LTE: Avoiding unsafe businesses

April 28th, 2005
The (Cleveland) Sun Messenger

As a long-time resident of South Euclid, it saddens me to see the notices posted at many South Euclid businesses that prohibit concealed firearms on their premises. It has been over one year since Ohio's state senators and congress people passed Ohio House Bill 12, which was signed into law by Governor Taft. Many people thought that with the new law, Ohio would become like the wild wild West. In the past year, however, it is very apparent that this has not happened.


My issue with South Euclid is that there seems to be far more businesses prohibiting concealed weapons than in other cities. Why is that? I have no verifiable reason for why, just some hypotheses.

South Euclid businesses need to know three things:

-The law gives businesses immunity with respect to liability when concealed firearms are allowed on premises. This can be verified with Ohio Attorney General Jim Petro.

-Criminals don''t abide by the law, by definition. Signs prohibiting concealed firearms will only deter law-abiding citizens; the signs enable opportunists to easily identify businesses that are unarmed and unprotected.

-Any person with a concealed carry license is required to go through a 12 hour training class, pass a criminal records check, and an incompetence records check. I took my training at the Cleveland Heights Police Academy, am not a criminal, or incompetent. What do business owners know about their other customers?

I urge any business that posts prohibiting concealed carry to reconsider for the safety of themselves as well as their customers.

I make a conscious effort to avoid businesses that are posted, even when I am not carrying a weapon. This is in direct conflict with my conscious effort to keep my business local. The effort to avoid posted businesses overrides the latter. I do not feel as safe in a posted business; in addition, such establishments disregard my lawful right to protect myself.

Howard Kornhauser