Of course we know the anti-gun forces are for prohibiting guns, carry, and self defense in every way possible, but as I constantly say, they are Anti-Freedom, not just anti-gun.
Sean suggested for this week’s Gun Blog Variety Cast Sean wanted to discuss the anti-gun view on alcohol.
Let’s have a look. First is this bit of tripe:
Moms across the country were deeply disturbed to see photos of armed men inside a Chili’s restaurant in Texas. Chili’s serves alcohol, and as we all know, guns and alcohol are a lethal combination. A week after Moms Demand Action launched our #RibsNotRifles social media campaign, along with a petition calling for Chili’s to keep guns out of its restaurants, Brinker International, which owns both Chili’s and Maggiano’s restaurants, released this statement, “We recognize that the open carry of firearms in restaurants creates an uncomfortable atmosphere and is not permitted under many local liquor laws. So, we kindly ask that guests refrain from openly carrying firearms into our restaurants and we will continue to follow state and local laws on this issue.”
We applaud Chili’s for taking a stand and choosing #gunsense!
Well except they didn’t take a stand, most of these “Victories” are nothing short of window dressing.
Still let’s look at the alcohol issue. OpenCarry.org has this great graphic
Gee, if guns and alcohol are such a “lethal combination” why is carrying in restaurants in all but Louisiana legal? Shouldn’t we be hearing about all the BLOOD IN THE STREETS from that “lethal combination”?
Yep another fake hysteria from anti-gun people. Now many states restrict if somebody carrying a firearm can drink ANY alcohol, and all of them restrict people who are legally drunk (ie can’t drive a car legally) from carrying a gun. Also having alcohol in your system in the event of a defensive shooting will NOT do you any favors.
Also being drunk and in control of a gun will likely give you a felony charge, and possibly forfeit the carried gun. This is no small deal, hence why there really aren’t issues with people carrying guns in establishments that serve alcohol.
A proposal to allow alcohol sales at guns shows in Texas got a mostly unfavorable reaction at a gun show in Houston on Saturday, with some in attendance calling it a bad idea. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission on Friday announced it is considering the proposal, provided that at such events live ammunition isn’t allowed or buyers can’t take possession of their weapons.
So not only does this follow the other rules of Texas, but any guns in the possession of the person having a beer must be unloaded!
Now quotes from the nay-sayers:
“You will find people in here who are going to say, `Oh yeah, that’s a great idea. Why can’t we have a beer at the gun show? Nobody’s got a loaded gun.’ But stupid things happen. It’s just like drinking and driving. Are you going to drink and drive?” said Jensen, 30, who works for a beer distributor.
This is NOT like drunk driving, this is more like the cases that have been happening recently where a person is charged with DUI for sleeping off their drunk in their car. They’re drunk, but they’re NOT driving, but I guess they COULD drive, so DUI!!! for that matter, what about people drinking who OWN a car! I have a rather well-stocked liquor cabinet, and I have a car and guns. Now the car is locked up when I’m having a few, and so are the guns, but I COULD unlock them all and go driving and shooting at children and puppies!
ARREST ME! I MUST BE STOPPED!
Again, anti-freedom! And From Mom’s Demand Action:
Of course she doesn’t! Being anti-gun means never having to know the issues at all!
Now while I may not be in favor of this ruling, the reactions are nothing short of hysteria.
As a gun owner you’re only going to shoot children and puppies?
The anti-freedom, anti-firearm (but I repeat myself) idiots just know that you are out clubbing seals and hacking off elephant tusks in your spare time because, well, GUN!
We’ve been told often that we as the law-abiding are that until later when we’re not and the killing spree begins, instigated by the firearm itself. Just being in its orb of evil will make you snap and when you add the devil’s brew of alcohol, we will have total carnage.
Seriously now, if we were so blood-thirsty and with access to about 300 million firearms, don’t you think there would be nobody left alive in America?
I have to ask, just what color is the sky on the planet they come from?
I wouldn’t go making bank on the data provided by the opencarry.org webpage. The map graphic is misleading at best and the state drop down page for Texas has a blatant error in the initial data point.
We can carry a weapon into a restaurant that serves alcohol for on-premises consumption only if alcohol sales account for less than 51% of business income. Absent a 30:06 sign or a 51 sign displayed at the door, Texans may legally carry a concealed firearm into a business that sells alcohol in Texas. The silly “printing” issue was specifically removed from Texas statute last legislative session and the change in law has been in effect for over a year now. Enough Open Carry Texas members have carried rifles/shotties into businesses by now to make that a non-question I hope.
The map graphic makes it appear as if Texas is an open carry state, which it is not (except for the aforementioned long arms).
Just like Mothers Demanding Obedience (or whatever), opencarry.org is a political action group that has demonstrated themselves to be just as willing to shade the truth as their political opposition is. The moral/ethical burden for that is on them, but I do think the rest of us ought to acknowledge the circumstances involved.
And for the record, I think the whole debate revolves around a practical non-issue. As long as the legal concept of civil liability exists in the USA, business owners are well aware of their degree of liability for their customer’s actions while on their premises and allowing the openly armed in an inebriated environment is just begging to be sued in modern America. No matter what the law allows, we just aren’t going to be seeing guns/knives/what-have-you being openly worn in bars any time soon.
It’s a shame they aren’t as accurate as they could be. I personally NEVER make bank on any of the conglomeration sites. Like Wikipedia, they’re good jumping off points, but always default to reading a .gov site from the state in question before doing any activity with legal repercussions.
That being said the graphic is what I wanted to show. While there are “Fifty Shades of Green” on that map, like Massachusetts where it is TECHNICALLY legal, but the law has never been ruled on, or New Hampshire who doesn’t care, or Texas with their .30-06 signs, or Virginia where you can carry all you want, just don’t let a drop of suds touch your lips.
Either way if you’re driving through most of the country, and want to stop at an Applebee’s for a burger and fries, generally it is legal for you to bring your gun, if your gun is legal to carry in the parking lot.
The idea that somebody armed will see the beer list on their table and that will lead to a horrible mass shooting is blind hysteria!
From the late ’70’s to the mid ’80’s, I spent a fair amount of time traveling through the western US playing (with my band) in wonderfully rough bars.
The internet wasn’t available at the time, but I knew that gun laws were a nightmarish patchwork of confusion. I also knew that muzzle-loaders were exempt from some standards. I kept a .44 Remington replica on the back side of my Traynor. I always let the owners, managers, and staff know of its presence. Not a single person ever had a problem with it.
Upon reflection after all these years, I think turning the Traynor up to “4” could quell any civil disturbance as well as a loaded .44, and my Travis Bean would probably be quite efficient as body armor.
Yes, thank you, I would like another…
Chicken Wire?????
Okay, I’m going to take a different tack than everyone else.
I think we are under-estimating the antis; they are playing for the long game.
Sure they want to win a couple of issues along the way but each of those build for their eventual goal — total disarmament.
Pushing the idea “guns and alcohol don’t mix” is just part of that. They are setting up the argument in my opinion “Hey, we can’t trust them in public with alcohol and guns – look at how often and how bad it is when they have them at home !”
The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission on Friday announced it is considering the proposal, provided that at such events live ammunition isn’t allowed or buyers can’t take possession of their weapons.
And in the short term; this would put a world of hurt on activities like the Friends of the NRA Dinners, fund raisers and awards banquets like our club has each year. Organizations often raffle off or sell firearms during such events; if possession could not be transferred immediately far fewer people would purchase chances to win or firearms.
And I’m working on unraveling the details; there is a possibility it isn’t related to the event but the LOCATION – so the Will Rogers Colesium where many gun shows are held would have to choose between their alcohol sales or the gun shows.
We know how that would play out.