Disney, NRA Fight Over Allowing Guns At Work

Orlando Sentinel:

Walt Disney World employees won't be packing any heat in the company parking lots anytime soon.

The giant resort has declared that much of its sprawling property is exempt from a new state law that allows Floridians with concealed-weapons permits to keep firearms locked in their cars at work.

Disney, which has 60,000 employees and a long-standing policy against allowing guns on its land, cites an arcane -- and late-added -- loophole in the new law, which took effect Tuesday.

Read the whole story: Orlando Sentinel

Comments

[Wilburrr]

Hasn't the NRA postition been "We don't need more gun laws, just enforce the ones we have"?

Why doesn't that apply here?

[Scott1560]

Gun owners want to grab every additional freedom they can get just to offset any future, overboard gun laws that may get enacted.

Having guns at airports or Disney is not something that your average gun owner would even care about (at least I hope not) nor make much of a fuss about. It simply comes down to the equally stupid laws that take the guns away. This is a simple game/war of gaining ground so that when the anti-gun folks get a big win, they can't take all the territory.

Frustrates me because I see very little common sense on either side.

[Sneaky]

How does it not apply? The NRA is suing Disney for saying the law doesn't apply to them. Try again.

[oneeyedodin]

Disney will hafta have two of each theme park . One for MrrKKKhunz who want to shoot each other and one for furriners and intelligent Americans who don't want to carry a firearm.

[djkrlsn]

Oneeye--don't forget Mr KKKunz was one of the first supporters of gun control disarming furriners, Afican Americans, Mexican Americans, Catholics, immigrants--any one who was not a WASP. I have no problem disarming felons or people that are mentally ill, but you will have to use logic and not just obvious references to the Ku Klux Klan to change my mind about stripping the second amendment from the Bill of RIghts.

[oneeyedodin]

I think that Disney employees should be allowed to take their guns to work as long as they sign an agreement to only use them on American visitors.

Anyone carring a furrin flag must be exempt . It will be open season on all Mrrkkkhunz?.

[djkrlsn]

I will go you one better--I will use my firearms only for self defense, target shooting and hunting if you stop acting like a fool.

[speakingtruth2power]

I am happy to hear the NRA pushing it's agenda against all reason. With enough chatter

and their taking extreme and absurd positions, they will surely start a centrist backlash!!!

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

Guns don't belong at any kids theme park. My brother in law went hunting a few years ago with a rifle his family brought him at christmas. For a very experienced hunter he was putting his rifle away and it went off and shot him instantly. I mean this guy was a hunter. But just a split second he died at the age of 38 and left a wife and 2 small children. Just yesterday in TN 2 11 yr old kids and a 12 yr kid were at one of the childrens home. The 11 yr old went into his parents bedroom and found a hand gun and accidentally shot the 12 yr old who is in serious condition. So I know what gun lovers are going to say. The parents should have put the gun away. Its was. But not locked. How many more children will die all for the right to have a gun. Now I think it is your right to own a gun but there should be background checks on the buyer.

[Scott1560]

A tragedy no doubt, but cartridges don't simply materialize in a chamber or a clip. It simply can't happen if you are an experienced & responsible gun owner. Sorry for your grief, but putting emotions aside, this is not a mistake made by people w/experience. Sure, there are odd exceptions (and sometimes drinking), but the same is true for everything and people do find unusual ways to kill themselves.

Why just lock a gun when you can teach/train your children in the use of firearms? I'm one of them Canadians w/mythical, outlawed guns who learned at a very early age. I passed the same on to both of my sons. No problems!

Interesting, isn't it, that it "seems" as if most of the fireworks accidents are in places where most personal fireworks are banned? (Those approved by the feds...not the homemade stuff, M80s or cherry bombs.)

[Scott1560]

Nah.......the position of the left is equally absurd.

[lisakaz2]

Maybe the NRA wants to bring guns to the lot, too. I was not aware that cartoonists were the kind to own guns. Disney going to have to add an OK Corral?

[oogabooga]

Well obviously if an angry guy wants to go postal at work, he should be able to get his gun from his car instead of having to go all the way home to get it.

[Sneaky]

Have existing laws deterred this event?

[Wilburrr]

yeah! it saves gas...

[Durango]

Which is exactly what happened last week.

He wacked what? Five people in a plastics plant somewhere in the Midwest.

it is getting so common it hardly gets reported any more.

[almoguy]

This happened the day of the Supreme Court ruling:

Henderson KY: Wesley N. Higdon 25, described as a "good kid" killed five people and wounded one other at a plastics plant where he worked on June 25 before killing himself.

How does one predict when a gun owning "law abiding citizen" crosses the line into insanity?

[djkrlsn]

people will go postal at work regardless of the laws in place--or did you forget that basic little fact?

[SwingingFromCenter]

Geez, the NRA gets one favorable Supreme Court ruling and they just go bonkers.

[Scott1560]

Geez, you mean the same way the left continues to try to expand regulation to a total ban whenever they get a new law enacted?

Both sides on this issue take a step-by-step approach. One wants everything legal w/zero regs and the other wants all guns gone. Neither makes sense, but that is the game we play.

I don't want my right to own a firearm taken away, but I also don't want the nutballs owing them. Common sense regulations, registration (testing) and I've got no problem. Anyone can buy or no one can buy and that's where the problems arise. And this is not a party issue. States such as WA are rather liberal, but they do like their guns and the laws are pretty loose.

[nanotubz]

They obviously haven't read the opinion in Florida, or may not be able to do so.

[truthynesslover]

I want to bring my A.K.47 on its a small world !

[Sneaky]

Car, buddy. Stays in the care. And since Florida requires the weapon be concealed, you'd have to go trench-coat mafia to hide an AK (not exactly comfortable in a lovely Florida summer).

[RobinSeattle]

Cool! If I'm one of Florida's numerous gangbangers, I'm loving me some Disney parking lot for free guns just by smashing a few windows with a crowbar while the owners of those vehicles are in the park.

[Dimikats]

Hallelujah--somebody "big" finally stood up to the NRA!!! Any of you misguided souls who think the NRA gives a fig about the Constitution are sadly mistaken [apparently bad words aren't allowed on HuffPo anymore...had to rewrite this comment because of the word I originally used instead of fig. ha ha]. The NRA cares only about making and selling as many guns as possible to as many people as possible. period. And don't come after me saying that the NRA isn't a gun manufacturer...I know that.

I'm just soooooooooo tickled that it took Disney to pull the wool over their eyes! And kudos for Universal for finding the public school system loophole.

[SouthernYankeeBelle]

Don't worry friend they will go back to the supreme court. You know they paid for their court.

[oneeyedodin]

Ain't it funny? Americans babble on about their guns and freedom while all around them their freedoms are being taken away bit by bit and they don't even notice or care. In some cases they willingly give up freedoms with nary a peep.
They actually believe that their guns will guarantee freedom when their brains can't.
If the govt ever wants to disarm Americans it will be done. Outsmarting the average American only takes a few fifth graders. Taking weapons from a bunch of fat, spoiled, ersatz cowboys would be child's play.

[djkrlsn]

then how about defending the entire bill of rights insteading of making all sorts of ad hominem attacks against law abiding gun owners?

[AdobePhsyko]

These NRA clowns make me sick.
What The Hell Does Anybody Need A Gun For,At A Theme Park ?

[Sneaky]

I dunno, ask high-profile folks why they need armed security at parks.

[wordvarc]

Security, Police, and the military have rules for applying lethal force. They are far more regulated and effective than the citizen carrying a gun. When rules for engagement are met the gun is used to only to kill. No gun is used to scare, intimidate, or be simply carried. It is not used to disable or maim. To those professionals a gun is an offensive weapon used only for lethal force. 'Right to carry' issues are far more problematic as there are no checks on the person who has obtained the gun.

[springsm]

Well they are trying to get loaded guns on persons in the National Parks too. Anybody been to a National park with the summer crowds in hot weather, different cultures, different ethics, too much booze, tempers, cranky kids, harried parents........ya. Put a loaded gun in the midst. To PROTECT whom? These NRA people have slipped off the edge. To pack a loaded gun is to have the need/right to kill. This RIGHT to protect is bull crap...in most cases. Does it make the neanderthal's feel more studly (male and female)?

[Durango]

Guns are not allowed in Parks because of poaching.

From long experience the Park Service knows that guns lead to poaching.

The drunken fools are just another problem.

[pilotinfla]

I guess actually knowing what the law is all about would be too much to ask. All it does is permit employees to keep a firearm in their locked vehicle in the employee parking area. It has nothing to do with guns at the theme park.

[Meggie]

Peaden and Mayfield are clearly outsmarted at every turn and should go take a writing class at the local community college. Maybe next time they'll write a bill that they mean to write.
Better yet, unless Floridians are the only ones who will keep Disney afloat, they should consider that any sensible parent would not bring their children to such an atmosphere. What happens the next time Goofy has a bad day? Instead of pushing some little kid down, he'll shoot? Floridians are looking mighty unstable, and repubs should be careful not to ruin their service and tourist industry.

[Sneaky]

What part of "in the car" is so damn hard to read? Unless Goofy really snapped and ran back to his car (outside the park, by the way, in the parking lot), Goofy's not likely to up and shoot someone. Not to mention that Sea World already has this policy... and folks still go. Not to mention concealed-carry licensees have a much lower incident of crime rate than non-licensees.

Don't worry about Florida. Once we separate Insurance and State we'll be plenty fine, provided the federal government stops debasing our money and hurting industry everywhere.

[oneeyedodin]

What are you lunkheads gonna do when Colt, Remington and all the rest ship their manufacturing jobs to Chiner?
The only positive side of allowing more people to carry guns is that there will be fewer Americans in the world.

[Wilburrr]

There is no doubt that Captain Jack Sparrow should have a gun, but how about Eeyore? Does this law include the clinically depressed? Is Cinderella packing heat? What happens at midnight?? How can the "Happiest Place on Earth" be anything near that if I can't go to work without my "Do You Feel Lucky?" 44 magnum? I should be able to dress up in costumes, carry my gun, and make the World a safer place by blasting away at anything or anyone I feel is a threat to kids.

What does this law and Minnie Mouse have in common? They are both F-'in Goofy.

[Cookie100]

I sure hope one day, one of these NRA guys gets his head blown off, at work would be great! You get what you deserve, and you deserve what you get.
Americans are really angry, I wouldn't put guns in a lot of peoples hands, that's for sure!
How many times have you all gotten mad a work? This is a really bad idea, glad I work at home. If they were patriotic as they claim to be, they'd know all police departments are freaking out, as well they should.

[Sneaky]

Really? Since I'm angling for a career in law enforcement and have spent quite a bit of time around law enforcement, I can't think of one time, ever, that I've heard a cop freak out about this. Hell, most go out of their way to say "We can't be everywhere at once, so you should probably do something to protect yourself in case we can't get there".

And why would it serve an NRA-member right to have his or her head blown off? The vast majority of them have families. That's a pretty crude attack, no?

[Sneaky]

Well that title's a lie if I ever saw one... how about rephrasing it to this:

"Disney, Courts Fight Over Allowing Guns At Work". The NRA might have an opinion but it's not their opinion that Disney is challenging. It's LAW. Try again.

[Meggie]

the courts don't just decide what topic they're going to discuss today. who brought the suit? the NRA? then the headline is correct.

[Sneaky]

That they pounced first doesn't mean they're the only ones in line. The truth of the matter is that if not the NRA, it would have likely been the State v. Disney given the outspokenness of Florida politicians stating in not so few words "like hell they're exempt". But if we're being technical, sure, it was the NRA who brought it up first, so I suppose they get the credit.

[rwe]

This is private property and disney has every right to not allow guns on its property.....I am more outraged at them and the ball parks and SixFlaggs that you can't bring in your own coolers or backpacks with beverages and food so you have to buy $5.00 hotdogs and drinks ...

[ThatsNotFunny]

I've always been able to bring my own food and beverages to Disneyland. What are you talking about?

[MelloY]

What extra danger does employees having guns concealed in their cars in the parking lot add? If an employee wants to shoot a lot of people, he's going to bring a gun if the company wants him to or not. Are they now going to search every employees' car? I hope not. That would be even worse. Sounds like a company trying to impose their political beliefs on employees.

[Durango]

I don't know where you work . . . but employers impose their political, and other. beliefs on employees every day.

And it is not a "belief.".

It is a policy. For safety.

[djkrlsn]

Too bad that disarming law abidng citizens does not make anyone safer (violent crime went up in DC and Chicago after the gun bans were passed, and every state that passed non discretionary concealed carry law saw crime go down--go figger)

[Sneaky]

I guess I'm smiling because I'm a little more familiar with Disney than most, but your concluding statement might be a little closer to the truth than most realize.

[MajorKong]

I've always found it funny that the Disney dress code prohibits employees from having mustaches - when Walt himself had one.