We've all seen it on the news and the web. Days after Georgia passed it's "guns everywhere" legislation, there was some man, walking around a local park. Where children were playing. Openly carrying his weapon. Why? Because he could. He wasn't concerned with the Constitutional rights of the children playing baseball or the families in the park. He was basically saying, as Leslie Salzillo pointed out in her diary, 'I've Got A Gun & There's Nothing You Can Do About It'.
Now that attitude has escalated with the activist from "Open Carry Texas."
This is the group that seems to feel it's pretty important to 1) travel in a large group and 2) all be armed with semiautomatic rifles.
"Want to go out for dinner?"
"Sure, just let me grab my AK-47."
"Hey hon, I'm running to Home Depot for some plants, need anything?"
"I just need a minute to strap my 7.62 rifle across my chest."
Their actions have been controversial, which I expect they love.
But it may be backfiring.
The NRA has taken notice of the backlash and on March 30 they posted a comment on their Institute for Legislative Action page entitled
Good Citizens and Good Neighbors: The Gun Owners' Role. They came out with some pretty honest words about the actions of these "activists"
Yet while unlicensed open carry of long guns is also typically legal in most places, it is a rare sight to see someone sidle up next to you in line for lunch with a 7.62 rifle slung across his chest, much less a whole gaggle of folks descending on the same public venue with similar arms.
Let's not mince words, not only is it rare, it's downright weird and certainly not a practical way to go normally about your business while being prepared to defend yourself. To those who are not acquainted with the dubious practice of using public displays of firearms as a means to draw attention to oneself or one's cause, it can be downright scary. It makes folks who might normally be perfectly open-minded about firearms feel uncomfortable and question the motives of pro-gun advocates.
That's right. It does.
As a result of these hijinx, two popular fast food outlets have recently requested patrons to keep guns off the premises. In other words, the freedom and goodwill these businesses had previously extended to gun owners has been curtailed because of the actions of an attention-hungry few who thought only of themselves and not of those who might be affected by their behavior. To state the obvious, that's counterproductive for the gun owning community.
Some people on Facebook seem to be pretty pleased with this development. But before we rejoice in thinking that the NRA may have suddenly developed some semblance of common sense, lets remember when Dick Metcalf, the former editor of GUNS & AMMO, wrote what many would consider a
responsible piece back in December. He said things like
"...those last four words say "shall not be infringed." They do not say "shall not be regulated." "Well regulated" is, in fact, the initial criterion of the amendment itself."
and then he quickly lost his job.
And therein lies the problem. Too many of their gun loving true believer members just don't want to hear about the "well regulated" part of the second amendment. I'm going to guess those same ones won't be happy with this statement from the NRA. Lets face it, if you take some kind of perverse joy in walking around in large groups at shopping centers, restaurants, lumber yards and hardware stores with your rifles strapped to your backs, being reasonable isn't exactly your thing.
Over the past 30 or 40 years, the NRA went from a respectable group founded in the late 1800's focusing on hunting, marksmanship and gun safety, to a group run by radical right one issue leadership.
The polls I've seen show that many NRA members believe in some common sense measures like waiting periods and background checks. The leadership does not. They have opposed everything over the years. In my town, the local NRA affiliate even opposed mandatory safety courses for those wishing to buy a firearm!
If the responsible members started withholding membership, maybe that would make a difference. But if concerned citizens and responsible gun owners stand up to them we can make a difference. Thats why I urge everyone to support groups like the ones below:
http://americansforresponsiblesolutions.org
http://www.momsdemandaction.org
http://www.bradycampaign.org
Maybe these groups can't match the NRA lobbying budget, but adding all the voices of reason together, maybe we can make a much needed difference.