You are right about the individual decreasing and the collective increasing. Since I have own a business, I come from that angle, It seems like you yearn for the Mom and Pop store days on one hand, yet want to tell people who have mortgaged their home and future to take on a risk, who their clientele should be. That behavior disincentives people from taking the risk! Who wants to Open a sleepy little wine /martini cottage on the roadway back from the vineyard just to find out it is a good motorcycle road and the "patch clubs" decide they like your place more than you do and they will "exercise their rights" to ensure you serve them and their friends. (or vice versa)
What happens here is the shift from interaction to "policy" This is another area that is problematic. You insert your rights and force the issue, take the shopkeeper out of play and then wonder ten years later why you are shopping in a "big box store" with little service and much Policy.
Another example, Bob Irwins CCW class is free, and misleading. we have all heard stories of the misinformation that perpetuates there. If I renew my CCW, I choose to go see Mac. not try to change Bob. The fact is Every time you insist on making someone "respect" your rights there is a downside.
1. The merchant is being told how to run their business.
2. There is certainly another like minded merchant who is not getting business while we "convert" a merchant who is likely to smile in our face, while he contributes YOUR money to the Brady campaign.
3. We force the decision makers out of business, the people who opened their doors as a "American dream" are pummeled everyday by regulations, from ADA to OSHA, and then they get told who they need to do business with?
If someone (non government) does not like my firearm, I apologize, and leave. They do not receive a letter, or a reason to dislike me. My time is better spent in my book, looking for a business that caters to my needs. I am thankful, not resentful to the clerk who asks me to leave.
1. He let me know that I was in a gun free zone, (dangerous area!)
2. let me know that I was not supporting my cause. When I could be.
Lets put the shoe on the other foot.
So you mortgage your home and retirement. Open your retail store in the place you carefully chose to obtain the clientele that you selected to sell to, Get your occupancy and go through the Govt. alphabet soup of agencies, Get your OC friendly signs put up, just to have a couple of cats in Birkenstocks (with socks) and Peace T- shirts come in and tell you that they do not want to do business in your store because of your OC policy. Do you let them run your place? Will you try to "placate" them? Do you have bigger things pending? Would trhere time be better spent supporting the retailer of their choice, are they going to convince you that OC is bad?
I think if a merchant opens the door and is willing to hear similar to what PT's did that's not a bad thing, and it went ok when we went there. But all night long we were down there pushing ourselves on PT's, while Magoo's who doesn't flinch and is supportive, went without all the money that could have gone to an established friendly.
It might be better to have a OC friendly list than the usual "Anti" list.
