How much political and economic clout do SDA license holders have?

[flybeech]

Wiki says Oklahoma has a population of about 3,800,000 and the news people say there are less than 150,000 Oklahomans who have been granted permission by the state to exercise their Second Amendment privilege to carry. One in 25 Oklahomans are permitted to carry and of those, maybe 10% will be activist and/or alter their spending patterns in any significant way.

I'm all for taking my consumer dollars to carry-friendly establishments and feel uncomfortable disarming to enter the more dangerous gun-free zones, but do we have significant enough numbers to sway anyone? If even half of the Oklahomans who have earned their privilege to carry stayed away from gun-free zones, would businesses even notice?

 

[Danny Tanner]

When looking at the numbers, no we don't. Of course this will depend on many different variables, like which part of town you're in (an art gallery in the liberal mecca known as the Paseo District probably wouldn't miss our money too much). But, no matter if you can influence a business or not, at least you can rest your head a little easier each night knowing you stood true to your principles.

 

[okiebryan]

Our educational efforts have seen results. It largely depends on the reasons for the business posting the sign in the first place, and how strongly they feel about their position. If they posted because they just thought they should, it's often the first calm and reasoned complaint that makes them come around. If they are deathly afraid of guns, so much so that they cannot understand that their "gun free zone" will never deter a criminal, then that person will never be swayed.

When that doesn't work, sometimes the economic pressure does work. Of course we would have more clout if more of us stuck together.

 

[flybeech]

When that doesn't work, sometimes the economic pressure does work. Of course we would have more clout if more of us stuck together.

I completely agree in spirit, but if 100% of everyone with a permission slip became activist, we would have no more than one in 25 Oklahomans with a dog in this hunt. More likely, no more than 10% of all Oklahomans with a permission slip would change anything in their own buying patterns, which makes us a customer population of less than one in 250 customers. As long as expensive and difficult to get permits are the only way to get more people in the ranks of those selected to carry, we simply don't have the numbers to affect commerce in any meaningful way. Hundreds of signs could go up every day that negate the privilege we paid so dearly for.

As you said, sticking together is the only way anything could possibly happen and I would add that we need to actively recruit new gun enthusiasts to get their privileges extended and grow the numbers.

 

[okiebryan]

Read this thread

Our plan is working. We don't have to burn up phone lines, only as a last resort.

 

[flybeech]

Read this thread

Our plan is working. We don't have to burn up phone lines, only as a last resort.

I enjoyed reading that thread and will be sure to remember that the next time I want to eat out. Perhaps you could post your message to Ted's and I could use it as a template for the next encounter. I've decided to put tactical preferences aside for now and continue to openly carry my firearm open. I pray that God can help me be a good ambassador and react to aversion with tact, patience and civility. I pray for an end to government-granted permission to exercise a right that was given to us by God, as we work toward a Constitutional Carry state before it's too late. I'll gladly discard my expensive and time-consuming permission slip, in favor of a true right restored.

 

[richard597]

Just curious. Which "right" is more important? Our right to carry. Or a business owner's right to dictate policy on his personal property. I see both sides of the issue and yes, I carry daily. I have not had to make that decision very often where I live and shop. The only place I normally go where a "no guns" sign is posted is the bank and I do not have to go inside very often so it is not a problem for me. Please enlighten me if I am wrong.

 

[TwoForFlinching]

Just curious. Which "right" is more important? Our right to carry. Or a business owner's right to dictate policy on his personal property. I see both sides of the issue and yes, I carry daily. I have not had to make that decision very often where I live and shop. The only place I normally go where a "no guns" sign is posted is the bank and I do not have to go inside very often so it is not a problem for me. Please enlighten me if I am wrong.

I hope this thread goes epic.

 

[freeranger]

Just curious. Which "right" is more important? Our right to carry. Or a business owner's right to dictate policy on his personal property. I see both sides of the issue and yes, I carry daily. I have not had to make that decision very often where I live and shop. The only place I normally go where a "no guns" sign is posted is the bank and I do not have to go inside very often so it is not a problem for me. Please enlighten me if I am wrong.

Property rights are a keystone. The original draft of the Declaration mentioned Life, Liberty and Property.

 

[flybeech]

Just curious. Which "right" is more important? Our right to carry. Or a business owner's right to dictate policy on his personal property. I see both sides of the issue and yes, I carry daily. I have not had to make that decision very often where I live and shop. The only place I normally go where a "no guns" sign is posted is the bank and I do not have to go inside very often so it is not a problem for me. Please enlighten me if I am wrong.

Oh, I completely agree with you 110% on property rights and I'm not suggesting that we outlaw the private property owner be forced with law to allow firearms. No sir, I don't advocate for that for one second. I want less government and fewer laws. The intent of this thread is to ask how much political clout 4% of the Oklahoma population really has, since only those with a government-issued permission slip can "lawfully" carry and to suggest that I will tend to taake MY private property and spend it in gun-friendly establishments. I'm not a big fan of boycotts, but if I can spend my private property in the private property of someone who supports my right to carry in their business, that's just what I'm a gonna do.