Just fired this note off to Blain's Farm & Fleet.. .
I read your response to a query by a member of Wisconsin Carry, Inc.; from Gary H, the VP of loss prevention, stating that legal carrying of firearms in your store will not be allowed.
As a member of Wisconsin Carry, Inc. and writer of a political/economic blog, I have a keen interest in the 1st amendment and as a Constitutional Conservative, the 2nd Amendment. I hold the other 8 Amendments of the Bill of Rights dear as well. The Bill of Rights was not written to be a group of suggestions. I wish to let you know that until this policy is rescinded, you will not be receiving any more of my business. Dollars going elsewhere. Laugh now but soon, you will not laugh so hard. You know. . . . . You know very well where things are going.
Please realize that criminals already carry concealed weapons into your stores. Guns, knives etc. They don't give a rip about your ignorant rules. Since you do not give me a way to defend myself, I will not subject myself to a possible crime. I will spend my dollars at Fleet Farm or anywhere else that does respect my rights and does not spit on the Flag by denying my rights, for that matter and I assure you, so will thousands of my friends and readers from now on.
However, If someone does commit an act of violence in your store, because you are in flagrant disregard of federal and state guidelines concerning Open Carry in Wisconsin, you are ignoring the 2nd Amendment by disallowing Federal and state Constitutional Law, I think it is possible that you are open to litigation here. You; very well, could be sued for damages by an unarmed citizen victim. A citizen you disarmed. A citizen harmed in your store or parking lot because you believed bad people would respect your ignorant rules.
You allow dangerous concealed weapons on your property and into your store by not scanning or frisking everyone who enters. You allow dangerous weapons into your store by not providing aggressive security for each customer. The weapons are there whether you want them to be or not. All you are accomplishing is disarming the innocent and law abiding, setting your customers and yourselves up for disaster.
I'm sure you are aware that statistically, every 15th person in Wisconsin is illegally armed. Felons, robbers, punks, gang bangers, thugs, car jackers, etc. Every 15th person. That statistic is a few years old too, so there are probably more illegal weapons today. I think it is a prime opportunity to sue you for damages and with today's laws, you are dangerously exposed to risk here. Lots of risk. For denying your customers their Constitutional right to bear arms. Say? Are your parking lots video survailed? Do you have security guards looking out for your customers? I think not!
I'll pass my hypothesis on to a few ambulance chasers I know and several different Wisconsin forums which translates into several thousands of Wisconsin Residents and see what everybody thinks. Heck, this might even be better than picketing or boycotting your business. A couple of very public lawsuits by grievously injured customers, due to your draconian, fascist rules and heck, Fleet Farm has a payday.
So good luck with that trashing the Constitution business and have a great day.
Hardballer.
Wisconsin Citizen
Political Blog Writer
Husband
Consumer