Someone thinks the mall's rules supersede rights enumerated in the Constitution and recently clarified and affirmed by SCOTUS?
Is what some merchant group's representatives puts on an entrance sign to their place of business able to force a person into a contract of obedience that would nullify the Constitution?
Good point, I do not know. Perhaps a lawyer person on Free Republic can clarify this point?
Your constitutional rights end when you are in someone else’s place of business.
None of my employees ever had First Amendment protection when they were doing company business, for example.
> Someone thinks the mall’s rules supersede rights enumerated in the Constitution and recently clarified and affirmed by SCOTUS? <
Yes, the mall’s rules do supersede the rights enumerated in the Constitution. Here’s why. The Bill of Rights protects you against government overreach. It does not protect you when you are on private property.
Here’s an example. The 1A confirms your right to free speech. So you could stand in a public park all day long, and tell passersby how terrible Ford cars are. No government agent can interfere with you.
But you cannot do the same thing while at a Ford dealership. That’s private property, and Ford can make it own rules there. No bashing of Ford products! If you don’t like those rules, don’t go to the dealership.
Private property rights come into play, and as a business owner I will side with the malls choice here.
If they put the sign up but don’t search or use metal detectors they are covering their ass in the event of a shooting, at least a little. They know there are people who will ignore it, both good and bad, and so I think this is their way of appeasing everyone, especially the suburban housewife with her kids who will (falsely) feel safer being able to lie to themselves that that sign will help protect them.
If you are seen with it, you a asked to take it out to your vehicle, secure it, and you are welcome to come back in, I have the same policy here at my business with my employees. I don’t want my employees walking around my shop strapped. If they want to bring it in and secure it in their toolbox I am okay with that as well, but there is no reason to have one on them here at all.
Your right to carry ends at my door, period. Emotions flair here on occasion, I don’t need a firearm involved. I would never stop you from having one in your vehicle for the ride to and from, and the mall doesn’t either.
The only way for the property owner to enforce their “rules” is for them to employ armed guards at their entrances along with metal detectors and employees assigned to search all bags, purses and packages carried by their customers into the store. Without those efforts they can not ensure that no weapons will be brought into the establishment. I would love for the families of the victims in this incident to sue the mall for failure to provide proper security to them since they have a “rule” that customers can not have weapons on their property. Once they restricted the ability to self defense by banning weapons they assume the responsibility to provide adequate security/protection to their customers.