Gov. Charlie Crist signed a bill into law on Tuesday that will allow Florida residents to keep guns locked in their cars at work.Clay tells us how he feels about that. We've had that discussion here before. Suffice it to say, I agree that more of a focus should be placed on schools.
If that's not a typo in his title, and if I were a lobbyist, I'd be thinking seriously about the approach I wanted to use there...
Up till now, I've held that my car is like a little rolling embassy, a patch of my personal territory.
ReplyDeleteA few days ago, though, I finally realized: embassies are established and maintained at the whim of the host country. Ambassadors can be sent packing, and their embassy with them.
Accordingly, I'm agreeing with Cramer: companies can make any rule they want--but must accept responsibility for the consequences.
Thanks again for picking up that typo. Trust me, I don't hold Crist with anywhere near the regard I hold the other guy.
ReplyDeletedj,
ReplyDeleteYes, they can send the embassies packing, but they can not dictate what is possesses within the embassy.
My comment:
"Clay,
The more that I think about this issue the more important it appears. Oddly, many supporters of property rights tend to align with you. They state that the owner of the land has the right to dictate what you possess in or on your person and personal property. If the land owner is permitted to dictate what I have in my car, what keeps him from dictating what I have in my body? If the basis of rights is the ownership of self there is sadly no difference. We have already seen businesses trying to dictate smoking and, to a lesser degree, eating habits. This is all the same issue. Your rights end when they enter into conflict with my rights, and vice versa.
It comes down to force, or implied force. I can ASK you to disarm when entering my property. I can not ORDER you to do so. There is a difference in implied force. The former is a request, the latter implies force to ensure compliance.
My having something on, or in, my personal property does not infringe on your rights."
Of course, should the property owner ask you (or I) to leave for any reason, we must honor and respect their right to their private property, regardless of how silly or stupid the motivation.
ReplyDeleteIt is, after all, their property.
Conversely, the property owner has no right to violate your (nor my) private property without your permission, even if your (or my) private property is on their private property. Presuming they are open to the public or have explicitly invited you (or I) in as a matter of employment, etc., they have invited you and your private property onto their private property.
They can still tell you to leave at any time, however.
Before I am unjustly accused of being against the God-given, unalienable right to keep and bear firearms, let me also point out that I wish to see such items as RP-7s, Stinger launchers, and ammunition for the same available at your local store, available for instant purchase by anyone not currently justly imprisoned for a crime they have been found guilty of by a fully-informed jury made up of ordinary members of We the People. Machine guns are fine, capable tools, but like any tool, they are not always best for dealing with a problem, such as the armored vehicles and aircraft used by those who We the People ultimately have the right and duty to keep in line by threat of force, if need be.
Holding fast to the principle that private property rights are of the utmost importance will help sort out the rest of the niggling problems.
Gregg,
ReplyDeletePrecisely my point. The host country can send the embassy packing, and the company can send its employees packing.
I hate this, frankly. I want employees to be able to take their guns wherever they please.
But in the end, I can't deny companies the right to decide who comes onto their property.
If you don't like the rule, don't work for the company, or agitate for change.
I believe this is a temporary situation. Right now, prohibiting guns is "in". Within ten years, though, I expect legal carry will be so well accepted that these kinds of rules will vanish.