Iowa Sheriff Intimidating Businesses in Attempt to Get Them to Ban Guns on Their Property
Iowa's law involving the issuance of carry permits changed and now people living in that state are able to obtain a legal means of self-defense without requiring permission from their local sheriff. One local sheriff though is pissed that the state has usurped his authority and is trying to intimidate business owners into banning firearms from their property:
A letter to approximately 600 Marion businesses along with “no weapons allowed” stickers is kicking up a fuss with one conservative group.
The letter to businesses in Marion last week was sent by Marion Police Chief Harry Daugherty. It referred to changes in Iowa code that no longer allow sheriffs to mandate concealing weapons when a permit holder is out in public. That change in gun permit policy took effect January 1st.
The letter from Chief Daugherty urged businesses to ban weapons from private property to “make both (business and police) our jobs easier.” The chief also included two “no weapons allowed” stickers for businesses to place on the front doors if they agreed with his recommendation.
It seems Sheriff Daugherty believes that his life and lives of his officers is easier if people are defenseless. I guess this makes sense if he believes his job is to force the citizenry to comply with his demands and being he's acting like an authoritarian asshole I'm pretty sure that's what he believes his job to be. But here's the kicker:
But Chief Daugherty argued what he authorized was education and not politics. The chief said unless businesses post a “no weapons” notice in a visible location police can’t enforce any trespassing rules against anyone bringing a weapon inside.
According to Daugherty if somebody is carrying a weapon the police can't enforce any trespassing laws against him or her. The implication I get from this is if somebody is being unruly the police will not remove that person if they're carrying a firearm. That's a great little intimidation factor if I've ever seen one.
So where Daugherty get the money to print these stickers? At first I thought it was the taxpayers which would have been ironic as Daugherty would have been using violence in order to supposedly prevent violence. Well he didn't use tax money but the source of his money is through violent means:
And Daugherty also said the $600 cost of the printing and mail wasn’t tax dollars. Rather, the chief used money confiscated in drug raids and other seizures to pay the cost. Those dollars typically go for purchases not on the department’s budget.
Will you look at that, the drug war at work paying for yet another authoritarian power trip. Obviously second amendment supporters are talking about boycotting any businesses that put up those stickers and it appears as though some business owners don't recognize how strongly many of us like our right to self-defense:
But Rich Foens, owner of Smitty’s Shoe Repair, said he wasn’t that concerned when he posted the sticker from Marion Police.
“I don’t see anybody so strong on the other side they’re going to boycott your business because of it,” Foens said.
As an advocate of the ability to defend yourself I do feel strongly enough where I'll boycott a business because they don't respect my life enough to allow me to carry a means of self-defense onto their property. I respect your property rights enough that I'm willing to do business with your competitors should you chose to bar me my rights though so you'll not have to worry about my patronage or the patronage of many gun owners.