicated while carrying a concealed handgun.

For the foregoing reasons, we residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia affirm and assert that all citizens who may lawfully carry a concealed handgun should be allowed to carry concealed in restaurants and clubs even if they sell alcoholic beverages for on premises consumption.