Lawsuit Filed To Carry Weapons In Atlanta Airport

ATLANTA — The nation's busiest airport dueled with gun rights advocates Tuesday over whether a new Georgia state law allows visitors to carry firearms at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

City officials in charge of the airport declared it a "gun-free zone" when a law allowing people to carry guns on public transit and other places took effect Tuesday. Gun rights supporters, including a state legislator who helped pass the law, quickly filed a lawsuit in federal court challenging the designation.

"My message is simple: Leave your firearms at home," airport general manager Ben DeCosta told reporters at a news conference.

Atlanta officials said anyone carrying a gun at the airport could be arrested and charged with a misdemeanor.

The new state law allows people with a concealed weapons permit to carry guns into restaurants, state parks and on public transportation.

John Monroe, an attorney for the gun rights backers who filed the lawsuit, argued the Atlanta airport qualifies as public transportation. There are also restaurants in the terminal, which Monroe said should be accessible to gun-toting visitors under the new law.

Rep. Tim Bearden, a Republican from Villa Rica and a former police officer, is a plaintiff in the lawsuit. Bearden sponsored the state law.

He had told a newspaper he would carry a concealed weapon to the airport Tuesday when he picked up his family. But he told The Associated Press by telephone Tuesday morning, "There will be no reason for any confrontation at the airport."

The gun group argues that weapons should be allowed in the terminal up to the point where passengers pass through security to board their flights. The parking lot is off limits under the state law, but it allows travelers to carry a gun on MARTA trains and buses, which run directly to the airport.

Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin said citizens can't bring guns into the terminal and argued that airports remain attractive targets for terrorism.

Allowing citizens to carry firearms "would create an environment that would endanger millions of people," she said.

Franklin said she will lobby Congress to withhold federal funds from facilities that allow firearms on their premises.

Comments

[dec8ur]

the only thing that anti gun lagislation does is strip away the rights of law abiding citizens. a CRIMINAL is just that, some one who intentionally breaks the law. they are not asking to be let in the terminal just araound the airport proper. as someone who is from the metro atlanta area i can tell you that it is also the end of the line for the marta rail lines and clayton county buses. now in order for them to get from the cct to marta and vice versa is through the airport baggage area. as it stands this would make criminals of someone making a connection between modes of public transportation which right now you can legally carry on. this is madness

[MaddiK]

Wake up and smell the violence people! Our children are killing our children and we are happily giving NRA our hard earned money so more people and children can die. What a bunch of bible hugging gun kissing toothless dimwit hypocrits. We are the #1 violent country in the civilized world and still don't bother to progress. This has nothing to do with the constitution and everything to do with NRA feeding on the blood money by manipulating moronic people like you so they can get more of your money. Criminals will ALWAYS have better weapons than you do. Guns can protect you like oil can extinguish fire! No wonder Bush got in twice and ran this country straight to the gutter. You deserve it.

[MMimi]

WELL SAID !

[99hockeyman]

Yes, well said. If anyone disagrees with you they are one of the 62 million fools that voted for the nitwit.

[AdLib]

In rebuttal to the gun_nuts posting here:

"Half Of U.S. Gun_Deaths Are_Suicides
Nearly 31,000 Firearm_Deaths Reported In 2005

POSTED: 6:33 pm EDT June 30, 2008
UPDATED: 7:16 pm EDT June 30, 2008

The Supreme Court's landmark ruling on gun ownership last week focused on citizens' ability to defend themselves from intruders in their homes. But research shows that surprisingly often, gun_owners use the weapons_on themselves.

Suicides_accounted for 55 percent of the nation's nearly 31,000 firearm_deaths in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There was nothing unique about that year - gun_related suicides have outnumbered firearm_homicides and accidents for 20 of the last 25 years. In 2005, homicides_accounted for 40 percent of gun_deaths. Accidents accounted for 3 percent. The remaining 2 percent included legal_killings, such as when police do the shooting, and cases that involve undetermined intent.

Public-health researchers have concluded that in homes where_guns are present, the likelihood that someone in the home will_die from_suicide or_homicide is much greater."

http://www.wnbc.com/news/16752169/detail.html

[Hector]

Do you support euthanasia?

[AdLib]

Yes, I'm rooting for Japan at the Olympics.

[MMimi]

34 DIE FROM GUN HOMICIDE EVERY DAY IN AMERICA.

[Diaschisis]

Sounds like a good idea to me and while they're at it they can rename Atlanta International to Columbine International Airport.

[Paris]

Crazy guy with gun at V. Tech-now he can march in to Atlanta International too? Sounds like you touched a nerve, Diaschisis, bringing up that annoying C word incident the NRA would like to have us forget about. By extension of this 'logic'-how much safer would it be if there were MORE guns in a crowded airport?

[AdLib]

In rebuttal to the gun nuts posting here:

"Half Of U.S. Gun_Deaths Are Suicides
Nearly 31,000 Firearm_Deaths Reported In 2005

POSTED: 6:33 pm EDT June 30, 2008
UPDATED: 7:16 pm EDT June 30, 2008

The Supreme Court's landmark ruling on gun ownership last week focused on citizens' ability to defend themselves from intruders in their homes. But research shows that surprisingly often, gun owners use the weapons on themselves.

Suicides accounted for 55 percent of the nation's nearly 31,000 firearm_deaths in 2005, the most recent year for which statistics are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

There was nothing unique about that year - gun-related suicides have outnumbered firearm homicides and accidents for 20 of the last 25 years. In 2005, homicides accounted for 40 percent of gun deaths. Accidents accounted for 3 percent. The remaining 2 percent included legal killings, such as when police do the shooting, and cases that involve undetermined intent.

Public-health researchers have concluded that in homes where guns are present, the likelihood that someone in the home will die from suicide or homicide is much greater."

http://www.wnbc.com/news/16752169/detail.html

[VolvoBirkenstock]

I merely point out that restaurant owners have the legal right to prohibit the carrying of weapons.

Neither said if I supported or opposed the fact.

The drunken p.o.s. neo is now c&p-ing the same response all over the thread.

[Nochnoi]

She loves you dear...... you are her favorite.... ; )

[phreso]

You haven't read the blog have you? I didn't go sniffing panties, he did.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Funny thing is, it is the concealed carry laws that allow business owners to prohibit the carrying of concealed weapons in their places of business.

The government is not making the mandate.

Of course, she is too drunk to realize what is going on tonight.

[olgraydawg]

How about vending machines? There's an outlet the nra has missed. Judges allow guns everywhere but around their sacred selves. Why is that?

[rooks]

Second Amendment: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

So, I guess we are all in a Militia and nothing has changed since then. I am so glad we literally interpret this. The FF would probably rephrase this if they were around today. They might have included the defense of an airport as well.

[Chillinout]

Where the sticky point in the 2nd Amendment is that comma after State. That is the eternal question. Does that mean and? Does that mean that there are two separate rights there? Or does it mean what the anti-gun people think, that it is only meant for a militia?

[peacekitten]

the debate by the founders as to whether or not the general populace could own weapons was a very hot and divisive one (see the federalist, anti-federalist papers on the subject). in their time, families depended on the ownership of a weapon for their survival, hunting to feed themselves and defend themselves. it is why the founders (specifically thomas jefferson, who was responsible for the bill of rights itself being added to the constitution) put the caveat regarding being a part of a "well regulated militia" in there.

that was the idea of having a "national guard." as a part of a "national guard," i.e. citizen's militia, the founders felt that it was the best compromise they could reach. almost every able bodied man who could shoot would qualify to be part of that militia, and they usually were.

the n.r.a., of which my father was a member for many years, has done a masterful job of convincing the populace that the "well regulated militia" part is just fluff. at one time, the n.r.a. was an organization that advocated RESPONSIBLE, SAFE gun ownership. that was why my dad was a member. he left when they became an organization that started advocating that every lunatic off their meds who thought they were jesus christ had a right to own a weapon.

[notyouraveragebear]

I can just see Rachel Ray getting out of a car at the curb, wearing that Italian scarf everyone thought was Arabic, and having some pistol-packing Atlantan taking her out....

[KPinSEA]

I can see Rachel Ray having 2 armed bodyguards on staff named Olaf and Klaus.

[Superbus]

Volvo, we have been discussing the situation at the Atlanta Aiport and Georgia gun laws. Have I missed your take on the subject? I don't remember you posting your thoughts on the individual right to bear arms?

[SweetSydney]

He's against anyone packing unless it's a stranger in the mensroom.

[PixieThis]

Don't talk about yourself in the third person.

[Superbus]

Stop!!! You're killing me! I just broke two ribs from laughter.

[Trittydi]

Thanks for the laugh - SOMEONE needed to say it . . . .
*

[Underthematrix]

Hmmm so they're setting up Atlanta as the site for the next terrorist attack on US soil. Damn that takes trying to win the presidency to a whole new level.

[worrierqueen]

I don't know what all the fuss is about. The sooner all Americans are crouched down behind the nearest lamppost blazing away at their fellow citizens up the street the sooner the rest of the world will be a safer place.

[Hector]

Why should America be "safe"? I don't know what all the fuss is about, either. I simply don't fear guns or gun owners. I fear a callous, indifferent, bloated, regulation-totin' government.

[ShamusNYC]

If they make a big issue out of this, it will be a boon to Obama - who support the 2nd amendment but calls for a some degree of rationality

There have to be limits - the NRA would allow you to have any weapon you could get your hands on. Where do they draw the line? Bazooka? Nukes? Anthrax?

The country wants rational gun control. The NRA will fall on this issue and their $15-$40MM spending on attack hands could backfire like a robber using your own gun on you.

[VolvoBirkenstock]

Ruh, roh. Neo had a demitasse after dinner

http://i215.photobucket.com/albums/cc152/estaquente/funny_pictures/069d3bb002acd8d7dd095917f9efe4cb.jpg

[phreso]

No, you aren't paying attention. You were too busy slamming me to pay attention to the discussion.

But, I will explain it to you (patiently)

You want laws that dictates NO smoking, because you think us snowflakes need to be protected from ourselves. You even advocate that the decks that have been built, so that restaurants that have conformed to your laws, still are accommodated. You are all in favor of the same laws that dictate what OILS restaurant owners use in their food (we are too fat).

But a law that mandates something that you DISAGREE with, namely the second ammendment, oh YUCK, you are all up in arms, defending the restaurant owner.

Give me a break

H Y P O C R I T E

Argue the point and quit hiding behind your pc and your hate.

[BlueStateMan]

It's the PASSIVE smoke that's the problem... people working in the restaurants are subjected to these carcinogens.

Why should they suffer the consequences?

[VolvoBirkenstock]

I did not mention smoking, you drunken p.o.s.

I pointed out that restaurant owners have the right to disallow people carrying weapons from entering their establishments.

Second hand smoke affects the non smoker.

Telling someone they can't carry a weapon affects no one.

[aturner18]

now we're talking! Are they going to sell bullets in the airport?