Washington state lawmakers are considering passing a bill that will allow sports fans to bring guns to a stadium.
On average, there are around 91 different people killed by guns, according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now, an amendment to the Washington state code would make stadium officials unable to stop someone with a concealed gun license from entering the stadium while armed. If passed the law would directly affect Seattle Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field and Seattle Mariners’ Safeco field.
There are major concerns surrounding the idea of mixing alcohol, high energy events and concealed weapons. The NFL responded to the possible amendment by releasing a statement to the Washington Post saying, “We haven’t seen the proposed legislation but we have a policy forbidding carrying a weapon into NFL stadiums.”
SEATTLE – AUGUST 21: Seattle Seahawks play the NFL Champion Green Bay Packers at Century Link Field formerly known as Qwest Field during a Football Game August 21, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. (Mat Hayward / Shutterstock.com)
The second amendment is a hot button topic in the United States and research shows public safety laws help reduce gun violence and help save lives. An Everytown Research reports that in the past ten years, over 1,000 people were murdered with guns and an additional 4,449 people died from a firearm suicide or accident. But, the biggest difference between the law Washington lawmakers are considering to enact and what research shows is that a majority of police officers killed by a firearm were by people who were prohibited from possessing a firearm. And the new amendment will only allow for authorized gun owners to enter the stadium armed.
But, that statistic is marred by the fact that at gun trafficking from 2006 to 2013 increased by 50 percent. In addition, 33 percent of all guns sold in the last two years were recovered at a crime scene. Not to mention the fact that research shows an estimated 40 percent of gun sales take place between unlicensed parties such as gun shows or anonymous online transaction, allowing for certain groups to purchase a firearm without a background check.
At the end of the day, the firearm industry is booming in Washington with four times as many gun dealers than there are McDonald’s.