Learning to Deal With the Fact That Almost Half the Country Will Soon Have Constitutional Carry.

“I live in New York,” said James Digiuseppi who was visiting downtown Nashville. “In New York, people get searched when they go into a club.” 

Some visiting downtown Saturday said they were glad to see permitless carry become law in Tennessee.  

“I’ll be honest with you, I feel safer when I go into a restaurant or public place and I see open handguns and I know that people in there are carrying,” Springfield resident JK Graves said. “It’s how we grew up and that’s what makes Tennessee so great.” 

But security consultants like JC Shegog say the new law comes with added responsibility for businesses, especially ones with alcohol.

“They’re going to believe that it’s their right to have it wherever they go and they’re going to try to enter into these facilities,” Shegog said. “Some of these facilities have security and it just depends on the level of security that they have that will make the patrons safe or not.” 

— Nikki McGee in Some say new permitless carry law means greater responsibility for bars and restaurants