Conceal Carry Confusion

In Abilene, Hutchinsonand Topeka, conceal carry permit holders are frustrated by provisions of the new law that allow store owners to ban handguns from their premises by posting signs showing a handgun with a diagonal bar across it and words to the effect that weapons are prohibited on premises. Threats of boycotts of businesses have been made to pressure property owners to not restrict access to concealed gun carriers. In Lawrence, the mayor wants a stricter local gun law that includes jail for carrying firearms near bars to provide greater safety.

Sen. Journey and Rep. Ruff want changes in the state law to limit city and county hand gun regulation. They theorize that local laws prohibiting the ability to carry a handgun wherever a concealed carry permit holder wants is a restriction on the permitees' freedom of personal movement. This is interesting, because the state law for concealed carry permits that these weapons advocates got passed has some 20-plus places where concealed weapons are prohibited.

This idea of freedom of movement is a farce. Don't we have laws protecting private property by preventing unauthorized access like in trespassing and breaking-and-entering crimes. Businesses don't need a state law permitting them to set the conditions of access to their property. Conceal carry permit holders need to suck it up and get a handgun safe for their car so they can store them while shopping. I doubt that businesses will provide "check-your-gun" services. But if they do, I would like to have the state franchise.

Also, I'm not interested in some gun nut waving his pistol around if he feels threatened in a store while I'm in there. Actually, never in my life have I been in a situation where a handgun was presented by a criminal to rob the place I was in. Have you been in such a situation?