A restaurant in Kansas stirred up some controversy on social media after posting a sign that says “guns are welcome on our premises.”
Riverside Café posted to Facebook on Saturday morning a picture of a handgun with a green circle around it. Underneath, it declared that guns are welcome, with a caption that read: “We fully support the 2nd Amendment.”
Hundreds of people responded, both positively and negatively.
Restaurant sign declaring ‘guns are welcome’ sparks heated debate. https://t.co/fTBA5MRUyd
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 19, 2018
One person wrote: “I’ll be in regularly. Thanks for your public support of the 2nd amendment.”
Danielle Welch said: “I’m not in Wichita anymore. But this post is awesome, bold and worthy of recognition for the simple fact that there’s a RIGHT to bear arms and you support that right! Next time I’m in town, I’ll be sure to stop by and support your business!”
But not all were in favor.
Pat McCleave wrote: “Scratch one more place of business off my list of places I will choose to spend my money.”
Another said: “Kansas laws allow gun-toting with no permits nor training. Often with no background check! Sorry, will no longer be a customer.”
Riverside Café owner Paul Cohlmia didn’t initially know about the original post or any of the comments, as he had just hired a new social media manager.
However, once he was filled in, he defended the original comment.
Cohlmia posted on Facebook: “Have been broken into 16 times, and robbed 3 times with a knife to my face.”
He also said the sign, which was the same sign posted on Facebook, has been hanging in his front window for 12 years now, and he has no plans to move it.
Cohlmia said: “I just don’t want to be a number. I don’t want to be in that situation ever again. It is scary, and everybody wants to give their two cents, but when it comes down to being robbed, it’s a whole different story,” Fox News reported.
“But some of it is just flat out telling me I’m a bigot, and they don’t know me. I have all kinds of friends of all kinds of religions. I’m not going to prove that to anybody, but the proof is in the pudding. I can deal with a lot of stuff, and you can’t fight everybody,” Cohlmia said.
Under the Kansas Personal and Family Protection Act, anyone who legally owns a firearm can conceal carry without a permit, but certain establishments have the legal right to bar those carrying firearms from entering.
