In My Rear-View Mirror -

In My Rear-View Mirror - One of the most contentious issues in the recent concealed carry debate was the extent to which private and public establishments and property owners could post their property to bar concealed-carry permit-holders.

During the final debate on the subject, Senator Jane Ranum (Illiterate, Mpls) harped for a solid half hour on whether or not public university campuses would be able to bar everyone on campus, not just staff and students, from carrying. And Ellen Anderson (DFL, Alpha Centauri) wasted nearly an hour shrieking question after question about her abject horror at the notion of law-abiding, trained, permitted citizens carrying firearms at the State Fairgrounds.

Neither, of course, seemed to notice that there is no law regulating current permit holders in either of those places, or any other private property.

Anyway, the upshot of the law is that any privately-owned property open to the public - stores, y'know - has the right to post its entrances with a notice (of at least 187 square inches) barring firearms from the premises. If someone came in anyway, they were to be notified, and if they didn't leave, they'd be guilty of a misdemeanor with a $25 fine. This notion horrified some of those present (ignorant of the fact that current law has no such provision), who didn't consider that permit-holders - who, after ponying up $100 for the permit, more for the training course, and more yet for the pistol, are likely to be very scrupulously law-abiding - are likely to regard that misdemeanor very seriously. It could be used to revoke their permit or deny their renewal.

So the law covers those businesses that don't want law-abiding permit-holders on their property. Well, fair enough.

Whether I have a permit or not (and you can probably guess my sentiments), I think the proprietors that post their doors need to get a message, too.

I think I'm going to print up a box of these little numbers:

Even if you don't have a permit - if you think the law-abiding citizen is less a threat than everyone else that's carrying, you should find your own way of getting the message across.