By Cliff Schecter

Hyde Park resident Cliff Schecter is a founder of the public relations firm Libertas LLC and a columnist for The Daily Beast.

Six months ago, Idaho Gov. Butch Otter signed SB 1254 into law, allowing teachers and students to carry guns at public universities there. This past Tuesday, only one week into the school year, a teacher accidentally discharged his firearm in the classroom, literally shooting himself in the foot.

Kroger, please don't do the same thing.

Like many Cincinnatians, I'm proud that Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the country, is based here for the jobs it provides, the great service it offers its customers and the sense of community it helps foster. My wife and I shop there regularly, often with our kids in tow.

But ever since the tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, many of us have been more vigilant about the dangers posed by a gun culture run amok – one in which some people aren't satisfied to keep a gun in their home. Now, they must carry everywhere, in some sort of peacock-like display of their feathers.

It's one thing if they choose to endanger themselves. But in a state that doesn't require universal background checks, which are supported by 90 percent of the public, or additional training to carry a deadly weapon in public, the moment they enter a public space with a weapon they're putting everyone at increased risk. (This can be easily seen in this overwhelming compendium on Pinterest called "Shooting While Shopping," put together by radio host and Daily Kos blogger David Waldman.)

Moms Demand Action, a grassroots organization founded by Shannon Watts in the wake of Newtown, is currently leading a campaign to encourage Kroger to go beyond state law by asking shoppers to leave their guns at home. I think this is a pretty fair request.

Much like with our professor above, The Harvard Injury Research Center has shown statistically what is simple common sense: Where there are more guns, there are more accidental gun deaths. Would-be Rambos preening for photos while walking down Aisle 7 are much more likely to accidentally shoot a fellow shopper than live out a dream sequence of taking out that preferred Kroger shopper who also just happens to be an ISIS member.

As importantly, there is the issue of race in our society. At a Walmart in Dayton, John Crawford, an African-American, was gunned down by police officers for simply picking up a BB gun that was on display. Does anyone think after the past month's events in Ferguson, Missouri, there won't be more of these incidents should the "wrong" ethnic group(s) decide to avail themselves of their "right" to open carry? Do we want to open this Pandora's Box with open carry?

Finally, there's simply no way to know someone's intent by looking at them. With gun massacres occurring all too regularly, how am I supposed to size up someone walking toward me and my 4-year-old with an AR-15? Do I risk my child's life and pretend not to notice? Call the police? Run like hell? These incidents have already caused panic elsewhere; why would such a smart company want to risk a similar scenario playing out at our local Kroger, which could lead to unnecessary injury or possibly even death?

We must apply common sense to how we regulate deadly weapons. As Watts points out, there's a "stark contrast" in Kroger "policies that prohibit skateboards, food and lack of attire in stores, while allowing the open carry of loaded guns." As far as I know, only one of those items could render me a non-Kroger-shopper evermore.

As Bob Cavnar, firearms owner and founder of Gun Owners For Reform puts it, "even when following all safety protocols, guns endanger the public because they aren't toys. They are ultimately made to kill."

I understand the hesitancy of any organization to embark upon a big change of policy, but this is one that has solid majority support, and will only serve Kroger and its executives, employees and customers well in the long run.

Please, Kroger, do the right thing and ban open carry in your stores.