Judith George said her decision to get a concealed weapon permit is an expression of her constitutional rights.
"I also wanted it to be an example that just because you are a female you shouldn't feel scared or unprotected at the places you go," she said. "If I felt I needed to carry a weapon to feel protected then I wanted to be able to do so legally and without a hassle."
While many others apparently feel the same way, not everyone likes the end result of Georgia's House Bill 89.
The new law lets licensed gun owners who pass background checks carry concealed weapons on public transportation, in some parks and recreation areas and in restaurants that serve alcohol -- all areas that were previously off-limits.
The number of people receiving gun concealment permits in Floyd County has nearly tripled since July 1, when the measure officially became law.
The numbers began rising in May and went to 134 last month from 46 in July 2007.
Those numbers show how many people have been granted and picked up their permits in Floyd County Probate Court, said Patricia Crumley, the marriage license and concealed weapons clerk.
"I have a drawer full, a file cabinet drawer, full of (permits) that haven't been picked up," she said.
Prospective permit holders have to be a Floyd County resident with a valid ID and fill out a computer application at the courthouse.
"We're very very careful," said Crumley. "We're held accountable to state and federal law."
Gun sales up
The sale of handguns also appears to be on the rise.
Tom Medlock, of Tom's Gun Shop in Lindale, said handgun sales are increasing, but he thinks it's because of crime, not the new law.
"They're worried about what's going on around them," said Medlock. "Have you ridden public transportation lately?"
Kathy Shealy, the director of the Rome Transit Department, said the law has caused some rumblings among her employees. She said some of the drivers asked to be able to carry firearms, since some of their patrons might now be armed. "We're not having that," said Shealy.
Her apprehension stems from the fact public transportation also transports students to area schools and those buses are open to the public. "While we don't usually have anyone that gets on to ride the buses, they still can," said Shealy.
She said public transportation will be partnering with the police department to educate drivers and come up with a system to alert police when a driver feels there is a suspicious person on the bus with a firearm.
"I don't want (the drivers) to get involved or even ask if they have a permit," she said. "We've come up with a code if there's a suspicious person with a firearm on the bus."
She asks public transportation customers to "please watch for suspicious activity as well."
Watchful restaurants
Restaurants that serve alcohol do run into double trouble because permit holders are not allowed to drink alcohol while carrying a firearm -- a misdemeanor.
"We mentioned it to our staff when it became law," said Jeff Tanner of Applebee's. He said he hasn't seen any problems arise because of the law. "I haven't seen anybody with a firearm here. I think it is more of a problem in the bigger cities -- we don't really have that type problem here in Rome."
Other vendors are a little nervous about the prospects of someone entering their establishment armed.
Chuck Patel, owner/manager of WOW Café and Wingery on Martha Berry Highway, said even though the issue hasn't come up, he'd rather people just leave their guns in the car.
"Unless he's a peace officer we would ask them to take the gun out (of the store)."
The measure also prevents employers from banning guns in vehicles at the workplace.
What police think
Rome Police Chief Hubert Smith said his worry continues to be the level of training most gun owners have.
He said people sometimes need "time to cool off" if they've had a heated confrontation or recently had a bad day at work.
"There's a lot of ifs," he said.
Floyd police Capt. Mark Wallace said police are aware of the new law but not concerned. "We have absolutely zero problem with a concerned citizen carrying a firearm for their own protection. There are only minor changes to the (previous) law."
While firearm permit holders are allowed in public parks with firearms, there are still limitations to that accessibility.
Organized sports, league games and festivals fall under the "public gathering" exception to the rule, and Parks & Rec Director Richard Garland said those would have been his main concerns.
Concealed weapons are also banned from churches and political rallies. The bill also doesn't apply to lakes and land managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or federal parks -- which includes Allatoona, Carters and Lanier.
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