Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Welcome To... America?

TinCan Assassin points us to a story that, surprisingly, does not take place in Massachusetts:

City requires armed guards at some restaurants
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Small restaurants in the city of Newark, New Jersey will be required to have an armed security guard at night under a new law approved by the city council.

The rule comes in the wake of a drive-by shooting in May at the Texas Fried Chicken and Pizza restaurant, where an off-duty Newark police officer was killed.

Now, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, Jay, this has got to be Boston, right? Boston's the place where the mayor's response to gang violence was to ban... scooters. Making it mandatory for a small restaurant to hire armed security if they're open past 10PM sounds like it rolled right off Mumbles' cleft palate.

The kicker, of course, is that New Jersey is one of the few states that does not allow the vast majority of its citizens the ability to legally exercise their Second Amendment rights. NJ is "may issue", and in all practical applications essentially bans concealed carry outside of off-duty cops and well-connected friends of the elite. In order to comply with the law, a small restaurant is going to have to drop $75 - $100 an hour for an armed guard - if they're open until midnight, that's a lot of pizzas they have to sell to make it worth their while.

Something this stupid almost seems like it has to come from MA - this is, after all, the place that bans slingshots and scooters, yet allows violent criminals to walk free on furloughs. The gun owner that has a new 12 round magazine is guilty of a felony punishable by five years in jail; child molesters get 3.5 years and people that murder infants serve less than a year.

But, thanks to our friends in the Garden State, now we MAholes have to share the "Wow they're stupid" mantle...

That is all.

7 comments:

Weer'd Beard said...

Yep the end results will be places shutting down AT 10, and the workforce that had the late shift will likely get laid off, or make do with less hours.

Just what the world needs.

Anything but let lawful citizens carry their own protection.

Dragon said...

This is the City of Newark thinking that if they force businesses to do something that would be cost prohibitive, then said businesses will not stay open late, and be a magnet for thugs and miscreants to hang out.

Instead of just taking said thugs and miscreants out behind the proverbial woodshed and beating some sense into them.

SpeakerTweaker said...

Actually, the only thing I'm wondering is why Texas is associated with fried chicken and pizza in a restaurant in Joisey? Is the local yardbird and pie that bad?



tweaker

Bubblehead Les. said...

Trust me, Mass has been sharing the Stupid Mantle for a LONG time ; )

elmo iscariot said...

There you go, trying to get ahead in the MA-NJ Psychosis Bowl again! MA may be crazy about these things, but for those keeping score, NJ has never been a slacker. After all, technically speaking, our AG can declare all practical guns illegal. Requiring businesses to provide physical security for forcibly disarmed "citizens" is pretty par here.

Stretch said...

Lemme see if I got this right:
Newark failed to keep the streets safe. Therefore YOU have to pay extra to keep customers safe from the criminals the city ignore?

No doubt the will now "assess a fine" on merchants that close at 10 for "depriving clients of timely service."

Bookmark this as I'm sure they'll do this before the year is out.

libertyman said...

As my friend and I were driving back from St. Louis we did an overnight in Columbus, OH. There was the first time I saw armed guards at the local coffee and donut place. Two of them, and one was the greeter at the door. We did buy coffee, and beat a hasty retreat.