Blaming Disney for using gun-law loophole is off target

Mike Thomas | COMMENTARY

July 13, 2008

I don't care whether Disney employees keep Glocks in their glove boxes.

The 400-pound tourists careening around in rented cattle carts are what scare me.

But for whatever reason, Disney bans the former and not the latter.

And I just have to accept that as an internal business decision.

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Now if only the National Rifle Association and its political pals in Tallahassee would do likewise.

As you may know by now, a new state law allows people with concealed-weapons permits to keep guns locked in their cars at work, even if their employers object.

Just as the law was to take effect earlier this month, Disney pointed out a loophole that, roughly translated, said this: We're exempt.

A defiant Disney security guard publicly proclaimed he still would bring his gun to work. He's now an ex-security guard.

The NRA, which spent three years pushing the law, cried foul. Legislators were outraged. And now both are asking Attorney General Bill McCollum to intervene against Disney.

Before explaining why that won't happen, let's see how Mickey outgunned the gun lobby.

As the legislative session neared an end this year, business lobbyists resigned themselves to an NRA victory on the gun bill. And so they began carving out exemptions for industries such as nuclear-power plants, defense contractors and -- this one is important -- companies that manufacture, use, store and transport combustible or explosive materials as a primary part of their business.

After that last one, a seemingly innocuous clause was added that also exempted companies holding a federal explosives permit.

Now if you check into this permit, which nobody on the NRA side seems to have done, you will see that it covers fireworks.

And Disney shoots off a bunch of them.

"When you do things in haste, sometimes things go on that allow others whose intentions are not honorable to pull a fast one," says Marion Hammer, the legendary former president of the NRA who was deeply involved in the legislation.

I think Marion is great, but this is just too rich. It's like King Kong accusing Godzilla of using his fire breath.

"It is the American way to work a loophole in for your company," says Barney Bishop of Associated Industries of Florida.

But pro-NRA legislators say Disney went too far.

"I've heard of creative corporate lawyers before," said future House Speaker Dean Cannon,R- Winter Park, "but this pushes the limit."

Rep. Stan Mayfield, a leader on the gun bill, said he had no idea what Disney was up to when the exemptions were being negotiated.