[s&w 24]

I went to my favorite book store ( 1/2 price books in St. Louis park) on monday but was very disturbed that since my last visit they posted there buisness( no ccw's) ! I have been shoping there for years and they just put the sign up the recently. When I saw it I turned around and said to my wife well I guess I won't be shopping there anymore, Her responce was aren't you going to tell them why? I listened to my better half and went in and asked for the manager and I told him I noticed there sign and I wouldn't be shopping there again unless they took it down. His reply was that I would be excluding myself from alot of buisnesses in the MPLS area but the thing is this is the first time this has been an issue at all! Later on I'll write them a letter explaining my choice not to shop there any more after I'm not so pissed.

[Andrew Rothman]

I'll send my boilerplate "why I won't be back" letter:

http://www.halfpricebooks.com/velocity.asp?page=contactus

I recently stopped at your St. Louis Park, MN store, and saw that there was a sign posted barring legal concealed carry.

As a concealed carry permit holder, I have a Minnesota state permit issued by my county sheriff; I have passed state and federal background checks for violent crimes, mental illness and chemical dependency; I have received training from certified instructors on the laws of self-defense and I have passed a handgun qualification test.

Concealed carry permit holders are vastly more law abiding than the general public. Minnesota had over 12,000 of them as
of this summer, and there has never been a documented case of a "wrong" shooting by any of them.

All your sign has done is to create a "victim disarmament zone." Your sign announces that violent individuals may rob or beat your employees and customers at will, knowing that no one within will be able to defend herself.

Until the sign comes down, I will find another retailer for my needs.

Sincerely,

Matthew Payne
Minnetonka

[edit: missing word][edit: another typo, darnit! Thanks, bogie!]

[4v50 Gary]

It's when a stack of "boilerplates" show up accompanied by drop in sales that managers take notice. BTW, I buy most my books over the internet now. It's the easiest way to find some titles.

[bogie]

edited to fix some screwups - let's look edumicated, folks...

===

errors are in the eye of the copy editor...

[Andrew Rothman]

[never mind]

[DVDTracker]

If I ever get a storefront for my business, I'll hand out firearms at the door. It won't be "Paper or plastic?" it will be "AR or AK?" :D

[Standing Wolf]

Good for you!

I don't ever do business with anti-Second Amendment bigots, and am glad others refuse, too.

[repsychler]

Since we're on the subject of posted businesses in Minnesota, if anyone else goes to Showplace 16 Theater in Coon Rapids, please let them know (http://www.kerasotes.com/Showtimes.aspx?SearchString=&TheaterSearch=8181&OptionTheater=+++Go+++) you are unhappy about their recent decision to post signs barring legal carry. I sent them a postal letter a couple weeks ago but have not received a reply.

[SteveS]

Keep up the work. It does make a difference. There have been several instances in MI of businesses taking down their "No CCW" signs after customers called, faxed, or mailed their complaints. Money talks.

[dandean316]

I quit shopping there awhile ago. On one of their flyers they stated they were affiliated with some environmental groups like the Sierra Club. They also had some language about being "animal friendly" - enough red flags for me.

You can find better deals online anyway.

[ReadyontheRight]

Thanks for the heads-up s&w 24. I go there once in a while and will also send them a letter.

There's a good (but left-leaning of course -- b/c of the neighborhood) used bookstore in Linden Hills at 43rd & Upton -- owned by the brother of Martin Zeller -- who used to be the leader of the band the Gear Daddies. There's also a great paperback bookstore at 50th & Penn. Hopefully neither of these have signs posted.

Those $%#@ signs are everywhere around here. Thanks for the letter template MPayne, I will use it.

[Harold Mayo]

The two 1/2 Price Books stores on the north side of Indianapolis used to have signs barring firearms from their stores at one time...not sure if they have other signs now or not but I DID notice that the signs were taken down at one point in time. They're a bunch of tree-huggers in the Indy area.

[sturmruger]

The one thing I love about MN is that businesses can post all day long, but if they don't ask you to leave you are not violating any law. I usually go in and tell them that I can still legally carry because they posted the sign incorrectly. That gets tham all hot under the collar. I do try to take my business elsewhere the only place I still eat at regularly is Famous Daves. I have to have my BBQ on a regular basis.

[Andrew Rothman]

I usually go in and tell them that I can still legally carry because they posted the sign incorrectly.
Why help them shut you out? Let an uninformed sleeping dog lie.
I do try to take my business elsewhere the only place I still eat at regularly is Famous Daves.

The Famous Dave's restaurants on my side of town don't post.

[BryanP]

I do try to take my business elsewhere the only place I still eat at regularly is Famous Daves.

Is Famous Daves anti? The one closest to my home has an outdoor life / hunting motif including animal heads, shotguns & rifles mounted on the walls. Of course that's down in Nashville. (Mt. Juliet to be specific, in this case) :)

[sturmruger]

I was told the the Famous Dave's in MN has posted all of the establishmants. I have heard that there are a few locations in MN that have not posted.

[SJ]

Must be a local thing. Half Price Books is based in Dallas and I regularly go to 4-5 different locations. They are not posted. They may seem a little on the left, but that's probably more an indication of their main clientel's interests. I haven't seen them turn away a book due to content, etc.

[larry_minn]

e-mail sent. Not that it is likely to do much good. :( (I have never been there but if they reply that sign is going down I will have to.

[BluesBear]

Now you would think that a bookstore, which can profitably exist only because of the First Amendment, would realize the importance of the Second Amendment.

But then that's what I get for thinking logically.

[chrisinmo]

S&W 24

I'll give you a suggestion about how to get the manager to take notice. Next time you make a large book purchase, or the next few purchases from his competitor copy the receipts. Drop by his shop with a copy of the receipts and the name of teh store you bought them at clearly highlighted. Attach a no guns = no money card to the receipts and leave it for the manager. This is solid proof to him that he is losing sales. You may even include a cover letter with the info reminding him of your prior conversation and letting him know you have found a shop that will respect your legal rights. If you guys have a website outlining NON ccw establishments you should submit the name of the store to the site and include that info in your letter as well.

Good luck. Our law is still pending Supreme Court hearing in January.

[s&w 24]

Thanks for the advice. I'll do that. One of the odd things about this is that I've bought several gun related books there and I have no idea who will buy them now.