Wednesday, January 5, 2011

by the book

Seems a gun law in Iowa has some librarians reaching for their smelling salts. One even went so far as to say the new law "scares the bejesus" out of her and another just doesn't understand open carry. She asks, "Why would anyone want to carry a gun in plain sight in a public place? For the power, to scare people, for the rush?" (To which I would answer: "Honey, that's called projection bias. Look it up.") *

Naturally, libraries are trying to find a way to loophole themselves out of following the new law because they believe patrons would "be concerned" if they saw law-abiding citizens carrying guns in the stacks. They insist that libraries are just like schools and should be exempt in the same way.

Except...they're not. Aside from containing books and other educational materials, libraries are not like schools. At all. As far as I'm aware, schools do not allow just any stranger in to wander the building, interact with the staff, and use the facilities. Libraries are no more secure than the street corner.

And yet people cling to their naive belief that because a library is filled with children's storyhours and a wholesome book-filled goodness it is a safe, happy place where an act of self-defense would be unthinkable:

Sheriff Hildebrandt had reservations, especially about allowing people to carry guns into bars. "[It] seems to be a recipe for disaster," he said.

As for libraries, "I have served nearly 20 years on our local library as a trustee, and it seems to me that weapons in a library are unnecessary.

Sure, they're unnecessary. Until you really, really need one.


_______________________
*None of their reactions surprise me, of course. I'm hip to library administrators, yanno. (also, wow! I wrote that in 2007. That's like 20 blogyears ago!)

14 comments:

Mike W. said...

Why would anyone want to carry a gun in plain sight in a public place? For the power, to scare people, for the rush?

Yep! That's why I carry, because I"m a scary ass dude on a power trip....

Sigh.

And you're right, libraries allow anyone and everyone in. Schools do not. Public schools tend to have at least one uniformed on-duty officer in the school during school hours (at least my old HS did) Libraries do not.

Sheriff Hildebrant is an idiot. We can carry in bars here. I've done it. There was no disaster.

Marty said...

Blood in the stacks!! Panic!

Alan said...

"Because schools don't allow guns either" is hardly a valid reason to keep them out of libraries.

Two wrongs, etc..

Schools should allow adults to carry guns too.

Anonymous said...

Yes and that's sure working out well for schools! What a lame comparison Miss Library Chick.

Sigivald said...

No, no. They carry to compensate for the size of their penises.

Everyone knows that.

NotClauswitz said...

If libraries are like schools, where it the X-ray machine for backpacks and the4 pat-down at the door, where's the uniformed cops and the un-uniformed narcs hanging around around libraries?
And if there's Cops, where's the donuts and cafeteria food?
Sheesh!

PPPP said...

One thing I like about my state. The library is posted "No Weapons", but it also has "in accordance with . . . " followed by the appropriate state statutes. One of which is the CC statutes that say we can carry in a public library. (And in a school.)

Frankenear said...

Ah... Yes, we changed the law from a sheriff "may" issue to "shall" issue destroying nearly a century's history of 99 individual fiefdoms in Iowa and the pants wetting hysteria being spread by the bird cage liner writers is epic.

Chas S. Clifton said...

I carried a concealed pistol into two libraries today, one university, one public.

Amazingly, I killed no one in either institution.

All long as they keep fulfilling my inter-library loan requests, they are safe from my awful vengeance. :)

PolyKahr said...

Breda,

Interestingly, my neice by marriage was up visiting. The wife had taken the grand children somewhere, and called to suggest we all go out to dinner. I drove my neice and myself to the place, then proceded to take out my gun and put it in the glove box. Here in NC, they think you have no need for it in a restaurant. My neice made a comment like "So, is that a man thing, carrying a gun." I asked "Can you tell me where I can go that no criminal will invade and begin shooting up the place?" She then responded with "Well, I just don't like guns." And there it was, hoplophobia.

Best wishes,
PolyKahr

breda said...

And then you took her to the range, right? :)

Mark said...

Breda,

Love your blog and never comment, shame on me.

But, concerning this law in Iowa, where I live, awesome. As soon as I stop working so much and can actually squeeze in the NRA class at our local range I am gonna check this off my list of things to do. Of course I still can't carry when I visit relatives in Wisconsin but hopefully that will change soon.

Robert said...

Mark @ 12:50PM

Wisconsin has state-wide open carry although our local LEOs act as if it is illegal. It isn't...

KA9VSZ

Earl said...

I am with the minority, I think Vermont is right and everyone else needs to catch up. Adults and children that act like adults can carry firearms and be responsible, yes, everywhere.