| Activist Judge Ignores Georgia State Law Regarding Guns in Airports |
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| Written by Daniel White | |
| Tuesday, 12 August 2008 | |
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A Federal Judge in Georgia has decided to ignore state law and uphold an airport ban on firearms. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue had previously supported gun rights in the public, non-secure areas of airports, citing not only public safety but also the fact that there is no law against it on the books in Georgia. "If my wife wanted to carry a gun, if she was going from the parking lot, walking from one of those far parking lots to pick up a grandchild or something like that, I think that's a good idea, yes," he was quoted as saying After Atlanta officials decided to declare Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport a "gun free zone," pro-gun group GeorgiaCarry.org filed a lawsuit to block the ban. While the Governor has argued that the airport qualifies as Mass Transit, specifically denoted as a location where firearms are permitted, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin claimed allowing firearms would encourage terrorism, threaten public safety, and cause economic harm. U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob ruled Monday that the ban could stay due to firearms posing "a serious threat to public safety and welfare." GeorgiaCarry.org is considering their options at this time and may appeal. At the same time, the Transportation Safety Administration is considering its own national ban on loaded firearms in public, non-secure areas of airports, and have even discussed extending that ban to public streets surrounding the airport. OFCC encourages all gun owners to monitor the situation and contact your US legislators to encourage them to oppose any attempt by the TSA to overstep their authority by enacting such a ban, and to oppose any attempt to enact a ban legislatively. |
