As Rittenhouse Stands his Ground, the Bad Man of Bodie Haunts America Once More

A few years ago in the tony Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, while on a business trip, I stepped into a P.F. Chang’s for lunch and immediately thought of the Bad Man of Bodie.

Stores and restaurants in Arizona who prefer their patrons not pack heat on their premises must post garish signs opting out of the state’s “constitutional carriage” law that enables anyone over 21 to carry a concealed weapon just about anywhere without a permit.

That’s because I was greeted with a sign emblazoned with a red circle and diagonal line atop the black silhouette of a handgun. Bold, ominous words proclaimed: “No Firearms Allowed. Pursuant to A.R.S. Section 4–229.”

I half expected the hostess to tell me that after I’d tied my horse to the hitching post out front, I could leave my holster with the bartender for safekeeping while I dined. But she didn’t. She simply led us to a roomy booth, handed me a menu and suggested that we start with the lettuce wraps.

I made sure, however, to sit with my back to the wall and scanned the establishment with squinty eyes for any would-be gunslingers.

Apparently, Arizona, in a wise nod to its Old West heritage (or a complete cave-in to NRA lobbyists and corporate gun makers, depending on your perspective), passed in 2010 a “constitutional carriage” law, which enables just about anyone over 21 to pack heat without the bother of a concealed-weapon permit. Furthermore, retailers were not to deny service to any modern-day gun-toters unless customers had been amply warned with a…