This is happening in Brookhaven, not Dunwoody so the immediate impact is minimal. But whilst Dunwoody is a self-proclaimed Smart City it has never demonstrated or claimed to be capable of even minimal originality. Consequently the likelihood of a copy-cat crime of authority is quite high thereby making observations about Brookhaven relevant.
Most important is the meaning behind the words and deeds. Prior to July 1 the only folks bringing weapons to City Hall were criminals (due to lack of screening) and the exempt elites who some refer to as "the only ones" (as in "the only ones who should be allowed to possess a weapon"). With the law in effect citizens with a valid Georgia Weapons Carry License are allowed to carry a weapon into government facilities that are not properly screened for weapons. No part of the law requires licensees to carry. And it is important to note that these individuals have passed an FBI background check and have their fingerprints on file. We believe this to be the same FBI that does background checks on cops.
So the Brookhaven Top Cop is saying:
The threat of a Bad Guy[tm] bringing in a weapon is and continues to be insignificant posing no risk whatsoever to the Mayor, Council, Zoning Board members or any members of the public attending events at City Hall, BUT licensed law-abiding citizens are such a clear and present threat that immediate measures must be taken no matter what the cost.Pogo lives! He has met the enemy and the enemy is us!
The pervasive banality of Dunwoody all but guarantees we will talk the same talk and walk the same walk so we at The Other Dunwoody would like to offer a few suggestions should Mayor and Council like to salvage any moral or intellectual integrity:
- come up with a really good story as to why a law allowing licensed carry at City Hall pulls the trigger on weapons screening in spite of the fact it was never necessary to catch the oft-mentioned Bad Guys[tm] who are otherwise used to justify everything from SWAT Teams, to APCs, to anti-terrorism junkets
- explain the costs upfront and keep detailed records of costs going forward and report these costs on a quarterly basis
- detail your commitment to your responsibility should anything tragic happen to one of our citizens in your semi-gun-free zone (explained below)
And the real kicker is:
- If you are going to make a "gun-free-zone" make it a 100% gun-free-zone with no exceptions. Absolutely none. That means no exception for the Mayor, Council, Judges, board members and most importantly police. That's right. In passing the checkpoint cops drop their Glocks in a box. Tasers in a basket. Clubs in a tub. If this gun-free-zone is safe enough for us then it is safe enough for you and we, the citizens you allegedly serve, don't need you, our servants, bringing weapons into an area that you seem to think attracts Bad Guys[tm] so they can take that weapon and use it on us. And we, the citizens, know that is a likelihood with precedent and if you don't believe it then Google "Brian Nichols" and tell us why we should feel safe because you're bringing in a gun that a Bad Guy[tm] can grab. If you're so worried about tempers flaring at a zoning meeting what about when you discuss police budget and raises? And while you're at it you can explain how this semi-gun-free-zone is safe enough for us but not safe enough for you. Is that because YOU have the guns?
At the end of the day this chazerai is a lot less about guns than it is about the arrogance of government, even at the local level and their increasingly fascist behaviour.
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