Guns in the House

The New Hampshire House of Representatives has been busy lately. The above picture is from the gallery of Reps' Hall. Even as one of the smallest states in the U.S., New Hampshire has the largest number of representatives of any state (400 Reps; 24 Senators). As I've watched the proceedings, I've generally been impressed by the job that the members of this legislature do. They stay informed on the issues at hand (even really complex science and energy issues) and, by the nature of a large body, remain pretty close to their constituents. Since the Reps only get paid a hundred dollars or so per year, the citizenry is certainly getting a lot for their money.

The funny thing about going to the gallery (the balcony above the floor) is that anyone can come up there--without going through a metal detector. In fact, many people go up to the gallery with their guns holstered on their belts (you can carry in public in NH if you (1) have the proper paperwork for the gun and (2) are not concealing the weapon). I'm not sure if these people are just sticking to their principles or if they really think that they'll need a pea-shooter in the safest state in the nation. Perhaps they would argue that their exposed weapons keep people in line. Perhaps they're crazy. I don't know, but I respect the fact that the legislature would not want to hassle people with metal detectors, etc. when they're coming to see the people's work being done.

If you live in or visit New Hampshire, be sure to stop by the State House. There are a lot of historical items from the Civil War inside, including flags that were actually carried during the historic battles. If you want, feel free to bring your piece with you. If you call your gun a "heater" like they did in The Outsiders, you're not welcome in the gallery; rather, you need to evaluate your life and ask yourself some tough questions.

[Note: I'm hoping for some weird keyword search hits with the title of this post.]