An Open Letter: To The Kentucky General Assembly

Times are good right now for Kentucky gun owners. Our state laws offer strong protections for our right to keep and bear arms, and the recent sanctuary movement has seen 108 out of 120 counties voice support for the Second Amendment across the Commonwealth. We also enjoy Republican majorities in both houses of the General Assembly, making any bill proposing tighter gun restrictions essentially dead on arrival.

But to simply defeat anti-gun bills and not advance gun rights is nothing more than playing defense, and defensive tactics alone against the relentless assault of the gun control lobby is bound to lose over time…because they will never stop in their attack on the Second Amendment. The time is now to go on offense, and strengthen the Second Amendment in Kentucky by passing pro-gun legislation to roll back the infringements which remain.

It’s really hard to win if you just stay on defense…

One proposal in particular I would advance is the passage of a law which would encourage private businesses to voluntarily stop the practice of discriminating against law-abiding gun owners by removing “gun free zone” signs from their premises.

Similar laws have been passed in other states, most notably in our neighbor to the south, Tennessee. The Tennessee law (linked here) simply offers property owners immunity from liability in the event of a shooting…if they take down signs banning guns carried by law abiding citizens. It is not punitive in nature, and does not place any default liability on property owners who choose to prohibit guns. Property owners retain the right to do so if they wish, and the law prescribes no penalty if that be their choice. But a property owner who recognizes a citizen’s right to bear arms for self-defense will not be held liable for damages resulting from criminal violence on their property. This would be an excellent model for a similar law in Kentucky.

Yes…times are good for Kentucky gun owners. But when times are good, it can be very tempting to relax and reflect on just how good we have it.

“Why yes, my dear. Your gun rights are quite safe here. No need to worry.”

It can be easy to turn our attention away and focus on other things, when rather than simply defending gun rights, we could be advancing and strengthening gun rights. Whether my proposal is taken up or not, let’s not waste the momentum by sitting on past wins. Keep up the good work.