ArfinGreebly
Moderator Emeritus
Right To Refuse Service
I know guys here in Reno who will simply declare "sorry, I can't sell you a gun," if someone walks in that seems the least bit flaky to them.
They don't even bother with the background check.
"Sorry, man, you've come to the wrong place. You'll need to shop elsewhere."
There will be times when you "judge a book by its cover" and get it wrong. Then again, if you're in the habit of dressing like a ganger, and you stroll into a gun shop lookin' for some heat, you might not be totally surprised if the proprietor says, "sorry, fella, we're pretty picky about whom we serve here."
Background check? It would never get that far.
And the guy who would sell the bangers a gun? The background check is simply an inconvenience.
On the other hand, though, let's say that background checks were eliminated. Let's say that you no longer had to have a special license to sell guns.
Let's say it's -- from the viewpoint of selling guns -- 1965 all over again. You can sell them in hardware stores, automotive shops, sporting goods stores, Raley's Supermarkets (yes, they sold guns), Army Surplus stores, feed and grain stores, and so on. No problem, you see, because gun sales are no longer restricted.
Gun ownership is unremarkable.
Everybody has one. Or six. Or twenty.
Ammo is available everywhere. Right by the cigarettes and whiskey.
Hell, even 7-Eleven stores have guns and ammo.
Now your "gang colors" shady character walks in someplace and wants to buy a gun. So, he buys a gun. Maybe six.
Big deal.
Everyone he meets is also armed. Everyone. He's not special any more. The huge disparity of force that made him king of the 'hood is gone.
He's going to be living in a culture of politeness and civility among armed people who are much harder to push around.
He's no longer living in a culture of snivelling cowardice and quivering fear. (Okay, that's hyperbole. Just.)
When the "bad guy" is no longer, by default, the "baddest dude on the block 'cuz he gots a Glock" he will have some incentive to work within society, rather than against it.
Now, I know this is not as crisp and articulate as some of my other posts on this, but I believe it's clear enough.
Kind of depends on my own sense of ethics, right?Arfin,
You have made some very convincing arguments. However, I can't help but wonder how you would feel if you were running a gun shop and someone walks in who you can tell is a really shady character, and wants to buy 2 or 3 or 5 or 6 AK's from you. Or maybe it is a group of 4 or 5 kids (over 18) who are decked out in the local gang's colors. They plunk down $5,000 cash and start asking about your AR's. Or maybe that Barrett up on the wall. Are you going to feel annoyed that you have to run a background check on them?
I know guys here in Reno who will simply declare "sorry, I can't sell you a gun," if someone walks in that seems the least bit flaky to them.
They don't even bother with the background check.
"Sorry, man, you've come to the wrong place. You'll need to shop elsewhere."
There will be times when you "judge a book by its cover" and get it wrong. Then again, if you're in the habit of dressing like a ganger, and you stroll into a gun shop lookin' for some heat, you might not be totally surprised if the proprietor says, "sorry, fella, we're pretty picky about whom we serve here."
Background check? It would never get that far.
And the guy who would sell the bangers a gun? The background check is simply an inconvenience.
On the other hand, though, let's say that background checks were eliminated. Let's say that you no longer had to have a special license to sell guns.
Let's say it's -- from the viewpoint of selling guns -- 1965 all over again. You can sell them in hardware stores, automotive shops, sporting goods stores, Raley's Supermarkets (yes, they sold guns), Army Surplus stores, feed and grain stores, and so on. No problem, you see, because gun sales are no longer restricted.
Gun ownership is unremarkable.
Everybody has one. Or six. Or twenty.
Ammo is available everywhere. Right by the cigarettes and whiskey.
Hell, even 7-Eleven stores have guns and ammo.
Now your "gang colors" shady character walks in someplace and wants to buy a gun. So, he buys a gun. Maybe six.
Big deal.
Everyone he meets is also armed. Everyone. He's not special any more. The huge disparity of force that made him king of the 'hood is gone.
He's going to be living in a culture of politeness and civility among armed people who are much harder to push around.
He's no longer living in a culture of snivelling cowardice and quivering fear. (Okay, that's hyperbole. Just.)
When the "bad guy" is no longer, by default, the "baddest dude on the block 'cuz he gots a Glock" he will have some incentive to work within society, rather than against it.
Now, I know this is not as crisp and articulate as some of my other posts on this, but I believe it's clear enough.