Thoughts on Peaceful Protest #4

From time to time a business will do something stupid, offensive, stupid AND offensive or just plain wrong - leaving us with CHOICES!

We can just ignore it, blowing the situation off. We can call/write/fax/e-mail and express our dismay, either individually or as a group. Or we can take more direct actions, often with significant economic impact, to show our displeasure.

The thirty some businesses that have publicly declared their intent to discriminate against and harass gun owners lawfully going about their business, in my opinion, merit the application of whatever lawful responses as might discomfit or economically impact them. Bigotry is evil.

The Bigoted Thirty(ish) are mostly on Capitol Hill in Seattle, several are bars where carry is unlawful per se, and while there are certainly gun owners on Capitol Hill - it's not really a bastion of organized and enthused gun owners. Regrettably, both stupidity and bigotry are contagious and need to be deterred whenever possible.

Remember, when considering action, that I am not a lawyer and I do not pretend to be a lawyer. If you have legal concerns, you should speak with a lawyer. I simply document what has worked (or folks have tried to *make* work) and in some instances extrapolate an improvement here and there.

I'm reviewing a variety of options in this series of articles.

Sidewalk Fun

A public sidewalk is a space for public speech - political, religious, philosophical or just plain ranting - that is protected by the First Amendment. When it comes to sharing the love, this fundamental principle is your friend.

Whether you go to the trouble of making up some "Anti-Bigotry League" t-shirts or not, gathering in front of an establishment and handing out cards saying "Don't support Bigotry. Don't Shop at XXXXXX" on the front and "Shop at *COMPETITOR*, a bigotry free establishment" seldom does much good for business XXXXXX - and you can't be run off for trespass, what with being on a public sidewalk and all. And to the best of my lay knowledge there is not a thing in the world that says you have to specify which specific flavor of bigotry an establishment is engaged in - given that pretty much all bigotry is evil, it really doesn't matter now does it?

Picket signs are up the same line, but don't usually include the imperative "Go to THIS competitor". The joy of the imperative is that it tends to breed ill will between the business targeted and their competitors - which will almost certainly bite them, later.