Asked business to consider removing 30.06
Posted: Thu Feb 18, 2016 12:27 pm
I sent a letter to a business who recently added 30.06 & 30.07 signs. I politely explained what the 30.06 sign was doing and they got back with me and asked for a few days to think about it. Here is there response.
Thank you, so much, for contacting us in regard to your disappointment regarding Aerofit’s decision to prohibit both open carry and concealed carry handguns in our buildings. We have undertaken much conversation about how to respond to the increased awareness of handguns in our community, as well as a likely increase in the actual number of handguns being carried. We understand and fully respect your perspective. Both of the Aerofit owners own handguns and support the Second Amendment Right for citizens to own and use guns responsibly.
It is precisely that heightened sense of responsibility which has guided our conversations and decision. Our primary concerns are that we cannot insure that every individual who is legally licensed to carry a handgun will, indeed use it responsibly. Though most, if not all, understand the serious potential tragedy of even one misjudgment or safety omission, just one such mistake is too many. People are all different and accept responsibility at all levels of concern from casual to meticulous. In contrast to the many members, such as yourself and your wife, who have carried handguns at Aerofit without incident, our Villa Maria facility has had a handgun left unsecured in one of the locker rooms (not locked up) while its owner was elsewhere in the club. Honest and innocent mistakes happen all the time. We can’t afford for them to happen with handguns.
As you know, the training undertaken to become licensed to carry a handgun in Texas is required to include information related to proper storage with an emphasis on “practices that eliminate the possibility of accidental injury to a child.” The legislation does not just mention minimizing this risk, but specifically states that accidental injury to children should be eliminated. We have hundreds of children in our facilities every day. We fear our lockers may be assumed adequate storage for guns while working out. They are not. Guns require an increased measure of safety in this public venue situation. We believe it requires a measure significantly higher than what may be adequate for clothing or other personal belongings. It is certainly better, and probably adequate if the user uses a gun safe or trigger lock in addition to leaving it in a locker, but this still does not preclude the handgun from being stolen and possibly used in a crime in our community at a later time. And, we have no way to insure this would be done without fail in every case.
Additionally, the training to be licensed has no component to demonstrate proficiency in a mock live situation with moving targets and innocent bystanders. All the proficiency exercises are with stationary targets with a stationary applicant shooting. With the increase in first time, inexperienced handgun owners who have practiced enough to pass the proficiency test, but are not proficient or experienced in a potential public shooter situation there is an increased likelihood of panic and increased chance of innocents being injured or killed. Not only will the gun carrier have to live with that mistake, we will have to live with it as well. And while there is always a risk these days that someone will wish to do harm to people in the building the conventional wisdom is first to run, then to hide and lastly to fight or confront an aggressor.
We again wish to emphasize our understanding of and respect for your opinion. Our goal in this letter is not to change your opinion, but to explain our thought process and priority structure in our specific environment so that you might understand our decision.
Thanks again for letting us know your perspective.
Kindest Regards,
Not sure how to respond. They have been very polite in emails and even thanked for me sending them such a professional email.
Thank you, so much, for contacting us in regard to your disappointment regarding Aerofit’s decision to prohibit both open carry and concealed carry handguns in our buildings. We have undertaken much conversation about how to respond to the increased awareness of handguns in our community, as well as a likely increase in the actual number of handguns being carried. We understand and fully respect your perspective. Both of the Aerofit owners own handguns and support the Second Amendment Right for citizens to own and use guns responsibly.
It is precisely that heightened sense of responsibility which has guided our conversations and decision. Our primary concerns are that we cannot insure that every individual who is legally licensed to carry a handgun will, indeed use it responsibly. Though most, if not all, understand the serious potential tragedy of even one misjudgment or safety omission, just one such mistake is too many. People are all different and accept responsibility at all levels of concern from casual to meticulous. In contrast to the many members, such as yourself and your wife, who have carried handguns at Aerofit without incident, our Villa Maria facility has had a handgun left unsecured in one of the locker rooms (not locked up) while its owner was elsewhere in the club. Honest and innocent mistakes happen all the time. We can’t afford for them to happen with handguns.
As you know, the training undertaken to become licensed to carry a handgun in Texas is required to include information related to proper storage with an emphasis on “practices that eliminate the possibility of accidental injury to a child.” The legislation does not just mention minimizing this risk, but specifically states that accidental injury to children should be eliminated. We have hundreds of children in our facilities every day. We fear our lockers may be assumed adequate storage for guns while working out. They are not. Guns require an increased measure of safety in this public venue situation. We believe it requires a measure significantly higher than what may be adequate for clothing or other personal belongings. It is certainly better, and probably adequate if the user uses a gun safe or trigger lock in addition to leaving it in a locker, but this still does not preclude the handgun from being stolen and possibly used in a crime in our community at a later time. And, we have no way to insure this would be done without fail in every case.
Additionally, the training to be licensed has no component to demonstrate proficiency in a mock live situation with moving targets and innocent bystanders. All the proficiency exercises are with stationary targets with a stationary applicant shooting. With the increase in first time, inexperienced handgun owners who have practiced enough to pass the proficiency test, but are not proficient or experienced in a potential public shooter situation there is an increased likelihood of panic and increased chance of innocents being injured or killed. Not only will the gun carrier have to live with that mistake, we will have to live with it as well. And while there is always a risk these days that someone will wish to do harm to people in the building the conventional wisdom is first to run, then to hide and lastly to fight or confront an aggressor.
We again wish to emphasize our understanding of and respect for your opinion. Our goal in this letter is not to change your opinion, but to explain our thought process and priority structure in our specific environment so that you might understand our decision.
Thanks again for letting us know your perspective.
Kindest Regards,
Not sure how to respond. They have been very polite in emails and even thanked for me sending them such a professional email.
