Thursday, December 17, 2015

Open Carry... right here in my home community!!!

Am I on the set of “Gunsmoke”—I just came to buy groceries!!!

I put the 24 oz. box of Frosted Mini-Wheats in my grocery cart and headed for the checkout. I looked up and had a sudden adrenalin rush. Am I imagining things? Am I on the set of an old episode of Gunsmoke? Is that Marshal Dillon twenty feet ahead of me on the right? Where’s Festus; where’s Doc? Are we headed for the Long Branch Saloon to see Miss Kitty? As Frank on Everybody Loves Raymond would say, “holy crap.” I think I actually spoke those words. Right there in front of me was a guy (definitely not law enforcement) with a pistol holstered on his right hip. I came out of my shocked state and realized—this isn’t Gunsmoke (an old TV western for readers too young to have seen it); I’m in my local Kroger store—right here in Moneta, Virginia. This was a surreal moment; I felt totally unsafe. A day or two later I wrote the letter copied here to the store manager.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

October 22, 2015

Frank Bryant, Store Manager
Kroger
80 Westlake Rd.
Hardy, Virginia 24101

Dear Mr. Bryant:

On Friday, October 9th, I was shopping in your Westlake Kroger store. After finding the cereal I needed, I looked ahead in the aisle and was totally shocked. About 20 feet in front of me was a man with a pistol holstered on his right hip. He was clearly not a part of law enforcement but rather a citizen who has chosen to open-carry a handgun. To say the least, I had a surge of fear. I had three choices. I could leave my cart and leave the store; turn around and go down a different aisle, or go past him allowing a wide space between us. I chose the latter. There was young man at the checkout wearing a nametag that said Store Management. So, I said to him, “I just saw a man on the cereal aisle that was openly carrying a handgun.” “What is the Kroger policy about carrying a gun in the store?” He said, “our policy is that if it is legal in the county, you can carry a handgun in the store.” I paid my bill and left.

To say the least, I am disturbed by this policy. I have shopped in your store since this event. Every time, I constantly scan the customers to see if anyone is armed. Anyone who is armed is dangerous and it’s unconscionable that I have to be anxious every time I come to your store. As a consumer, I do have choices, even if they are not all convenient. Until Kroger develops a policy that allows all customers to feel safe in Kroger stores, I plan to do the following:

·       I will shop at your store as little as possible.
·       I will share this story with my friends and family.
·       As appropriate, I will send letters to newspapers about gun safety, gun violence and my experiences in area stores and other public institutions.
·       As much as possible, I will not patronize stores or attend programs in institutions that allow concealed or open-carry of handguns.

As a customer, how do I know this man had a permit to carry a handgun? As a customer, how do I know this man had a background check? As a customer, how do I know this man is emotionally stable? How do I know he doesn’t have problems with anger management? Perhaps Kroger will need to find ways to assure customers these questions have been answered if non-law enforcement people are allowed to carry handguns in your stores. Maybe Kroger will develop a policy that does not allow citizens to carry handguns in your stores; that policy would make all of us much safer.

Respectfully,



Cc: Smith Mountain Lake Chamber of Commerce

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Think about unintended consequences…              

Open and concealed carry of handguns in public spaces jeopardizes my safety. It is a public health/public safety issue. I follow news stories about gun safety and gun violence on The Trace. Try it yourself—you will be enlightened. Hopefully you will join the chorus of voices speaking out about the need for common-sense gun control laws that will protect us from ourselves.