Costco bans guns

Keepandbear arms.com ^ | ? | Mark A. Taff

[sig226]

Costco Bans Guns Fellow newslinks editor Bruce Kraft learned the hard way about Costco's gun ban. Below is his story.

Mark A. Taff

. . . We arrived at the registers, and got rung out. I paid, and as we are getting ready to head out, Brian came up and said that "for the comfort and safety" of their employees and guests, he asked that I leave my gun outside.

I said "No problem, sorry if I caused any fuss." I then asked if this was the policy of the Eden Prairie store, or a company-wide policy. He said it was company policy. I asked if I could get some sort of written statement or copy of the policy, because there were 35,000 permit holders in the state of Minnesota alone who were going to want to know about it.

Oh, and since they didn't want me in their store could they please return my groceries. Brian said "Oh, no, your perfectly welcome to shop here, we just" at which point I cut him off saying "You just asked me to leave, so obviously I am *not* welcome here, and neither is my money." (I have played out scenarios like this in my mind for several years, it was gratifying that he kept giving me all the right straight lines).

(snip)

Bruce continues:

"BTW, their letter is misleading, I never raised the issue of civil rights, because I firmly believe that companies have every right to ban whomever they please, I just think it is not fair for them to hide the fact."

You can read a pdf of the letter Costco sent to Bruce.

Call Costco at 1-800-774-2678 and give them your feedback on their gun ban policy.

[longtermmemmory]

actually he handled it perfectly.

He did not get angry or upset. He just politly asked the worker to taker care of returning the items.

Costco was free to ban gun permit holders. And those permit holders are free to ban costco.

Its a stupid move on costco's part.

[longtermmemmory]

Did you read this?

It seems he was very polite and said that costco was absolutly free to do as they did and HE was equally free to not shop there.

Free enterprise.

I don't think costco is really threatened that much, but then again costco's support of democrats is not very endearing either.

[DuncanWaring]

Could someone explain why a person would feel the need to carry a concealed weapon into a Costco store?

Could someone explain why a person would feel the need to carry a concealed weapon into an AMC movie theater?

[Still Thinking]

I know. Mrs. Thinking likes cream cheese on her bagels and that thing is like a 6 month supply for 5 bucks!

[JNL]

Polite?, Guess I read a different post.

[hsmomx3]

You are lucky to have it last that long. In our house, it may last 1-2 weeks. My husband likes to put cream cheese chunks in his soups and youngest daughter likes for me to make ham rollups using cream cheese for the center filling.

[Still Thinking]

Try some in mashed or twice baked potatoes insted of butter. Yum!

[diemkae]

IF any insurance company gives "big discounts" for clients that institute "defenseless victim zones", it will stop the first time they have to deal with a suit by law-abiding victims who might have been able to protect themselves had they not been made defenseless by a "no guns" policy.

Such policies only disarm the law-abiding... surely no rational person believes that a predator who has already decided to commit capital murder would be deterred by the additional misdemeanor/trespass charge for ignoring a "no guns" sign!

[chuknospam]

This is only one reason why:


Luby's massacre

On October 16, 1991 in Killeen, Texas, a man named George Hennard drove his 1987 Ford Ranger truck into a Luby's Restaurant in Killeen Texas, yelled "This is what Bell County has done to me!" then opened fire with a Glock 17 and later a Ruger P-89, and then opened fire on the restaurant's patrons and staff. He killed 23 people and wounded 20 before he killed himself. Only the work of a large man breaking through a window allowed the rest of the patrons to escape. One noted exception was a mother and her 4 year old child which Hennard allowed to leave. Though Heenard was shot several times by police only when he ran out of victims did Hennard walk to the rear of the seating area and take his own life with a gunshot to the head.

It should be noted that many of the patrons, such as Suzanna Hupp, had firearms in their vehicles but by law were not allowed to carry them on their person. Survivors and family of the victims, with the help of the media, were successful in moving lawmakers to consider the concept of conceal carry permits for citizens. As a direct result of this massacre, in 1995 Texas lawmakers, led by Suzanna Gratia Hupp (whose parents were both killed in the massacre), passed a law that allowed Texas citizens to obtain a concealed carry handgun permit in part as a reaction against the massacre. Soon after many states considered similar weapon permits for lawful citizens.

The following people died as a result of the shooting

Patricia Brawn Carney, 57, Belton, Texas
Jimmie Eugene Caruthers, 48, Austin, Texas
Kriemhild A. Davis, 62, Killeen, Texas
Lt. Col. Steven Charles Dody, 43, Fort Hood, Texas
Alphonse "Al" Gratia, Jr, 71, Copperas Cove, Texas
Ursula Edith Marie Gratia, 67, Copperas Cove, Texas
Debra Ann Gray, 33, Copperas Cove, Texas
Dr. Michael Edward Griffith, 48, Copperas Cove, Texas
Venice Ellen Henehan, 70, Metz, Missouri
Clodine Delphia Humphrey, 63, Marlin, Texas
Sylvia Mathilde King, 30, Killeen, Texas
Zona Mae Lynn, 64, Marlin, Texas
Connie Dean Miller, 45, Austin, Texas
Ruth Marie Pujol, 55, Killeen, Texas
Su-zann Neal Rashott, 36, Copperas Cove, Texas
John Raymond Romero Jr., 30, San Antonio, Texas
Thomas Earl Simmons, 33, Copperas Cove, Texas
Glen Arval Spivey, 55, Killeen, Texas
Nancy Faye Stansbury, 44, Killeen, Texas
Olgica Andonovsk Taylor, 45, Killeen, Texas
James Walter Welsh, 75, Waco, Texas
Lula Belle Welsh, 75, Waco, Texas
Iva Juanita Williams, 64, Temple, Texas

[AnalogReigns]

I never said it was fully rational...lots of business decisions are not. However if someone was ever shot, accidently or otherwise on Costco property, their no gun policy and signs up would give them plausible lack of liability--by their lawyers saying, "well, that gun was against our rules...so we cannot be held responsible..."

Also the principle still stands...higher even than your and my right to carry a gun (which I fully believe in), that a private business can make private rules for their private property.

Anything other then that is not freedom.

[SubGeniusX]

I know this is an old article ... post ... but it kinda fits with my new one ... it just may be that this could be what Costco was trying to prevent ....

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1758390/posts?page=1

....just showing a valid reason for their policy...
came across while searching "Costco" making sure my article wasn't a repost ... made me chuckle

[Dead Corpse]

On your property put a "no guns allowed" sign. On mine, I'll put a picture of a 200 yrd high power target with teh x ring blown out of it.

See who gets robbed first shall we?

[Dead Corpse]

If someone is shot on business property that disallows individual carry, then that is the business owners fault. You disarmed me leaving me helpless as a condition of doing business. It was your responsibility to keep me safe where I would normally be able to do so myself.

Fail in that duty, and I'll suit your ass into nonexistance.

[AnalogReigns]

There have been so many private property owners sued for setting conditions on their own property, like not allowing guns...so go ahead, sue.

Anyone can sue for any reason. Some never win though.

[sig226]

That is the one thing I hate about carrying.

[snoringbear]

svxdave,

Obviously, you don't get it. You don't understand the principle of voting one's beliefs and principles with one's dollars. However, happily for you, that your privilege....

[ctdonath2]

Some people are simply paranoid!

Yup, that would be Costco and their lawyers, et al.

The people carrying the guns obviously have nothing to worry about.

[Mjaye]

Beats me. Now Sam's Club I can understand, considering the people they employee. There you need a stake, garlic, and make sure your firearm has a silver bullet.<<<

LOL, I once supervised a fellow who moonlighted at Sam's, and you couldn't be closer to the truth!

[bruoz]

"Could someone explain why a person would feel the need to carry a concealed weapon into a Costco store?"

Why would anyone want to carry a legally concealed weapon into a Luby's or a McDonalds?

[Hydroshock]

It is a bit hard for me to boycott costco. Seeing as I have never traded with them in the past. Now I never will.