Guns Allowed at Bars and on Campuses

CHAPEL HILL – A new law allowing concealed weapons on public school campuses and in restaurants took effect Tuesday; and it has some folks in Chapel Hill concerned.

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Next time you visit your favorite restaurant or bar, you may be sitting next to someone with a gun. Adults at your child’s school may have a weapon stashed in their car on the campus parking lot.

And the North Carolina government says that’s okay. But we found out bar owners like Rob Moll disagree.

“It is a bad idea. I just don’t think everyone needs to be walking around carrying guns,” Moll says.

Moll is a co-owner of R & R Grill on Franklin Street.

The new law allows concealed weapons in restaurants and government-owned parking lots.

Moll and other near-by restaurant owners are taking action. “We put the sticker up that says ‘No guns allowed,’” says Moll, “We will not allow them, and that’s it.”

Take a stroll down Franklin Street, and you will notice the sticker on several restaurant windows.

Bar and restaurant owners have an opt-out option. But you may be surprised to hear public school officials don’t have the same. Guns are allowed on public school campuses, and no window sticker or sign can change that.

Public Information Officer for Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, Jeff Nash, says he doesn’t necessarily agree with the law, but it will be obeyed by the school system.

“It was a law that was passed apart from our input,” Nash says, “We will abide by it, but we don’t think there’s any need to have guns on campus.”

While the law permits concealed weapons on any public school campus, they must be stored in a closed compartment in a locked car.

Concealed weapons carriers who bring their weapons into bars or restaurants are not allowed to consume alcohol.

Advocates of the new North Carolina law say other states have adopted similar laws. They say those states did not see higher crime rates, or more gun use after the laws were passed.

But for now, bar owners like Moll remain skeptical.

“Guns and booze and things just don’t mix,” Moll says.

Guns Allowed at Bars and on Campuses

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