Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin had a press conference in Atlanta City Hall recently trying to drum up opposition to House Bill 89, currently sitting on Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s desk. The entire event reaffirmed why Governor Perdue should sign HB89.
Despite holding the press conference in a Public Gathering location (publicly owned building) and behind metal detectors, the Mayor doesn’t feel safe enough within her own building to dismiss her security. At least three members of the Atlanta Police Department, in plain clothes and armed, guarded the Mayor during the conference. Deep down in her heart, she knows that all the gun laws, public gathering bans, and security in the world will not protect her from violent predators. While she hides behind a phallanx of well armed Police Officers paid for by the taxpayers, she demands that those same taxpayers and all citizens of Georgia be denied the ability to defend themselves and their families.
Earlier this year when GeorgiaCarry.Org held a rally in support of comprehensive reform of Georgia’s gun laws, over 125 Georgians took time off of work and traveled to the Capital to ask for change. Many drove hours to attend. That day was chilly and rainy, traffic was bad, and yet they attended. In contrast, the opponents of HB 89 could only muster 23 members of Atlanta’s political elite, most of whom were being paid by the taxpayers to attend the indoor press conference.
The transcript is here.
The people opposing HB89 are Atlanta’s political elite. The people supporting HB89 are the real citizens of Georgia.
Beverly Scott is the general manager and chief executive officer of Metro Atlanta Regional Transit Authority, another career politician. She went on record as saying, “The, ah, since 9-11, the ah, even the ah, government accounting office has been very clear to identity the fact that transit facilities, are in fact, a number one terrorist focal point, Internationally, and that transit facilities, particularly rail and bus facilities, have been noted. How many…London, Paris, Mumbai, OK, that are noted as being, ah, ah, Madrid. Focal points for terrorist activity.”
OK, lady, so if transit facilities are, in fact, a number one terrorist focal point, why is it again that you so desperately want to disarm the law-abiding citizens that use said transit facilities? It would seem that since you cannot protect my family and me while we ride your transportation system from terrorists that I might need to arm myself.
There were 74 aggravated assaults, 94 robberies, and 2 homicides in 2007 on MARTA. Currently there is a crime rate of 2.58% per 1000 riders, which is not too bad … unless you’re in that 2.58%. MARTA general manager Beverly Scott would have you believe it’s far better to have 74 aggravated assaults, 94 robberies, and 2 homicides that it is to allow the law-abiding to defend themselves. Kind of makes you wonder exactly who she is sworn to protect, doesn’t it?
Atlanta, House Bill 89, Georgia, Sonny Perdue, Beverly Scott, MARTA, crime
