Giant Food Stores

[NCjones]

Is that what the sign says?

So if they are LEO, then they are prohibited?

Thus if you are not LEO, there is no prohibition.

I'm sure he meant "unless you ARE law enforcement..."

 

[NCjones]

Funny, it's not considered a private property issue when a Christian couple who run a Bed & Breakfast want to refuse a room to a gay couple. Seems to me a corporation should no more be able to abridge your rights than the government can.

Sexual preference, nationality, race, religious affiliation, and a few others are a "protected group" under federal law. Unfortunately, gun owners aren't. We're fair game for the whim or amusement of the manager/business owner.

 

[Stiofan]

Some of you people don't seem top get it. Just as you say you have a right to carry your gun openly, businesses which are owned and managed by American citizens have a right to control their business without the "Govment" coming in and telling them how to do it.


I've worked in retail 30+ years, and owned a retail business for over 15 years. I've walked the walk so to speak. I have personally dealt with the Grandmas, and have seen it first hand. It does affect their business, and I won't fault them for exercising their rights.


One of the problems with today's society is everyone thinks only of themselves, and what they want. No one thinks of others or looks at it from their point of view. We have raised generations of entitled.


You may have a right to do something, but unless you exercise that right wisely, you will end up losing it as there are those out there who want to control how you live. We all know that is true.


With rights come responsibility. One of those responsibilities is to not give ammunition to the opposing side by being militant when it really isn't necessary. No one is saving the right to bear arms by shoving it other's faces especially when it's not wanted.


Now if someone wanted to write the corporation and complain, that's not what I'm talking about. Not shopping there isn't either. But not respecting other's rights to conduct their business by publicly confronting them seems counterproductive.

 

[NCjones]

Some of you people don't seem top get it. Just as you say you have a right to carry your gun openly, businesses which are owned and managed by American citizens have a right to control their business without the "Govment" coming in and telling them how to do it.

I agree.
No gays, no blacks, no jews, no people with red hair allowed in my store. Also no people over 65, no republicans, no veterans, no fat people over 200 pounds, no handicapped people, and certainly no gun toters. After all, it's my store I can do whatever I want. My right to "run my business without govment interference" is paramount to everything else.

Try that arguement when your sales tax receipts are due. Tell them you don't collect sales tax because it's your business and the "govment" can't interfere. Let me know how it works out.

Oh, and get rid of those handicapped parking spaces - those are required by the "govment" and therefore you don't have to comply.

Tell the state to go to hell. You don't need that license to sell beer in your store. It's your business and the "govment" is interfering with your right to sell booze.

Why do you claim a right that you obviously don't have???? If you allege that you have the right to run your business with no "govment" interference then put your money where your mouth is. If the "govment" has no authority to

coming in and telling them how to do it.

then show us.


Oh, and if this alleged "right" exists, please show me where. Mine is in the Constitution (2nd Ammendment) and the NC State Constitution. I'll provide you a link to it if you would like.

I can't seem to find "right to run business without "govment" coming in and telling me how" anywhere in the Bill of Rights or the U.S. Constitution.

 

[JJFlash]

I'm on both sides of this issue. I have a Constitutional RKBA and I don't consider it "in your face" to advertise that fact. It's no different from any other right which is GUARANTEED to us by our Constitution, not the "govment". So, if someone wants to confront a store owner and have a civil conversation about this right, I'm all for it. If the store owner isn't swayed, then we're free to shop elsewhere; that's our right, also. But I don't believe that "hiding" a right is the way to go. It's a right, and we're exercising it.

On the other hand, a store owner should be able to run his/her establishment without government interference. I'm not talking about taxes, here (although I DO believe we are severely overtaxed and further are being taxed without representation; that's another discussion) but about whom you want to serve in your store. You don't want blacks, gays, fat people, red-haired people, gun-toters...that's your choice, IMO. Let the free market decide if that's the way to go. Maybe your store goes out of business when folks decide not to shop there because of your customer preferences. Maybe you can make a reasonable living selling only to bigoted idiots. Fine. Your choice.

WE NEED LESS GOVERNMENT AND ALL OF OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS.

 

[rayven]

I respect the rights that the store / property owner has in prohibiting firearms. It's why I contacted the company and have not stepped foot in there since I saw that sign. If they don't want to respect my right to be armed, I don't want to give them any of my cash.

(And no, I have not heard a response. I'm guessing I never will.)

I'm not thinking of only me here. Yes, I'd like to be able to go anywhere I want while carrying my weapon, but to me, this is about the general idea of openness and freedom. I want to stand up for my right to keep and bear arms so that my children will hopefully learn from me and realize that every single person has to stand up for their rights or else they will be lost. And then my children (and everyone else) will be much more free.

So as far as I'm concerned, "Giant Food Stores" isn't interested in the general cause of freedom. That's their right. And so I refuse to assist them in that goal.

 

[kelcarry]

I would think that most states with CCW laws have specific locations where you can and cannot CC and specific specs on signs for display in otherwise acceptable CC locations that allow a business owner to accomodate his own preference on CC. Obviously, as in any issue on CC, you should and must be 100% familiar with your state's requirements. In SC the list of prohibited locations is clearly printed in the law and the exact dimensions of signs prohibiting CC are clearly printed in the law. In my book and if I was on a jury, any mistake you make that ends up with your use of your CCW in a prohibited location will place you in a very bad legal/civil position, regardless of the situation that caused the use. Your acceptance of the CCWP comes with extreme responsibilities and penalties.

 

[JJFlash]

I respect the rights that the store / property owner has in prohibiting firearms. It's why I contacted the company and have not stepped foot in there since I saw that sign. If they don't want to respect my right to be armed, I don't want to give them any of my cash.

(And no, I have not heard a response. I'm guessing I never will.)

I'm not thinking of only me here. Yes, I'd like to be able to go anywhere I want while carrying my weapon, but to me, this is about the general idea of openness and freedom. I want to stand up for my right to keep and bear arms so that my children will hopefully learn from me and realize that every single person has to stand up for their rights or else they will be lost. And then my children (and everyone else) will be much more free.

So as far as I'm concerned, "Giant Food Stores" isn't interested in the general cause of freedom. That's their right. And so I refuse to assist them in that goal.

+1. And in the spirit of solidarity, I, too, will not patronize Giant Food Stores and will spread the word.

 

[kelcarry]

Hey rayven and JJFlash: You are both right about your stance and so is Giant Foods. They have made a commercial decision and so have you. This reminds me in SC when all the grocery stores and Wallyworld stopped selling a popular BBQ sauce because its owner, a gentleman with a very vocal pro-South/Confederate stance, made himself even more vocal. They used moral/slavery arguments which were totally hypocritical given the fact that, at least in Wallyworld, 70-80% of its merchandise is from the moral beacon country named China. They made the decision based on demographics and bottom line--pure and simple. At least by remaining silent, Giant cannot be accused of being hypocritical just bottom-line concerned. I am sure that there are a heck of a lot more "couldn't care less about CC" citizens than those toting their guns and they still shop at Giant

 

[rayven]

I would think that most states with CCW laws have specific locations where you can and cannot CC and specific specs on signs for display in otherwise acceptable CC locations that allow a business owner to accomodate his own preference on CC. Obviously, as in any issue on CC, you should and must be 100% familiar with your state's requirements. In SC the list of prohibited locations is clearly printed in the law and the exact dimensions of signs prohibiting CC are clearly printed in the law. In my book and if I was on a jury, any mistake you make that ends up with your use of your CCW in a prohibited location will place you in a very bad legal/civil position, regardless of the situation that caused the use. Your acceptance of the CCWP comes with extreme responsibilities and penalties.

In my state (PA), signs carry no legal weight whatsoever. If I wanted to, I could completely ignore the sign and carry into the store. I only break the law if they ask me to leave and I refuse, since that would be trespassing.

As for your idea on a jury, we are going to have to disagree. If a person violates a gun law, but ends up having to use their weapon to defend their lives or the lives of others where it would have been perfectly legal in another place, that person would get a not guilty vote by me. I'm just not willing to punish someone for saving innocent lives. But that's a whole other thread...

 

[Keithmj]

Rights

One or two people who stop going to the Giant food store is not going to bother them at all and they look at you as a nut and a pain in the rear. You need a group to make some signs and stand out front and boycott the store, get some TV time and then theymight do something. That is why I think it is better to conceal carry than open carry, if not pretty soon all places will be putting up signs. If they don't see your handgun then they will never know you have one and just because you have a right to do something doesn't mean that it will be accepted by the general public..Keithmj :biggrin:

 

[JJFlash]

One or two people who stop going to the Giant food store is not going to bother them at all and they look at you as a nut and a pain in the rear. You need a group to make some signs and stand out front and boycott the store, get some TV time and then theymight do something. That is why I think it is better to conceal carry than open carry, if not pretty soon all places will be putting up signs. If they don't see your handgun then they will never know you have one and just because you have a right to do something doesn't mean that it will be accepted by the general public..Keithmj :biggrin:

You're saying basically that we should hide the exercising of a Constitutional right because it might not be accepted by the general public? I'm not buying into that. I understand what you're saying but I'm not buying it. For the record, I do carry concealed most of the time as it's just my nature to stay "under the radar" (it's also cold up here and we wear jackets probably 9 months out of the year!). But, man, this is a God-given right enshrined in the Constitution! I really don't worry about what the sheep think. Maybe we just need to wake up the sheep about ALL of our Consitutional rights.

I do agree about Giant food stores. My refusal alone to patronize the place doesn't mean a hill of beans. But, it makes me feel better and I DO spread the word.

 

[Keithmj]

Rights

I am not saying that you have to buy that. In that area you guys can do it how you want. I am just saying if you know they don't like open carry when you go in there, then just carry concealed, you are still exercising your rights and how would they know?. If people keep walking into Giant with the weapons showing all that is going to do is cause more trouble. Since you feel you have a constitutional right, which you do, so do I, then go back to the Giant store and exercise that right. Just walk right in and show the store owner you have that right. Don't hide the right but just go about it a different way, call the store, email them, tell them that you and your family are boycotting them. leasantry: They (Giant) have their rights also.

My wife and I are nudist, some here might disagree about that but that is my right and I am kept from having my rights. We joined a group who is trying to get a nude beach in this area, they have been trying for 11 years and we still don't have a nude beach so I told them they will never get one without a fight, they disagree, so my wife and I left the group. Sometimes you have to fight to get what you want. We are fighting all the time just to keep the rights that we have now.

We have a right to do lots more than what we are allowed to do. That is why we have the NRA and other groups to help us keep those rights. I don't care what the sheep think but they can cause trouble for us. I also think it is foolish to hide from others that we carry a handgun if we carry concealed as most states only allow. Why hide it from everyone? Some won't wear a NRA tee shirt or a USCCA tee shirt because they don't want anyone to know they carry. I have talked to several people about carrying my concealed weapon and now they are thinking about getting their CWP. People need to be educated more about guns. The last three arrests for shootings in this area has been by recently released felons and not by legal permit holders. We all have to do what we think we need to do when it comes to carrying our weapons, at least we are exercising our rights by just carrying..Keithmj

 

[rayven]

If they don't see your handgun then they will never know you have one and just because you have a right to do something doesn't mean that it will be accepted by the general public..Keithmj :biggrin:

If nobody sees my handgun, it makes me part of a silent group of people with no power, and a silent group of people with no power is an easy target for others - namely anti-gun politicians.

And just because I have a right to do something absolutely doesn't mean it will be accepted by the general public. But so what? I'll never be fully accepted by the general public on everything anyway.