Those calling for an end to gun-free zones for military personnel serving within the United States are running into roadblocks, according to recent reports in the Washington Times.
According to the newspaper, federal law gives the secretaries of the various armed forces the power to arm military employees if there’s a threat to a particular military base. But since most recruitment centers are located in malls or in public places, it’s unclear whether the law applies to recruiters or reservists.
Joe Kasper, a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., says the variety of state and local laws is the problem. “As much as we would like to say you have to arm all these guys, it’s too problematic through the huge patchwork of state and local laws, and that creates a huge patchwork of complications,” Kasper told the Times. “You’d run into problems, and it would be in their interest to have their authorization from Congress.”
