LIABILITY! Think Twice About Declaring Your Business a 'Gun Free Zone' - #2A
Hawaii Firearms Coalition Warns Businesses: ‘No Guns’ Signs Could Cost More Than Customers
Hawaii Firearms Coalition Warns Businesses: ‘No Guns’ Signs Could Cost More Than Customers
(Duncan Johnson, AmmoLand) - The Hawaii Firearms Coalition is urging businesses across the Aloha State to think twice before posting “No Firearms Allowed” signs following the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Wolford v. Lopez.
The ruling struck down Hawaii’s default ban on carrying firearms onto private property open to the public without the owner’s express consent. Instead, businesses must now decide for themselves whether to allow licensed concealed carry or prohibit it by posting signs. As business owners weigh that decision, the Hawaii Firearms Coalition has released an open letter arguing that “No Guns” signs won’t stop criminals but they will drive away law-abiding customers.
The coalition’s letter focuses on the economic consequences of banning lawful carry. Hawaii is home to more than 150,000 registered firearm owners, representing roughly one in five households. HIFICO warned that many of those gun owners may simply take their business elsewhere rather than patronize establishments that prohibit lawful concealed carry.
“We fully recognize that private property owners have the right to set their own policies,” the coalition wrote. “We simply ask that you make that decision with a full understanding of the potential consequences.”
But there is another question business owners should consider before posting those signs: if you choose to disarm your customers, what responsibility do you assume for…
