Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth

A group of hoplophobes, and possible neo-prohibitionists as well, this week launched a campaign designed to pressure daily deal promoter LivingSocial into ceasing deals that include firearms and alcohol. Not having any logical basis or facts on which to base their rants, these groups resort to innuendo and distortions.

The advocacy groups – including CREDO Action, The Gun Truth Project and MomsRising – say promoting deals that integrate shooting and drinking only encourages that combination at the threat to public safety. 

The groups are invoking December's shooting massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School to argue that companies like LivingSocial should refrain from endorsing deals that glorify firearms, particularly in combination with alcohol. 

"In the wake of Newtown, I'd like to know how the people who own or work for LivingSocial can justify profiting from the packaging of AK-47 shooting sprees with an evening of bourbon shots," Becky Bond, CREDO's political director, said in a statement. 

The company, she added, "is endangering the public health by suggesting pairing assault weapons with alcohol binges is just good clean fun." 

Could Ms. Bond get any more inane in her comments; "threat to public safety," "glorify firearms," "shooting sprees with an evening of bourbon shots," "alcohol binges?" Talk about projection.

Curious about the offers that are causing these hand wringers such heartburn, I searched out a past LivingSocial Adventure, and found "AK47s, Rifles and Pistols Followed By 8 Drink Tastings." The deal included "55 Shots On a Rifle, Pistol, and AK-47." That's hardly a "shooting spree." I doubt there's even a mag change involved with any of the weapons. The shooting was done at an indoor range, under the supervision of expert instructors, who provide safety instruction and equipment. After shooting, the participants will travel to another location for "eight tastings of wine, beer, or liquor." The participants even travel to and from the event in a chartered bus.

It's well-documented that the busybodies who babble on about some imaginary danger from firearms are projecting their own inadequacies on to others. They seek to force others to relinquish rights due to their own inability to make responsible decisions. This is the same mindset that gives us large soda bans and school pencil suspensions. It's the same sort of meddling that caused the yentas in Queens to call the police on a dad playing with his kids in a park.

An afternoon of shooting, followed by drinks with friends. Sounds like a Tuesday to me.