The NRA and Your Rights -the Right to a Safe Work Place

I must admire the tenacity of the National Rifle Association. They have a very specific agenda, protecting the Second Amendment rights of Americans— namely the right to bear arms when ever, and wherever they choose to do so. Case in point twelve workers at a Weyerhaeuser Company plant in Oklahoma were fired in the fall of 2002 because they violated a company policy of bring guns onto the plant property. The guns were kept in their cars or trucks in the company parking lot. Two thirds of the fired employees challenged their firing, saying it violated their right to bear arms. The court and the appeals court ruled in favor of Weyerhaeuser. For the life of me, I can’t figure out why twelve guys would want to bring guns to work even if they didn’t bring them into the plant. Was getting the jump on hunting season that important or were they planning on attending a gun show or gun meet right after work?

“Should people who lawfully possess firearms be able to leave them locked in their motor vehicles, on business property? Common sense would say, ‘yes.’ All 50 states allow the transportation of firearms in motor vehicles for all lawful purposes and 48 states allow the carrying of firearms in vehicles for personal protection, in some manner. More than one of every four of America’s 65-80 million gun owners carries a firearm in his or her vehicle for protection.” Copyright 2008, National Rifle Association of America, Institute for Legislative Action.

I like the part in the paragraph above saying “common sense would say, ‘yes.’” If they’re not company security they should leave their toys at home and not bring them to work to show off to their friends or worse, take out the boss or co-workers when they get pissed off. If you’re in a plant and you need “protection” are you going to run out to your car, load your gun (hopefully you had enough sense to leave it unloaded when you hit road bumps) and run back into the plant to protect someone or something? “Hey man, I saw how you looked at my girl.” I also like the part of 25% of the gun owners carrying guns in their cars. It gives a new meaning to road rage.

On January 16th the Georgia legislature will consider parking lot stored guns on company property. I hope they choose wisely. If I had my way the only gun(s) an individual could own would be the kind that the Founding Fathers of the Constitution were familiar with. These would be the smooth bore, flintlock, single shot, black powder muskets and pistols of 1776. Nothing more would due. Keep it up NRA, I’m “gunning” for you.

K