Oh fer fuck’s sake:
Over the weekend, a soldier with the National Guard was told to leave his gun outside of the Nicholasville Waffle House or he wouldn’t be served. The situation is now getting national attention.
Billy Welch said that he stopped at the Waffle House Sunday morning for breakfast. He was in his Army National Guard uniform and had his gun holstered to his side. After ordering his food, Welch said that a waitress signaled for him to come over.
“I got up and I walked over to them, asked them how they were doing and stuff, and they said I’d have to take my firearm outside,” said Welch. “I don’t feel comfortable taking my firearm away from me. I always keep it with me and they said, ‘it’s one of our policies.’”
Welch said that he didn’t think too much of it, just told the waitress that he could not leave his firearm outside.
“You know, if I can’t have my firearm, then I can’t be here,” said Welch. “I walked inside to the other waitress. I said, ‘thank you, but no thank you ma’am. I’m gonna have to leave.'”
Welch started hearing from people and organizations all over the country after one witness took the details of the situation to Facebook.
“I have a bunch of family members and friends who have been active military and in the military and retired and it hurts my feelings when people disrespect them,” said Micaela Shaw, who was sitting in a booth nearby. “I just wanted to stand up for him.”
This is absurd. They didn’t refuse to serve him because he was carrying a firearm, they refused to serve him WHILE he carried a firearm in THEIR establishment. There’s a difference here, and it is crucial. His second amendment right to own a firearm does not supercede society’s right to determine whether or not we have to be around people with guns when we don’t want to.
What if this had been a bank instead of a restaurant? Would the headlines be blaring “Bank refuses to serve wingnut with manhood issues who needs to overcompensate by carrying a penis extension everywhere man with gun?” Of course not, because we all recognize that banks have a right to not have people packing heat in the lobby. The same with restaurants.
This country has lost its damned mind when it comes to guns.