HB 102 creates chaos
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Editor,
A year ago, I was wheeling my car into a space in the Costco parking lot when I became aware of an argument nearby. I turned and saw the reason. Two men had been backing their rigs out at the same time and had collided with one-another. Each blamed the other for the collision. With their language and moods foul, there was a fair chance I was going to witness a fistfight in broad daylight, but after a stream of threats and invective, one told the other where to go, got in his vehicle and drove off after flipping the bird.
What if one or both men had been armed? It certainly would have increased the chances of violence. Neither of these men appeared to have been drinking or otherwise intoxicated, but they were plenty angry. I was relieved when the issue resolved as non-violently as it did.
Imagine, for a moment, two men in a bar, both having imbibed, both armed with deadly concealed weapons, and an argument breaks out. What follows? Within relatively short order, Montanans are going to find out because HB 102 was signed into law today by Governor Gianforte.
The law permits concealed firearm possession without a permit by default in most places in the state (though there are exceptions.) Bars? Sure, why not? Movie theaters? Unless the owners of the business deny them, but what business owners are likely to eliminate customers in this way?
How many deaths will result from passage of this insane law? Stay tuned, Montanans. And be ready to vote out the politicians who worked for passage of this insanity.
Eugene Beckes
St. Ignatius
