The NRA was wrong in a statement made by Chris Cox and then reaffirmed by Wayne LaPierre concerning a comment made by presumptive presidential nominee Donald Trump about the Orlando shooting. Here is Cox's quote: “No one thinks that people should go into a nightclub drinking and carrying firearms, that defies common sense. It also defies the law.”
Wayne LaPierre reiterated those sentiments in a recent interview he did, you can check that out here:
Now, I'm about to go out on a limb here and potentially alienate myself from some of you. And, that's okay because we are allowed to disagree on some things—just as long as we both agree that the Second Amendment is for the right of the people to keep and bear arms. That's all I really care about. But, I wanted to take a second to point out why I believe what he said was wrong.
First off, I disagree when he says “No one thinks that people should go into a nightclub drinking and carrying firearms…”
Personally, I don't drink much and I don't find myself in a lot of bars these days. And yes, while it's probably not a good idea to carry a gun in a bar where you can get hammered and into a fight, people still have the right to keep and bear arms. That right shall not be infringed. Period. Granted, each individual state does infringe on that right, to some extent.
For example, Florida does put forth some very strange concealed carry laws within an alcohol distributing establishment. You can drink, but can't be in a place where alcohol is the primary source of income for the establishment. If it is not the primary income, you must stay out of the bar area. I'm not sure how the place where the terror attack is set up, so I really cannot comment about this one.
Because I can't comment, let's get back to the topic at hand…
In my own humble opinion, it is a little hypocritical for him to say that you can't carry in a bar, while claiming to fight for the right to keep and bear arms. And, I also disagree with his point that it “defies common sense.” I have the right to self-defense regardless of where I am. Looking at it from the view of a law abiding citizen: as long as I'm allowed to be there with my firearm, I'll go. Which, I guess brings me to my next point and area where he is wrong…
While it is against the laws of some states to carry a concealed weapon into a bar, it is far from illegal in all of them. For him to state that it “defies the law,” is just plain silly. Now, you could make the argument that he was speaking about Florida law. But, if you watch the interview with Cox, you see him say that it is illegal across the country. Simply not true. I can think of a few states off the top of my head without such laws that make drinking and carrying in a bar totally fine. One such state, is my home state—Pennsylvania.
I feel like the leaders for the NRA should know that. Yes, it is hard to keep up with the laws of all 50 states, but I knew that and I'm not a big wig in any firearms rights groups. I'm just a little dude, so to speak. Also, I feel like people often speak without fully learning the truth, first.
But, that's not even the main point. The point, is that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed—not even under the influence of alcohol. Again, while it's not a good idea to get utterly wasted and go play Yosemite Sam in the moonlight, the right of the people cannot be infringed.
What if I decided that I'd take my wife dancing at the local alcohol serving nightclub, while on vacation in Florida. I would likely be over cautious because I don't live there, and I'd leave my firearm at home. After all, I worked as a corrections officer and don't do well behind bars. So, I leave my little snub at home, and after hours of pretending to dance (but likely doing something else, entirely, because I cannot dance), we walk out to the car only to get jumped.
We each only had one or two drinks, and I'm now regretting my choice to leave my firearm in the lock-box at the hotel. Now instead of having my revolver in my hand for self-defense, I need to throw my big ass around a bit to hurt people the old fashioned way. What if there were three aggressors?
I'd do my best, but I'm not as good as I once was…
Catch my drift? Why would I have even gotten assaulted to begin with? Because my attackers saw me leaving a place where they knew it was illegal to have a firearm. In other words, I was at a “soft target.” Is it a stretch? Yep. Then again, so was an ISIS soldier leading a terrorist attack in Orlando, Florida.
The right of the people shall not be infringed under any circumstances. There are already too many laws on the books telling us where we can and cannot go with our self-defense tools, why add anymore? The leaders of the NRA need to know that. They need to understand that they are our best chance at freedom due to their sheer size, alone.
Sound Off Gun Carriers! Am I wrong in my assessment? Or, do you agree with what I said here? Lay it on thick in the comments below. Then, make sure you subscribe to the Gun Carrier YouTube channel so you never miss a gun or gear review.