Guns have no place in public spaces

Add Subway sandwich shops to the list of responsible businesses that demonstrate care for the safety and comfort of customers and employees.

The Milford-headquartered franchise changed its policy and will now ban the open carrying of firearms in its restaurants, even in states where open carry is permitted, following similar moves by businesses such as Target, Walmart, Whole Foods, CVS and Walgreens.

What precipitated the policy change is a disturbing sign of the times: Eleven protesters, most carrying pistols and shotguns, marched around downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, in May and went into a Subway shop to order sandwiches as part of a reopen demonstration during pandemic stay-at-home orders.

Photos taken by a local news photojournalist went viral and prompted gun violence prevention organizations to send a letter signed by 153 families and survivors affected by gun violence, and petitions signed by more than 50,000 people, beseeching Subway’s CEO John Chidsey to change the open carry policy. U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy of Connecticut sent a letter on June 29 urging the prohibition of openly carrying firearms in the restaurants.

“In a nation plagued by the scourge of gun violence and lockdown drills, the mere sight of weapons in restaurants and other public venues is often triggering,” said Newtown Action Alliance Chairwoman Po Murray of Newtown.

A response in some quarters would be that the Second Amendment guarantees the right to “bear arms” and that right should not be infringed upon. But there are limits, and other individual rights to consider.

Aside from the notion of why would anyone need to carry a gun into, say, a grocery store, the issue comes down to public safety, not conflicting rights. And private businesses are free — and responsible — to set policies that will make customers feel safe, not intimidated by someone slinging a shotgun in the produce aisle.

The same should be true for public community spaces.

The Newtown Action Alliance is asking its hometown to adopt an ordinance to ban firearms on town property and within 1,000 feet of public demonstrations.

Private businesses are free — and responsible — to set policies that will make customers feel safe, not intimidated by someone slinging a shotgun in the produce aisle.

Other municipalities should consider the same.

Alliance members regularly rally in front of the National Shooting Sports Foundation, a national gunlobbying organization also headquartered in Newtown. Counter protesters have “used their guns to threaten us,” Murray said. “Peaceful rallies have become increasingly aggressive when gun enthusiasts attend.” The right to peaceably assemble is embedded in the First Amendment. Even that, however, comes with local regulations, such as not disrupting traffic.

A spokesman for the shooting sports group called the Newtown Action Alliance’s requests “preposterous” and “undermine the very definition of what it means to be American.” Not so.

The definition of what it means to be an American does not include intimidating people by brandishing firearms. To be an American means respecting others’ rights — and, yes, people do have the right to buy legal guns and use them appropriately. In public spaces and private businesses, though, guns have no place.