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ELB,

Great comments.

You wrote: "I guess I can just wait for the general attitude toward personal protection to change." Why are you "waiting?" Don't know how old you are, am guessing 20's? I am, ahem, a bit older. Believe me, the general attitude toward personal protection has changed immensely since I was in my 20s. It did not happen by people waiting. People pushed, pushed hard, and there was some blood along the way (see Suzanna Hupp).

Do what you can now. If you are not a TSRA and NRA member, join up. Some think the NRA too tame, so there are even more aggressive organizations. Don't wait. One of my ways to "not wait" is to not patronize businesses that foolishly think keeping out CHL holders is somehow makes them safer. You have to decide for yourself, just make sure you think it all the way through. Good luck.

When I wrote that I was waiting for the general attitude to change, I was referring to both my employer and the Draft House. In fact, I probably had more in mind my employer. I had an in-depth conversation with the VP of HR here, and while he's not anti, he probably sees the responsibility to the company in general and to the insurers. That's why he doesn't want firearms in company buildings. So I leave mine in my car. Perhaps one day insurers won't see CHL holders as liabilities, and attitudes like this will change.

Your call to action is inspiring. I myself am balancing a number of things: work life, church life, a serious dating relationship that will probably lead to marriage in the next year, etc. When I took the CHL class, I fooled myself and my girlfriend into thinking I would only carry occasionally. Then I found this forum. Now I take various baby steps toward more serious involvement in the exercise of my 2A rights. Perhaps one day I will forgo the Draft House... but that means not going when my friends want to go. I'm already somewhat typecast as a gun nut to my friends; I don't want to be "that guy" all the time. In fact, I'd rather be a "sleeper cell" for 2A causes. If you saw me (a Yankee), you wouldn't think I was the type to carry.

For what it's worth, I've heard that the Lake Creek Draft House is a franchisee, as are the Houston ones. Do the central locations have the non-compliant 30.06 signs?

-Brent

Why should we "avoid spending money there"? Because the management/ownership has decided to ban firearms? Uh-oh, look out! Someone is exercising their rights!

I have been to every Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, and to the South Lamar location (specifically) over 100 times. I haven't been to a regular movie theater since I was 18! And do you know why? Alamo Drafthouse has a great staff, great movies, and is one of the best darn business models I've ever seen. They also don't have punk 16 year-olds shining laser pointers on the screen, $9.50 movie tickets, and morons on the payroll.

I totally agree with this. I've lived in Austin for five years now and I like the vibe and environment of the Draft House. They provide a nice alternative to crappy hot dogs and popcorn at a movie theater. Being a 6'4" guy, they also leave me plenty of leg room. I went there for the first time since I started carrying last Saturday, and while I was nervous about carrying in there, it was clearly not 1" lettering. (You didn't need a ruler to figure that one out.) No problem for me, as far as I was concerned.

Corporations make these kinds of decisions whether we like them or not. I work for such a company and cannot carry into the building. I guess I can just wait for the general attitude toward personal protection to change. If I were so black-and-white about my rights, I would be out of a job that I love.

I didn't think about the 51% thing... that's an interesting twist.

-Brent