In the wake of the school shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., several well-known businesses have taken action on their own.
Among the most controversial were decisions by Dick's Sporting Goods and Walmart to restrict gun sales to those over age 21.
The new policies have created some backlash from pro-gun consumers, who contend the stores are infringing on Second Amendment rights. One Oregon man, age 20, has filed a lawsuit against both stores charging just that, as state law allows rifle and shotgun sales to those 18 and over.
But supporters say the stores, as private businesses, should be allowed to determine their own sales policies, including whether to sell guns at all or setting an age limit.
We want to know what you think. Should private retailers be allowed to restrict gun sales to those over 21 even if state law allows sales to younger persons? Or is that an infringement on the right to bear arms?
Send your response (50 words maximum) to [email protected] by Wednesday, March 14. You can also mail your response to the Texarkana Gazette Friday Poll, at P.O. Box 621, Texarkana, TX 75504 or drop it off at our office, 101 E. Broad St., Texarkana, Ark. Be sure to include your name, address and phone number. We will print as many responses as we can in next Friday's paper.
Last Week: Drinking Hours?
Last week's question was about extending legal liquor-by-the-drink sale in Texarkana, Texas, from the current midnight cutoff until 2 a.m., the same time as on the Arkansas side. Should Texas-side establishments be able to compete with those on the Arkansas side by serving alcohol until 2 a.m.? Or should the current midnight closing time remain?
I say no on extending drinking hours on the Texas side. My family still suffers from the death of my dad, who was driving drunk. Drinking also creates problems that end in divorces, abuses, loss of jobs and health issues. Join me and vote NO!-J.L.T., Texarkana, Texas
Since I'm not a big drinker, I shouldn't give my opinion. But I will. I'm a smoker and I can't smoke in a restaurant, so I smoke outside and then I drive and go home. However if you drink at a bar or restaurant, some people will then drive and possibly have an accident and kill them self or someone else. So now you want to increase the drinking hours in Texas. I'm against it.-J.B., Texarkana, Ark.
From www.facebook.com/texarkanagazette
- All about money and not safety! I sure hope I'm not on the road after midnight! It's bad enough then much less making it later! Please don't!
- No. Go home and sleep it off!
- Nothing good happens after midnight.
- Yes, 2 a.m. so they don't have to go spend money in Ark.!
- If the restaurant cannot sell enough by midnight maybe they need to reorganize. Chances are if a person needs more alcohol after midnight they need help, not more alcohol. I say do not extend the times.
- 14 hours is plenty of time for them to get drunk and the get in their vehicle then kill someone or themselves. Should be cut of at two drinks.
- Sure let's destroy more lives!
- No if you can't arrange to drink before midnight maybe you need to stay home.
- You people are letting your own personal opinions about alcohol blur your practical perception of this. No it is not fair to the Texas-side business, yes they are losing money to Arkansas side. It needs to be the same on both sides of the State Line, regardless of if it's 12 a.m. or 2 a.m.
- I have been a bartender before. If you extend the hours you will have some people that will sit at the bars and stay through your whole shift. Midnight is long enough!
- I do not or never have drank (my 80 years), so will not get in this argument.
- No need for later.