I found this site and had to post. I JUST had an experiance with Mr. Kent and his show in Columbia SC and had to put the wod out. I am a CCW permit holder, and a SC State Constable (volunteer/reserve police officer). I came to his event on Saturday, Dec 12 2009 and announced at the gun safety point that I was an LEO and armed. He stated that since I was a Constable and not a full-time LEO that I had to disarm before I could visit the show. I wrote him this letter the following Monday and check out me email and his response:

Mr. Kent,

I took a new lady friend to your event in Columbia SC yesterday. Being the honest person that I am I showed the front table my credentials and told them I was armed. Much to my shock and embarrassment, I was told I could not carry my weapon loaded/concealed in the show. I was told it was because of your insurance. If I were alone, I would have left and not gone back. But since I had a lady with me and she was shopping for a handgun, I went back to the vehicle, disarmed and went back in. That caused me and my lady friend to have to stand in line outside in the cold another 15 minutes to get in. The man at the table did offer to hold my ammo but there is no way I would give a stranger my ammo or any part of a firearm.

I am not a full-time compensated LEO but I am a VERY highly trained one. Most LEO only fire their weapons only once a year. I fire as much as ammunition availability will let me which is at least four times a year including shooting scenarios and exercises. In fact, I logged 608 LE hours including patrol and training the past four quarters.

I have to wonder how many thugs or dishonest people went in there with concealed weapons. You have no idea do you? You don’t search or have a metal detector do you? What if one of the scumbags I locked up was in there armed? How would it look if I were shot and killed by one of them and it was discovered I was not allowed to be armed? How well would that sit with your insurance? I’m sure my family would get a much larger settlement than if I were a civilian. I will never come to your event again. I will spread the word to my fellow Constables and to other LEO’s in the state so they can decide if your practice of not allowing reserve officers to carry warrants their business. There is another gun show in town that comes to the Jamil Temple as frequently as yours. I’ll go there from now on. Not only do they let me in armed, THEY LET ME IN FREE! I have been to my last Land of the Sky Gun Show.

KENT’S Response:

Thank you Mr. DAC_SC, Nothing would please me more than to have you NOT attend any more of my events. Wannabe law enforcement officers such as yourself are what give all constables a bad name. In fact, the last time a constable confronted me about carrying a loaded weapon in my show and using his credentials to gain free admission to the show, I spoke with my SLED contact in Columbia and had his commission pulled the next day. I appreciate you being so honest as to give me your name and contact number so I can once again contact SLED to alert them of a poser using his credentials to badger civilians. I think the title of your e-mail says it all. You just made a “bad choice” Mr. DAC_SC. Sincerely,Mike KentPresident, Land of the Sky Gun Shows

You decide……………..