By Dom Raso, NRA News Commentator 

If you’re a small business owner, and you’re considering putting a “gun-free zone” sign on your door, at least let me tell you why I think that’s a bad idea first. If you don’t have a gun-free zone in your business, you’re on the right track. And thank you for allowing us to protect ourselves and your customers.

Since 1987, the state of Florida has issued 2.5 million concealed-carry permits. Of those, only 168 people have committed firearms crimes. That’s .00672 percent of the total amount issued, .00672 percent. Overwhelmingly, the people who will take a look at the gun-free sticker on your door and actually obey it are the law-abiding permit holders who are absolutely no threat to you, your business or your customers. In fact they are your customers. You put that sticker on your door in Florida, its only effect will be to eliminate 2.5 million potential crime-stoppers from your business.

The millions of people that abide by the law and feel the need to protect themselves and the people around them are the last people you should be trying to keep out of your business.

I’m trained, prepared and always on the lookout for those preparing to harm to others in this country. People like me have sworn to protect America overseas, and our mentality doesn’t change now that we’re in our own country. Why would you want to keep guys like myself out of your store or business? Why would you want to limit my capacity to defend you and your customers? I have a lifetime of experiences and absolutely no threats on how to handle them. And now you took me out of that fight—and even in some cases took that right away from an off-duty cop that just got off of work and is headed to the coffee shop on his way home.

That little sticker with the gun crossed out effectively tells committed attackers that they will have the upper hand and encounter no resistance. They walk up to your store and know you are a vulnerable target. Why would I go somewhere I can’t defend myself, my family or those around me? I’ll just go to a store that does allow me to protect myself. But second, now your fighting force is as good as the security you hire. Be a smart business; don’t make yourself an easy target for crime, and don’t deny your customers the right to defend themselves. They’ll thank you for it.

Get your NRA News right now – click here. Join the NRA – click here.