“Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, the Michael Bloomberg-funded gun-control group that shamed Starbucks and Chipotle into asking customers to leave their guns at home, is setting its sights on the Target chain,” wsj.com reports. “The group turned its focus to Target after gun-rights groups advocating open-carry laws in Texas photographed themselves shopping at Dallas-area Target stores toting rifles strapped over their shoulders.” Joy. “’Moms have their eye on Target because it’s a place we take our children to shop — and we’ve been disturbed by some of the demonstrations that gun extremists have held with loaded rifles inside and outside some stores. Assault rifles have no place in the baby aisle,’ said Erika Soto Lamb, a spokeswoman for the group.” Let me say this about that . . .
Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America are onto a winner with this assault on open carry. Yes, I know: it’s all a bunch of hogwash that has nothing to do with “gun violence.” The open carry shoppers are no more dangerous than the fructose-flavored drinks Target sells in the cafe. But the same cognitive dissonance Texas rifle-toters use to promote their cause – see? rifles in Target! no big deal! – scares the beJesus out of the gun muggles. They can’t understand why. Why would anyone carry a “loaded rifle” in Target?
Let’s face it: it’s a damn good question. While there are some damn good answers – mostly centering on the free exercise of Americans’ natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms – the fence straddlers will never hear them. For one thing, the media isn’t interested in presenting the case for open carry. Notice that the Wall Street Journal article says nothing, not one word about the open carriers’ motivation. Second, the non-gunnies are mesmerized by the image of men with guns in Target. In the baby aisle!
It may be the rum talking but there’s something to be said for shock value. Every time the media shows an open carry demo that doesn’t end in a gun battle, every time the Moms kvetch about peaceful open carry without any substantive change in the law or store policy, the public becomes a bit more desensitized to both Moms and “gun extremists.” And guns? Maybe that too. If so, MDA’s anti-open carry campaign could end up being a Pyrrhic victory. Here’s hoping.