Seven restaurant chains have taken a stand against firearms being brought into their businesses, after activists in Texas conducted provocative demonstrations in which they toted semi-automatic rifles into various eateries, reports Mother Jones. Texas law allows rifles (not handguns) to be carried in public, but some patrons and employees were unnerved and angered by the demonstrations. A national advocacy group, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in American, pressured the companies using social media campaigns. Evidently the National Rifle Association has come to realize that none of this is good for business.
Last Friday, the NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action issued a statement seeking to distinguish between “responsible behavior” and “legal mandates.” It told the Texas gun activists in no uncertain terms to stand down. “As gun owners, whether or not our decisions are dictated by the law, we are still accountable for them,” the statement said. “If we exercise poor judgment, our decisions will have consequences…such as turning an undecided voter into an antigun voter because of causing that person fear or offense.” The NRA praised the “robust gun culture” of Texas, which has loosened laws aggressively as any state, but criticized Texans “who have crossed the line from enthusiasm to downright foolishness.”