Yesterday, Portland restaurateur Anne Verrill took a stand on assault rifles on the Facebook page of Grace, her Chestnut Street eatery:
“I have spent 12 years, intentionally, not being political on this page… Let me be clear, this is not a political issue,” she wrote. “This is a human rights issue. If you own this gun, or you condone the ownership of this gun for private use, you may no longer enter either of my restaurants, because the only thing I want to teach my children is love.”
She later deleted the post — which reportedly featured a photo of an assault rifle, similar to the one used in the Orlando massacre — though she told us she stood behind it.
Thousands of people weighed in on Grace’s Facebook post — many criticizing her stance, and some supporting it.
The BDN Portland story drew 496 comments at last count. We read them all.
Here is what you had to say about the story.
[For more Portland news, sign up here for our evening newsletter]
Some felt the post was just bad business.
Snowluvr: “You should not do things like this when you own a business. Just like Target, they should not have gotten involved in the transgender issue. I know that she has eliminated my chance of eating at her restaurants. I wanted to try it out, but not now.”
Rangeley_BLKBEAR: “Food service and other retail business is so highly competitive it is mind-boggling why any business would cut off half of their Target audience (sic)…I’m sure Dana Street probably feels the same way about assault weapons but you don’t see him spouting off.”
Some were supportive of Verrill’s right to turn away customers.
Cult of Nazarene: “Isn’t her decision to run her business how she chooses what all you capitalists are always whining about? Or, is it only when it fits your conservative agenda?”
RHW59Maine: “While I don’t agree with her, I do believe that she has the right to choose who she serves in her privately owned business.”
Some believed banning gun owners is discriminatory.
AMongoose: “A baker must bake cakes for gays because the right was found by the supreme court, yet. You can refuse service to someone who is practicing an enumerated right?”
Countryboy1947: “…What your customers may own, in their homes and private lives…..is NONE of your business. Your idea is “discrimination” of the worst kind.”
Some just joked.
Psych-Ward Stony: “Got an AR-15?? No soup for you!!!!!!!!!!”
But most of the criticism boiled down to this:
Maryr1054: “Guns don’t kill people kill. You can get rid of guns and they will find an alternative way to do their harm.”