Why It’s Safer To Eat At Ruby Tuesday’s Than Buffalo Wild Wings
I’ve had some requests for follow-up on the group of local residents who met for lunch in North Las Vegas on Sunday, May 17, and then proceeded to a downtown park — adjacent to the North Las Vegas police station — to pick up trash. (See http://www.lvrj.com/blogs/vin/Gun_owners_announce_plan_to_open_carry_in_North_Las_Vegas_this_Sunday.html)
The idea was to conduct a demonstration of their right to carry firearms openly on their hips, the way U.S. Navy vessels occasionally transit the Bosporus and other international waters to demonstrate we still have a right to do so.
Billy Logan, who bills himself as “NRA member, GONV member, staunch Libertarian, proud gun owner and 2nd Amendment advocate,” writes: “Everything went smoother than we could of imagined (minus the problem with Buffalo Wild Wings). The outcome is exactly how we wanted and it couldn’t have ended better. …”
Apparently responding with some sarcasm to my explanation that no photo of the gathering was published in the newspaper because not much of an exciting nature happened, Billy adds, “Feel free to tell the photo editor (or whoever is in charge of publishing stories) that we’re all deeply saddened we weren’t able to get into a fire fight with the police or accidentally shoot a bystander, which it sounds like would of been the desired outcome, instead of the peaceful, law-abiding, and overall GOOD outcome that we had. …”
(Actually, if I may be allowed a point of privilege to stick up for the Review-Journal news and photo staffs, I know several folks down that end of the building who understand and cheerfully support the Second Amendment along with the rest of the Bill of Rights. I don’t believe anyone “wanted” to see trouble, two weeks back. But this is indeed a business where we run photos of bad outcomes. You won’t see many photo captions that explain “No accident occurred on this street corner Wednesday” or “This house failed to catch on fire last week.”)
At any event, “When we arrived at Buffalo Wild Wings they had posted a sign outside saying that no firearms were allowed inside the restaurant and it of course, thanked us for our cooperation,” Mr. Logan explains. “I went inside (I disarmed before entering) and spoke with the general manager Ted (I didn’t catch his last name) and he said someone from their corporate office had called informing him that this open carry event may be occurring there. He claims they had him post the ‘no firearms’ signs. He said we could hang out in the parking lot or come inside unarmed and that he ‘understood’ our position because he was soon going to be obtaining his CCW/CWP.”
I called manager Ted Deuke at the eatery at 190 W. Craig on May 26. He confirmed the sign is still up, said as far as he’s concerned “Guns and alcohol don’t mix,” but otherwise wouldn’t comment. Instead he referred me to a corporate number in Minneapolis (closed) and to his regional manager, one Joey DeSilva, who didn’t immediately return my call.
Any private property owner has a right to bar firearms from his property, of course. Those who value the Second Amendment have an equal right to take their business elsewhere. One question I always try to ask, when such folks will talk, is how they enforce this rule when a police officer enters the joint. If anyone has ever seen a uniformed officer (they’re “civilians,” by the by) go back out to his vehicle, take off his gun, leave it in the car, and re-enter unarmed — leaving himself a totally disarmed potential victim, the condition into which such proprietors want to see the rest of us rendered — I’d love to hear about it.
Nor does the fact that such joints serve alcohol come into play. I never drink alcohol when I’m armed, nor is it likely Billy and friends were planning to toss down anything stronger than an iced tea at 11 o’clock on a Sunday morning. I have, however, seen off-duty police officers drinking alcohol. Perhaps they always leave their ankle guns in the car. I’ve never asked.
On the Sunday in question, “Me and about half a dozen others agreed to just go somewhere else,” Mr. Logan explains. “We decided to go to the Ruby Tuesday’s restaurant just west of there, located at 855 W. Craig Road.
“They warmly welcomed us, made no anti-gun comments, and none of the fellow diners stared or caused a problem. The tab for everyone came out to over $500 and we left a generous tip … which I’m sure Buffalo Wild Wings could have used since there wasn’t a single diner in there when I arrived and spoke to the manager at about 11:30 a.m.
“Everyone that attended (and some that didn’t) have said they will not be returning to any Buffalo Wild Wings until this ‘no gun policy’ is changed. …
“There were about 20 of us in attendance,” at the clean-up of the vacant lot down by the North Las Vegas police station, Mr. Logan reports. “We gathered about 25 bags of trash. I personally didn’t speak to any bystanders, but other open carriers did talk to several citizens and got the word out. Many citizens didn’t realize they could even carry a gun.
“So overall it was very productive and better than we expected. Thank you for your support, Vin! It means a lot to me and everyone else involved in this event.”
Good news for those interested in preserving our constitutional right to go peacefully armed … assuming North Las Vegas police don’t change their approach to such peaceful demonstrations, sometime down the road.
May 31st, 2009 at 7:45 pm
Second amendment does not give you the right to bear arms. State
governments have done that.
Read the 2nd amendment – if you can read – and comprehend and
USE COMMON SENSE. Article II of amendments state: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Of course of legal lawyers just forgot all the words of the amendment,
except, “the right of the people to bear arms,” which in my knowledge
of the word PEOPLE – means plural, not individual person. (Period)
I was part of this amendment – I was a Militia, Detroit Police Department for 26 years and a Police Officer at Hoover Dam for
4 years. WELL REGULATED BY CIVILIANS. Just like the Military,
our Supreme Commander, is a CIVILIAN.
I love the paper story on the men walking around with weapons on
their hips – IN FULL VIEW. We have laws for concealed weapons.
AS I have written to number of people, nobody has any more
common sense.
Sincerely, Tony Pakula
June 1st, 2009 at 1:29 am
Tony, thanks for sharing with those of us not part of the 2nd amendment exactly what is wrong with Detroit and the Hoover dam police. WOW!
insincerely with uncommon sense, D Foster
June 1st, 2009 at 1:41 pm
The second amendment doesn’t give anyone the right to bear arms. Every human being ever born on this earth already has the right to defend him or herself, and logically that extends to the use of any tool that enables them to do so effectively.
The only issue is whether the people around them allow that right to be visibly and legally exercised.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:34 am
“Well regulated”, in the parlance of the time, meant well equipped. Just as the other Amendments in the Bill of Rights outline freedoms not to be abridged by the government, so does the Second Amendment. Just “common sense” as one might say.
June 2nd, 2009 at 10:51 am
Tony P.,
So, how is all that gun contol stuff working out for you there in Detroit? I understand whole sections of town are being abandoned due to crime in the area.
When lawmen can’t be everywhere, every second of the day, people need to be able to protect themselves. Our Founding Fathers understood that, too bad you don’t. But I guess you don’t have to worry about that, because as one of the “annointed in blue” you get to keep your weapon to defend yourself.
Hey, I have an idea! Leave your gun & badge at home, and walk into a bad neighborhood late on a Sat. night. You know, where the people live that you go visit in your shiny policecar, carrying all your guns, with backup just a radio away. Tell me how long you last before you realize that just like the people that live there, you are completely at the mercy of the thugs in the area. You know, just like you leave them every night when you go home. Problem is, they are home.
And because you believe they have no right to have a gun to defend themselves, their plight rests firmly on your shoulders. So the next time a person is gunned down for their paycheck, its their blood on your hands, because they can’t protect themselves because you think they don’t matter. And thats what it really boils down to, you think they are below you so they dont matter.
You’re just another Elitist Pig.
June 2nd, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Tony Pakula above is absoutely correct. The Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights does not give you the right to keep and bear arms. It only affirms (innumerates) it. This, along with most other rights innumerated at the time, were, and are, considered natural or “God given” rights. As Rod Smith says above, every human being born on this Earth has the right to defend themself.
Mr. Pakula, would you like to enlighten us on how the term “the people” mentioned in the First Amendment is defined as innumerating individual rights, such as the individual right to free speech, the individual right to peaceable assembly, etc., but when the term “the people” is mentioned in the Second Amendment, it suddenly becomes the right of the state? The founding fathers used language that every man (without an agenda) could easily understand.
June 2nd, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Violence against individuals declines when the Bad Guys can’t tell the targets from the tigers. Tigers who show their teeth may protect themselves, but no one else. And why give up the tactical advantage of surprise?
June 3rd, 2009 at 11:57 am
Why would anyone concerned about preserving gun rights belong to the NRA, the largest gun-control group in the country?
June 4th, 2009 at 10:08 am
Technically Tony Pakula is right in one part of his message.
The Bill of Rights was a check on the Federal government, not the State’s governments.
At the time of the writing of the Bill of Rights the State’s held all the power and wanted to keep it (they did until Lincoln raped that principle with his illegal invasion of the Confederate States).
The State’s had, and have, their own Constitutions and Bills of Rights.
Most of the State’s Constitutions enumerate a right to bear arms.
Enumerate is the right word if you subscripe to the Natural Rights premise – we are born with rights – they are not “granted” to us – this is the premise of despots.
( I found to my chagrin during a discussion with a Marxist that left wing types don’t really believe we are born with any rights – this guy rejected the whole premise off-handedly – hence the problem of a starting point for any debate on gun ownership and self-defense)
Otherwise old Tony is just another mind warped despot in waiting pushing the State religion.
June 19th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Guys,
Michigan has had open carry for many years (forever?). We have had ‘shall issue’ CCWs for 7 or 8 years or there abouts. Approximately 1 in 10 adults legally carry. None of that has anything to do with Detroit. It is just downright broken and has been for quite some time.
Actually, the whole state is unraveling, but that is entirely off topic.
Paul P.