with national restaurant chains siding with Everytown, the NRA issued this statement calling for Texas Open Carry advocates to stand down:Recently, demonstrators have been showing up in various public places, including coffee shops and fast food restaurants, openly toting a variety of tactical long guns. Unlicensed open carry of handguns is legal in about half the U.S. states, and it is relatively common and uncontroversial in some places.Yet while unlicensed open carry of long guns is also typically legal in most places, it is a rare sight to see someone sidle up next to you in line for lunch with a 7.62 rifle slung across his chest, much less a whole gaggle of folks descending on the same public venue with similar arms.Let's not mince words, not only is it rare, it's downright weird and certainly not a practical way to go normally about your business while being prepared to defend yourself. To those who are not acquainted with the dubious practice of using public displays of firearms as a means to draw attention to oneself or one's cause, it can be downright scary. It makes folks who might normally be perfectly open-minded about firearms feel uncomfortable and question the motives of pro-gun advocates."24 hours later, the NRA reversed course:"Update June 3, 2014, 7:15pmEDT: The NRA is now beating a retreat from its condemnation of the Texas activists. Timothy Johnson of Media Matters for America reports that the NRA's top lobbyist Chris Cox appeared on a NRA radio show on Tuesday to apologize for and repudiate the NRA's lengthy post criticizing the open carry movement: "Cox said that the statement was 'a mistake' and that 'it shouldn't have happened,' adding 'our job is not to criticize the lawful behavior of fellow gun owners.' Cox also blamed the statement on a 'staffer' who Cox said 'expressed his personal opinion."Essentially, the NRA condemned Texas Open Carry advocates because national restaurant chains started siding with Everytown. Those Texas OC advocates pushed back, telling NRA members in TX to tear up their NRA cards, so the NRA then reversed its course. lol
