Saturday, June 20, 2009

That Duck Was Somebody’s Mother

And a drunk with a gun in a restaurant blew it away:
DUMFRIES, Va. -- Apparently angry that bartenders wouldn't serve him saying he was too drunk already, a Woodbridge man stepped outside a Dumfries restaurant and fired his .40-caliber handgun into a crowd of ducks, killing a mother duck, police said.

David Yount, 33, was charged with driving under the influence, refusal to take a breath or blood test, and reckless handling of a firearm, InsideNoVA.com reported. He was not charged with duck murder because it isn't illegal to shoot an animal that can be hunted. Nor will Yount face charges for carrying a firearm because it is legal to carry a gun in plain view in Virginia restaurants unless the proprietor prohibits it.

And I thought there were never any problems at any states with laws like Tennessee’s?

Asshole.

InsideNoVa editorializes that “There is absolutely no need for a person to carry a gun into a restaurant”:

Opponents might say the fact that patrons can be armed could deter criminals from trying to rob restaurants. Guns in the hands of the law-abiding prevent criminal acts, or so the story goes.

But that line of thought actually raises more disturbing questions. Do we really want a criminal and a patron exchanging gunfire in a crowded restaurant? We think not.

And when a supposedly law-abiding person with a gun can get drunk, get angry, pull his gun and fire, something is wrong with the picture.

Furthermore, restaurants are usually family friendly, but it’s not so friendly when mom and dad take their children out to eat and have to sit close to someone with a gun strapped to their hip. In fact, it’s downright hostile.

Indeed.

According to InsideNoVa’s initial reporting of the incident, the ducks were a known presence at the restaurant and a woman was actually videotaping the mother duck and her babies when Yount went on his shooting spree.

Yeah, that’s a family friendly environment all righty. Try explaining THAT to your kids.