Found here, by Congressman, Gunblogger, and Friend Bruce MacMahon
Drinking with a gun in your pocket is like drinking with a car in your garage, as far as Iām concerned.
I will first say I’ve hoisted a few beers with Bruce, and all of them while we were both armed. I will also say Bruce is the kickass kind of guy who will drink microbrew, or PBR and Narragansett.
Still, while I will firmly say that one should NOT carry while intoxicated, but I find the comparison of carrying to driving (sober and drunk). When driving it is a VERY active experience, you need to keep your hands on the wheels and feet on or near the pedals, and your eyes on the road. When somebody carries a particularly carry-friendly gun or holster they might say “I forgot I was carrying”. I can certainly say that about carrying my S&W 642. You forget you’re driving while you’re driving you WILL crash, and generally you NEED to be drunk to forget you are carrying.
Also let’s face it, most of the drunk driving accidents are the driver getting distracted with an impaired reaction time, or falling asleep at the wheel. Fall asleep with a gun on you hip (Something I’ve done many times) NOTHING HAPPENS! You fall asleep with the gun in the holster, and you wake up with your gun in the holster!
Now alcohol does effect your judgment, so it could confuse your mind when deciding if you’re in a lethal force situation, and certainly it’ll effect the coordination of your draw and aim. Still is it as severe as drunk driving?
I just can’t compare the two.
I know myself very well when I’ve been drinking. I would trust myself to drink with a gun on my hip. My ability to be careful with my own firearm doesn’t change after a few drinks.
Having said that, however, I remove my gun from my holster if I am drinking. The penalty for making any mistake, more likely or not, is just too high. It is one thing for me to make a bet on it, but another thing completely to bet someone’s life.
On a practical level, I completely agree with you–my hang up is over what the court would think…
That is EXACTLY why I stopped drinking since I carry every waking moment. I dont ever want a good shoot turn into a questionable shoot where my judgement can be questioned even a little. If I’m sitting in a court I want every card possible stacked my way.
I think Violent Indifference above, and you Jay, are not addressing Friend Congressmans actual statement. Mr. MacMahon compares a “gun in your pocket” to a “car in your garage“. In neither instance is the tool in question in a location that lends itself to the designed and intended use of the tool. You both, however, respond with concern over that very thing (use), ignoring the Congressman’s specifically stated context (that being the safely stored – however readily accessable – condition, being conducive to alcohol consumption).
I don’t believe either of you intends it, but you’re both employing a typical MADD tactic by conflating one issue of concern with a seemingly related other issue. Specifically, you both respond to the claim that safely stored tools are not especially dangerous by observing that, in fact, they frequently are dangerous if used by an individual in an impared physical condition. Two distinct situations I hope you will agree.
As quoted, the Honorable Gentleman did not address the transitory decision making process between the two circumstance, and I think you do him an unintentional dis-service in your respective response by making the assumptive leap in the absence of his own thoughts on that aspect of social and personal responsibility.
Just the viewpoint from this part of Texas, and again, no disrespect to either of you. Your opinions and concerns seem valid enough in the context you mention and indeed I quite agree in that context. Am curious to read the Congressman’s thoughts on the entirety of the topic sometime.
Sorry Weer’d! You sound nothing like JayG! Total brain fart on display above, no offense intended – to JayG! š
Heh.
FWIW, I don’t think it should be illegal to drink while armed. I think that you are in for a WORLD of shit if you’ve had even a single beer and you find yourself in a situation where you may need to use deadly force – which is why I won’t drink if I am armed – but that’s for the individual to decide…
Hey Weerd…been a while since I made anyone’s QotD feature. Thanks.
And what’s with this Congressman nonsense? Unlike our federal counterpart, our House is one of decent repute.
Also, let us not forget that “drinking” != “intoxicated/drunk”. From experience, it takes about three-four beers in a couple of hours for me to begin feeling it… so what is wrong with me having one beer in a couple of hours, while carrying? I can guarantee you I would pass a breathalyzer and sobriety check, and thus be legal to drive, and if the state feels comfortable with the notion of me driving a multi-ton vehicle at high rates of speed while filled with gallons of very volatile liquids, why not a firearm?
‘Cause guns are different. Duh. ;).