The Anti - Open Carry Epidemic

You can albertsons to the list and thus by default Randalls, Tom Thumb, Carrs Safeway, Vons, and Pavilions
www.reuters.com...

Edit to add: Chili’s, Starbucks, and Chipotle, Texas institution Whataburger, and Costco, Royal Ahold Delhaize USA (Giant, Food Lion, Hannaford), H-E-B Grocery (Another Texas Chain), TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods, Macy's, Aldi, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods............

You can forget buying gas too: Shell, BP, Chevron, Valero

This just lists Texas:

gunfreebusinesses.com...

a reply to: FredT

I shop at Carrs so I will openly test that one.

a reply to: FredT

Thanks.

Like I said: it's an epidemic.

The inevitable lawsuit can't be far behind when someone gets killed because they didn't read the morning news before buying their milk and bread.

a reply to: FredT

Based on our state law, there are only 2 ways to prohibit the carrying of a firearm in a business:

- 30.06/30.07 postings that legally forbid carrying guns (1 sign for each open and concealed carry). The rules for the postings include that it must be in 1" block letters, etc. So the signage is kind of ugly. I work in "luxury" hospitality....we decided long ago to not post the signs due to aesthetics

- A member of management (not some hourly clerk, but an actual manager) asks you to remove your weapon from the premises. This is a lawful request that, if ignored, can lead to you recieving a criminal tresspass warning. They have the right to refuse service for any reason, including carrying a gun.

So while i get that folks are communicating through the web and whatnot...until they either put up said signage or ask you to remove the gun....its kind of a moot point.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Excellent points and explains my problem with these "requests".

It's not exactly a moot point if someone doesn't know, or doesn't care that a business has "requested" you don't open carry, and some other shopper or shelf-stocker gets "scared" because they see someone open carrying.

Walking up to someone and requesting they leave is already too late to stop a shooting or to stop some hoplophobe from going into a full blown panic and causing a police response.

If the store is serious about not wanting this then they need to comply with the local laws and place the appropriate signage.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Thanks for the background not being in an open carry state I had no idea about the process.

Any idea how many times a person refuses a request?

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan
They have the right to refuse service for any reason, including carrying a gun.

Again, I want to point out the lunacy afoot here. The above is something most of us grew up reading on restaurant doors and hearing constantly. "We have the right to refuse services to you." That slogan has proven to be selectively Bullsnip, however. We've managed to create a cadre of special protection cases in which nope, the business cannot refuse service to that individual because, if they do, they've violated the person's civil rights. OK... but here we have an enumerated Constitutional Right and that can be violated, no special protection (or protection at all) exists to prevent the violation of it by businesses? Really? The primary excuse being used by the businesses is "Customers feel uncomfortable seeing guns in the store, and our customers' comfort matters!!!" OK, how about all the MANY Americans who don't feel comfortable seeing a burka in a store? Gays? someone with a gruesome disability? Customer comfort flies right out the window there, doesn't it... but an enumerated Right?

Add Publix to the ever growing list www.cnn.com...

originally posted by: FredT
Add Publix to the ever growing list www.cnn.com...

Hmm, yet another "respectfully requests" worded "ban." I'm starting to wonder if this is all grandstanding and will just fizzle out within a few months time. If these were store policies, then they'd call them such and post them, but that's not what they're doing. For the record, I carried through Carr;s and nothing... no comments, normal conversations with cashier and the manager who was at the front counter. This all may be BS.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

A gun represents a existential threat to most and no more than say open carrying a machete would.

Burka? Maybe but hard to quantify

Gays? Hardly

Gruesome disability? uncomfortable, for some but I work in a level 1 trauma center so Ive seen stuff that would make a goat puke and go right to lunch after LOL , but I'm not worried about my safety

a reply to: FredT

See, these are still opinions. For those who grew up around firearms and are comfortable with them, they are benign. To some people, none of the things I mentioned are viewed as benign as you would view them. This is a flaw in the system, placate the irrational fears of some, dismiss the irrational fears of others.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

I'm not surprised and it will be situational for sure as these are corporate decisions and the local stores are hopefully managed by locals who may be okay with open carry. But once a person complains the manager will be forced to tow the corporate line or be canned.

I doubt any of these stores will have security actively looking to yank out open carry customers as most seem unable to even deal with simple shoplifting.

But watch out for that Walmart greeter guy

originally posted by: FredT
But watch out for that Walmart greeter guy

I refuse to slum. Haven't been inside a Walmart in a very long time, like possibly multiple years.

a reply to: burdman30ott6

"Customers feel uncomfortable seeing guns in the store, and our customers' comfort matters!!!" OK, how about all the MANY Americans who don't feel comfortable seeing a burka in a store? Gays?

Seriously? Ridiculous comparison.

Do people use burkas to harm or kill people? Do people use gays to harm or kill people?

One is discrimination as defined legally and refusal of service in a place of pubic accommodation, the other isn't. "I'm discriminated against because I open carry a gun" is not legally valid.

a reply to: Liquesence

What is the basis of fear of the guy open carrying? That it might be a lunatic that is going to shoot the place up or is so uncommon it should be treated with suspicion and fear?

One answer is technically possible despite overwhelmingly low odds, the other is xenophobic prejudice, same as the burka wearing Muslim woman or the physically handicapped mentioned as examples.

a reply to: Ahabstar

I suppose the basis of fear is that guns are designed specifically for the purpose of harm, and one can never know a person's intentions, as has been stated.

They make many people uneasy. This is not the old west.

Odds are people will not be harmed, but because of the nature of guns, people are conditioned to fear.

In Texas a business (alcohol related not necessarily included) has the right to allow or disallow person from carrying firearms on its property. The owner should be able to control their property.

Those that disagree can patronize a place that conforms to their belief. Seems reasonable.

The state just removed some of the gun free exceptions from the past.

a reply to: Liquesence

Guns are designed specifically to fire ammunition towards a target, everything else is up to the user.

So irrational fear bred out of misinformation and propaganda then? But to be fair, I worded the either/or question as two separate answers when in fact both answers were due to prejudgment which the root of prejudice.

originally posted by: Ahabstar
a reply to: Liquesence

What is the basis of fear of the guy open carrying? That it might be a lunatic that is going to shoot the place up or is so uncommon it should be treated with suspicion and fear? .

its not an unreasonable fear. And opposed to the other examples which would xenophobia. Someone that is NOT a peace officer and packing visibly would make people nervous I looked at the Texas testing required and its some basic stuff and would not instill confidence in me that that individual that I do not know, knows how to use their firearm in a manner that wont hurt me by accident.

And coupled with the lack of statistical evidence that open carry makes ANY difference in violent crime I cited above adds to that

I see open carry where I live fairly frequently and know a lot of people that permit carry. I don’t see open carry as a masculinity issue nor do I feel uneasy around them, matter fact, quite the opposite. Maybe because I’m used to it, IDK.