Rollison misses the point on the 'guns in bars' issue
by James Simpson

Potomac News
Friday, June 6, 2003

J.A. "Jack" Rollison has devolved into the lowest form of bureaucrat - that of the yellow bellied mud slinger. I was going to write about the pros and cons of various candidates in the upcoming Primary on Tuesday, June 10th; however, due to the never ending attacks by Delegate Rollison against Jeff Frederick, I have decided to focus on Pro-Tax-Jack and his antics.

Rollison recently called the VCDL and GOA "extremist and milita-esque" but that only demonstrates how out of touch he is with conservatives. You see, I am one of the "extremists" that Jack Rollison fears because I support the right to self defense. His opponent, and hopefully his successor, Jeff Frederick, believes that I should be allowed to exercise that right. Jeff Frederick has also taken a pledge to protect the taxpayers of his district, something Pro-Tax-Jack is adamantly opposed to. After all, Jack Rollison supported the developer driven sales tax increase last year and as of June 2nd the two largest industries contributing to his campaign were Transportation ($17,750) and Real Estate ($14,591) according to the Virginia Public Access Project (www.vpap.org). Jeff Fredericks' largest contributors, by industry, were Technology ($16,971) and Political ($8,270).

The latest attack against Jeff Frederick comes in the form of a flyer sent by Jack Rollison to folks in the 52nd district, stating Jeff "thinks that mixing guns and liquor is a good idea." That's funny, I don't ever remember hearing Jeff (or any one else fighting for the right to self-defense) promoting a belief that concealed permit holders should be allowed to get blitzed while carrying a sidearm.

In fact, Philip Van Cleave, President of the VCDL, recently reminded Jack Rollison of the following: "In 1999 [the] VCDL successfully worked to expand the law to include a criminal penalty for many state and local government employees who are authorized to carry a concealed handgun if those employees are drunk and carrying a concealed handgun. Consequently the law now treats those government employees the same as it would treat a permit holder if either was drunk and carrying concealed."

Many people may not be aware that it is already legal to carry a sidearm into an establishment that serves alcohol. What the current law states (the one Jeff Frederick would vote to repeal) is that that sidearm cannot be concealed.

In order to get a concealed carry permit one must go through training and a background check. Criminals will carry into bars and restaurants regardless of whether or not a law is on the books banning guns in establishments that serve alcohol. As long as this ban is on the books, so-called evil-doers will know that restaurants are safe to hold-up since no one inside will be capable of stopping them.

This presents two options for the law abiding gun owner. The first is to openly carry into a restaurant. While this provides a deterrent to would-be criminals, it is not always convenient. The second option is to leave your sidearm in the vehicle. This is bad for two reasons; it can be stolen and it cannot be used to protect and defend lives in the event they are threatened by an "evil-doer" (to borrow a recently added term to our vocabulary).

What is irresponsible is leaving restaurants open to robbery by requiring honest, upstanding citizens like me to abandon their protection when going out for dinner with the family. What is even more heinous about this law is that I have met friends for dinner and been required to leave my sidearm in the car while dining, simply because the restaurant serves alcohol. This law not only leaves restaurants as opportunistic crime zones but leaves guns where they can be stolen and used by thieves. Most conservatives that have common sense know that it is much safer for everyone involved if a concealed permit holder is allowed to bring his sidearm into the restaurant rather then leave it in his vehicle.

We need this law repealed so people can legally conceal their sidearm for the benefit of all law-abiding citizens. This is not going to happen with Pro-Tax-Jack in office. Even if this law was repealed, establishment owners would retain the right to post a sign indicating they have an anti-gun policy. Of course most restaurant and bar owners are aware that this would merely invite crime.

Voters in his district sent a message to Jack Rollison that the tax referendum was not welcomed. This time, conservative Republicans should send a clear message that his anti-self-defense position is unacceptable and vote him out of office.

James Simpson is a member of the Virginia Citizens Defense League and a lifetime member of Gun Owners of America. His opinions are his own and may not reflect those of the GOA, the VCDL, or their members.