STOP DISARMING THE GOOD GUYS
An Open Letter to Georgia General Assembly Members
By a law-abiding Georgia gun owner, husband, father, and patriot
Dear Lawmakers,
I write to you today not as a politician or lobbyist, but as a father, a protector, and a freedom-loving Georgian. I am pleading with you to finally take the next step in restoring our God-given, constitutionally-protected right to defend ourselves and our families, wherever we go.
"Findings from the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) show that 97.8 percent of mass shootings over a 68-year period occurred in “GUN-FREE ZONES.” According to CPRC, 97.8 percent of mass public shootings from 1950 to May 2018 occurred in gun-free zones."
https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/PublicTestimonyDocument/5273
For years, GA2A (formerly Georgia Carry), alongside countless lawful gun owners, has respectfully urged you to open more places to carry a firearm in Georgia. Yet, time and again, we’re told to wait, that it's "not the right time” or "we're too tired", or "we don't have the appetite", or “we already passed permitless carry.”
And while we appreciate the progress made with HB 60 (2014) and SB 319 (2022), the fight is far from over.
Let me ask you plainly:
How is a “good guy with a gun” supposed to stop a bad guy with a gun if you don’t trust him or her to be armed where it actually matters?
THE DANGER IS REAL—AND EVERYWHERE
You say you support the Second Amendment. You say you believe in self-protection. But what about the moms and dads walking unarmed to their vehicles after a show or concert? What about students, teachers, and staff in schools that are easy targets? What about the voter, standing in a long line on Election Day, vulnerable to the same violence we see on the news every week? In fact, most places are targeted by mass shooters simply because they KNOW the people there are SOFT TARGETS, without any real defense. And you all know this too.
Here’s the truth:
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Many “gun-free zones” have no security at all.
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Others have inadequate protection, or only inside the building—not in the parking lots, sidewalks, or streets where people are most vulnerable to armed criminals.
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Guns left in vehicles are targets for theft. Once stolen, those guns go straight into the hands of criminals. These are far safer to remain on the persons of lawful carriers.
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Meanwhile, the law-abiding gun owner is disarmed and defenseless, and under threat of government punishment if they don't comply with their forced disarmament. Are you in agreement with our helplessness by keeping these immoral restrictions in place? If not, then fix it!
STOP PENALIZING CITIZENS FOR WANTING TO STAY ALIVE
Let’s talk about the places where YOU still prohibit carry—even for licensed, trained, responsible citizens:
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Churches (many are not opted into HB 60)
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Concerts, shows, and other events in "Government Buildings" with screening, but often with poor security and no place to store firearms except in vehicles
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K–12 school property (except when dropping off or picking up students, and even this exception is disputed by most local governments who have stated they will arrest lawful carriers under these circumstances - so much for "state preemption")
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Polling places during elections
Courthouses (only active courtrooms should be off-limits; many citizens have business in other parts of the courthouse and no safe way to secure their firearms, leaving them vulnerable in parking areas)
These are not fantasy scenarios. These are the real places where real violence happens, and where lawful gun owners are not allowed to carry by government edict, and it all started with the Jim Crow laws that were put in place to disarm Black Americans in public places.
Tell me this:
Why should a person be forced to give up their right of armed self-defense when exercising their right to vote? Are those rights incompatible?
Why must churchgoers trust in the mercy of evil when their own government tells them they can’t carry on sacred ground?
Why can’t a teacher, staff member, parent, or other caretaker be legally armed to defend innocent children from mass shooters? Is further bloodshed preferred to having the ability to shoot back at evildoers on the spot?
THE RIGHT TO LIFE DOESN’T END AT "SPECIAL PLACES"
This isn’t about political games. This is about life and death.
Every time you delay, another life may be lost. Another law-abiding citizen is left defenseless. Another criminal walks into a “gun-free zone” with total confidence that no one will stop them before it’s too late.
Let me be clear: Dialing 911 is not a self-defense plan - it's merely grasping at straws when you are under attack.
When seconds count, law enforcement is minutes away. And those minutes—those seconds—can be the difference between life and death. That’s not opinion. That’s reality. We only have one life to live. Our children, parents, siblings, and friends should not have to mourn our early passing when evil strikes in a place where the government has disarmed us.
REPUBLICANS: PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
You tell us you’re for self-defense rights. You tell us you believe in freedom. But where is your action?
Did HB 60 and SB 319 really mean the conversation is over? Absolutely not.
We haven’t seen any progress on off-limits places since the watered-down campus carry bill (HB 280) in 2017. That’s eight years of stagnation. Eight years where you’ve left your own base—the people who elected you—increasingly vulnerable.
We don’t need your sympathy. We need your action.
WHAT WE DESERVE AS FREE GEORGIANS AND AMERICAN CITIZENS
We’re not asking for miracles. We’re asking for Basic Liberty:
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At a minimum, allow those with a Georgia Weapons License (GWL) to carry in more places.
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If you must, then require an easy to take, one-time basic gun safety course to make the law “more palatable” for the public. Many of us will gladly give you that political cover. Call it an "Enhanced License" if you want to.
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Trust your citizens—the same ones who trust you to pass laws to help keep us safe.
We are the responsible fathers, mothers, veterans, teachers, churchgoers, workers, voters—and we don’t want to be heroes or a Dirty Harry. We just want the chance to survive when evil strikes. And it strikes hard and without warning. Being unarmed at those times is a recipe for the bloodshed of innocents.
FINAL WORD TO LAWMAKERS: WHO WILL YOU STAND WITH?
Will you stand with the people who voted for you? Or will you continue to disarm them in the places where they need protection the most?
It’s not just a political issue—it’s a moral one. Do not defraud your brothers and sisters with laws that lead to their injury and death. That's not Christian at all.
If you truly believe in freedom, in protecting the innocent—then show it. Lead boldly. Act now. Open more places to carry. Because the right to life means nothing without the right to defend it.
