The staff editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial board of The Murray State News.
Second amendment battles are one of the great American pastimes. Where and when should someone be allowed to carry a gun? Can the public be trusted to arm itself and make the right decisions when it comes to the responsibility of handling a weapon in a public space?
The more we know about firearms the more safe we can be around them. Gun accidents are no stranger in this country and many blame the taboo nature of guns in modern domestic society.
The reality is, guns exist and people do own them. The majority of gun owners in this country know how to keep a safe atmosphere when handling their weapon.
The question is when do we allow firearms in public spaces? What if others in those spaces are not comfortable having someone with a loaded weapon around them and their family?
Recently the city of Paducah, Ky., passed the first reading of an ordinance to allow for the carrying of loaded firearms in public parks and buildings.
It seems as though the idea of there being a time and a place just does not matter anymore. It is our right to carry in these places but why do we want to? Are we really so afraid of the public parks that it is necessary to flash a piece in order to feel safe? If the parks are that bad why isn’t more being done to secure them. A public space should have its own safety feature. Most people call them the police.
Not everyone is so optimistic about law enforcement but when it comes to personal safety we can probably put more stock in the police than any trigger happy cowboy.