It is date night and you are taking your wife out for dinner. After a brief discussion you both agree on the restaurant of choice. When you arrive at your destination and walk up to the door you see the “no guns allowed sign”. The sign that those of us with a CCW permit hate to see. The sign that states we are not welcome.
You received your CCW permit seven years ago and always exercise your legal right to carry. Unfortunately you will need to change your eating plans tonight since this restaurant is a gun free zone. You are not welcome in this establishment because you carry a gun.
Creating a gun free zone by posting a “no guns allowed sign” provide false sense of security for some business owners. After all the sign will keep people with guns out. Right? Nothing could be farther from the truth. It actually creates an unsafe environment. Those people wanting to do harm or to steal, the sign means nothing. They are not going to be discouraged by a sign. In addition, they now know that there is no one in the establishment with a gun who could resist their criminal behavior.
No guns allowed signs inadvertently create soft targets. A soft target is an easy target in which most mass shootings have occurred. For example, all schools are posted as gun free zones. This has not been effective in preventing mass shootings. The only people who abide by the no gun rule are the law abiding citizens.
The business owner would be better off having no sign posted. If someone enters the establishment and they are not fully concealing their weapon, they could be asked to leave. The conceal carry individual is not the problem. They have taken the time to be fingerprinted, have a background check performed and they participate in the proper training to carry a gun.
The threat to businesses is the people who carry guns legally. The threat is the individual who is evil and wants to do harm to innocent individuals. Many crimes have been prevented by individuals with their CCW permit. Some business owners have posted signs that welcome those that carry guns legally. What a great deterrent this is for those that want to capitalize on a soft target.
“There is no peace,” says the Lord, “for the wicked.”
Isaiah 48:22
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